Words Kelly Finerty
Documentary Comedy Series
6 episodes ~ 16 min each
Netflix TV-14 (2026)
A nice change from the Hollywood pace, this month’s pick for your viewing pleasure elevates the documentary genre to comedic heights with a charming production showcasing the beauty of Vancouver Island in Zach Galifianakis’ This is a Gardening Show. Laughing and learning how to use the Island’s natural soil and climate to grow local crops, while leaning into the Agrarian lifestyle, each episode runs approximately 16 minutes, allowing for bite-sized lessons even those of us missing a green thumb can digest easily.
Each episode has a comforting formula: Zach Galifianakis cracks his usual jokes dusted in dry humour, chats with children from Comox Valley’s Brooklyn Elementary School on the topic du jour, followed by a visit to Island-wide local farms specializing in the episode’s particular starring fruit, vegetable or technique. Interviews with each farm’s agricultural expert(s) along with historical context and fun animations hold the audience’s interest effortlessly, encouraging us to watch all six episodes back-to-back.
The series showcases many impressive Vancouver Island farms, along with the fun, experienced people who run the land and grow the crops. My favourite scenes seemed to unintentionally highlight the adorable and often hilarious differences in Zach Galifianakis’ American humour and what Island folks find funny. Whether it was clever editing or genuine reactions, our Canadian politeness shone through during humorous allusions made by the Hollywood star, with several laugh-out-loud moments. The Vancouver Island farms in this series were certainly stars in the spotlight. Fruit Forest Farm in Cobble Hill demonstrates grafting and budding techniques in growing a variety of apples; Raven Ecological Farm in Courtenay teaches us how to grow bush and vine tomatoes effortlessly; Amara Farm, also in Courtenay, covers lessons on carrots and potatoes; and McNab’s Farm in Ladysmith takes us into their corn fields, where we did in fact confirm that corn is a grain.
As the weather heats up this summer, I find myself, along with my not-so-green thumb, outside in the garden attempting to once again bring my very dead lawn back to life. This time, though, This is a Gardening Show has inspired me to replace several areas of my patchy yard with plants we can eat, and now I’ve been armed with the knowledge to maintain them – a nice change from throwing seed on the ground, watering occasionally, and hoping for a miracle. That’s growth in itself, I think?
If you liked This is a Gardening Show, you may also like:
Somebody Feed Phil (2025) 8 Seasons – Netflix
Salt Fat Acid Heat (2018) Limited Series – Netflix
Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2022) 2 Seasons – Netflix
Clarkson’s Farm 4 (2025) Prime Video
