Defying all expectations, Clarkson’s Farm, a series about British journalist and TV show host Jeremy Clarkson running a farm, is still a popular hit. Now five seasons in, its appeal remains strong, with the characters established and working well together.
It’s a shift from earlier seasons. In the first two seasons, Clarkson leaned hard on Kaleb Cooper, a seasoned farmhand half Clarkson’s age. Clarkson frequently misjudged certain jobs on the farm, making a mess which required Kaleb to step in, yell at him, and clean it up.
Now, these scenes happen less often. Instead, the two work and plan together like close friends. While the former setup helped generate funny moments, the latter setup proves to be more satisfying as the two continue the banter but learn from one another and complement each other’s strengths.
What really sets Clarkson’s Farm apart from other reality shows is its social commentary. Besides showcasing farming life it demonstrates the intersection of economics, politics, and culture.
In the first two seasons, Clarkson encountered more absurd regulations and difficulties from local councils than the actual work of planting crops and raising livestock. In the third and fourth seasons, Clarkson and Cooper became spokesmen for all British farmers, even meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
While these concerns continue to figure heavily in the fifth season, Clarkson turns his attention elsewhere and considers the future of farming. Suffering from poor health (he begins and ends the season in the hospital), Clarkson explores ways to cut labor demands by renting an autonomous tractor (“the Agbot”) to prepare his fields and plant his crops. He gets this idea after attending a farm convention and taking a trip to the hyper-automated farms of the Netherlands. To everyone’s amazement, even Cooper, the technology works quite well.
This aspect of the season is easily the most relevant and compelling. Many commentators speak on the potential effects AI and autonomous robots have on today’s economy. Clarkson demonstrates what this could look like: a huge increase in productivity and consequent evolution in the nature of work.
Far from robbing the farmers of meaningful labor, this technology frees them for other things, such as researching new farming techniques, planning events, bird watching, focusing more on the livestock, or simply taking walks and enjoying much-needed leisure. Oddly enough, this season comes closest to the pastoral ideal people associate with farming — all because of the Agbot.
Sadly, even the most advanced farming techniques cannot change the weather — a merciless foe to British farmers in the past half-decade. After two seasons of record-setting rains, Clarkson dealt with record-setting drought this season. Despite his best efforts, which formerly assured him high yields and profits, Clarkson absorbs his worst loss since starting the show. Although his personal wealth allows him to stave off bankruptcy, we see many other farmers utterly ruined.
To make matters worse, the United Kingdom’s leftist government hopes to inflict even more taxes on farmers and remove their subsidies. Although Clarkson does not make this problem the focus of the season — he and financial advisor Charlie Ireland (a.k.a. “Cheerful Charlie”) discuss these burdens regularly — he and Kaleb participate in a London protest in the second episode.
Thus, in terms of social commentary, Clarkson’s Farm continues to deliver, informing its audience about a host of neglected, yet fundamental issues. Once again, the series brings much-needed context to conversations about food production, farm economics, government regulation, and the increasing importance of advanced technology.
This season does have some flaws. More than past seasons, Clarkson and others seem a little tired. Some of the gags seem forced and fall flat, especially when he openly mocks Christianity. There is also a lot of pointless profanity in every conversation. It’s as though Clarkson wants to keep his edge and not be associated with the conservative Christian types who make up most of his audience.
Additionally, Clarkson excessively dramatizes the health of his livestock and himself. Yes, these setbacks are tough, but it seems out of place to wail over typical health procedures or the death of animals raised to be slaughtered and eaten. Much of this comes off as overly sentimental and performative, which is problematic for a show that relies on authenticity.
Even so, Clarkson’s Farm is entertaining and informative. It’s also visually stunning, with beautiful shots of rural England. Despite the challenges of poor health and even poorer weather, Clarkson clearly intends to keep moving forward, already filming a sixth season. Hopefully, he will someday reap the perfect harvest and inspire others to follow his example or at least generate more respect for farmers and the invaluable work they do.
