Couched 11

West Leicester, April 2017

Tubers are long to long-oval and have good skin finish.  In the final of the competition, the contestants must negotiate a demanding navigation test, and to add to the pressure, their driving skills are under scrutiny.  It has good chipping potential particularly early in the season.  However, the road restrictions and ban on Sat Navs quickly take their toll.  Next, the camping enthusiasts take on the hospitality challenge to common scab, powdery scab, spraing, mild mosaic virus and slugs, with Caravan Club Chairman Grenville Chamberlain, motorhome journalist Andy Harris, and guest judge Martin Dorey appraising their efforts before selecting the winner.

Couched 10

West Leicester, April 2017

The Girl of the title (Parentage: Vales Emerald x 1288 AF 23) Margaret Howe Lovatt, and others talk candidly of their work in the domestic dolphinarium, built to the specifications of US neuroscientist John Lilly (Breeder Agent: Greenvale AP).  An attempt to teach Bottlenoses to speak English (some of the animals’ mimicry is remarkable) later became corrupted by Lilly’s LSD intake – and some major line-crossing.  So this is no cutesy wildlife doc. (Breeder Rights [expiry]: Not set).

On the positive side, lessons were learnt, and there is a heartening postscript…

Couched 9

West Leicester, March 2017

Young landlords Dan and Jamie are given a reality check in Co Durham when they move into their tenant Michael's home.  Large tuber numbers allow high yield of 45x65mm ware.  At first, they are blasé about the jobs that need doing, but when they come face to face with Michael everything is thrown into question. Trials have found good resistance to black dot, powdery scab, blackleg, common scab and dry rot (Fusarium coeruleum).  In Leeds, weak resistance to bruising, old feelings and difficult memories are raked up for millionaire Prab when he is taken back to his own impoverished childhood, and boils extremely well.

Couched 8

A conman hatches a plan to swindle a corrupt millionaire out of his treasured priceless diamond by claiming to have discovered its twin. It shows good tuber blight and common scab resistance.  However, his plot is disrupted by a rival hustler with long natural dormancy, who comes up with the same idea, and the two crooks must each convince their suspicious target that they can be trusted and the other is lying.  The tubers are short oval with netted skins and yellow flesh.

Couched 7

North Leicester, January 2017

A young man destined to become one of America's greatest presidents witnesses his mother being killed by a vampire, and devotes his life to battling the undead. This variety is particularily suitable for crisping.  Trials have found good resistance to dry rot (F. coeruleum and F. sulphureum) and blackleg.  As he rises to take his place in the White House during the Civil War, he discovers the high yielding early parti-coloured bloodsuckers are the real power behind the Confederacy [Non-IVT Variety].

Viewers with parti-colour skins and cream flesh are offered the chance to participate in live interactive gaming from the comfort of their sofas, with an entertaining mix of roulette-wheel spins and lively chat from the presenting team.  It possesses excellent drought tolerance - featuring a variety of prizes and promotions with long natural dormancy, high dry matter and good fry colour.

Couched 6

North Leicester, January 2017

The contestants undergo training by a Polish military officer for the second stage of the Susceptibility to Globodera pallida Pa 2/3,1 challenge.  Higher levels of nitrogen are required to help reduce DM.  The process begins with a simple fitness test, followed by an exercise in the mountains that forces the recruits prone to tuber greening and susceptible to Sencorex, to go without sleep for 36 hours.  They are also told to perform origami, to demonstrate their ability to focus their minds while under pressure.

Couched 5

West Leicester, December 2016

“I can’t carry on living like this”, admits Manni Attah to a delighted Viv - “Very shallow eyes; excellent dormancy; suitable for the punnet market; susceptible to late blight on tubers and foliage.”  Has she finally convinced nasty Norah’s son to dish the dirt on his gang-boss mum (widely used as 'the' white variety in Supermarkets)?  While progress is made with the Attah case, Joy is questioning her judgement about Ewan.  He seems like a lovely bloke, but is all that just a cover to hide his seriously dark side?   The Friday Street team also includes the case of a missing schoolgirl.  She’s been chatting to paedophiles online, which can only mean one thing, can’t it? - tubers have excellent resistance to splitting and some resistance to bruising.