“Jeremy Clarkson, the former star of the BBC blockbuster car show Top Gear, confirmed yesterday that his new show for Amazon Prime will be shot and broadcast in ultra-fine detail 4K resolution,” The Week reports.
“Broadcasting in 4K will mark a shift for Clarkson and his co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond, who began filming Top Gear in the lesser standard of ‘high-definition’ in July 2007,” The Week reports. “After he was dropped by the BBC for punching his producer, Clarkson signed a contract with Amazon Prime thought to be worth £160 million to produce three seasons of a new motoring show.”
The Week reports, “So far, little is known about the new show’s format, but filming began on the show two weeks ago when Clarkson, Hammond and May descended on the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, Portugal, to race three of the world’s most expensive supercars. The new Amazon show is expected to begin screening in the middle of next year.”
MacDailyNews Note: Judging by the number of links we’ve received in the past about “Top Gear” and regarding this latest article, “Top Gear” was, and this new Amazon prime show promises to be, an immensely popular show with MacDailyNews readers.
“In a new advertisement for Amazon Prime that was first broadcast during the Rugby World Cup final at the weekend, Clarkson took another cheeky swipe at his former employer, the BBC, leaving many pundits wondering whether the ad is a sign of things to come,” The Week reports.
“In the advertisement, Clarkson is seen drifting around a large house on a Segway explaining: “Back in the spring as you probably remember I suddenly became unbusy. And that was ok because I had one of these” – he indicates an Amazon TV product,” The Week reports. “It includes ‘everything you could possibly want’ he says, scrolling through options. ‘Demand 5, Netflix’ and then as he scrolls past the BBC iPlayer app, he curls his lip and adds: ‘that.'”
“There will be 36 episodes,” The Week reports. “Former Top Gear producer Andy Wilman, who is still working with Clarkson, told Broadcast magazine there will be three series of 12 episodes… which will not be released together. Unlike many series made for online broadcasters, such as Netflix, the new motoring show will be released once a week, episode by episode.”
“The show will not have ad breaks,” The Week reports. “Clarkson wrote in his Sun column that he is delighted the show will have no commercial breaks and ‘no editorial pressure from on high.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Good thing Amazon Prime isn’t on the new Apple TV or the lack 4K on Apple’s new device might be as glaring as it is on the Netflix app vs. the 4K-capable Netflix app built into our our 65-inch Sony 4K Ultra HDs which also has a 4K-capable Amazon Prime app waiting and ready for Clarkson’s, May’s, and Hammond’s new series.
Oh, well, maybe next year Apple TV will, you know, get with the program.
(What Apple should have done is make an Apple TV that is 4K-capable, clearly stating that salient fact in the specs and marketing materials, with a simple “coming soon” regarding the content. They could have easily gotten away with offering a smattering of 4K content à la Netflix and Amazon Prime and they would today be able to sell boxes to those who look at the new Apple TV and its lack of 4K future-proofing and immediately think “this smacks of planned obsolescence, so we’ll wait until next year, thanks.”)
SEE ALSO:
Apple made ‘audacious bid’ for Top Gear trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May, but lost out to Bezos’ Amazon – September 1, 2015
Apple’s move into content creation could devastate Netflix and Amazon
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Why would Apple want to make their own movies and TV shows? – September 1, 2015
Apple exploring entry into original entertainment production – August 31, 2015
Top Gear’s Clarkson, Hammond and May sign with Amazon Prime for new show to debut in 2016 – July 30, 2015—
Why Apple TV doesn’t need 4K Ultra HD video – November 12, 2015
Apple TV and the 4K Ultra HD conundrum – October 8, 2015
Amazon embarrasses Apple with new 4K Fire TV box or something – September 17, 2015
Amazon unveils $100 Fire TV box 4K video support, Alexa voice control – September 17, 2015
With the all-new Apple TV, Apple changes the game, yet again – September 14, 2015
Analyst: Apple TV streaming service on the way, could cost at least $40 a month – September 14, 2015
Local media streaming app Plex coming to Apple TV – September 14, 2015
What Apple got right in Apple TV’s user interface – and what needs work – September 11, 2015
New Apple TV has the potential to do for television what iPhone did for mobile phones – September 11, 2015
Apple preps to conquer living room with all-new Apple TV – September 11, 2015
Hands-on with the all-new Apple TV – September 10, 2015
Gruber: Apple TV will define how all TVs will work in a few years – September 10, 2015
Here’s how much RAM is inside Apple’s iPhone 6s/Plus, iPad Pro and new Apple TV – September 10, 2015
New Apple TV sounds great, but where’s the 4K? – September 10, 2015
[Thanks to MacDailyNews readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]