Amazon signs up for Clarkson’s ‘Farm’, ‘Walking Dead’ spin-off

Jeremy Clarkson

Amazon Prime Video has greenlit eight-part Jeremy Clarkson-fronted series I Bought The Farm (working title) from Expectation.

The show follows The Grand Tour presenter as he attempts to run a 1,000-acre working farm in the heart of the British countryside.

Filming commenced on the project this autumn and will continue across the farming year, following the highs and lows of Clarkson’s agronomic pursuits.

The series will launch on Amazon Prime Video in 200 countries and territories.

The streamer has been signing individual deals with the trio of presenters and executive producer Andy Wilman since late last year. Most recently, Amazon Studios’ director of European originals Georgia Brown revealed the streamer has greenlit an unscripted series featuring The Grand Tour‘s Richard Hammond, which will be produced by his Chimp Productions banner.

That show will follow Hammond and MythBusters’ Tory Belleci as they attempt to survive on a desert island.

I Bought The Farm will be exec produced by Expectation co-CEO Peter Fincham. Senior producer is The Grand Tour’s Andy Wilman and series director is Gavin Whitehead.

The project further cements Amazon’s relationship with The Grand Tour presenters. The streaming giant initially inked a three-series deal with the group in June 2015, following their exit from the BBC’s Top Gear after it was revealed that Clarkson had punched producer Oisin Tymon just a few months prior.

The presenter later apologised, after settling a racial discrimination and injury claim lodged by Tymon against Clarkson and the BBC for an estimated £100,000. Despite the incident, Clarkson was brought into the Amazon fold mere months later, and has also gone on to host ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? reboot.

Brown said: “Jeremy is one of Britain’s finest exports and I think I speak for the entire nation when I say I can’t wait to see what will happen when he turns his usually petrol-covered hands to life on a working farm.

“We’re excited to bring this latest UK produced Amazon Original series to Prime Video viewers around the world next year. Wishing you lots of luck Jeremy. What could possibly go wrong?”

Fincham added: “I’m excited to be one of Jeremy’s farm hands. He’s really passionate about farming, and tractors, and all the other stuff that he thinks he knows about. This series will showcase a new, wiser, muddier Jeremy than we’ve seen before. Can’t wait.”

The Walking Dead

Walking Dead spin-off deal

Elsewhere, Amazon Prime Video has also signed up for a new spin-off of The Walking Dead, which will launch next spring.

Following the release of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, this next series is co-created by Scott M. Gimple, with Matt Negrete on board as co-creator and showrunner. The series will star Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Annet Mahendru, Nicolas Cantu, Hal Cumpston and Nico Tortorella.

Amazon Prime Video will carry the new series across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Europe (excluding Spain and Portugal), while AMC Networks International will air it on AMC in Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

The new series, which is produced and distributed by AMC Studios, will feature two young female protagonists and focus on the first generation to come of age in the apocalypse.

Brad Beale, VP of worldwide licensing for Amazon Prime Video, said: “TV audiences around the world have demonstrated their passion for The Walking Dead universe, and we are so excited to bring this next iteration to our Prime members. An exciting and heartfelt survival story that will have our viewers sitting on the edge of their seats, this next series from the world of The Walking Dead will make an excellent addition to the growing catalogue of global event series available to Amazon customers.”