We haven't watched a ton of TV the last year or so, and what was likely our favorite show may be a bit of a surprise.
Jeremy Clarkson is an English celebrity, known primarily for shows about cars and driving, he was a key piece of Top Gear for decades. He also writes a humorous weekly opinion column appearing in a couple publications and hosts the British Who Wants to be a Millionaire? He's much more visible across the pond than he is here, generally, but a lot of Americans will know who he is. I knew his tongue, and ability to stir controversy (for speaking the truth as far as I can tell), has gotten him press attention with regularity. I also knew he got fired from his main claim to fame, Top Gear, apparently over an altercation with one of the producers. What made the story especially memorable was his two buddies (James May and Richard Hammond) refused to do the show without him, quit, and they're now all on Amazon with a similar show called The Grand Tour. No matter what you think of him, Clarkson is a wealthy man that's done well for himself.
At some point (2008 it looks like) he acquired a 1000 acre farm in the Cotswolds, part of southwest England. In 2019 the farm's long-time contract farmer retired and Clarkson decided to take over himself. This show, which is basically a documentary series, follows his attempts at farming his own land.
Clarkson is in many ways ill-fitted to the job. In the first episode he goes out and buys a tractor, it's something he needs for sure, but what he buys exactly is a nice encapsulation of how he's going to tackle this. It's a Lamborghini and it's powerful, comfortable and has all the bells and whistles (like AC!), but it's massive and way too big for the roads and barns and everything on his farm. It does however provide us with quite a bit of entertainment. He's also not content doing much of anything the simplest way. I have to think this is more than finding content for the show, as he appears earnest about everything he takes on, it's just he puts a ton on his own plate in what's his first year. In another respect he's perfect for this. He wants to try many aspects of farming and taking care of his land and, while he works hard and does want to be successful, he won't be ruined by a couple of failed projects, a bad harvest or any mistakes on his part.
This first year includes everything you'd think could go wrong and more. When they're trying to get planting done it doesn't stop raining. As it nears harvest time it's unseasonably dry and hot. In between the pandemic hits, causing new problems of its own. Everything farmers need to deal with, that they have absolutely no control over, and that have incredible impact on their crops (i.e. bottom line), is one of the more interesting aspects of the show.
His many projects rarely seem to be profitable ones, but they do make for great TV. He gets sheep (and rams) instead of mowing his fallow fields and they're a handful. He gets chickens but has a fox problem. He embarks on a 'wilding' mission, to encourage a return of wildlife, and, for one example, digs a new pond for fish and a builds a dam to fill it. These result in all kinds of new messes. He puts up a farm shop and it does come along, eventually.
Watching Clarkson struggle, amid constant self-deprecation, and start to figure some of it out is a complete joy. His interactions with Kaleb, a local young man who helps out, or more accurately repeatedly saves Jeremy from himself, are hilarious. His run-ins with 'Cheerful Charlie,' a numbers man who advises on the farm's management, are insightful on the risks and difficulty of farming. It can even get a bit touching at times when there's difficulty with the animals, for whom Clarkson clearly has a soft spot.
In the most simple of terms, Jeremy Clarkson is a very funny man and his attempts at farming are both educational and enjoyable. You should probably watch it (on Prime). We should probably start on season 2.
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