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Television Businesses Transportation

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May Making Show For Amazon 207

Posted by samzenpus from the back-in-the-drivers-seat dept.
mrspoonsi writes: Amazon has announced that former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will be reuniting to create “an all-new car show” that will be exclusively on Amazon Prime. The first season will be made available worldwide in 2016 and will be produced executive producer Andy Wilman. The BBC reports: "The move follows their departure from the hit BBC Two show earlier this year. Clarkson's contract was not renewed following an 'unprovoked physical attack' on a Top Gear producer. His co-hosts then followed him in leaving the show. They will now make the unnamed new programme with former Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman, who also quit the BBC following the 'fracas.' In a statement from Amazon, Clarkson said: 'I feel like I've climbed out of a biplane and into a spaceship.'"
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Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May Making Show For Amazon More

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May Making Show For Amazon

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  • I wonder (Score:3)

    by justthinkit ( 954982 ) <floyd@just-think-it.com> on Thursday July 30, 2015 @09:15PM (#50219991) Homepage Journal

    I wonder how many parts of the show they are not allowed to copy.

    I think of David Letterman and how he had to change the name of his top ten list.

    • They can just replace The Stig with Jeff Bezos...

    • I'm looking forward to the Popular person in a production car and seeing their feral racing driver the Gits test supercars. ;-)

    • I heard they're still allowed to fake rock-throwing attacks, but they have to use CGI instead of cutting to a black screen.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dbIII ( 701233 )
      As an aside there was a direct clone of the Letterman thing in Australia. The presenter (Steve Vizard) would even wander around with an empty coffee cup at the start of the show to copy what Letterman did. The presenter was one of the owners of the network that thought he was funny and decided he would play at being Letterman, but somehow he failed to copy the entertaining bits and made sure that he was not upstaged by any guests with actual talent by frequently interupting them.
      I have no idea how he got

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by MrKaos ( 858439 )

        As an aside there was a direct clone of the Letterman thing in Australia. The presenter (Steve Vizard) would even wander around with an empty coffee cup at the start of the show to copy what Letterman did.

        Wasn't he in some comedy show as well?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dwywit ( 1109409 )

          Vizard was in some of the funniest sketch comedy in Australia.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

          It's aged, but some of it still works.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by dbIII ( 701233 )
            His Letterman clone showed that without the others to carry him he was a boring waste of space.
            He was the money and connections guy for Fast Forward production and he got time on screen to keep his ego fed.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dbIII ( 701233 )
          Yes. Some of the others were very funny. His stuff was pretty well the homosexual version of "blackface" and other unoriginal shit, but he was the guy with the finance so went in the show.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by MrKaos ( 858439 )

            Yes. Some of the others were very funny. His stuff was pretty well the homosexual version of "blackface" and other unoriginal shit, but he was the guy with the finance so went in the show.

            Did you know him?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by jeremyp ( 130771 )

        They might have bought the format off CBS.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dbIII ( 701233 )
          Since there was nothing along those lines in the credits, and given the lack of respect for the law of the "creator", that is very unlikely. The funny thing (finally) is when it ended it was replaced with the real thing.

  • Amazon Prime (Score:1, Offtopic)

    by ScentCone ( 795499 )
    I have to say, I keep stumbling across new reasons that I like Prime. Had a gig this evening, and needed some spendy batteries. A couple of clicks this morning, and they were on my doorstep in the afternoon. It only takes a few events like that in a year to make Prime worth the modest cost. But so many other little goodies that Bezos keeps tossing in to remind me why it's good to stick around. I have enough parts and pieces shipped in that it pays for itself in time and shipping costs regardless. The rest i

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Maritz ( 1829006 )
      No link to the special offer? Click the box and type scentcone for 10% off? ;)
      • No, actually. I'm just describing something I pay for, and which I like. I know that's not fashionable, but it actually is possible to like a company and it's products/services. On balance, I think Amazon is a remarkable operation. Not shy about it. The more people who check them out and also use their services, the better it gets for me. I generally - though not always - like what Bezos is doing outside the context of Amazon directly.

  • First note to the PAs on the new show: (Score:5, Funny)

    by JBMcB ( 73720 ) on Thursday July 30, 2015 @09:22PM (#50220017)

    Mr. Clarkson prefers WARM STEAKS.

  • World Wide? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Barny ( 103770 ) on Thursday July 30, 2015 @09:29PM (#50220043) Journal

    I figured I would try it. I signed up for it, Amazon happily took my credit card details and, after they were potentially billing me (yeah I know first month is free), they tell me I can't watch it from my location. Now, I know they have my address on file. I know they can figure out what country my visa card was issued. You would think they would warn me that I cannot view their apparently 'world wide' service from Australia.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      You would think they would warn me that I cannot view their apparently 'world wide' service from Australia.

      Where has Amazon ever claimed that Amazon Video streams all content "world wide"?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Barny ( 103770 )

        Yeah, good call. The BBC news channel added that, and Slashdot copied them.

        http://phx.corporate-ir.net/ph... [corporate-ir.net]

        Is the original press release and seems to only say that it will be released for Amazon Prime viewers, not mentioning anything about being a "worldwide release".

    • I figured I would try it. I signed up for it, Amazon happily took my credit card details and, after they were potentially billing me (yeah I know first month is free), they tell me I can't watch it from my location. Now, I know they have my address on file. I know they can figure out what country my visa card was issued. You would think they would warn me that I cannot view their apparently 'world wide' service from Australia.

      The best part is that you will now be getting regular e-mails from them informing you of 'deals' available to you on their world wide service that you cannot subscribe to from your location.

  • Isn't it called "Grand Theft Auto?" (Score:5, Funny)

    by xxxJonBoyxxx ( 565205 ) on Thursday July 30, 2015 @10:08PM (#50220141)

    >> 'unprovoked physical attack' on a Top Gear producer

    Let's see...driving around in awesome cars and smacking around random people. Isn't that already called "Grand Theft Auto?"

  • It's always been a bit of a PITA to even consume Amazon content; I've got a fairly poor network connection and they're nowhere near as good at throttling as Youtube, let alone Netflix. When you compound that with their long-standing and only relatively recently-relaxed attitude towards permitting Android devices to consume Amazon Instant Video, my desire to have Amazon Prime has been extremely limited... until now.

    Assuming this is true, this might be what finally lures me into Prime membership.

    • On the connection issues, I wonder why these streaming services don't allow more caching of content. I'd expect that you could flag a movie that you want to watch and the player would download the whole thing for me in the background. I could either attempt to watch in real time or catch it much later, or anywhere in between.

      But they don't work that way, which means that I have problems with amazon streaming from time to time. (I have Comcast Cable internet, and I have my suspicions as to the source of t

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Xest ( 935314 )

      I only have shitty 4mb ADSL in the UK and I have absolutely no problems streaming their content. How bad is your connection exactly?

      I agree their lack of Android support was shitty, but given that I could play it on my X1, my 360s, my PS4, my PS3 my Smart TVs, and I think even my WiiU as well as my computers (I also have two internet connections with different IPs) I always wondered how long it'd be before they phoned me to tell me I'd been banned from sharing my account. There was never really much of a sh

      • I only have shitty 4mb ADSL in the UK and I have absolutely no problems streaming their content. How bad is your connection exactly?

        It's a 6mb connection from a local WISP that brings the signal into our town via four microwave links...

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by eWarz ( 610883 )
      They tend to throttle their flash player even if you have a 100 mbit connection. There is a flag you put in the URL to bypass the throttle and it works flawlessly. I believe the flag is forceBR=5.

      • They tend to throttle their flash player even if you have a 100 mbit connection.

        I have the opposite problem. My connection is kiddie grade, from a WISP that phones it in, and the Amazon video player often won't buffer properly, doesn't cut down the bitrate enough, something. Netflix works great and Youtube works OK so I blame Amazon.

  • this is not the Leaked show synopsis (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    What can they call the show that's both amusing and punitive?
    B.B.C - British Blokes Cars (just use and promote the acronym, ought to be no end of merry japes)

    Synopsis - several Middle Aged and Unexpectedly Wealthy dufus's from the crumbling British Empire lark and prank about in cars, without the hindrances of a Politically Correct overseer, making enough poo poo and boom boom jokes to keep a newly minted prince Harry soiling his duds in merriment. Long live the Queen.

    Featuring segments including 'Who Can W

  • Darn. The lads find the one service I don't subscribe to. I guess I'll have to find a stream like I did for the last season on the BBC. TG is special because you get to see them beat up the cars,not just give puff pieces on them. You know the X3 is wack...you know that lots of cars suck even tho they are expensive. There is a boor at every party. JC is that person. I'm sure If I understood the class system of Britain this would be even more interesting, but I live in the colonies.

    • You know the X3 is wack...

      Yes, I think that's exactly how James May put it.

    • I have a subscriptions and will still pirate it, i refuse to be beholden to use streaming services players. Wake me when they get their act together and get a functional API so things like plex/xbmc can embed them.

  • turning a Reliant Robin into a fucking space shuttle. And actually launching it.

  • Are they going to ship it to me for free within two days? No, it is Amazon Prime's streaming service. I can't figure why those are bundled together. I'm sure it's great for people who subscribe. But I am not going to subscribe just for Top Gear, and I don't buy enough online to justify the monthly fees. I don't like streaming content. I'd rather have a DVD.

    • Are they going to ship it to me for free within two days? No, it is Amazon Prime's streaming service. I can't figure why those are bundled together. I'm sure it's great for people who subscribe.

      Oh, I thought you were smarter than that, based on your posting history. It's good for Amazon, that's why they are bundled together.

  • "What could possibly go wrong?"

  • ...Frankly, part of the charm of the show was the sort of kludgy, clumsily-produced, backyard-BBC feel to it.
    As much as I look forward to the show, it's not likely to succeed.

    1) there's no flipping way any American audience will stand around. Holy shit, I've always been amazed at how desperate one would have to be to be on TV to stand in a crowd of people, mostly in the dark, for the hours and hours it would take them to shoot that show.*
    * unless you're a hottie, in which case you'd clearly have been escor

    • The daytime talk shows have no problem finding people to sit around and watch people argue. I'm sure TG would have no problem at all finding a studio audience. Besides, they have done plenty of shows in the U.S. and plenty of stunts. They will be fine.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

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