Free Benedict Cumberbatch by Justin Lewis Page A

(her air steward son, so dim that he was surprised the plane could fly without flapping its wings), and Roger Allam as First OfficerDouglas Richardson, a world-weary man perpetually seething with sarcasm.
    Overseeing production of the show was David Tyler, a radio producer since 1985 but who, despite many years working on TV with the likes of Victoria Wood, Paul Merton, Steve Coogan and Eddie Izzard, has never abandoned radio comedy, and has produced numerous shows over the years for Jeremy Hardy, Armando Iannucci, Milton Jones and Marcus Brigstocke.
Cabin Pressure
, like most of Tyler’s output, was made through Pozzitive, an independent production company he had set up with another comedy producer, Geoff Posner.
    John Finnemore had not written a sitcom series before, but he had conducted a great deal of research into the world of aviation, and realised that an aeroplane was the perfect setting for a comedy. The hierarchy of the staff led to plenty of rivalry. It was set in a confined space, and just flying a plane in the first place is a risky operation. The four primary characters – Carolyn, Martin, Douglas, Arthur – were all British archetypes: draconian, uptight, grumpy and downright idiotic. Other recurring or occasional passengers included the unreasonably demanding Mr Birling (Geoffrey Whitehead), plus a paranoid bassoonist, a snooty film actress (Helen Baxendale) and Carolyn’s sister Ruth (Alison Steadman), whose cameo goes some way to explaining why the siblings had not spoken in 15 years.
    Like so much radio comedy,
Cabin Pressure
gradually gained popularity over the years, yet even after four series some Cumberbatch fans were unaware of its existence, notjust because it was a radio series, but because for some time, it was broadcast at 11.30 in the morning when the majority of people were at work. Fortunately, it reached a wider audience in the summer of 2010 when, just as
Sherlock
was premiering on television, it was repeated in the early evening comedy slot on Radio 4 at 6.30, bridging the gap between the six o’clock news and
The Archers
. Six-thirty is a good slot for a programme on Radio 4: people are heading home from work or making a meal and winding down. A good laugh always helps after a tough day.
    Could
Cabin Pressure
have transferred to television? It would certainly have been nice for such a funny and fast-paced show to become better-known, although part of the joy of the series as a radio-only enterprise was that it was perfectly possible to go anywhere in the story without the need for building lavish sets or visiting far-flung locations. The episode titles reflected the wide geographical canvas for the series: each week’s episode was either given a title of a grand international destination (Abu Dhabi, Boston, Cremona etc.), or a more modest British one (Ipswich, Ottery St Mary, Wokingham).
    As of 2013, Benedict Cumberbatch had made more
Cabin Pressure
than anything else on radio or television: 24 of its 25 half-hour episodes. By its third series in 2011, he was a big star, and not quite always available for recordings anymore , but he only missed one recording (when Tom Goodman-Hill deputised as Martin). Even for series four, he managed to squeeze it into his busy international filming schedule, and the six episodes had to be taped in London intwo marathon Sunday sessions. As the show was recorded in front of a live studio audience, there was a mad rush for tickets by this stage in the run, and wild cheering as well as respectful applause over the signature tune: the riotous overture to the opera
Ruslan and Ludmilla
, by the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka.
    In November 2013, it was announced by BBC Radio that a 26th and final episode of
Cabin Pressure
would be recorded and broadcast in early 2014. The one-off special would end the series on a high, with its trademark mix of rich, vivid characters, surreal ideas and inspired jokes. All that, plus some delightful cast interplay.
Cabin