The Grand Tour isn't going to be as grand as hoped for. Variety reported back in January that due to the latest controversy surrounding Jeremy Clarkson, Prime Video would be cancelling both his shows after their next seasons. That allegedly means the end of The Grand Tour after Season 6 -- and after the show never quite captured the same hype that Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May attained as the hosts of Top Gear. While Clarkson's behavior was reprehensible and the fate of his series should not overshadow that, another consequence is the abrupt stop to decades of TV.
What Hammond, Clarkson and May accomplished was nothing short of stellar. They turned a respectable but workmanlike BBC motoring show into a worldwide sensation. There were multiple international versions, plus Top Gear merchandise and a Top Gear arena tour. And when that came to an end at the BBC after a different Clarkson controversy in 2015, shocked fans were sated by the idea that the three presenters and executive producer Andy Wilman would be making The Grand Tour. Now with The Grand Tour Season 6 possibly the end, it's like watching a favorite band break up.
The Grand Tour Season 6 Marks the End of an Era
While Amazon has not officially confirmed The Grand Tour's cancellation after Season 6, it has also not denied the Variety report. If the news is correct and the streamer does terminate its relationship with Jeremy Clarkson, it's near certainly the end of an era. The Grand Tour premiered in November 2016 because Hammond, May and Wilman wanted to continue working with Clarkson rather than stay on Top Gear without him. Just over six years later, there's no indication of that changing. Even though Hammond and May each have individual shows with Amazon, they've also always had their group project. And while history could repeat itself, any other streamer is likely to be a little warier after Clarkson has been sacked from not one but two platforms, for good reason.
But looking strictly at the work he produced, Top Gear and later The Grand Tour both defied any kind of convention. Clarkson, Hammond and May's Top Gear adventures were the stuff viewers could only dream of. Ruin a drivetime radio show? Why not. Try and fail to make some amphibious cars -- twice? At least it was entertaining. Turn one of the most ridiculous cars in the world into a space shuttle? Sure, and it almost worked. What made them superstars weren't the fast cars, and the celebrity segments were the most boring part of the show. Fans became fans because Clarkson, Hammond and May had an incredible rapport. They got in over their heads together, failed a lot and only complained slightly because they were too busy making fun of each other.
Jeremy Clarkson Leaving The Grand Tour May Be Just the Beginning
The current incarnation of Top Gear has succeeded because it finally found three hosts with the same bromance. Paddy McGuinness, Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff are likewise having the time of their lives. Paddy literally made a monster food truck while Freddie brought back the 1970s cop show vibe. And in some ways, their Top Gear has surpassed Clarkson, Hammond and May because they've brought their own devil-may-care optimism to the format. They've made it theirs like no one else before.
Conversely, The Grand Tour went through its growing pains, and it wasn't quite as successful, but it was still fun. The scripted bits were more obvious, and instead of episodes there were just a series of specials, but that was okay because it eliminated the boring parts. It became like going on adventures with old friends instead of new ones. And without all three of the hosts, the way forward becomes unclear. Amazon is still in business with James May, having ordered Our Man in India just weeks after the Variety report, which proves Prime Video still wants content from him. Presumably that also applies to Richard Hammond, who had The Great Escapists on the platform in 2021. But will their solo projects be as financially successful for Amazon as The Grand Tour, which still has a 92 percent Rotten Tomatoes audience rating? Or will they, too, end up disappearing -- either due to the business of TV or the stars moving on to other things?
It's understandable that Amazon wants to part ways with Jeremy Clarkson, given his history of controversies. Yet it's also worth acknowledging that he, Hammond and May have brought joy to millions of viewers around the world and made car enthusiasts out of people who might never have been otherwise. To lose that after just six seasons will be bringing to a close something special when fans once believed The Grand Tour would go on seemingly forever.