bbc.co.uk |
Well, as
I started getting more into Benedict Cumberbatch’s work, I finally listened to
the radio version of Neverwhere, in
which he and about a bazillion other fabulous British actors recreate the
wonderful Neil Gaiman story. I enjoyed
it so much that, when I discovered that Cumberbatch has an affinity for BBC
Radio productions, I decided to start tracking down some more of them. I’m still not a radio person overall, but I’m
now definitely a radio-play person.
The
best program I’ve come across so far is easily Cabin Pressure, a radio sitcom that began before Sherlock made Cumberbatch a
celebrity. The premise – the exploits of
a tiny, run-down charter plane business – is deceptively simple. Excellent characters, spot-on performances,
and sublime writing make the show one of the best comedies I’ve found recently,
in any format.
MJN Air
is a microscopic operation. Carolyn
(Stephanie Cole) is the long-suffering owner of GERTI, the company’s lone
plane. She’s proud, penny-pinching, and
thoroughly unimpressed. Martin
(Cumberbatch) is MJN’s by-the-book captain.
His position is everything to him, despite his adequate piloting skills
and inability to convince clients that he really is the captain. Douglas (The
Thick of It’s Roger Allam) is Martin’s jaded first officer. Considerably older than his captain, he’s a
former Air England pilot who makes a habit of chronic rule-breaking. Finally, Carolyn’s adult son Arthur (John
Finnemore, also the show’s writer) is MJN’s sunshiny steward. What he lacks in competence and basic common
sense, he makes up in unbridled enthusiasm.
Each
episode, listeners are treated to a new helping of troublesome clients and
aviation-related mishaps. When it comes
to MJN, there’s no such thing as smooth sailing (or the flying equivalent
thereof.) Whether it’s a snag at customs
or a live cat trapped in the unheated cargo hold, this crew has an extraordinary
talent for getting into messes.
The
absurd scrapes are funny enough, but Cabin
Pressure is all about the
character interactions. I love Douglas’s
dry sarcasm, Carolyn’s incredulous scolding, Martin’s panicky indecision, and
Arthur’s incurable optimism. I love the
way they all look out for each other when the chips are really down. And most of all, I love the endless string of
games they invent to endure the boredom of long flights. My favorites include “Book Titles that Sound
More Interesting with the Last Letter Knocked Off” (such as The Da Vinci Cod,) “Rhyming Journeys”
(like “From York to Cork,”) and “The Traveling Lemon” (in which one has to find
a lemon hidden somewhere in the cabin, unbeknownst to passengers.) My only complaint is that the show will be
ending soon (the last episode, “Zurich,” will air later this year;) it’s a
winner all around.
Warnings
Just a little
drinking (not by the pilots while in flight!) and a few imperiled animals (like the cat mentioned above.)
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