What Made This Slow British Farming Docuseries My Top Show of 2025!
I’ll be honest: I don’t watch much television or movies. As someone whose job revolves around analyzing and consuming media, this isn’t exactly a proud confession. There’s “work viewing,” the type where you’re watching for analysis, deadlines, or strategy, and then there’s “pleasure viewing,” where you watch purely for leisure, curiosity, or relaxation. I do a lot of the former, but the latter is practically non-existent in my life.
For other parents, especially those with young kids, this reality isn’t news. You get all sorts of warnings before becoming a parent, like how little sleep you’ll get or how chaotic life will be, but one warning always stands out: When you have young kids, TV becomes less of a hobby and more of a rare treat. After the kids are tucked in bed, the idea of watching a prestige drama sounds like a far-off luxury. Instead, you end up loading the dishwasher, sneaking some cookies you swore didn’t exist, and trying to squeeze out a moment of peace.
So what was the best thing to watch in 2025? Well, I honestly don’t know. But I can tell you what was the best thing for me—what met me right where I was at that moment. And that, without a doubt, was the fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm.
A Slow, Relatable Escape
If you’ve never heard of Clarkson’s Farm, don’t worry—I’m probably the only person you know who watches it. It’s a docuseries on Amazon Prime starring British TV host and journalist Jeremy Clarkson, following his attempts to run a 1,000-acre farm. With the help of his acerbic farm manager Kaleb, a wise crop consultant named Charlie, and a homespun stonemason named Gerald, Clarkson faces the daily challenges of farming life. His romantic partner Lisa pops in from time to time to keep him in check, often calling him an “eejit” in her delightful Irish accent.
Each season of Clarkson’s Farm brings a special project. In Season 4, Clarkson attempts to open a pub that only serves British-grown food. But at its core, the show is about the rhythms of farm life—the timing of the harvest, the unpredictable birth rate of hogs, and the immense challenges farmers face, often beyond their control.
The Beauty of Farm Life (and Its Realities)
This is not the type of flashy, high-intensity reality TV that might pull in a broad audience. It’s slow, simple, and genuine. The series dives into the hard, backbreaking work that goes into producing our food—and it offers a humbling comeuppance for Clarkson, a man who once took the labor of farming for granted. Clarkson, who had outsourced the management of his farm for over a decade, decided that farming couldn’t possibly be as difficult as everyone made it out to be. So, he took on the task himself, only to be completely humbled by the realities of farm life.
What makes the show so addictive—despite its slow pace and minimal drama—is how it meets you where you are. It doesn’t demand your undivided attention. If you miss an episode (or even 10 minutes of an episode), you don’t have to pause or rewind. You can simply pick up where you left off, with no stress or pressure to keep up. It’s the perfect show to throw on in the background after a long day or when you’re just looking for something easy to watch.
Not for Everyone, But Just Right for Me
I’m not recommending Clarkson’s Farm to everyone. Some people might find it unbearably slow. There’s an entire episode dedicated to the moisture content of rapeseed—a topic that sounds just as dry as it feels. But for me, the show offered exactly what I needed in 2025: a slice of life that was unhurried, unpretentious, and downright soothing. It had no swearing, no violence (aside from the occasional mention of animal husbandry), and the overall pace was a perfect match for my state of mind.
But here’s what I am recommending: find your own “Clarkson’s Farm.” We all have different needs and moods when it comes to what we want to watch. There’s the show we might gravitate toward if we had unlimited time, patience, and energy. But then there’s the one that meets us in the middle of our busy lives when we’re exhausted, tired of the usual choices, and looking for something that feels easy yet rewarding.
It’s OK to find your “Clarkson’s Farm.” It might not be a high-concept drama or the latest trending hit. It might not win awards, but it’ll be the show you turn to when you need it most. For me, that was a slow docuseries about British farming. For you, it might be something entirely different. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to embrace the simple joys that come with finding the perfect fit for where you are right now.
