The lovable scamps that formerly hosted Top Gear have been out in the wilderness for weeks (weeks!) now, doing nothing much besides hosting a live, touring version of not-Top Gear. All the while, they’ve been sideswiping questions about a new show, but this might be our biggest hint yet about it.
The big moment comes around five minutes in to this video (it should be cued up, but just skip ahead if the cueing isn’t working) of their show in Belfast, when Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson are bantering on about the Corvette Z06. For those who can’t watch it, it goes something like:
Richard Hammond: So far, we have had a drag race, and a racing driver called The Ben Collins has done some laps in the car.
Jeremy Clarkson: Yes, but, so far, you still haven’t told us anything about the Corvette Zed-oh-six.
RH: Uh, Zee-oh-six.
JC: Zed.
RH: Zee.
JC: No, Hammond, you are not in America.
RH: Not yet.
[STAGED NERVOUS LAUGHTER]
JC: He said that, didn’t he?
RH: Yeah, that came out.
Obviously, that they’re working on a new show isn’t a surprise. Jeremy Clarkson has explicitly said he’s going to do another car show, and he’s also said that they’ve been listening to offers, if not responding to any of them. There have been multiple mostly-unsourced rumors that the trio of Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond would end up at Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime, along with possible landings at another European competitor. Or even back on the BBC, weirdly!
But this is the closest we’ve come to hearing two hosts, together, discussing where they could end up. And it sounds like they’re basically just outright saying at this point that they’re headed to United States, land of the free, home of the brave, and also birthplace of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and also Fusion, where they might end up because I just invented that and isn’t it fun to start rumors?
Anyways, all of this isn’t over until the fat lawyers sing and there are contracts signed, so none of it may matter.
Though, with my biggest tinfoil hat on, if you think any of this bit of awkward-banter-plus-nervous-laughter wasn’t staged or planned out in advance, then you obviously never watched much Top Gear.
Photo of JC and RH at a previous incarnation of Top Gear Live credit Getty Images
h/t to r/TopGear!
Contact the author at ballaban@jalopnik.com.
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