The Green Green Grass – Mrs Cakeworthy starts to spy on Marlene

Friday 7 December - 8.30-9.00pm on BBC ONE. Episode 5/7

While driving home from a shopping trip in town, Boycie and Marlene stop to investigate a marquee pitched on the village green and announcing auditions for a new reality TV show, as John Sullivan's rural comedy continues.

Farm Idol promises to discover the nation's best and sexiest farmers and Boycie is incredulous: "Can you imagine what kind of dribbling, rustic throwbacks will be entering a competition like this?" He is answered immediately as Elgin, Jed and Bryan appear from inside the tent.

Beguiled by the glamorous producer, Antonia, the boys are excited about their prospects on TV and the various challenges they will undergo, including speed milking, synchronised ploughing and blindfolded sheep-shearing.

Determined

Boycie is determined to have nothing to do with it until pub landlord, Ray, arrives, claiming that even he has been enlisted, with high hopes of scoring well with his charm and charisma. Boycie is suckered into joining the competition, and they are all soon chauffeured off to Shrewsbury studios in a stretch limo.

Meanwhile, Mrs Cakeworthy is having suspicions about Marlene, who has been receiving secretive phone calls and seems very keen to get Boycie out of the house for a few days. Marlene even insists that Mrs Cakeworthy takes a holiday. Not to be dissuaded, when a smart car pulls up outside The Grange and a glamorously dressed Marlene enthusiastically greets a well-dressed young man at the door, Mrs Cakeworthy gets out her night-vision goggles and starts to spy on the pair...

John Challis and Sue Holderness star as Boycie and Marlene, with David Ross as Elgin, Pete Hepplethwaite as Jed, Ivan Kaye as Bryan, Kim Thomas as Antonia, Nigel Harrison as Ray and Ella Kenion as Mrs Cakeworthy.