The Grand Tour returns to Amazon Prime with an all-new season next month and it appears this won’t be the last time we see the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.
In a tweet noticed by Jalopnik, the show posted a message from Amazon saying “We’re excited to announce that we have renewed The Grand Tour for season 4, and [are] proud that Prime Video will continue to be the home of Jeremy, Richard and James for years to come.” The tweet went on to say the upcoming season will “see the guys ditch the tent to take on big adventure road trips that we know Prime members will love.”
Good news: After season 3 #TheGrandTour will be returning for an even bigger adventure. Bad News: We have a tent to sell. pic.twitter.com/GIz60N4ngA
— The Grand Tour (@thegrandtour) December 13, 2018
The latter part of the message is a bit cryptic, but The Sun reports the show, as we know it, is effectively over. Instead of doing traditional reviews and studio segments, upcoming seasons of The Grand Tour will reportedly consist of at least four specials per year for the next two years. In essence, after season 3, the show will revolve around a handful of “big budget specials” rather than ten or so hour long episodes.
Speaking with the publication, Clarkson said “It’s a really sad day. I will miss the banter with each other and with the audience.” However, he acknowledged things need to change as “we’ve been doing that show for effectively 17 years — sitting around in studios, watching cars race around the track.”
Upcoming seasons are expected to focus on long road trips which are among the most popular with audiences. That’s a pretty big change, but Clarkson said “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 also joked “I’m 58 and I’m too fat to be climbing on to the stage.”