What to Watch this Week

Welcome to Gef Box – the place to find something worth watching! Gemma Nettle will be giving her recommendations for those of you who are constantly stuck in a loop of scrolling through every streaming service.

Each week, I will be breaking her picks down into what’s new, binge worthy box sets, and one-off documentaries and specials.

Clarkson’s Farm 

Following its undeniable success with its first series, Clarkson’s Farm is back for another season full to the brim with cattle, crops and clumsiness.

Petrolhead Jeremy Clarkson traded in his car keys for something unexpected in 2021 when he began his foray into farming. The show followed the presenter as he attempted to run a farm in the British countryside with one catch – he had no farming experience to his name. But his unrelenting sarcasm and quick wit keeps it fun and entertaining, especially when he’s with Kaleb Cooper, a farm contractor who had never left his hometown when the cameras started rolling over two years ago.

As well as playing into what made it so popular the first time, this series doubles down on new concepts. Diddly Squat – yes, that’s the name of his farm – takes on the exciting idea of a restaurant. Of course, this proves a shade more challenging than Clarkson originally hoped.

You can now watch the new season on Amazon Prime.

Buffering 

You might know him as the booming voice that narrates Love Island or as the other half to puppet Hacker T. Dog on CBBC. Well, comedian Iain Stirling has come a long way since his children’s TV days… or not.

Here he plays a fictional version of his past self. Iain works in children’s telly alongside, you guessed it, his puppet counterpart who is seen as much more popular than him. This sit-com follows Iain and his housemates who still struggle with the idea of ‘adulting’ and just feel too young to settle down.

In many ways, this formula is nothing new but Buffering makes it its own, assuring viewers it’s okay to fail, even if it’s over and over again. It’s a nice light watch at 30 minutes an episode but gives itself just enough time to entertain and bring to light its own messages about millennial culture.

Watch its latest episode of series two tonight (Monday) at 10.05pm or stream both seasons on ITVX.

Binge worthy box sets 

From Scratch 

With love in the air this week, there’s no better time to recommend From Scratch. Zoe Saldana and Eugenio Mastrandrea star as Amy, an American student, and Italian chef Lino. When Amy finds herself falling in love with Lino surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Italy, it looks like it could be the happy ending these two needed, but not everything is perfect.

Their families aren’t too approving of their union but when Lino faces health issues, relatives are forced to come together and support the couple. What forms is a beautiful narrative about love and loss.

Stream the 2022 series on Netflix.

Specials 

Emily Atack: Asking For It? 

Exploring why she is sexually harassed online, actress Emily Atack gives an incredibly raw account of her experience. This documentary seeks to understand why the blame for unwanted sexual attention is often put on the victim.

Atack finds a way to laugh at the sexually aggressive messages and photos she is sent daily but admits she uses it more as a coping mechanism. She really wants to find out if she is at fault for fuelling the attention she gets. If she posts photos of herself in a bikini online, is she asking for it? No, she isn’t.

But she presents an insightful analysis that is bound to enrage any viewer and peel back the curtain on something girls as young as 12 can experience.

Watch the documentary on BBC iPlayer.

What’s on your telly? Let us know what you’re watching and loving at the moment.