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In my twenties, I would relax by watching shows like The Wire or enjoying a TV show horror movie Marathon, but since I have kids, my definition of relaxation is “less than 90 minutes, and please, nothing too stressful.” Basically, that leaves me with PBS cooking shows (Lifetime’s American Test Kitchen) and reruns of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
But last weekend, I decided to try This Is a Gardening Show, Netflix’s new documentary series hosted by Zach Galifianakis. Because what is a gardening show, if not just an introduction to a cooking show?
Galifianakis’ brand of comedy isn’t always for me, but This Is a Gardening Show tones down with its uncomfortable silence and deliberate awkwardness, instead showing the performer’s true side and revealing his passion for nature. From the first few moments of the series, Galifianakis makes clear that he, as a long-time gardener, finds great joy and peace in the practice, and that an understanding of the natural world is essential for society to function and thrive. (“The future is agricultural,” he repeats like a mantra throughout each episode.)
Funny chats with kids are one of the highlights of this series.
On the show, experts give Galifianakis tips on how to grow a successful tomato garden, graft a bud onto an apple tree, or safely forage for non-toxic plants — all skills someone who watches gardening shows might find interesting. At 15 minutes per episode, we never delve into the details. The series isn’t trying to be educational so much as it is a platform for Galfianakis to discuss environmentalism and sustainability through a somewhat silly framework, especially when he’s interviewing elementary school-aged children, which he does in every episode.
He seems genuinely delighted by the children, who offer their opinions on fruits and vegetables, join him as he bobbles for apples or just want to discuss Ryan Reynolds’ work. (This is a recurring theme that ends with Reynolds doing something in the show’s final episode. Leave it to Deadpool to insert himself into the post-credits scene.)
The kids mainly serve as comedic relief, and their presence is one of the reasons the show is so comforting and charming. The comedian’s sarcastic, absurd persona is still there, as when he eats carrots off the top of an obviously rotting compost pile. Or when he talks about how, without imparting knowledge of permaculture, “a lot of us will die,” then dryly tells his off-camera producer, “We’ll just add a laugh track.”
Is this gardening show really a gardening show? I believe Technically It’s: It’s a show about why we farm, and it introduces us to the people who farm. Although Galifianakis is present in almost every frame of the show, he highlights the children, farmers, composters, and food historians he interviews, because they are the ones who can lead us to the agricultural future he envisions.