Clarkson (TV series)
British chat show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, 1998–2000.
Clarkson was a British chat show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson that ran on BBC Two from 8 November 1998 to 27 December 2000. Guests included musicians, politicians, and TV personalities.
Each episode featured Clarkson discussing modern life and interviewing celebrity guests, often those who disagreed with him. An interview typically opened and closed the show, with the middle filled by recurring segments and at least one additional guest.
In series 1 and 2, Clarkson picked a country—mocking its culture and especially its food—then interviewed a celebrity from that nation. During series 1, the country was always an EU member; series 2 expanded to any country. This segment was dropped in series 3 to accommodate a shorter runtime.
From series 2 onward, Clarkson also demonstrated dangerous or inventive cooking methods, such as exploding vegetables on barbecues, microwaving unsuitable items, or slicing a pizza with an oxyacetylene torch. This “kitchen antics” segment continued into series 3.
In series 1, each episode included a “Fantasy Dictators League,” ranking eight current dictators. Their performance was tracked weekly, and the winner received a trophy called the “Pol Pot.” In the final episode, false subtitles were used to mock the league and insult Clarkson.
Starting in series 2, Clarkson aired short parodies of public service broadcasts.
Series 1 had seven episodes, broadcast Sunday evenings. Series 2 increased to ten episodes, also on Sunday evenings, with start times varying between 9pm and 10pm; the 28 November episode was skipped due to snooker coverage. Series 3 lost its Sunday slot, airing ten 30-minute episodes on Fridays at 10pm.
- Field
- Television chat show
- Nationality
- British
- Network
- BBC Two
- Years active
- 1998–2000
- Episodes
- 27 (7 in series 1, 10 in series 2, 10 in series 3)
- Presenter
- Jeremy Clarkson
Lore & Background
The show consisted of Clarkson talking about modern life and interviewing celebrity guests, often with a differing opinion from his own. Usually there was an interview at the beginning and the end of the show, with the time between filled with repeating segments and often at least one more guest. In series 1 and 2, Clarkson focused on a country, mocked their culture and particularly their culinary tradition, then interviewed a celebrity representative from that country. In series 1, this was always one of the members of the European Union; in series 2, the scope broadened to all countries. This segment was dropped in series 3 to fit the shorter format.
Reader's Guide
Clarkson ran for three series on BBC Two from 1998 to 2000. Series 1 had 7 episodes broadcast every Sunday evening. Series 2 increased to 10 episodes, broadcast weekly on Sunday evenings with slightly varying times, starting between 9pm and 10pm; Sunday 28th November was skipped so BBC2 could cover the Snooker Championship final. Series 3 lost its Sunday evening slot; its 10 episodes were now only 30 minutes in length and broadcast every Thursday at 10pm. By 2026, the rights were held by North One Television, minus some of the music rights, and episodes were released weekly, edited to omit musical segments. The show's segments included 'Focus country' (series 1–2), 'Kitchen antics' (series 2–3) featuring inventive and dangerous ways to cook food, 'Fantasy dictators league' (series 1) tracking eight dictators with a trophy called the 'Pol Pot', and 'Public service broadcasts' (starting in series 2) as short parodies.
Did You Know?
- In series 1, each episode updated a 'Fantasy dictators league' chart of eight dictators, with the winner awarded a trophy called the 'Pol Pot'.
- In series 2 and 3, 'Kitchen antics' included exploding vegetables on barbecues, putting unsuitable items in microwaves, and attempting to slice a pizza with an oxyacetylene welding torch.
- Series 3 episodes were 30 minutes long and aired on Fridays at 10pm.
More in BBC Two original programming 1-24
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