Opinion: Farming TV shows to watch – and those to avoid
A good watch – Clarkson's Farm © Ellis O'Brien/Prime Video Is there anything good on TV anymore? I’d argue yes. So let me run you through my farming TV planner guide.
It’s strange how our industry has never been so scrutinised by environmental (emphasis on the “mental”) groups, government and climate doomsayers.
Yet the TV industry has tapped into a lucrative viewership desperate to peek behind the curtain and find out what actually happens in agriculture.
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The behemoth of viewing is Clarkson’s Farm. You know it’s infiltrated right into the public when my DPD driver and the townies I play football with start asking me about it.
I really enjoyed the storyline in series five, particularly the focus on precision farming.
It was a great way to showcase to the public that farming isn’t stuck in the past and is constantly embracing the latest technology. Hopefully it draws more people interested in Stem subjects into the industry.
One of my favourites is Rueben Owen: Life in the Dales, which is a spin-off from The Yorkshire Shepherdess. Like The Godfather Part II, Rueben’s show is arguably better than its predecessor and by far the most underrated of all the farming shows.
For me this is what it’s all about. Rueben and a gang of his mates going against the narrative of “young people don’t want to work these days”, showing the work ethic and drive that young country folk have.
Recently Channel 4 broadcast Our Dream Farm, in which couples compete in farm tasks to win a farm tenancy. I’m not as keen on this one. Trying to get a tenancy is a painstaking and mentally straining process for many a young person.
Ultimately, many will not achieve the goal of taking one on. For a TV channel to turn this process into a gameshow is slightly dystopian and doesn’t sit right with me, so I’ll change the channel.
When it comes to Countryfile, the less said the better and the anti-farming bias on BBC news is shocking.
But why not tune into Landward by BBC Scotland, arguably what Countryfile should be, with more farming focus content and less crap.
If you want good farming, tune into BBC Scotland and This Farming Life. With more than eight series available, its unscripted and fly-on-the-wall style gives an honest look at the challenges posed to the industry.
It’s a firm favourite here north of the border, capturing the essence of family farming throughout a year.
To TV executives, these programmes aren’t just quaint rural viewing. They are bankable viewership hits that are guaranteed to get eyeballs glued to screens – ramping up what they can charge advertisers and sponsors.
Farming programmes give them solid gold content to draw these big fish in. And the viewership figures speak for themselves. The public clearly do care about what happens in farming.
On-screen media, whether from TV or streaming, is still the major way most people choose to entertain themselves and be informed on issues.
The fact so many UK channels and the giant streaming service, Amazon Prime, broadcast farming content is a major boost to our industry – showcasing the harsh realities of farming and challenging many of the myths surrounding modern agriculture.
So hats off to the TV executives, complete unsung heroes in my book. Clarkson won a Farmers Weekly award for his TV show in 2021. Maybe he should get another gong this year?