Mucking In

Beatrix flees from London to her parents' farm in Gloucestershire after a bust-up with her husband Archie. An everyday story of sex, lies and agriculture.Episode 1: Secrets, Lies and Pointless Piles of PaperworkOn Dangerfield Farm the annual organic inspection is Ben and Cicely’s nightmare, not just because every aspect of Ben’s management will be probed but also because Cicely has forgotten to keep the Visitors’ Book up to date and has to forge it at the last minute. Then there is Beatrix’s unexpected arrival from London. Have she and Archie split up and will Beatrix’s louche behaviour affront the inspector?Episode 2: Cold Discomfort FarmBen is so busy thawing the frozen pipes on Dangerfield Farm that he forgets it’s Valentine’s Day, much to Cicely’s disappointment. Archie hasn’t forgotten and turns up with roses to woo Beatrix, but she’s frosty. It turns out Cicely has forgotten to order any more oil. Archie rides to the rescue by greasing the oilman’s palm and bringing the oil delivery forward.Episode 3: Pest ControlChris, a vegan vet student comes to help with lambing and Dangerfield Farm is thrown into turmoil. Cicely struggles to cater for vegans, so Chris takes over the cooking. He makes himself indispensable to Ben, until he disobeys the farm-rules and inadvertently lets Toby the terrier violate Floss the sheepdog. Beatrix takes a shine to Chris, which brings Archie rushing down from London.Episode 4: Making HayThe American landlady, Natalie Truss, wants to hold a posh garden party for her birthday on Ben’s favourite heritage meadow. Ben is aghast and must veto this without upsetting her. Luckily, Archie turns up bringing a self-help manual to heal his relationship with Beatrix and Natalie is conveniently enchanted by Archie to change her plans.Episode 5: Feeling SheepishCicely is invited to go to Paris to see one of her piano students perform in a competition and asks Ben to join her as he needs to take some time away from the farm, to look after his health. Beatrix and Archie play at being farmers while the grown-ups are away. In fact in a fit of enthusiasm, Beatrix jumps the gun and instigates a fight with the landlady over a broken gate.Episode 6: Hold Your HorsesNatalie Truss announces that she wants to use part of the farmland for a new Equestrian venture on the same day that Archie’s metal detector unearths a rare Roman coin. Natalie wants Ben to retire. With the survival of his farming enterprise at stake, Ben loses the plot and forgets a planned trip with Cicely to see the orchids on the common. This is the last straw and Cicely storms out to see them with her old flame Charles Bradshaw. Ben pursues her in a fit of jealousy and they are reconciled, just as Archie’s coin hits the big time. Its rarity value draws attention to the farm and Natalie drops her Equestrian venture for the excitement of an archaeological dig.