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

Episode menu

Series 3, Episode 2 - Paris

When a bottle of highly-expensive whisky goes missing, Martin becomes the Miss Marple of MJN Air with Arthur assisting as his trusty Doctor Watson.

Notes

John Finnemore's blog about this episode: Read

Plus some trivia

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 8th July 2011
Time
11:30am
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Tuesday 22nd May 2012 6:30pm Radio 4
Tuesday 29th May 2012 10:00pm Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 2nd March 2014 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Wednesday 1st July 2015 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 26th November 2017 10:30pm Radio 4 Extra
Sunday 23rd June 2019 11:00pm Radio 4 Extra

Cast & crew

Cast
Benedict Cumberbatch Martin
Roger Allam Douglas
Stephanie Cole Carolyn
John Finnemore Arthur
Guest cast
Geoffrey Whitehead Mr Birling
Flip Webster Mrs Birling
Ewan Bailey Phil
Writing team
John Finnemore Writer
Production team
David Tyler Producer

Press

Stage direction: [DING] Ding! [DING] Ding! [DING] Ding!

Did I fool you? I hope so. I love whodunnits, they are my trashy fiction of choice, especially the 'golden age' thirties and forties ones, and I've wanted to do a whodunnit episode of Cabin Pressure for ages...

John Finnemore, John Finnemore's Blog, 9th July 2011

Another new episode of a refined sitcom that bathes in a ridiculously good cast: alongside writer John Finnemore are Stephanie Cole, Benedict Cumberbatch and the man I refer to simply as 'The Guvnor', Roger Allam. This one's a bit special, boasting as it does the sort of tricksy, quadruple-crossing story that comedy writers often like to attempt but don't usually have the sheer plotting muscle to pull off. Finnemore has those chops. When Carolyn (Cole) entrusts Martin (Cumberbatch) to stop Douglas (The Guvnor) stealing some expensive whisky, a mystery worthy of Miss Marple unfurls. Sadly, Martin's investigating it instead.

Jack Seale, Radio Times, 8th July 2011

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