While it’s not the most popular move to endorse content from Jeremy Clarkson in progressive media circles, one must admit that Clarkson’s Farm, now on its third series on Prime Video, deserves more than condescension.
The vociferous car enthusiast has been championing a certain demographic of perpetual youth for decades now. Echoes of fatherly influences in rock, fashion, and politics. All of that contributes to his persona. I remember seeing piles of copies of The World According to Clarkson in a Polish bookstore some fifteen years ago. Plenty of unreformed fans of Supertramp wished for a world shaped to satisfy his bohemian desires.
Clarkson’s peccadilloes are no secret. While on the BBC’s Top Gear, he offended many with a joke about truck drivers killing sex workers, made questionable comments about various cultures, and threw around gay insults, assuming “ginger beer” qualifies. Famously, he was ejected from the show after reportedly punching a producer, Oisín Tymon, over the absence of hot food. For those looking for more, Top Gear discreetly holds its own “controversies” record on Wikipedia.
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One reason why Clarkson’s Farm, which finds him working the land in west Oxfordshire, may not be be as celebrated as it should be could be all these past controversies. After Tymon’s incident, Amazon was willing to wave an astronomical sum in front of the Top Gear crew as bait to convince them to move to the streaming platform. While millions did follow them to Prime, the show never reached the broad impact of its BBC predecessor. After three seasons of holding to the magazine format, the decision was made to shift to independent epic journeys. Earlier this year, for example, without any clear explanation, the crew went on a motoring journey across the Sahara in an episode fittingly dubbed (steel yourself) Sand Job.
Undeniably, “Clarkson’s Farm” is the pride of its creator. It outperformed Amazon’s ludicrously pricey “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”, becoming the most viewed original series in the UK, beating the first episode of its second series. If only Clarkson could avoid being his usual self, perhaps full redemption could’ve been within his grasp.
The two-word title encapsulates the show’s premise. In the inaugural episode aired more than three years back, the host announced his plan to manage a sprawling farm of a 1000 acres, nestled close to the media-addled village of Chipping Norton. Never concealing his wealth sourced from his broadcasting career, Clarkson makes it clear that his financial stability is quite different from the economic risks endured by farmers when they face a failed crop or animal loss. In a statement that reinforces this notion, his initial act as a farmer was to disregard the reputable Massey Ferguson and purchase a ritzy Lamborghini R8.270 tractor.
“Clarkson’s Farm” resides in a gray area between docu-series and reality TV. The show has uncannily ideal casting, be it by luck or arrangement. Clarkson is true to his reputation of being an overgrown child frolicking in an enormous sand pit. Kaleb Cooper, a young villager with thatch-coloured hair, serves as his comedic counterpart. Charlie Ireland, an agriculture consultant, provides an undertone of shock and responsibility. Lisa Hogan, the congenial and forgiving partner of Clarkson from Dublin, gradually inches closer to the centre of the events in the subsequent episodes.
The global audience is too familiar with the host to buy into any sudden transformation of character. However, despite its signatures of Top Gear — like the inexplicably appearing hovercraft in the third series — “Clarkson’s Farm” is earnest in its objective of addressing the grim realities of 21st-century farming. Surprisingly, even the critic of the green revolution finds himself voicing concerns about climate change.
Regrettably, the semi-phoenix rise seemed to abruptly end early last year when, in a piece that surpassed even Clarkson’s notorious capacity for malice, he implied that Meghan Markle (for whom his disdain is apparent) should “be made to march unclothed through the thoroughfares of every British city”. An uncharacteristically expressive apology followed. According to Variety, the possibility of his presence in any future shows on Prime Video post-2024 seems slim.
However, the past is quickly forgotten. The same year saw the commissioning of a fourth series. The third season was launched just last month and has created the most powerful emotional turbulence to date. The fourth episode in particular, featuring Clarkson and Hogan’s efforts to save piglets’ lives, has moved even the most stoic of television critics to tears. The show respects animals, yet acknowledges their eventual fate as food. This tension forms the crux of the show’s appeal – a masterful yet simplistic handling of rural disputes that has charmed both the agricultural sphere and city dwellers. Despite its success, Clarkson’s Farm could still be a step too far for some viewers. This is understandable. After all, that’s just classic Clarkson.