Cabin Pressure

[nanila]

The bloke and I been listening to this adorable radio series since it started re-running on BBC Radio 4 Extra a couple of months ago.

Written by John Finnemore, it features four people who crew a private airline. They get up to hilarious hijinks whilst flying bonkers passengers around the world. The voice actors are people whom you just might recognise:

1. Owner and Operator of MJN Air, Mother, Architect of Adventure: Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, voiced by Stephanie Cole (also known from TV series Open All Hours and Doc Martin, amongst many others)
   
   
2. First Officer, Sarcastronaut: Douglas Richardson, voiced by Roger Allam (I know he is a srs thespeean but I will always think of him as Mannion from The Thick of It)
   
   
3. Flight Attendant, Momma’s Boy, Dogsbody: Arthur Shappey, voiced by John Finnemore
   
   
4. Aeroplane: Gertie, who forebears silently the antics of her crew, and finally,
   
   
5. Captain, Fastidious Fusspot, Target Practice for Douglas: Martin Crieff, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch (who’s been in some stuff lately that a few people on the internet are mildly fannish about).

Anyway, the plots are ridiculous, the dialogue is wonderful and you should listen to it on iPlayer Radio (Currently re-running Series 2, available everywhere in Europe, not sure about outside though). You can also purchase it from AudioGo on CD or as MP3 downloads (it’s on my Christmas Non-Sectarian Festival Holiday list).

Comments

[caulkhead]

Welcome to the party! There is going to be one more episode, which is sad, but probably the right decision.

[nanila]

The scenario is rather limiting, so unless they made a radical change to that while keeping the same characters, I can't imagine it would continue to appeal for an infinite number of episodes. However, since I still have another two and a half seasons to discover, I'm not feeling overly deprived yet! :P

[majoline]

It's fantastic, isn't it? :D

[nanila]

It's delightful. I chuckle all the way through them.

[sunflowerinrain]

I love it. So sad that it won't continue and we shall have to survive on listening to 26 episodes over and over again. John Finnemore is superb - have you heard his Souvenir Programme?

http://johnfinnemore.blogspot.com

[nanila]

At least I'll now have something to alternate with the five phases of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. :P

I haven't heard it. I shall seek it out. Also, thank you for the blog link. :)