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> One big winner was the motoring series “The Grand Tour,” which stars the former presenters of BBC’s “Top Gear.” The show had more than 1.5 million first strea

> One big winner was the motoring series “The Grand Tour,” which stars the former presenters of BBC’s “Top Gear.” The show had more than 1.5 million first streams from Prime members worldwide, at a cost of $49 per subscriber in its first season. BBC handed Amazon a win on a silver platter. They didn't need a writer, they didn't need a producer, they just bought the ones that BBC threw out. How did Netflix miss on Andy Wilman and Jeremy Clarkson?

swarnie_ 9y ago
From what i understand they did speak to a lot of networks and streaming services. Amazon won because of the huge budget they offered and the promise of autonomy. It really does show as well. Some scenes in season one and two could never have been shown on the BBC.
ascagnel_ 9y ago
Amazon outbid Netflix, plain and simple. BBC had to toss Clarkson after he punched a producer.
landonxjames 9y ago
I saw rumors a few days ago that The Grand Tour has already been canceled after the already ordered season 3. Really hope it isn't true because it is one of the biggest draws of Prime Video for me.
- ceejayoz 9y ago
  That rumor's coming from the Daily Mail, so I'd take it with an ocean's worth of salt until some sort of corroboration comes out elsewhere.
- awiesenhofer 9y ago
  While I too hope it's just rumours I bet if it really happens netflix will snatch them up instantly. And if not we'll still have DRIVETRIBE.
- AmVess 9y ago
  That would be no surprise. I used to be a big TG fan but didn't even finish this season. A lot of my friends used to be TG fans, and they've also quit watching. It's not too hard to believe that the C/H/M formula has run its course for a lot more people than just my small sphere of friends.
- volkl48 9y ago
  The first season was Amazon's top draw (as this article indicates). The 2nd season seems to have largely been better received, not worse. Seems very, very unlikely that Amazon would be canceling a show with those circumstances. I could see the crew deciding to retire/stop doing the show, but I can't see Amazon canceling it.
nothrabannosir 9y ago
> BBC handed Amazon a win on a silver platter. Their hand was forced. Clarkson punched someone. They can’t just countenance physical violence because it’s a successful show. That would have had serious ramifications (rightfully so). For all intents and purposes: Clarkson left. He gambled, and won. But it was a gambit, and I doubt Amazon execs will be keen on taking hits themselves. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had some circumspect wording in the contracts related to covering exactly that case :)
- awiesenhofer 9y ago
  From watching two seasons of The Grand Tour there also seems to be a clause in the contracts similar to "Jeremy and Andy get to do anything they want" - which probably reduces the risk of someone being punched dramatically.
  - praneshp 9y ago
    The punch was not over creative differences, iirc. It was over a meal not being hot. Kind of the same risk nownas well, unless punching has been legalized :-)
- volkl48 9y ago
  Amazon's basically just cutting a check to "W. Chump & Sons" (The production company Wilman, Clarkson, Hammond and May each have a 25% share in) for the show. They supposedly have very little to do with the actual making of the show. The BBC was more involved, from my understanding.
TallGuyShort 9y ago
I loved watching Top Gear and I generally like his politics, but even I wouldn't dare invest money in Clarkson with his history of behavior, even with a virtually guaranteed return.
- ams6110 9y ago
  Successful people are often volatile and impulsive. Not sure why that is but you see it in top executives, coaches, etc.
  - silverbax88 9y ago
    Those are just the ones you hear about. There are many successful people who aren't dysfunctional malcontents.
  - TallGuyShort 9y ago
    Doesn't remotely make it okay to hit people or change what I said.
arachnophobe 9y ago
And yet the BBC version of Top Gear is getting slated for 'just' 2.8 million viewers in the UK alone: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/top-gear-2017-ratings-episode-1-matt-leblanc_uk_58bd372ee4b0b99894188577 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/top-gear-2017-ratings-... [Edit - this is for the 2017 series]
pjc50 9y ago
Slightly offtopic, but my favourite knockoff of Top Gear is neither of the two successor shows but one made on a tiny fraction of its budget: Air an Rathad. It has adorable levels of enthusiasm and beautiful scenery without any of the bombast. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fky8c http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fky8c
jnty 9y ago
Jeremy Clarkson had just assaulted a colleague following several other scandals, including racism rows. I assume they made a judgement that the reputational damage to their existing business wasn't worth it, whereas Amazon needed the boost.

swarnie_ 9y ago

From what i understand they did speak to a lot of networks and streaming services. Amazon won because of the huge budget they offered and the promise of autonomy. It really does show as well. Some scenes in season one and two could never have been shown on the BBC.

ascagnel_ 9y ago

Amazon outbid Netflix, plain and simple. BBC had to toss Clarkson after he punched a producer.

landonxjames 9y ago

I saw rumors a few days ago that The Grand Tour has already been canceled after the already ordered season 3. Really hope it isn't true because it is one of the biggest draws of Prime Video for me.

ceejayoz 9y ago
That rumor's coming from the Daily Mail, so I'd take it with an ocean's worth of salt until some sort of corroboration comes out elsewhere.
awiesenhofer 9y ago
While I too hope it's just rumours I bet if it really happens netflix will snatch them up instantly. And if not we'll still have DRIVETRIBE.
AmVess 9y ago
That would be no surprise. I used to be a big TG fan but didn't even finish this season. A lot of my friends used to be TG fans, and they've also quit watching. It's not too hard to believe that the C/H/M formula has run its course for a lot more people than just my small sphere of friends.
volkl48 9y ago
The first season was Amazon's top draw (as this article indicates). The 2nd season seems to have largely been better received, not worse. Seems very, very unlikely that Amazon would be canceling a show with those circumstances. I could see the crew deciding to retire/stop doing the show, but I can't see Amazon canceling it.

nothrabannosir 9y ago

> BBC handed Amazon a win on a silver platter. Their hand was forced. Clarkson punched someone. They can’t just countenance physical violence because it’s a successful show. That would have had serious ramifications (rightfully so). For all intents and purposes: Clarkson left. He gambled, and won. But it was a gambit, and I doubt Amazon execs will be keen on taking hits themselves. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had some circumspect wording in the contracts related to covering exactly that case :)

awiesenhofer 9y ago
From watching two seasons of The Grand Tour there also seems to be a clause in the contracts similar to "Jeremy and Andy get to do anything they want" - which probably reduces the risk of someone being punched dramatically.
- praneshp 9y ago
  The punch was not over creative differences, iirc. It was over a meal not being hot. Kind of the same risk nownas well, unless punching has been legalized :-)
volkl48 9y ago
Amazon's basically just cutting a check to "W. Chump & Sons" (The production company Wilman, Clarkson, Hammond and May each have a 25% share in) for the show. They supposedly have very little to do with the actual making of the show. The BBC was more involved, from my understanding.

TallGuyShort 9y ago

I loved watching Top Gear and I generally like his politics, but even I wouldn't dare invest money in Clarkson with his history of behavior, even with a virtually guaranteed return.

ams6110 9y ago
Successful people are often volatile and impulsive. Not sure why that is but you see it in top executives, coaches, etc.
- silverbax88 9y ago
  Those are just the ones you hear about. There are many successful people who aren't dysfunctional malcontents.
- TallGuyShort 9y ago
  Doesn't remotely make it okay to hit people or change what I said.

arachnophobe 9y ago

And yet the BBC version of Top Gear is getting slated for 'just' 2.8 million viewers in the UK alone: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/top-gear-2017-ratings-episode-1-matt-leblanc_uk_58bd372ee4b0b99894188577 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/top-gear-2017-ratings-... [Edit - this is for the 2017 series]

pjc50 9y ago

Slightly offtopic, but my favourite knockoff of Top Gear is neither of the two successor shows but one made on a tiny fraction of its budget: Air an Rathad. It has adorable levels of enthusiasm and beautiful scenery without any of the bombast. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fky8c http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fky8c

jnty 9y ago

Jeremy Clarkson had just assaulted a colleague following several other scandals, including racism rows. I assume they made a judgement that the reputational damage to their existing business wasn't worth it, whereas Amazon needed the boost.