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. It’s written by John Finnemore, writer for The News Quiz, The Now Show, and Mitchell and Webb; and stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement, Starter for Ten), Roger Allam (The Thick of It, A Cock and Bull Story) and Stephanie Cole (Doc Martin, Housewife 49).
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (STEPHANIE COLE) is at last, at 64, free of her awful husband, pleasingly not free of his private jet, and ready to show the world what she’s made of, by running the slickest, most successful, most profitable charter air firm ever seen. And were it not for her crew, plane, and passengers, she would do. An ex-stewardess, and a woman of formidable energy, formidable competence, and formidable formidableness, she is continually frustrated by the incompetence or irresponsibility of the pilots who are prepared to work for the money she’s prepared to pay.
Captain Martin Crieff, for instance. Martin (BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH) has wanted to be an airline pilot since he was six, and before that he wanted to be an aeroplane. And now, in his early thirties, he finally sort of is - although as Carolyn points out, MJN Air is not exactly an airline. You cannot put one aircraft in a line. If it’s anything, it’s an airdot. But nonetheless, Martin is at last a professional pilot, and a captain to boot. No doubt other things like spatial awareness, natural authority, and ability to make decisions under pressure will come in time. For now, the main thing is the desperate struggle to stop passengers mistaking him for a steward, a baggage handler, or the YTS lad.
This is not something that troubles his trusty First Officer. Douglas Richardson (ROGER ALLAM) is an effortlessly charming, authoritative, dark-brown voiced smooth old sky god. He’s twenty years older than Martin, and spent most of those as a captain for the mighty Air England, before finding himself unexpectedly on the job market after Hong Kong customs found the seven silk kimonos stitched inside his jackets. Having to sit in the co-pilot’s seat, fly drunken city boys to Biarritz, and then hoover the plane afterwards is not how Douglas imagined the last ten years of his career, but with a smuggling charge against him and three different flavours of alimony to pay, he’s not in a position to be choosy. And on the bright side, there’s Martin to tease, and... well, there’s Martin to tease.
Meanwhile, passenger service is provided by Carolyn’s lovely friendly idiot son, Arthur Shappey. Arthur (JOHN FINNEMORE) would have loved to be a pilot himself, in an alternate world where he had not been born with the brains and personality of a Labrador puppy, but failing that he is delighted to serve Martin and Douglas - in his unshakeable opinion the two greatest aviators to take to the skies since Wilbur and Orville.
Cabin Pressure is produced by David Tyler for Pozzitive. His radio credits include Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off, Another Case Of Milton Jones, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive, Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, The 99p Challenge, Deep Trouble, Radio Active & Dial “M” For Pizza
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