Another selection from the Guardian's top 50 shows of 2021 was Amazon's sleeper hit "Clarkson's Farm". At times, like it's host, the show can be a bit insufferable but, perhaps more through luck than judgement, the show ended up chronicling an historic period of time and making some important points.
Having owned a farm near Chipping Norton for several years, TV Presenter Jeremy Clarkson decides to try and run the operations of the farm himself upon the retirement of his previous manager. Enthusiastic, though lacking knowledge, he and his advisors attempt to sew and harvest a years crop, whilst simultaneously running a herd of sheep, establishing a farm shop and making environmentally beneficial improvements to the surrounding area. The year is notable for being the worst weather for farming for around 50 years and for the global pandemic to have a major effect on demand.
As with most of the shows Jeremy Clarkson's been involved with, I don't much care for the 'scripted spontaneity' moments. There are times, particularly in the earlier episodes when he pretends not to know how much grain he's ordered, for example. He's not an actor, and it really rings false when he pretends in these moments. It's a small grumble I accept, but they're particularly annoying when the rest of the show is so strong. Farming is hard, and confusing and he makes a lot of amusing mistakes either through arrogance or ignorance. He's willing though and goes on a journey of discovery as he sees the gargantuan costs of running a farm and the risks to his bottom line that relatively innocuous moments can make. It's a genuinely funny and moving show at times, as the realities of farming, particularly sheep farming, are laid bare.
The star of the show is really Kaleb though. Clarkson's young farm worker/expert who knows all there is to know about farming that land, but painfully little about anything that doesn't take place within three miles of Chipping Norton. His put downs to the man who is essentially his boss are one of the highlights of the series.
They were also fortunately that the chose to film not just in the year of covid lockdowns, but also in a year of catastrophic rainfall and blazing heatwaves at precisely the wrong times in the year that the farmer would have wanted.
A second seasons seems to be on the way, I'll be back for it.
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