James May Reveals Studio-Less Format For Top Gear V2, An 11+ Episode Run And More
It’s amazing just how little we know about the new car show Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will present on Amazon Prime. So far everything has been kept tightly under wraps, but in an upcoming interview with The Guardian, James May revealed a few interesting details.
Firstly, the trio won’t be carrying over Top Gear’s famous studio-based format. “We are not a studio-centred thing anymore. We are making a series of TV films and we don’t have a base…It is massively expensive what we are doing, for reasons that I hope will become apparent when you see it,” he said.
Next up, there’s the episode run. We’ve been expecting at least 30 episodes over three years as part of the initial Amazon deal based on previous reports, but May said to The Guardian that 11 or more episodes is what we have to look forward to for the first series.
May also confirmed that the show will debut on Prime rival Netflix this Autumn, and said that previous claims of a £10 million pay packet for Clarkson plus £7 million apiece for himself and Hammond were “all bollocks…The figures aren’t right.”
He remained coy about exactly when the new series will kick off, saying: “It will be ready when it’s ready…For once we are not in a race [with the BBC and Top Gear,” as well as labelling the Cenotaph stunt pulled off by his successors as “possibly a little unwise”.
If you’re desperate for a fix of Captain Slow and can’t wait for his new car show, you can catch him on upcoming BBC Four series ‘The Reassembler’, which begins soon.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
I kind of expected that, they outgrew the studio quite a while back and it was obvious they genuinely loved doing stuff that took them to amazing places… it’s the obvious place for them to keep growing.The budget must be insane though to do 11 episodes like that, the editing cost alone will be staggering. I’m also expecting shows to hop countries during episodes which must require an inordinate amount of co-ordination and logistics.
As for the money they get paid… it can’t be about the money for them at this point. None of them need it, this I suspect is about making the best TV possible while having the most fun possible.
If I was fed, had a place to sleep, I wouldn’t care much about how much I’m being paid to drive super cars through Europe, or driving a used 2002 WRX wagon through Africa.
But…The news, the cool wall, the V8 blender!
This makes me so happy!! Long live the top gear trio!! Can’t come quick enough!
Don’t you mean it will debut on Amazon Prime, rather than Netflix? Can’t wait for it tho.
I was wondering this too, it’d be awesome if they licensed it to Netflix as well though, but a very strange move.
EDIT: Checked the Guardian interview, that says it will debut on Netflix too, maybe they’re trying to maximise viewership.
I loved the studio segments (Apart from the SIARPC), I love seeing the three guys discussing about cars in a relaxed way like they did in the news or the cool wall.
If they are going away from the studio, can they do house visits instead? I’ve got some hammers, a small children’s piano, and I can pick up some teeth whitener.
So it’s also available on Netflix? I wonder will it be a Sunday night released of one episode of the batch of 11 released all in a shot
It will be released on amazon Prime not netflix.
So wait, no studio means no star in a reasonably priced car? That was EVERYONE’S favorite part! I feel betrayed.
not everyone :P at least not me, i’d much rather skip. Unless there was an F1 driver, then yeah. Otherwise…
I really loved watching the news… Hope they will continue that segment in some way.
As long as there are still silly car challenges, funny reviews and more ‘specials’, then I’m happy.
when is Hammond gonna remove that nasty thing from his face?
So I’m not the only one who liked him better with a naked chin:)