British Comedy Guide
Cabin Pressure. Image shows from L to R: Arthur (John Finnemore), Douglas (Roger Allam), Carolyn (Stephanie Cole), Martin (Benedict Cumberbatch). Copyright: Pozzitive Productions
Cabin Pressure

Cabin Pressure

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2008 - 2014
  • 27 episodes (4 series)

Radio sitcom based around a one-plane charter airline. No job is too small, but many jobs are too difficult for pilots Douglas and Martin. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Roger Allam, Stephanie Cole, John Finnemore and Anthony Head

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Cabin Pressure. Image shows from L to R: Arthur (John Finnemore), Douglas (Roger Allam), Carolyn (Stephanie Cole), Martin (Benedict Cumberbatch). Copyright: Pozzitive Productions

Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2008 - 2014
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
27 (4 series)
Stars
Benedict Cumberbatch, Roger Allam, Stephanie Cole, John Finnemore and Anthony Head
Writer
John Finnemore
Producer
David Tyler
Company

Set in a small airline business, Cabin Pressure is a comedy 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, transporting lads on a stag night or shifting a panther for the odd oil sheik, no job is too small - but many jobs prove to be too difficult - for MJN Air!

The airline is run by forbidding divorcee Carolyn Knapp-Shappey who, at last, in her mid-60s, is free of her awful husband, but pleasingly not free of his private jet. Her two pilots are the smooth, experienced and almost certainly fired-by-a-big-airline-for-all-round-naughtiness Douglas, and the struggling, almost competent sweaty young captain Martin. General help is provided by Carolyn's dim-witted son Arthur.

Additional details

Also known as
  • Cabin Pressure At Christmas
  • Jet Lag (Working title)
Production
Studio
Soundtrack
Theme tune is the overture from Ruslan and Lyudmila by Mikhail Glinka.

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 2nd July 2008 at 11:30am on BBC Radio 4
Next repeats
  1. Series 1, Episode 1: Tuesday 7th January at 2:30pm on Radio 4 Extra
  2. Series 1, Episode 1: Tuesday 7th January at 8:30pm on Radio 4 Extra
  3. Series 1, Episode 1: Wednesday 8th January at 4:30am on Radio 4 Extra
  4. Series 1, Episode 2: Tuesday 14th January at 2:30pm on Radio 4 Extra
  5. Series 1, Episode 2: Tuesday 14th January at 8:30pm on Radio 4 Extra
  6. Series 1, Episode 2: Wednesday 15th January at 4:30am on Radio 4 Extra
Most recent repeats

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