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| Cabin Pressure: The sitcom that broke records | Cabin Pressure: The sitcom that broke records |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| It has won numerous awards, broken BBC Radio 4 records, launched the career of "a once in a generation writer" and spawned a devoted, international fan base with a particular enthusiasm for travelling lemons and otter storage dilemmas. | It has won numerous awards, broken BBC Radio 4 records, launched the career of "a once in a generation writer" and spawned a devoted, international fan base with a particular enthusiasm for travelling lemons and otter storage dilemmas. |
| It's the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure - which for 10 years has chronicled life at a tiny (fictional) charter airline. | It's the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure - which for 10 years has chronicled life at a tiny (fictional) charter airline. |
| But it is also a programme that very nearly didn't get made. | But it is also a programme that very nearly didn't get made. |
| 'A visceral feeling of wow' | 'A visceral feeling of wow' |
| Comedian and writer John Finnemore was tutoring and occasionally writing for sketch shows when he passed his pilot Cabin Pressure script to comedy producer David Tyler. | Comedian and writer John Finnemore was tutoring and occasionally writing for sketch shows when he passed his pilot Cabin Pressure script to comedy producer David Tyler. |
| "I immediately had a visceral feeling of wow," remembers Tyler, 10 years on. "I thought - this is perfect." | |
| Caroline Raphael, then commissioning editor for comedy at BBC Radio 4, agreed: "I absolutely adored it." | |
| But it wasn't a universal reaction: Mark Damazer, Radio 4's controller at the time, didn't like the script. | But it wasn't a universal reaction: Mark Damazer, Radio 4's controller at the time, didn't like the script. |
| "I was quite taken aback because he just didn't get it," Raphael says. | |
| "I just went on and on trying to convince him but realised I wasn't winning him round." | "I just went on and on trying to convince him but realised I wasn't winning him round." |
| A disappointed Tyler was about to pass on the rejection to Finnemore, but decided to go back to the radio bosses one last time. | A disappointed Tyler was about to pass on the rejection to Finnemore, but decided to go back to the radio bosses one last time. |
| "I said: 'I know comedy is subjective and we're all juggling with air but he [Damazer] is wrong'." | |
| Raphael was similarly disappointed with the decision so tried, once again, to plead Cabin Pressure's case. | Raphael was similarly disappointed with the decision so tried, once again, to plead Cabin Pressure's case. |
| "We don't have many sitcoms with such beautifully defined characters. Please, can we do it?" she said. | "We don't have many sitcoms with such beautifully defined characters. Please, can we do it?" she said. |
| The combined approach worked. "Oh, go on then," replied Damazer. | The combined approach worked. "Oh, go on then," replied Damazer. |
| Your flight crew | Your flight crew |
| Tyler says Cabin Pressure is about "growing up". | Tyler says Cabin Pressure is about "growing up". |
| For Finnemore, the sitcom is about "leaving home". | For Finnemore, the sitcom is about "leaving home". |
| At its simplest the sitcom concerns the (mis)adventures of two pilots, a steward and the CEO of MJN Air - a tiny charter airline with just one plane, nicknamed "Gerti" - almost a character in herself. | At its simplest the sitcom concerns the (mis)adventures of two pilots, a steward and the CEO of MJN Air - a tiny charter airline with just one plane, nicknamed "Gerti" - almost a character in herself. |
| As the owner puts it, MJN isn't an airline so much as but an "airdot": "I don't have an airline. I have one jet. You cannot put one jet in a line." | As the owner puts it, MJN isn't an airline so much as but an "airdot": "I don't have an airline. I have one jet. You cannot put one jet in a line." |
| MJN's boss is the fearsome Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, awarded a passenger plane in her divorce, and determined to make it work as a business. | MJN's boss is the fearsome Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, awarded a passenger plane in her divorce, and determined to make it work as a business. |
| One of the few times Carolyn's formidable facade cracked was when another character asked why - given that trying to run an airline was taking her to the edge of bankruptcy - she persevered. | One of the few times Carolyn's formidable facade cracked was when another character asked why - given that trying to run an airline was taking her to the edge of bankruptcy - she persevered. |
| "Because I am the chief executive officer of MJN Air," she said. "It's a good thing to be. It's better than... a little old lady." | |
| Helping her in the endeavour is her son Arthur Shappey - played by Finnemore himself as a consistently cheery steward who claims to have found the secret to true happiness. (For anyone interested, it is throwing an apple from one hand to the other.) | |
| The pilots are charming, experienced, always-scheming Douglas Richardson, played by Roger Allam, and Martin Crieff - played by Benedict Cumberbatch - who wanted to fly since the age of six, but never seemed very good at it. | The pilots are charming, experienced, always-scheming Douglas Richardson, played by Roger Allam, and Martin Crieff - played by Benedict Cumberbatch - who wanted to fly since the age of six, but never seemed very good at it. |
| Much to Douglas' (suppressed) irritation and everyone else's surprise, it is Martin who, for reasons revealed during the series, captains the plane, while Douglas is his junior. | Much to Douglas' (suppressed) irritation and everyone else's surprise, it is Martin who, for reasons revealed during the series, captains the plane, while Douglas is his junior. |
| This disparity in the pilots' abilities and their positions forms one of the central tensions in the sitcom. | |
| The other is the business's precarious financial position, epitomised in Carolyn's hopeful declaration: "Today's the day we try running MJN as a profitable business rather than a charitable sanctuary for rubbish pilots." | The other is the business's precarious financial position, epitomised in Carolyn's hopeful declaration: "Today's the day we try running MJN as a profitable business rather than a charitable sanctuary for rubbish pilots." |
| Take-off | Take-off |
| Nicholas Lezard from the Independent called the first episode "flawless", and Nosheen Iqbal of the Guardian praised the show's "impressive cast" describing the script as "packed tight with superb lines". | Nicholas Lezard from the Independent called the first episode "flawless", and Nosheen Iqbal of the Guardian praised the show's "impressive cast" describing the script as "packed tight with superb lines". |
| The programme also proved popular with listeners. For the final recording, Radio 4 received more than 22,000 audience ticket requests - breaking the world record for a BBC radio comedy. | |
| Awards followed: in 2011, 2013 and 2014 the series won comedy.co.uk's best British radio sitcom award, also becoming the first radio programme to win the website's comedy of the year award in 2014. | Awards followed: in 2011, 2013 and 2014 the series won comedy.co.uk's best British radio sitcom award, also becoming the first radio programme to win the website's comedy of the year award in 2014. |
| Finnemore himself has won two Writers' Guild Awards - including one for Cabin Pressure. | Finnemore himself has won two Writers' Guild Awards - including one for Cabin Pressure. |
| "He [Finnemore] is an extraordinary writer," says producer Tyler. "He is once in a generation." | "He [Finnemore] is an extraordinary writer," says producer Tyler. "He is once in a generation." |
| "He writes about genuine emotion and is able to do so many different characters. What I find astonishing about his work is the psychological consistency." | "He writes about genuine emotion and is able to do so many different characters. What I find astonishing about his work is the psychological consistency." |
| Raphael agrees. "John has the ability to go deep into the character and ask what is the thing that person wants more than anything," she says. | Raphael agrees. "John has the ability to go deep into the character and ask what is the thing that person wants more than anything," she says. |
| Pondering the writer's capacity to get so thoroughly inside the minds of others, she quoted David Tyler: "Finnemore's a genius but you wouldn't want to live in his head." | Pondering the writer's capacity to get so thoroughly inside the minds of others, she quoted David Tyler: "Finnemore's a genius but you wouldn't want to live in his head." |
| Travelling lemons, stolen Talisker | Travelling lemons, stolen Talisker |
| Tyler says one of the underlying themes of the show is that the two pilots, are "very intelligent, highly trained people" who are bored for "most of the time". | Tyler says one of the underlying themes of the show is that the two pilots, are "very intelligent, highly trained people" who are bored for "most of the time". |
| "So they muck about," he added. | "So they muck about," he added. |
| The pair's diversions have included playing a high-risk game of hide the lemon, naming the "Brians of Britain" (Eno, Blessed, May etc) and stealing a bottle of Talisker whisky from a passenger on his way to a rugby match. | |
| The Cumberbatch factor | The Cumberbatch factor |
| The quality of the script, plus the relative ease of radio, (no make-up and no learning lines) meant Cabin Pressure was able to attract an impressive cast. | The quality of the script, plus the relative ease of radio, (no make-up and no learning lines) meant Cabin Pressure was able to attract an impressive cast. |
| Cole (Waiting for God, Open All Hours, Coronation Street) and Allam (The Thick of It, Endeavour) were already accomplished and experienced TV and film actors. | Cole (Waiting for God, Open All Hours, Coronation Street) and Allam (The Thick of It, Endeavour) were already accomplished and experienced TV and film actors. |
| And when the series began, Cumberbatch, as the hapless and insecure Martin, was on the cusp of stardom. | And when the series began, Cumberbatch, as the hapless and insecure Martin, was on the cusp of stardom. |
| Although a successful - if largely unknown - actor at the time, his role in the series was very different to that of the arrogant, fiercely intelligent Sherlock he later played in the popular BBC One drama. | Although a successful - if largely unknown - actor at the time, his role in the series was very different to that of the arrogant, fiercely intelligent Sherlock he later played in the popular BBC One drama. |
| Perhaps the casting of a future global film star was one of the factors that helped create the sitcom's loyal female fan base - a trend that the show's creators began to notice between the second and third series. | Perhaps the casting of a future global film star was one of the factors that helped create the sitcom's loyal female fan base - a trend that the show's creators began to notice between the second and third series. |
| "After Sherlock the applications for [studio audience] tickets came largely from women under the age of 25," says Finnemore. | "After Sherlock the applications for [studio audience] tickets came largely from women under the age of 25," says Finnemore. |
| And those who worked on Cabin Pressure remember fans gathered outside the studio at 07:00 on cold, misty mornings - not a normal occurrence for a radio sitcom. | And those who worked on Cabin Pressure remember fans gathered outside the studio at 07:00 on cold, misty mornings - not a normal occurrence for a radio sitcom. |
| But while the presence of the Sherlock actor may have brought listeners in, many say they ended up loving the sitcom on its own merits. | |
| "I usually say that most people came to Cabin Pressure because of Benedict Cumberbatch. But they stayed because of John Finnemore," says Carina Pereira, a fan from Belgium. | "I usually say that most people came to Cabin Pressure because of Benedict Cumberbatch. But they stayed because of John Finnemore," says Carina Pereira, a fan from Belgium. |
| Martin the Millennial? | Martin the Millennial? |
| While the presence of Cumberbatch may explain some of Cabin Pressure's young following, the character he played may have chimed with them too. | While the presence of Cumberbatch may explain some of Cabin Pressure's young following, the character he played may have chimed with them too. |
| The sitcom's first episode aired in 2008, shortly after the financial crash, and while many millennials entered adulthood and encountered a harsh economic climate. | The sitcom's first episode aired in 2008, shortly after the financial crash, and while many millennials entered adulthood and encountered a harsh economic climate. |
| Although Martin was in his thirties, he faced many of their problems. | Although Martin was in his thirties, he faced many of their problems. |
| For those twenty-somethings, struggling to carve out a life and career for themselves, his plight may have struck a familiar chord. | For those twenty-somethings, struggling to carve out a life and career for themselves, his plight may have struck a familiar chord. |
| To fund Martin's pursuit of the perfect career he had to do odd jobs and live in "a horrible attic in a shared house". | To fund Martin's pursuit of the perfect career he had to do odd jobs and live in "a horrible attic in a shared house". |
| He knew what his dream job was, but in order to get a foot in the door he had to work for free. Essentially he was interning as a pilot. | He knew what his dream job was, but in order to get a foot in the door he had to work for free. Essentially he was interning as a pilot. |
| The fans | The fans |
| The show sparked some unusual displays of appreciation from its fans - like Kayleigh Fitzgerald, author of the the Lemons and Landmarks book. | The show sparked some unusual displays of appreciation from its fans - like Kayleigh Fitzgerald, author of the the Lemons and Landmarks book. |
| Kayleigh saw Finnemore perform a sketch at a comedy night, in which he played a comedian worried about not having achieved enough in his life. | Kayleigh saw Finnemore perform a sketch at a comedy night, in which he played a comedian worried about not having achieved enough in his life. |
| "I thought it would be nice if people from all over the world could show their appreciation by taking a picture of a lemon and attaching a message for John," she says. | "I thought it would be nice if people from all over the world could show their appreciation by taking a picture of a lemon and attaching a message for John," she says. |
| Kayleigh received so many photos - including one taken near the border of North Korea - that with the help of others, she turned them into a book and presented it to Finnemore at a Cabin Pressure recording. | Kayleigh received so many photos - including one taken near the border of North Korea - that with the help of others, she turned them into a book and presented it to Finnemore at a Cabin Pressure recording. |
| The end | The end |
| Despite the programme's popularity, Finnemore says he didn't want to "flog it to death" and, in December 2014, after four series and a Christmas special he brought it to an end. | Despite the programme's popularity, Finnemore says he didn't want to "flog it to death" and, in December 2014, after four series and a Christmas special he brought it to an end. |
| Finnemore has gone on to further success with his sketch show and half hour radio dramas (John Finnemore's Double Acts). Over the summer he will be writing a film with Armando Iannucci. | Finnemore has gone on to further success with his sketch show and half hour radio dramas (John Finnemore's Double Acts). Over the summer he will be writing a film with Armando Iannucci. |
| However, the programme that made his name is still admired and celebrated. | |
| On fan sites and social media, devotees continue to share pictures of hidden lemons, arrange "Finnemeets", exchange favourite quotes and ponder the feasibility of storing otters in a plane's overhead compartment. | On fan sites and social media, devotees continue to share pictures of hidden lemons, arrange "Finnemeets", exchange favourite quotes and ponder the feasibility of storing otters in a plane's overhead compartment. |
| "I've spoken to fans who suffer from depression," says Kayleigh Fitzgerald, "and Cabin Pressure is something that, even for only half an hour, can make them smile." | |
| "That's a lovely thing to do." | "That's a lovely thing to do." |
| The final episode of Cabin Pressure will feature on BBC Radio 4 Extra's Comedy Club on Sunday 15 July at 23:00. | The final episode of Cabin Pressure will feature on BBC Radio 4 Extra's Comedy Club on Sunday 15 July at 23:00. |