Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 3 of 6 - Vaduz

Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 3 of 6 - Vaduz

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 3/6 The crew of MJN Air have to face a real live king and a mythical fax machine.

Episode 3: Vaduz
It's a bad time for Carolyn to take a holiday as the crew of MJN Air have to face a real live King and a mythical fax machine.

Cabin Pressure is a sitcom about the wing and a prayer world of a tiny, one plane, charter airline staffed by two pilots: one on his way down, and one who was never up to start with. Whether they're flying squaddies to Hamburg, metal sheets to Mozambique or an oil exec's cat to Abu Dhabi, no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult.

Written by John Finnemore
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/TzQyiRvCSTU
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
Cabin Pressure, Series 3 : https://goo.gl/zraE9k
John Finnemore's Double Acts Series 1 Full : https://goo.gl/994Fqw

TAGs:
#cabinpressure #Vaduz #johnfinnemoresdoubleacts #johnfinnemoressouvenirprogramme #johnfinnemore #bbcradio4 #series1 #podcast #bestpodcasts #bestpodcasts2016 #toppodcasts #podcastapp #bestpodcast #goodpodcasts #popularpodcasts #mostpopularpodcasts #bestpodcastapp #sciencepodcast #comedypodcasts #podcaststolistento #freepodcasts #videopodcast #freepodcast #radiopodcast #podcastsfree #podcastsonline #podcastwebsite #podcastradio

Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 2 of 6 - Uskerty

Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 2 of 6 - Uskerty

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 2/6 As Carolyn and Martin row with a taxi and a bee, Douglas and Arthur play with an airport.
Comedy by John Finnemore about the wing and a prayer world of a tiny, one plane, charter airline staffed by two pilots: one on his way down, and one who was never up to start with. Whether they're flying squaddies to Hamburg, metal sheets to Mozambique, or an oil exec's cat to Abu Dhabi, no job is too small - but many, many jobs are too difficult.

Episode 2: Uskerty
As Carolyn and Martin turn a short hop into a long climb, Douglas and Arthur get to play with an airport.

Written by John Finnemore
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/15XD1utidO4

TAGs:
#cabinpressure #Uskerty #johnfinnemoresdoubleacts #johnfinnemoressouvenirprogramme #johnfinnemore #bbcradio4 #series1 #podcast #bestpodcasts #bestpodcasts2016 #toppodcasts #podcastapp #bestpodcast #goodpodcasts #popularpodcasts #mostpopularpodcasts #bestpodcastapp #sciencepodcast #comedypodcasts #podcaststolistento #freepodcasts #videopodcast #freepodcast #radiopodcast #podcastsfree #podcastsonline #podcastwebsite #podcastradio

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Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 1 of 6 - Timbuktu

Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 1 of 6 - Timbuktu

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 4 Episode 1/6 It's Birling Day once more, where the crew traditionally swap their dignity for cash.
Cabin Pressure is a sitcom about the wing and a prayer world of a tiny, one plane, charter airline; staffed by two pilots: one on his way down, and one who was never up to start with. Whether they're flying squaddies to Hamburg, metal sheets to Mozambique, or an oil exec's cat to Abu Dhabi, no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult...

Episode 1: Timbuktu
Hooray hooray, it's Birling Day once more, where the crew traditionally swap their dignity for cash! But where have all the camels gone? And why is Arthur reading a book?

Written by John Finnemore
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/mf3HpsBlBpc
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
Cabin Pressure, Series 3 : https://goo.gl/zraE9k
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15
TAGs:
#cabinpressure #timbuktu #johnfinnemoresdoubleacts #johnfinnemoressouvenirprogramme #johnfinnemore #bbcradio4 #series1 #podcast #bestpodcasts #bestpodcasts2016 #toppodcasts #podcastapp #bestpodcast #goodpodcasts #popularpodcasts #mostpopularpodcasts #bestpodcastapp #sciencepodcast #comedypodcasts #podcaststolistento #freepodcasts #videopodcast #freepodcast #radiopodcast #podcastsfree #podcastsonline #podcastwebsite #podcastradio

Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 6 of 6 - St Petersburg

Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 6 of 6 - St Petersburg

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 6/6 Some vodka and an unwary bird could spell the end of the line for MJN Air.

St Petersburg: Written by John Finnemore.

Some vodka and an unwary bird could spell the end of the line for MJN Air and when Carolyn meets her ex-husband the atmosphere turns even icier.

With special guest Timothy West

Series 3: Sitcom about the ups and down of a tiny charter airline. Written by John Finnemore
6 Episodes

Cast:
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Gordon Shappey ..... Timothy West
Tommo ..... Paul Shearer

Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for the BBC.

https://youtu.be/gBCkDEJsQ5c

Tags:

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Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 5 of 6 - Rotterdam

Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 5 of 6 - Rotterdam

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 5/6 Lifejacket, camera, action! Stardom beckons for one of the crew of MJN Air.

Rotterdam: Written by John Finnemore.

It's Lifejacket, Camera, Action as stardom beckons for one of the crew of MJN Air. But who will get to blow the final whistle? And will they look good in a vest?

Series 3: Sitcom about the ups and down of a tiny charter airline. Written by John Finnemore
6 Episodes

Cast:
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Capt. Herc Shipwright ..... Anthony Head
Martin Davenport ..... Gus Brown

Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/jKaYNz3idAE

Tags:

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Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 3 of 6 - Newcastle

Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 3 of 6 - Newcastle

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 3/6 Love is in the air, but unfortunately for Martin it's also in a small Birmingham airport.

Newcastle: Written by John Finnemore.

In this show, love is in the air, but also unfortunately in a small airport in Birmingham - and Martin has to choose between career, romance and fixing a very small tail-light. Carolyn meets a rather dashing pilot whilst Arthur meets a rather boring board game.

With special guests Anthony Head and Mark Williams

Series 3: Sitcom about the ups and down of a tiny charter airline. Written by John Finnemore
6 Episodes

Starring
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Tom Goodman-Hill
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Capt. Herc Shipwright ..... Anthony Head
Eddie ..... Mark Williams
1st Officer Linda Fairburn ..... Anna Crilly

Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/1l39sILcQVM

Tags:

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Birmingham, airport, Martin, Anthony Head, Mark Williams, board, game, pilot, Carolyn, career,

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Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 2 of 6 - Paris

Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 2 of 6 - Paris

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 2/6 A bottle of expensive whisky goes missing, so Martin becomes the Miss Marple of MJN Air.

Paris: Written by John Finnemore

When a bottle of highly-expensive whisky goes missing, Martin becomes the Miss Marple of MJN Air with Arthur assisting as his trusty Doctor Watson and Douglas hindering as his untrusty prime suspect.

Series 3: Sitcom about the ups and down of a tiny charter airline. Written by John Finnemore
6 Episodes

Cast:
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Mr Birling ..... Geoffrey Whitehead
Mrs Birling ..... Flip Webster
Phil ...... Ewan Bailey

Producer/Director: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for the BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/8HhBTqB03UY

Tags:
#cabinpressure #series3 #episode2 #of #6 #Paris
#cabin #pressure #listen #series

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Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 1 of 6 - Qikiqtarjuaq

Cabin Pressure, Series 3 Episode 1 of 6 - Qikiqtarjuaq

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 1/6 When MJN flies near the North Pole, the hunt is on for polar bears and a rogue lemon.

Qikiqtarjuaq: Written by John Finnemore.

When MJN Air flies a party of tourists near the North Pole, Arthur goes hunting for polar bears, Carolyn for a rogue lemon and Martin for a believable French accent. Meanwhile, Alfred Hitchcock makes a surprise appearance.

Series 3: Sitcom about the ups and down of a tiny charter airline. Written by John Finnemore
6 Episodes
Starring
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Nancy Dean Liebhart ..... Melanie Hudson
Mrs. Cook ..... Kosha Engler
Mr. Peary ..... Ewan Bailey

Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

https://youtu.be/wJyyOvhorN8
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

Tags:

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nancy, dean, liebhart, melanie, hudson,
mrs. cook, kosha, engler,
mr. peary, ewan bailey,
david tyler,
pozzitive, production, bbc radio 4,

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 - Christmas

Cabin Pressure at Christmas
It's the big day, but MJN Air is at work. Will Arthur get his festive celebration?

Cabin Pressure at Christmas

Bing-bong merrily on high! It's Xmas morning on board MJN Air, but when Carolyn schedules an extra stop-off to the Hawaiian island of Molokai, Arthur has just seven minutes to celebrate Xmas. How can Douglas and Martin make this the best Xmas Arthur's ever had when all they have on board are some custard creams and a Russian oligarch...

With special guest Ben Willbond ("Horrible Histories")

Cast:
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ..... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ..... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ..... John Finnemore
Mr. Alyakhin ..... Ben Willbond

Written by John Finnemore

Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 6 of 6 - Limerick

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 6 of 6 - Limerick

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 6/6 The aircrew try to keep themselves occupied during a long, passenger-free flight.

The aircrew try to keep themselves occupied during a long, passenger-free flight. Stars Stephanie Cole. From August 2009.

Series 2, Episode 6 - Limerick
First broadcast: Friday 21st August 2009

An interminable flight with a very baffling cargo gives the crew the opportunity to pass the time by alternately opening their hearts up to each other and persuading Arthur not to play charades.

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

Farewell Bear Facts - Limerick

I think this one is my favourite of the three bottle episodes, partly because it's the purest of them. We only hear the four main characters's voices - there's not even an ATC line; it all takes place not just on the plane, but in the flightdeck; and it's also, though people don't seem to notice this, all one long scene, taking place in real time. The idea was that this episode would be exactly what you would hear if you listened to twenty eight minutes of the flight deck voice recorder. It's also a rare episode where everybody's Want is the same - to stave off boredom - and so there's little or no conflict, bar some very mild teasing about Martin's watch. Normally, I'd say an episode can't work without conflict- both the other bottle episodes have plenty - but I think here, partly because of the secret-telling and partly because there are so many games and other threads going on simultaneously, it somehow works. The effect of which is that this episode seems to me to be the heart of the show - they're not battling a crazy passenger or other antagonist, or even each other; they're just getting on with their job, somewhere over Russia, passing the time, teasing each other, playing games, telling secrets, and very very slowly heating up a pie.

Speaking of which, here's a deleted scene:

CAROLYN: Admiral's Pie.

ARTHUR: Ok. Is that the same as the Fisherman's Pie?

CAROLYN: No, it's not. The Admiral and the Fisherman favour entirely different pies.

ARTHUR: Right. They've both got fish in though, right?

CAROLYN: Yes.

ARTHUR: Thought so. Because I was thinking, it's funny, when you think about it, that the Admiral's pie has got fish in it. I can see why the Fisherman's pie has. But you'd think the Admiral would be sick of fish. I mean, he must have had to eat loads of fish when he was just a sailor. And now he's an Admiral he can have whatever he likes. I'd have thought he'd want something he couldn't have at sea. Like lamb pie. With turnip.

CAROLYN: Arthur. Dear heart. Could we have a little less philosophising about the pie, and a little more cooking of the pie?

Also, of course, this episode has Arthur learning the phonetic alphabet, which might have been the single most fun thing for me as an actor in the whole show. Especially Boo! / Bye-bye! / Boncore!

https://youtu.be/ZurgXJxbm9c
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

TAGs:
cabin pressure,series 2, episode 6, limerick,cabin, pressure,john finnemore,john, finnemore,
john finnemore,stephanie cole,roger allam,benedict cumberbatch,ewen macintosh,cabin, pressure,series, episode,abu, dhabi,john, finnemore,stephanie, cole,roger, allam,benedict, cumberbatch,ewen, macintosh,
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Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 5 of 6 - Kuala Lumpur

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 5 of 6 - Kuala Lumpur

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 5/6 Captain Martin wants to start a club, but what about the Flap and Throttle?

Captain Martin wants to start a club, but what about the Flap and Throttle? Stars Benedict Cumberbatch. From August 2009

Series 2, Episode 5 - Kuala Lumpur
First broadcast: Friday 14th August 2009

A week on standby at the airfield gives Arthur an opportunity to brush up on his stewarding skills, while Douglas seems to have disappeared. And why is everyone terrified of Dirk the groundsman?

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Paul Putner Dave (Mechanic)
Roger Morlidge George (Mechanic)
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

Farewell Bear Facts - Kuala Lumpur

Ah, poor old KL - the episode nobody loves, not even me. There are two or three episodes I would like to have the chance to replot and rewrite, generally because they're over complicated- Cremona and Newcastle spring to mind. But Kuala is the only one where, if I had a magic wand, I'd probably just replace it with a whole new episode.

On the plus side, the Carolyn and Arthur mystery passenger subplot is absolutely fine, I think. And there's some good stuff in the Arthur-learning-to-lie bits, too. But the whole 'secret pubs' main plot... hrrrr. Like the other problem episodes, it's over-complicated- I don't suppose many casual listeners followed exactly what was going on by the final scene. But it also manages to feel slow and repetitive. The real problem, though, is that neither Martin nor Douglas' Wants are clear, or, when they are clear, entirely believable. Martin's journey from wanting to shut the club down to wanting to be in it, to wanting to be out of it because it's not his style... It works in broad sitcom-logic terms, but it doesn't feel real. So even though Douglas' plan at the end is to help Martin rather than hurt him, we never really buy that, because we haven't bought Martin's journey in the first place. And whatever I decided was Martin's real, underlying Want for the episode - presumably community, or possibly respect- is left unresolved by the ending. Not that he has to get what he wants, of course, but he has to either get it or not get it. Or realise that he doesn't want it after all; or that he had it all along; or... something. Not just have a Douglas-ex-machina resolve it for him while he's off-stage.

Nor, for that matter, do I quite believe Douglas is always in the Flap and Throttle, and very much wants it to continue. I'm sure he could have a good night there, because he prides himself on fitting in anywhere, but I can't quite see him beetling off there after every flight to see George's latest fruit impression. That's more Arthur's style, if anything. So we end up with that sitcom cliche of something that everyone suddenly cares a lot about and says they always have done... but which is never mentioned before or since.

Lastly, though I am not as tender-hearted towards poor little Captain Crieff and his 'feels' as some listeners I could mention, and stoutly defend my right to have unpleasant things happen to him in the service of making an audience laugh... I have to admit in this episode, his various awkardnesses in the bar go on for too long, and are too uncomfortable to listen to. 'Yeah, ok, Finnemore, we get it- he doesn't know about football. Move on' is what I say to myself when listening, so God knows how you feel.

Ah well. You can't win them all. Arth-nold Man-a-cats-a-man was funny. And it'll be Limerick soon...

https://youtu.be/c6D_e8piF2o
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

TAGs:
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Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 4 of 6 - Johannesburg

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 4 of 6 - Johannesburg

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 4/6 An emergency landing in Spain leads to First Officer Douglas getting the shammy out.

An emergency landing in Spain leads to First Officer Douglas getting the shammy out. Stars Roger Allam. From August 2009.

Series 2, Episode 4 - Johannesburg
First broadcast: Friday 7th August 2009

When Carolyn makes a daring bet with her pilots, what better place for a race against time than a sleepy Spanish airfield?

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Michael Fenton Stevens Senor Quintanilla (Airport Boss)
Javier Marzan Diego (Engineer)
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

Farewell Bear Facts - Johannesburg

This episode is very much about me, a series and a half in, experimenting with splitting the foursome up in a different way from the usual flighdeck / cabin crew division. Interestingly (to me, anyway) the effect of that is that it becomes an episode all about Douglas. The Martin / Arthur story is all about the absence of Douglasn- what happens to Martin when, on the one hand, he doesn't have to worry about being constantly put down; but on the other hand, he can't rely on Douglas to find the clever solution and sort out any problem. And the answer the episode seems to provide is that he grows in confidence, and finds those solutions for himself - and after all, as early as Boston we saw him 'pull a Douglas' in the authoritative and creative way he persuades the paramedics to take Leeman away.

Meanwhile, back at the airfield Carolyn and Douglas are experiencing a more straight-forward 'Freaky Friday' style role reversal, with Douglas discovering what it's like to really care about the success or failure of the company, and Carolyn enjoying getting to play the Douglas role, and 'chip in from the sidelines'. Overall, looking back at it now, it's a surprisingly anti-Douglas episode, certainly more than I realised at the time. Even Arthur, who famously thinks everyone is brilliant, guiltily confesses he's enjoying the 'holiday' from sarcasm. And then look at the final scene, and how Douglas is torn (and Roger, of course, plays this perfectly): he clearly really wants to take off on time, and thus beat Carolyn; but he also really wants Martin to fail, so as not to disturb the flight deck hierarchy. I would say that over the twenty-six episodes, Martin is the character who changes most obviously; but there's also no way Douglas would have behaved the same way had the events of Jo'burg taken place in series four.

All of which is not to say I don't like Johannesburg- I actually like it very much. I think it's got one of the most cunningly laid endings to any episode except maybe St Petersburg - I'm sure many first time listeners wondered why I kept stressing that the newly washed BMW was parked behind the plane, but I like to think most of them will have forgotten the wine bottle on the engine exhaust, even when they hear the smash.

I also like it that both the Spanish airport characters are, I think, funny- but neither is in any way obstructive or unhelpful, a la Douz or Newcastle. They both just do their job.

(If you think this has all got a bit back-slappy and self congratulatory, by the way, do not fear - the antidote is on its way. My least favourite episode is just around the corner...)

https://youtu.be/zDI0e7zs_Sk
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 3 of 6 - Ipswich

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 3 of 6 - Ipswich

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 3/6 The crew's safety course sparks trouble for Douglas's inner dog and Martin's inner ear.

The crew's safety course sparks trouble for Douglas's inner dog and Martin's inner ear. Stars Stephanie Cole. From July 2009.

Series 2, Episode 3 - Ipswich
First broadcast: Friday 31st July 2009

A refresher Safety and Emergency Procedures course spells trouble for Douglas's inner dog and Martin's inner ear.

Farewell Bear Facts - Ipswich
Ipswich is one of my favourite episodes - so much so that it was the one I chose when I adapted a script for a possible pilot TV version (don't get excited, it's not happening). So today, by way of a change, here are a few of the stage directions from that script, never before seen by anyone who doesn't work for either Pozzitive Productions or the BBC…

1A. INT. ATC TOWER. DAY
CROSS CUT TO KARL’S TINY ATC TOWER. KARL IS WEDGED IN FRONT OF THREE COMPUTER SCREENS: HIS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR; MUTED ‘POINTLESS’, AND ONLINE SCRABBLE. HE IS WEARING A HOODED TOP BACK TO FRONT, SO THAT THE HOOD HANGS UNDER HIS CHIN. HE HAS FILLED THE HOOD WITH POPCORN.
-------------
BEHIND HIM, ARTHUR HELPS (AND HINDERS) A BEDRAGGLED MARTIN CLAMBER INTO THE DINGHY.
------------
INT. SEMINAR ROOM.
A LARGE, SOUL-SAPPINGLY BEIGE, SEMINAR ROOM. MARTIN IS WEARING A TRACK-SUIT, HIS HAIR IS ONLY HALF DRIED, AND HE LOOKS RATHER PINK. DOUGLAS IS STILL IN UNIFORM, LOOKING SUAVE AND IMMACULATE. MARTIN KEEPS TIPPING HIS HEAD ON ONE SIDE.
-------------
ARTHUR RETURNS, BALANCING FOUR QUICHES, TWO ON HIS UPPER ARMS, LIKE A WAITER.
-------------
ON THE TAPE, CAROLYN STAGGERS OUT, DRAGGING A COMATOSE ARTHUR BEHIND HER BY HIS LEGS.
--------------
MR SARGENT STABS THE REMOTE. THE PICTURE CHANGES TO A THERMAL IMAGING FIXED CAMERA PICTURE OF INSIDE THE FUSELAGE, SHOWING THE CREW DOGGEDLY PROCESSING IN A CIRCLE, EACH HOLDING THE BELT OF THE ONE IN FRONT...
--------------
THE DOOR OF THE FUSELAGE BURSTS OPEN, DISGORGING SMOKE. OUT STUMBLE CAROLYN, DOUGLAS….

ARTHUR
Yes! Skip! Come on!

SARGENT
Three… Two…

… AND MARTIN, DRAGGING ADRIAN THE DUMMY BY THE FEET. HIS HEAD BANGS SICKENINGLY ON THE SILL. ARTHUR CHEERS HIS HEAD OFF, RUNS TO HUG THE PANTING CREW.
---------------
DOUGLAS
I see. Well then, we’ll just have to see what the CAA adjudicates when I take it up with-

SOMEONE SNATCHES HIS FIRST OFFICER’S HAT OFF HIS HEAD. DOUGLAS TURNS TO SEE WHO.

IT WAS CAROLYN. SHE HOLDS IT, AND LOCKS EYES WITH HIM.

DOUGLAS
Carolyn, what are…

CAROLYN
Douglas?

SHE SKIMS THE HAT OUT INTO THE POOL, LIKE A FRISBEE.

CAROLYN
Fetch!

DOUGLAS LOOKS AT HER. HE KNOWS TRUE ALPHA WHEN HE SEES IT. HE SIGHS, SQUARES HIS SHOULDERS... AND LAUNCHES HIMSELF INTO THE POOL.

END

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Philip Davis (as Phil Davis) Mr Sargent
Alex Macqueen Dr Duncan
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer
https://youtu.be/yC4_qhkxUes
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15


TAGs:
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Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 2 of 6 - Gdansk

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 2 of 6 - Gdansk

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 2/6 A paranoid bassoonist is on board, while in the cockpit all bets are on.

A paranoid bassoonist is on board, while in the cockpit all bets are on. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch. From July 2009.

2. Gdansk
First broadcast: Friday 24th July 2009
When MJN Air is chartered to ferry a chamber orchestra, Carolyn has to deal with the mysterious Case Of The Poisoned Cashews, while Martin gets to run through all of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Series 2, Episode 2 - Gdansk

When MJN Air is chartered to ferry a chamber orchestra, Carolyn has to deal with the mysterious Case Of The Poisoned Cashews, while Martin gets to run through all of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Farewell Bear Facts - Gdansk

It's definitely time we re-establish that sometimes these entries will be short, like the first one… otherwise I'm going to get nothing else done this month.

-Madame Szyszko-Bohusz takes her name from my address when I lived in Krakow (and therefore indirectly from this gentleman). The full address was [number] Ulica Szyszko-Bohusza, Przegorzały; and I was very proud of learning how to pronounce it. A pride for which poor Stephanie ended up having to pay. Though if she thought that was bad (and she did), little did she know then that there was even such a place as Qikiqtarjuaq…

- Question I'm sometimes asked: Why did Madame S-B have her expensive and delicate bassoon open and assembled in such a way the last joke would work? Answer: because Carolyn has explicitly told her that that's her only way of summoning help in an emergency; and she is not the sort of woman to take chances…

(PS Apologies for slightly deviating from the advent calendar order here - I'm going in alphabetical order, which is how the episodes were written and recorded, but not quite how they were broadcast. But I've always felt it was the proper order, and that's why when the complete CDs are released in January, you will find that alphabetical order has triumphantly been restored…)

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Britta Gartner Madame Szyszko-Bohusz
Matt Green Amsterdam ATC
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

https://youtu.be/LJfie9kLkok
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
Cabin Pressure, Series 2 : https://goo.gl/QbQJ1J
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

TAGs:
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stephanie cole,roger allam,benedict cumberbatch,ewen macintosh,cabin, pressure,series, episode,abu, dhabi,john, finnemore,stephanie, cole,roger, allam,benedict, cumberbatch,ewen, macintosh,
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Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 1 of 6 - Helsinki

Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 1 of 6 - Helsinki

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 2 Episode 1/6 Carolyn has a reunion, with orchids galore. The ups and downs of a tiny charter airline.

Carolyn has a reunion, with orchids galore. The ups and downs of a tiny charter airline. Stars Stephanie Cole. From July 2009.

Series 2: Sitcom about an airline for whom no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult

1. Helsinki
First broadcast: Friday 17th July 2009
Carolyn and her sister haven't spoken for 15 years. Which is why Arthur has invited her to a party on board, together with 500 Euros-worth of smuggled orchids.

Farewell Bear Facts - Helsinki / Writer's Guild Award

- Helsinki and Gdansk were swapped in the broadcast order when David Tyler the producer somehow managed to get the amazing Alison Steadman to play Awful Auntie Ruth. The show was still young, and we were keen for people to notice it, and maybe even to review it. Papers don't review radio shows much, but when they do they tend to review the first episode of the series - so we thought we'd better put the episode with Alison Steadman (plus of course Simon Greenall and Matt Green) up front. (This was all still pre-Sherlock, of course. Somehow, we didn't tend to worry as much about people noticing the show from series three…)

- Awful Auntie Ruth's surname is Gregson, which is a reference to Bertie Wooster's terrifying Aunt Agatha Gregson 'the one who chews broken bottles, and wears barbed wire next to the skin'. His 'good and deserving', - but also strong-willed and sharp-tongued - Aunt Dahlia, meanwhile, lives at Brinkley Chase… which is where Carolyn will later invite Herc for a dog walk in Ottery. There's a lot of Aunt Dahlia in Carolyn.

- This is the episode where I discovered the power of an upset Arthur. Whilst planning, one of my main preoccupations is to work out what everyone wants over the episode, and in each scene. I've said elsewhere, I think, that I found that the show worked best when Martin's 'want' ('Desire' isn't quite the right word, and nor necessarily is 'objective' or 'need', so to myself I tend to use the ungrammatical 'Want') is abstract, emotional, and if possible contradictory… and Douglas' is simple, practical, and if possible directly related to his own comfort or gain. Carolyn often ends up with the 'cast grown-up's' Want of keeping the show on the road, and the company in the black; though some of her most fun episodes are the ones where that's not the case (Jo'burg, Ottery, Uskerty.) Arthur's are usually the simplest, because he's not exactly a driven man, and tend to be things like 'Arthur wants to help' or 'Arthur wants to enjoy the trip'. But when, once in a while, there's something he really does want, like a present for his Dad in St Petersburg, or a cake for his Mum in Helsinki (Huh… hadn't quite realised how thematically linked those two were…) the novelty of it makes, I think, for quite strong and emotionally charged plots.

Also, if you insult any of the crew, Arthur will defend them. But if you insult his Mum, he will throw seventy-five Euros of mainly chocolate thing at you.

Deleted line:

When Arthur is hiding in the cafe, practising what to say when he leaps out with the cake…

ARTHUR: (MUFFLED) 'Ta-da! I've made you a cake, but it works better with your eyes shut.' 'Ta-da! I've made you a cake, but I'm really sorry.' Or maybe not make a speech…

In other news, I'm delighted to say that John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme has been nominated for a Writer's Guild Award. Interesting, one of the other nominees is Marcus Brigstocke's excellent show The Brig Society, produced by one D. Tyler. This could get bloody…

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Alison Steadman Ruth Gregson
Matt Green Kieran Gregson
Simon Greenall Milo (Customs Officer)
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

Press

"A wonderful bit of whimsy which included the observation that Helsinki just has to be a brilliant place to visit because it sounds "half helter skelter, half twinkly". "Or," countered the cynical co-pilot (played by Roger Allam of The Thick Of It fame), "like a sink of hell.""
Johnny Dee, The Guardian, 29th July 2010

"Welcome return for John Finnemore's situation comedy about a struggling small charter airline. It's blessed with a classy cast, Roger Allam, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephanie Cole as Carolyn, the boss, and Finnemore himself as her perennially perky son Arthur. And today Alison Steadman arrives as Carolyn's sister. They haven't spoken for years. Arthur hasn't bothered to think about that as he's planned a cheery birthday trip for them all. To Helsinki. He's booked it on his Mum's credit card. And she thought it was proper business."
Gillian Reynolds, Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2009

https://youtu.be/6kYDLGiw4u8
Cabin Pressure, Series 1 : https://goo.gl/xNrEm1
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

TAGs:
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Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 6 of 6 - Fitton

Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 6 of 6 - Fitton

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 6/6 The crew are grounded, so Arthur shares a secret and Carolyn learns about air hostesses.
Series 1: Sitcom about an airline for whom no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult

Sitcom by John Finnemore about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small and many jobs are too difficult.

The crew are grounded, so Arthur shows the crew why apples are the secret of happiness and Martin shows Carolyn how to be an air hostess.

Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ...... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ...... Roger Allam
Captain Martin Crieff ...... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ...... John Finnemore
Mr Goddard ...... Adam G Goodwin
Helena Richardson ...... Melisande Cook.

Bonus---

Series 1, Episode 6 - Farewell Bear Facts - Fitton / Federigo's Falcon

First broadcast: Wednesday 6th August 2008

The crew are on their 28th straight day of stand-by, which means sitting around their office and their plane, listening to the rain, and passing the time with games, arguments, and a pursuit of the secret of happiness through apple-juggling.

The thing about Fitton is that you have to remember that at the time I thought it might well be the last episode ever. I didn't want it to be, of course, but I was writing it before Abu Dhabi had aired, and I had no way of knowing whether the show would go well or not. Plenty of radio shows never get a second series. So I wanted to write something that would feel like a fairly satisfying end if it turned out these were the only six episodes that ever existed… whilst not painting myself into any corners if we got a second series. If I'd known we would get three more series, I would definitely have held back both what the letters MJN stand for, and Douglas' secret sobriety, for much longer. Imagine how much more effective it would have been if at the end of series THREE we'd realised that, for all the talking he does about what a booze-hound he is, we'd never actually seen Douglas take a drink. Ah well.

Fitton is also the first of three episodes (with Limerick and Xinzhou) which largely feature just the central cast, keeping themselves entertained, whilst confined to one location. I often give an episode a working title in my notebooks that's more helpful to me than just a city name - this one was called 'Busy Doing Nothing'. They are murder to write, these ones - it seems like you can just have any old messing around going on, so long as it's entertaining; but actually if you don't have conflict, desires, and forward movement in some form, the audience lose interest. So, you have to not only have a plot… but then also conceal that you have a plot. It's not easy. At least not for me.

This is the episode that marks a turning point for Martin and Douglas. Though there are plenty more episodes to come where they're at loggerheads, they never quite go back to the same level of antagonism as in the first five episodes. (Maybe briefly in Gdansk, but even then they're on the same side again by the end.) That's partly to do with the final scene, where Martin has power over Douglas and chooses not to use it; but I also think a crucial scene in the development of the show is the 'lipstick inscription' one, not because Douglas apologises for pushing a joke against Martin too far, but because Martin eventually laughs at it himself, and even joins in with it. I love how the actors play this scene, and I think that's the moment the characters become- broadly speaking- friends.


In non CP Advent Calendar news, Radio Three are currently broadcasting ten adaptations of stories from Boccaccio's Decameron, and I am in this one - cast, as I so often am, as an Italian nobleman.

Cast & crew

Regular cast
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast
Melisande Cook Helena (Douglas' Wife)
Adam G Goodwin Goddard (Grumpy Essex Passenger)
Writing team
John Finnemore Writer
Production team
David Tyler Producer

Press

"I gave the show a brief mention a few weeks ago, but now its run has finished, it's time to give Cabin Pressure its due. Its first episode was, I said, flawless. Nothing can be flawless for ever, but the writing and performances in this tight comedy have been exceptional. Let me put it like this: this is the only programme that has kept me close to a radio at 11.30 every Wednesday morning. Never mind Listen Again - you want to catch this as soon as you can.

The setting might be novel - a charter plane, with its skeleton crew of misfits - but the writing obeys pretty much all the necessary rules of classic British sitcom writing, which are simple. In fact, students of the art form would do well to listen to it and take notes. You need little more than an inverted class relationship, a sense of failure, an idiot, and a scary authority figure. What writer John Finnemore has done as well is to add, without tilting things off balance comedy-wise, some depth to the characters.

So the dragon of a boss, played by Stephanie Cole, is revealed to be scared of becoming a 'little old lady'; and the wonderfully supercilious Jeeves/Sergeant Wilson figure, the man who should be Captain but isn't (a perfect performance by Roger Allam), is shown to have weaknesses of his own. The show deserves an award."

Nicholas Lezard, The Independent, 10th August 2008


"For the last six weeks, there has been one reason at least to put away the razor blade - a weekly appointment with Cabin Pressure, one of the funniest sitcoms ever to air on the radio.

It is always a puzzle to me as to why I sit through so much comedy with a 'We are not amused' expression when I find most of what goes on in real life belly-achingly diverting. Similarly, it is almost impossible to analyse the secret of good comic writing but John Finnemore's script for the six-parter had it in spadefuls.

So Finnemore, who has also written for Dead Ringers and Mitchell and Webb, had his characters with incompetence ranging against dry wit, and his landscape, that surreal world in the sky which is an airliner in transit. It could still have all gone wrong but his ear for a comic retort was equal to his instinct for a comical situation. The result was a six-week abdominal workout for listeners and, I hope, a recommission for Pozzitive Productions."

Moira Petty, The Stage, 11th August 2008

https://youtu.be/0osapD4JupE

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Series 1, Episode 5 - Farewell Bear Facts - Edinburgh

Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 5 of 6 - Edinburgh

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 5/6 A very special passenger makes the crew of the tiny charter airline act very oddly.
Series 1: Sitcom about an airline for whom no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult

Sitcom by John Finnemore about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small and many jobs are too difficult.

A very special passenger makes Douglas grovel, Martin crawl, Carolyn frisk and Arthur cry and drink nail varnish.

Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ...... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ...... Roger Allam
Captain Martin Crieff ...... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ...... John Finnemore
Mr Birling ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Philip ...... Adam G Goodwin.

Bonus---

Series 1, Episode 5 - Farewell Bear Facts - Edinburgh

First broadcast: Wednesday 30th July 2008

It's the highlight of Douglas and Arthur's year - taking nice old boy Mr Birling on his annual day-trip to see the final Six Nations match, and get heroically sloshed. Martin, however, has difficulty working out what they see in him

Ah, Birling Day!

- This episode evolved out of another one, in which MJN were given a spot check by the CAA, and had an inspector ride along in the flightdeck, so they were trying to do everything by the book to impress the inspector, whilst also trying to bend the rules to please a big-tipping passenger. I called the Inspector 'Goole' and the passenger 'Birling', after the characters in 'An Inspector Calls'. But then two things happened. One was that I couldn't make the conflict believable, because however much I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I knew that actually, in that situation, even Douglas (let alone Martin) would first make sure the Inspector was happy, and his job was safe. And the second was that it occurred to me that we could try to get Geoffrey Whitehead, one of my favourite comic actors, to play the passenger. And as soon as I started hearing his voice in my head, I just wanted to write more and more for that part. So, Inspector Goole bit the dust, and I rewrote the episode around Mr Birling… whose name now, of course, made no sense as an allusion; but I'd got so used to calling him that, I couldn't bring myself to change it.

- In this episode, there's a running joke that Arthur doesn't know much about rugby. And also in this episode, Wales apparently play France in Scotland, for some reason, at the previously little-known 'final' of the Six Nations. Rugby fans may at this point be able to spot where Arthur gets it from…

-Deleted lines, after Douglas tells the story of his first stag night:

MARTIN: And the other two?


DOUGLAS: Antigua.

MARTIN: You went to the same island for two successive stag nights?

DOUGLAS: Same island. Same club. Same year.

Cast & crew

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Geoffrey Whitehead Mr Birling
Adam G Goodwin Philip (Henchman)
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

https://youtu.be/KxeZ277lUUc

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Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 4 of 6 - Douz

Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 4 of 6 - Douz

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 4/6 The air crew dodge a fuel and financial crisis with the aid of the Scottish cricket team.
Series 1: Sitcom about an airline for whom no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult

Sitcom by John Finnemore about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small and many jobs are too difficult.

Carolyn finds that she has taken more on board than she meant to.

Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ...... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ...... Roger Allam
Captain Martin Crieff ...... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ...... John Finnemore
Yves Jutteau ...... John Sessions
Captain Jessop ...... Rufus Jones
Lachlan ...... Robert Harley
Habib ...... Ali Amadi.

Bonus---

Series 1, Episode 4 - Farewell Bear Facts - Douz

First broadcast: Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Collecting the Scottish national cricket team from a tiny Tunisian air-strip on the edge of the Sahara was never a great job, and it's made far, far worse by a conniving French airport manager.

I've always been very fond of Douz. Partly simply because it was unusually easy to write - generally the plotting of an episode takes days and weeks, with many false starts and many, many rewrites; but with Douz the central chain of events came to me in one session with an easy flow that I assumed - four episodes in - meant I was getting the hang of it now, and all future episodes would be as easy as this, or easier. Ha. In fact, I wasn't to have this experience again until Uskerty… five years and most of the alphabet away.

I also like it because it starts as a Martin v Douglas plot, a conflict which was the motor of the show for at least the first series; but then becomes a Crew v External Enemy plot, which are often the most satisfying, because you end up with your family of characters united in triumph as they, for instance, drive an aeroplane along a desert highway. (Though you do have to ration this kind of episode, or else your show just becomes a band of heroes defeating various monsters; which is fine if you're Tolkien, but Tolkien never wrote a sitcom.)

Plus, it's a very important episode for Carolyn. In the first three episodes, she is a straight-forward sitcom Alpha Boss character, messing with the lives of the others, and providing the peril for them if things go wrong. Which is perfectly fine… but seemed rather a waste now we had an actor the calibre of Stephanie Cole in the role. The scene with Douglas under the wing hopefully evolves her into something more human and more interesting, and also sets up the idea of MJN always being one trip away from bankruptcy, which will eventually replace Martin and Douglas's rivalry as the main motor of the show. And Stephanie's delivery of the 'little old lady' line is astonishing, I think.

And then, of course, it has a Scottish cricket team carrying a fire truck, and John Sessions doing his finest Outrrrrageouzzz Frahnch Aczent. Two things guaranteed to make any episode go with a swing…

Cast & crew

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
John Sessions Yves Jutteau
Ali Amadi Habib
Rufus Jones Capt Jessop
Robert Harley Lachlan
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

https://youtu.be/1WvuGvE9XgQ
John Finnemore's Double Acts : https://goo.gl/994Fqw
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme Full: https://goo.gl/svad15

Tags:

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john, finnemore,Stephanie, cole,roger, allam,benedict, cumberbatch,ewen, macintosh,john finnemore,stephanie cole,roger allam,benedict cumberbatch,ewen macintosh,cabin, pressure,series, episode,abu, dhabi,
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Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 2 of 6 - Boston

Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 2 of 6 - Boston

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 2/6 A routine flight is disrupted by a routine fire, a routine lawsuit and a routine corpse.
Series 1: Sitcom about an airline for whom no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult

Sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small and many jobs are too difficult.

A routine flight to Boston is disrupted by a routine fire, a routine lawsuit and a routine corpse.

Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ...... Stephanie Cole
First Officer Douglas Richardson ...... Roger Allam
Capt Martin Crieff ...... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ...... John Finnemore
ATC Fitton ...... Ewen MacIntosh
Hamilton Leeman ...... Kerry Shale
Paramedic ...... Matilda Ziegler

Written by John Finnemore.

Bonus---

Series 1, Episode 2 Farewell Bear Facts - Boston

First broadcast: Wednesday 9th July 2008

One passenger's insistence on smoking during a flight to Boston kicks off a chain of events that culminates in the plane being turned round in mid-air four times, and one of the crew getting arrested.

- Lots of people have spotted that the names of Mr Leeman and Dr Price are tributes to the 'Kipper and the Corpse' episode of Fawlty Towers. I can't remember whether anyone has spotted that his first name, Hamilton, as mentioned in Arthur's eulogy, is a reference to the 'Waldorf Salad' episode. The character seemed to combine elements of Mr Hamilton, the irascible American who tells Basil some home truths; and Mr Leeman, the inconvenient corpse. So I named him after both. (Having said that, if I was writing it now, I'm not sure I'd make him American. Bit obvious, maybe.)

- The choice of the book Arthur's so proud of having read - twice - is a reference to Nancy Mitford's character Uncle Matthew, based on her own father, who read White Fang and enjoyed it so much he decided never to read anything else, because it couldn't possibly be as good.

- In the (excellent) American version of The House of Cards, the dark miniseries about a ruthless senator who'll do anything for power, it takes him eleven hour long episodes before he finally kills someone. In my light-hearted radio sitcom about air travel, it takes Arthur until half way through episode two. Your move, Spacey.

https://youtu.be/kJVG-k_BNA4

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Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 1 of 6 - Abu Dhabi

Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 1 of 6 - Abu Dhabi

Listen in Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 1/6 Taking off with a bump for pilot Martin - the ups and downs of a tiny charter airline.
Series 1: Sitcom about an airline for whom no job is too small but many, many jobs are too difficult

Sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small and many jobs are too difficult.

The town of Bristol, a cat and a thermostat combine to present Martin with a career-breaking crisis.

Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ...... Stephanie Cole
First Officer Douglas Richardson ...... Roger Allam
Capt Martin Crieff ...... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ...... John Finnemore
ATC Fitton ...... Ewen MacIntosh

Written by John Finnemore.


Bonus---

Cabin Pressure, Series 1 Episode 1/6 Abu Dhabi
First broadcast: Wednesday 2nd July 2008
The town of Bristol, a cat and a thermostat combine to present Martin with a career-breaking crisis. A flight to the Middle East is complicated by Carolyn's new economy drive; Martin's insistence that Douglas call him 'Sir'; and Arthur's refusal to believe that anyone actually knows how a plane stays in the air.

Cast & crew:

Regular cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast:
Ewen MacIntosh Air Traffic Controller
Writing team:
John Finnemore Writer
Production team:
David Tyler Producer

Press

"Well-defined characters, strong casting and great writing do a good sitcom make. Sounds easy, but few get it right. I am, therefore, delighted to announce that this new series is so funny that I listened to it three times in a row, laughing more loudly each time at the lines I now knew were coming.

It's set in a small airline company staffed by two pilots and run by a forbidding 60-something woman who, one of her staff suggests, sharpens rather than brushes her teeth in the morning. Roger Allam's character is on a par with Basil Fawlty as the embittered pilot on his way down.

Jane Anderson, Radio Times, 2nd July 2008"
"John Finnemore's new situation comedy has the benefit of a superb cast. Roger Allam, Stephanie Cole and Benedict Cumberbatch give their all to this story of a small charter airline whose single plane is flown by one blasé old know-it-all (Allam) and one fiercely competitive young thruster (Cumberbatch). The whole shebang is owned by a fearsome divorcée (Cole) who has come by the plane in a divorce settlement. Her other inheritance is a dim son (played by the author) whose meek optimism is amply reflected in the laughter from the studio audience.

Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph, 2nd July 2008"
"The fear and joys of flying have been a comedy staple for decades, and every joke it is possible to make has probably been made. The challenge is to tell the old jokes in a new way. So step forward, experienced wordsmith (Dead Ringers, That Mitchell and Webb Sound) John Finnemore, with this new six-part sitcom about a one-plane outfit run by an autocratic divorcée (Stephanie Cole, doing her usual posh bully bit).

Her aircraft has two pilots, one a jaded cynic with a dodgy past who can, though, actually fly (played to worldweary perfection by Roger Allam) and one who seemed to have got his wings through a correspondence college (Benedict Cumberbatch, showing he can do situation comedy as well as he does everything else in the thesp game).

Chuck in Finnemore himself as Cole's keen but dim son-of-all work, plus an unusually high level of well-researched technical information about flying, and you have a half-hour that flies by (fnaarg fnaarg).

Chris Campling, The Times, 2nd July 2008"


https://youtu.be/XRpLbTE8YVs

Tags:
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bbc audiobooks,audible,amazon,books,audiobook,

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