Jeremy Clarkson revealed in a recent emotional episode of Clarkson’s Farm that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer (via BBC). While the episode aired on Wednesday, June 17, the series was shot in 2024 and 2025. The TV presenter revealed that a portion of his prostate was removed as part of his treatment.
He shared, “I disappeared off the other week and I had a biopsy, and it is cancer, and it’s aggressive, but it’s really early.” He told fellow series regulars, Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland, that he would be out of action for some time, adding, “I promise I’ll be fine.”
It’s a sobering moment for a man who has been a fixture on British screens for nearly four decades. Whatever you make of his often divisive persona, Clarkson has built one of the most remarkable careers in television. His credits include motoring documentaries, a chat show, a quiz show, and a hit farming series. As we wish him well through his recovery, here are his 10 best TV shows, ranked based on popularity and reception.
10. Speed (2001)
Jeremy Clarkson in a still from Speed | Credits: BBC
Originally titled The Science of Speed, this six-part BBC One series followed Clarkson as he explored the world of fast cars, boats, and planes. Each episode looked at a different aspect of speed, including how the human body reacts to it and why some people love the thrill of going fast.
He rode California drag boats, took his mother on a rollercoaster, and quizzed Formula One champion Michael Schumacher on the addiction to risk. Featuring a theme song by Chris Rea, the show mixes interesting facts with Clarkson’s well-known love of speed. It rarely features among his famous projects, as it did not last long on the network.
9. Jeremy Clarkson’s Extreme Machines (1998)
A still from Jeremy Clarkson’s Extreme Machines | Credits: BBC Two
This six-episode 1998 BBC Two series let Clarkson loose on some of the planet’s most outrageous vehicles. He rode some of the world’s fastest and biggest machines, including record-breaking powerboats, military fighter jets, huge oil tankers, and snowmobiles. Watching him experience these machines with genuine excitement is part of the show’s charm.
Whether he is flying in an F-15 Eagle or speeding across the water, his enthusiasm makes the adventures fun to watch. The series focuses more on action and excitement than on detailed explanations, but that is exactly what makes it enjoyable. Extreme Machines was an early showcase for the larger-than-life presenting style that made him famous.
8. Clarkson’s Car Years (2000)
A still from Clarkson’s Car Years | Credits: BBC Two
Filmed during one of Clarkson’s breaks from Top Gear, this six-part BBC Two series explored the history of cars and the trends that shaped the industry. Each episode focused on a different topic, including the rise of supercars, the popularity of hot hatches, the appeal of British sports cars, and the decline of Britain’s car industry.
Clarkson combined archive footage with test drives of famous vehicles such as the McLaren F1, creating a show that was more informative than many of his later projects while still featuring his strong opinions. One of the series’s most memorable moments came when he argued that the best British sports car was actually Japanese.
7. Jeremy Clarkson’s Motorworld (1995–96)
A still from Jeremy Clarkson’s Motorworld | Credits: BBC
This was Clarkson’s first solo series after stepping out from Top Gear’s shadow. Motorworld was Clarkson’s love letter to car culture across the world. In two series and thirteen episodes, he travelled to a dozen countries, from Italy and Japan to Iceland and Cuba, examining how each nation’s character shaped its relationship with the automobile.
It’s wittier and more reflective than you might expect, capturing a younger and sharper Clarkson. The infamous Detroit segment, where a gun was reportedly held to his head, only adds to the legend. As a travelogue with a petrol-soaked twist, it’s pretty charming stuff.
6. Inventions That Changed the World (2004)
Jeremy Clarkson in Inventions That Changed the World | Credits: BBC Two
This five-part BBC Two documentary saw Clarkson step away from cars to explore the gadgets that shaped modern life, including the gun, the computer, the jet, the telephone, and the television. Across the series, he traced each invention’s origins and the chain reaction of breakthroughs that followed. He even built his own firearm on the show.
He brought in his genuine curiosity and combined it with his trademark wit and willingness to debunk received wisdom. Some critics felt the dramatized reenactments slowed the series down, but the episode about guns received strong praise for its impact and storytelling.
5. Clarkson (1998–2000)
Jeremy Clarkson in Clarkson | Credits: BBC Two
Oddly forgotten today, Clarkson’s own BBC Two chat show ran for three seasons before the network pulled the plug. Nevertheless, the show proved to be a fascinating testing ground. Each week, he grilled musicians, politicians, and celebrities, often with provocative and borderline offensive questions. He also sprinkled in absurd stunts like building a finger-food rocket launcher from a melon and matches.
The interview style he honed here, equal parts charm and confrontation, fed directly into Top Gear’s later Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segments. Guests ranged from Germaine Greer to Terry Wogan, and the encounters often turned spiky. The declining ratings ended it after 2000, but it revealed a surprisingly versatile broadcaster.
4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2018-Present)
Jeremy Clarkson in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Credits: ITV Network
When Clarkson took over the iconic ITV quiz from Chris Tarrant in 2018, plenty doubted the petrolhead could fill those shoes. He proved them wrong. Bringing dry humour, warmth and a knack for ratcheting up tension, he made the hot seat his own. He helped revive the format for a new generation.
He introduced the “Ask the Host” lifeline and, in 2020, finally got to utter those immortal words when teacher Donald Fear became the first jackpot winner in fourteen years. It’s a sharp pivot from cars, but Clarkson’s contestant-needling charm makes him one of the show’s best hosts.
3. The Grand Tour (2016-2024)
Born from the wreckage of Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear exit, The Grand Tour reunited him with Richard Hammond and James May on Amazon Prime in 2016. The show was free of BBC constraints and armed with a bigger budget. After three studio-based seasons, it evolved into a run of feature-length specials, sending the trio careening across the globe in glorious, often chaotic fashion.
Their chemistry, built over two decades of bickering like brothers, remained the beating heart of it all. The 2024 finale, One for the Road, took us on an emotional farewell journey through Zimbabwe and Botswana, closing a 22-year partnership in beautifully nostalgic style.
2. Clarkson’s Farm (2021-Present)
Few would have predicted that Clarkson’s most warmly received show would involve mud, sheep, and a tractor too big for his gates. Clarkson’s Farm, on Amazon Prime since 2021, follows his often-disastrous attempts to run Diddly Squat farm in the Cotswolds. The series is truly a revelation.
Surrounded by an unforgettable cast, chiefly the gloriously frustrated Kaleb Cooper, Clarkson is funnier, humbler, and more human than ever. Beneath the comedy lies a commentary on British farming’s realities. The fifth season, in which he revealed his cancer diagnosis, only deepened that emotional pull. It’s arguably the most heartfelt work of his career.
1. Top Gear (2002-2015)
This is the show that made Clarkson a global icon. When he helped relaunch Top Gear in 2002 alongside Richard Hammond and James May, he transformed a tired motoring programme into the world’s most-watched factual show. Out went sensible buying advice and in came outlandish challenges, cheap-car odysseys, and gloriously ambitious specials shot across continents.
His blend of bombast, brilliant writing, and schoolboy mischief defined an era of television and built a fanbase numbering in the hundreds of millions. His 2015 exit, following an altercation with a producer, ended it abruptly. Still, Clarkson-era Top Gear remains his defining masterpiece.
RankingJeremy Clarkson’s ShowsRT Score (As of June 17, 2026)IMDb Rating (As of June 17, 2026)1Top Gear62% (popcornmeter)8.7/102Clarkson’s Farm93% | 95%9/103The Grand Tour 66% | 94%8.7/104Who Wants to Be a Millionaire–6.1/105Clarkson–7.3/106Inventions That Changed the World–8/107Jeremy Clarkson’s Motorworld–7.6/108Clarkson’s Car Years–7.4/109Jeremy Clarkson’s Extreme Machines––10Speed–4.2/10
Which of these shows do you like to catch up on next? Let us know in the comments below!
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