Clarkson, Hammond, and May Quit Studio Television After Nearly Two Decades Together
The Grand Tour Season 4 will be their final studio work, though no producers were punched this go around.
"It's the end of an era," in the words of Jeremy Clarkson, who nearly broke down in tears while filming the most recent edition of the hit Amazon series The Grand Tour.
While fans of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May—as well as their associated vehicular antics—have at least another couple of years of specials to look forward to, it's the end of the road for studio-based shows.
With their families in the audience, a hush fell as Clarkson stepped onto the stage, announcing that the gig is up, at least in the format we've known for 17 years.
Clarkson, 58, announced that it was the end of an era. "There are only so many times you can watch a BMW go round the track—what more can you say? It’s got four wheels and a seat," he said in his typical irreverent manner. “We all agreed that we’ve been doing it a long time and everything eventually runs its course. Besides, I’m 58 and I’m too fat to be climbing on to the stage.”
As tears welled up on and offstage, a fan interviewed by the UK's Sun newspaper said that the crew then played a montage of the trio's best bits, going all the way back to their Top Gear days.
While the final studio series will be released on Amazon Prime next month, Clarkson, Hammond, and May have signed a two-year deal for at least four specials a year. Despite leaving the studio format behind, there's still plenty of gas left in the tank, it seems.
