Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking!
Two words: CABIN PRESSURE
What is it? A BBC radio series. Yes, I know. I was astonished to discover they still existed actually. Someone should tell them we have pictures now.
Why on earth would I want to listen to it? Look, I feel your pain. I am not an 'audio' person. I loathe audio books and will not listen to them; I don't care who's narrating. If I can hold out against RSL and BC I can hold out against anyone. So the idea of a radio series on the face of it is about roughly as attractive as listening to really textured paint dry. I only gave it a try a because (a) I like the jargon of civil aviation and meals on trays and the little bing-bongs before cabin announcements; don't judge me and (b) fine, it has Benedict Cumberbatch in it. But I swear it's so much fun that it's the kind of thing I would have become a fan of even if (b) had not been in play. However, I would never have bothered listening to the series to begin with if (b) had not been in play, so... I guess it's one of those vicious circle. Thingies. Or not.
Who's in it?
Stephanie Cole as Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, tough and uncompromising matriarch and owner of MJN Air (It's not an airline, it's a single plane. It can't go in a line. It's more of a point.)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Captain Martin Crieff, the hapless, insecure and only marginally competent captain (qualified on his seventh attempt!)
Roger Allam (who I remember as Javert from my Original London Recording!) as First Officer Douglas Richardson, a much better pilot but a rather superior and sarcastic human being. But there are Reasons why the flight deck looks the way it does.
John Finnemore (writer/creator of the show) as Arthur Shappey, eternally sunny flight attendant and Carolyn's even more hapless son
But why? Why? I mean, why? Why? Four excellent questions. "Because it's pretty damn funny" should really be enough, but here are some more novel reasons. Roger Allam and Benedict Cumberbatch together are so reminiscent of Fry and Laurie to my ears it's scary. I actually derive entertainment value by pretending they ARE Fry and Laurie and only noting the parts where they diverge from what I would expect them to sound like. Suffice to say they are both in full-blown English comedic mode - Allam is like a slightly meaner Jeeves and Cumberbatch is... kind of like a cross between Bertie and Rimmer, although they do let him fly the plane. Most of the time. And if you're a Cumberbatch fan it's really such a fabulous change from sociopathic genius/angst, although he is still fairly aesexual. Poor Martin. All of the cast are brilliant, though. And... it's pretty damn funny?
Episode names are in the form of destinations, and my favourite to date is Qikiqtarjuaq (Kik-kik-tar-joo-ac, because I know you're wondering) which manages to be both poignant and epic. The whole ep is worth a listen, but the highlight is Martin's French-accented polar bear story, which (together with other 'French' highlights; as epitomised by redscharlach's glorious icon above) is HERE and the full half-hour episode begins HERE. I have also embedded the former excerpts under the cut firstly because I love you, but also for convenience because I've been listening to it at least once a day for the past week and walking around muttering 'le bear polar' and giggling to myself like a slightly deranged wilderness guide.
It's mostly self-explanatory, but basically Martin has been skiting about how he's a 'professional' (unlike Douglas) who can 'handle anything thrown at him'. Douglas naturally has to test this remark. Concurrently, Douglas and Carolyn are playing a thoroughly unprofessional game of 'travelling lemon', in which a lemon must be placed somewhere in plain sight in the passenger cabin and found/retrieved by the next person without the passengers noticing. They have promised that if Martin finds the lemon on his turn they will stop playing. After the polar bear story there is another brilliant scene and twist which is not heard on these excerpts.
Also, the (spoilery) Sherlock/Cabin Pressure crossover vid of evil (by MoonaLovegood). Oh, come on. It's only 8 seconds long XD
What is it? A BBC radio series. Yes, I know. I was astonished to discover they still existed actually. Someone should tell them we have pictures now.
Why on earth would I want to listen to it? Look, I feel your pain. I am not an 'audio' person. I loathe audio books and will not listen to them; I don't care who's narrating. If I can hold out against RSL and BC I can hold out against anyone. So the idea of a radio series on the face of it is about roughly as attractive as listening to really textured paint dry. I only gave it a try a because (a) I like the jargon of civil aviation and meals on trays and the little bing-bongs before cabin announcements; don't judge me and (b) fine, it has Benedict Cumberbatch in it. But I swear it's so much fun that it's the kind of thing I would have become a fan of even if (b) had not been in play. However, I would never have bothered listening to the series to begin with if (b) had not been in play, so... I guess it's one of those vicious circle. Thingies. Or not.
Who's in it?
Stephanie Cole as Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, tough and uncompromising matriarch and owner of MJN Air (It's not an airline, it's a single plane. It can't go in a line. It's more of a point.)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Captain Martin Crieff, the hapless, insecure and only marginally competent captain (qualified on his seventh attempt!)
Roger Allam (who I remember as Javert from my Original London Recording!) as First Officer Douglas Richardson, a much better pilot but a rather superior and sarcastic human being. But there are Reasons why the flight deck looks the way it does.
John Finnemore (writer/creator of the show) as Arthur Shappey, eternally sunny flight attendant and Carolyn's even more hapless son
But why? Why? I mean, why? Why? Four excellent questions. "Because it's pretty damn funny" should really be enough, but here are some more novel reasons. Roger Allam and Benedict Cumberbatch together are so reminiscent of Fry and Laurie to my ears it's scary. I actually derive entertainment value by pretending they ARE Fry and Laurie and only noting the parts where they diverge from what I would expect them to sound like. Suffice to say they are both in full-blown English comedic mode - Allam is like a slightly meaner Jeeves and Cumberbatch is... kind of like a cross between Bertie and Rimmer, although they do let him fly the plane. Most of the time. And if you're a Cumberbatch fan it's really such a fabulous change from sociopathic genius/angst, although he is still fairly aesexual. Poor Martin. All of the cast are brilliant, though. And... it's pretty damn funny?
Episode names are in the form of destinations, and my favourite to date is Qikiqtarjuaq (Kik-kik-tar-joo-ac, because I know you're wondering) which manages to be both poignant and epic. The whole ep is worth a listen, but the highlight is Martin's French-accented polar bear story, which (together with other 'French' highlights; as epitomised by redscharlach's glorious icon above) is HERE and the full half-hour episode begins HERE. I have also embedded the former excerpts under the cut firstly because I love you, but also for convenience because I've been listening to it at least once a day for the past week and walking around muttering 'le bear polar' and giggling to myself like a slightly deranged wilderness guide.
Click to viewIt's mostly self-explanatory, but basically Martin has been skiting about how he's a 'professional' (unlike Douglas) who can 'handle anything thrown at him'. Douglas naturally has to test this remark. Concurrently, Douglas and Carolyn are playing a thoroughly unprofessional game of 'travelling lemon', in which a lemon must be placed somewhere in plain sight in the passenger cabin and found/retrieved by the next person without the passengers noticing. They have promised that if Martin finds the lemon on his turn they will stop playing. After the polar bear story there is another brilliant scene and twist which is not heard on these excerpts.
Also, the (spoilery) Sherlock/Cabin Pressure crossover vid of evil (by MoonaLovegood). Oh, come on. It's only 8 seconds long XD