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Clarkson's Farm: Calculating (2024)
A bitter-sweet yet heartwarming conclusion to another stellar series!
The team have done an excellent job wrapping up the series, once more capturing the unpredictability of the profitability of the yield and the angst it must bring farmers worldwide.
All in all, I must say the head-to-head challenge was a welcome addition and the fact it was taken relatively seriously by all parties made for interesting viewing and a suspenseful conclusion in this episode. I do believe Clarkson could've made more of an effort on some fronts, but lessons will have been learnt, no doubt.
Glad Gerald made it through his ordeal, as he brings much joy and comic relief to the programme, not to mention his bountiful expertise.
Finally, Andrew Cato's regenerative farming initiative is extremely laudable and I applaud Clarkson for standing by the principles that drove it during the totting-up. Subsidies should definitely be offered to encourage farmers to protect the soil and farm it more sustainably, but I take no pleasure in saying that we all know that's not going to happen unless the population remember where its food comes from and supports the farmers in a big way to drive back the assault by Big Ag and profiteering land grabbers.
I certainly look forward to series 4!
James May: The Reassembler (2016)
An absolutely refreshing bit of CANDID television.
"The Reassembler" is the perfect illustration of just how little you need to make a solid television programme.
"Heavily produced","loud","fully scripted", "infantilised" are just some of the descriptors that apply to today's television offerings that fall under the educational category. Well, James May's The Reassembler bucks all of those with a mouthful of lightness, information, simplicity and mature comedy that are sure to leave most adult viewers with a sweet aftertaste.
All you need to produce a decent grown-up nonfiction television programme is a balanced dose of writing talent and candid yet charismatic presentation abilities. James May has both of those as well as knowledge in droves. Through his Top Gear persona, he has gained a reputation for and been teased about his technical pedantry and OCD-like attention to detail. Here, he unabashedly and rather brilliantly capitalises on all of those traits to produce a show that patiently celebrates the mechanical beauty of some of Man's technological creations.
I absolutely adore it; the perfect thing to watch after a stressful day at work, right before going to bed.
If only there were more programmes like it.