Great News! Former Top Gear Hosts In Talks With Streaming Giant Netflix For ’House of Cars’ Series
Now where did I park my Dacia Sandero? If you’re a tech fanatic, there’s likely a pretty good chance that you’re at least somewhat interested in the latest and greatest enthusiast cars on the market. And if motor oil runs through your veins, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard of the international automotive sensation Top Gear, which had dazzled audiences since the series was revamped in 2002.
We won’t get into the dicey and salacious details that led to the demise of Top Gear in its current format (you can find hundreds, if not thousands of articles online dedicated to dissecting the show’s downfall following the BBC’s decision not to renew Jeremy Clarkson’s contract), but what is important to gear heads going forward is that there appears to be hope for a future car show starring our lovable blokes from England including Jezza Clarkson, Captain Slow James May, and The Hamster Richard Hammond.
Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, and James May
The Top Gear trio and executive producer Andy Wilman are reportedly being courted by BBC rival network ITV; Clarkson, May, and Hammond (the latter of which have stood side-by-side with their embattled friend) met last week with top executives for the network. But those outside of the UK aren’t really interested in that development. What we’re latching on to is the fact that deep-pocketed Netflix has also entered the fray, launching what will likely be an epic bidding war.
The U.S.-based streaming site is apparently the most likely destination for the show, as a move to ITV would court the same scrutiny and oversight that is known to be a thorn in the side of the outspoken Clarkson. "The headache with ITV is going to be the potential conflicts of interest with advertisers. What would they do if Jaguar or Volvo had a sponsorship deal but they wanted to berate its latest new car?” said a source for The Mirror. "Jeremy doesn't like being told what to do. It could cause huge arguments."
Netflix is already a powerhouse in the streaming market and has built a reputation for quality original programming like Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. Speaking of House of Cards, Clarkson and the gang have joked that a Netflix-helmed series should be called House of Cars. That’s clever, but perhaps a bit too on the nose.
Netflix has nearly 60 million customers, which would be a huge audience for the former Top Gear presenters. And the streaming company is sure to pickup at least a few million more as the world’s auto enthusiast community — specifically those that don’t already subscribe to Netflix — rallies behind their three amigos.
