You Should Listen To This: Cabin Pressure

I’ve been saving this one till they started repeating it on BBC Radio 4. This series is something i've been obsessed with for the last few years, and not since My Childhood love of Doctor Who have I been so enthralled by a programme. You should listen to Cabin Pressure. 

Produced for the BBC by Pozzitive, Cabin pressure is the story of a tiny charter airline staffed by four people with one plane. It follows their (literal) ups and downs as they fly everyone from a full orchestra to an abandoned cricket team. 

I first discovered it by accident a few years ago. The BBC Radio iPlayer app was fairly new at the time and it curates all of the programmes in to categories as well as stations. I often go through the comedy section to see what their is and the name pop up many times along with the image of Benedict Cumberbatch in a captains uniform. I must have just taken a punt on an episode one day and the rest as they say is… spending the next few months listning back to all the episodes I’d missed in order and falling head over ears for the world of MJN air. The friendliest sitcom on radio. 


The lynchpin behind it all is the writer, John Finnemore. An immense talent, responsible for a number of brilliant programmes on Radio 4. He also plays the part of Arthur, the loveable but dim server. Writing a sitcom can be challenging and demands good characters, the central four blend together seamlessly, they are real in a bizarre world, making you care about their wants and happy about their successes. 

The depth of it’s warmth is matched by the depths of it’s characters.

“A list of actors that wouldn’t be out of place in a play at The National."

Yes that is Sherlock playing Martin Creiff! They were originally worried when Benedict was propelled to stardom Sherlock as a groups (school's or murder’s) of young fans began to fill the audience at the recordings. It was thought that they’d come to see him and not really react (laugh) at this Radio 4 comedy but they needn't have worried as the the equation of Finemore's writing and a stellar cast makes it near impossible for anyone not to find this charmingly hilarious. 

kkbook.deviantart.com

The Sherlock and Cumberbatch fandoms have a reputation (a good one) for not doing things by halves and in the most creative way. The show was already popular but it skyrocketed (pun intended) in a way that Radio 4 sitcoms don’t usually do. Fan art, Cosplay and even a European convention called Euro Airdot Con*

*The name ‘Airdot’ is a reference to the first ever episode where Carolyn and Martin are having a discussion about who’s in charge. Him (the captain) or her (The airline owner) 

CAROLYN: Martin, you’re a berk.
MARTIN: I’m not a berk, Carolyn; I’m an airline captain.
CAROLYN: Wrong on both counts. You’re a colossal berk; and you’re not an airline captain.
(Martin sighs.): I don’t have an airline. I have one jet. You cannot put one jet in a line. If MJN is anything, it is an airdot. 

:::Some things you’ll want to know before you start listning :::

Every episode is named after the location featured and all 4 series include every letter of the alphabet.

Series 1 Abu Dhabi Boston Cremona Douz Edinburgh Fitton

Series 2 Helsinki Gdansk Ipswich Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Limerick Molokai - Christmas Special

Series 3  Qikiqtarjuarq Paris Newcastle Ottery St. Mary Rotterdam St. Petersburg

Series 4 Timbuktu Uskerty Vaduz Wokingham Xinzhou Yverdon-les-Bains Zurich (2 parter)

The Traveling Lemon It began as a game played in an episode entitled Qikiqtarjuaq. It became a wonderful fan tribute and way to raise money for charity. 

@cabin_pressure The Travelling Lemon, The Brandenburg Gate Berlin, Germany pic.twitter.com/1dDwYJCu

— Silke Reddevil (@SilkeReddevil) August 26, 2012

@cabin_pressure here's my photo for #TheTravellingLemon Pulkovo airport, Saint-Petersburg (Pulkovo 1 terminal actually) pic.twitter.com/AehiDJEw

— Alexandrina (@surdusabsurdus) June 17, 2012

The crew play a number of games to pass the time:

• Brians Of Britan

Name as many famous people with the name Brian from the UK as you can. 

• People Who ought to have been enemies. 

Ruby Was +John Wayne / Donna Summer+ Anna Wintour

• People Who Aren’t Evil but who have evil Sounding Names

Davina McCall, Russell Crowe, Calista Flockhart 

• Books that sound better without the final letter

Three Men in a Boa, How to be Goo, Of Mice and Me

• Through Customs Rhymes 

I came through Customs and all I had to declare was some … (he pauses momentarily) … jelly from New Delhi, a tunic from Munich, some maracas from Caracas and some … cattle from Seattle.

• Rhyming Journeys 

Vienna to Siena /Poole to Goole/ Aruba to Cuba

It has a fan site with every episode fully transcribed

LISTEN TO THE FIRST EPISODE HERE 
LISTEN TO THE SECOND EPISODE HERE

Thanks for reading (If you did) you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram. If you're looking for another blog, this guy is good. I also have a proper website here. 

Special thanks needs to got to www.cabinpressurefans.co.uk a brilliant resource for fans and indeed anything you want to know about cabin pressure.  

You Should Listen To This: Stephen Nolan US Election Debate, Live from Indiana

I think you should listen to this:
US Election: Live Debate from Indiana Stephen Nolan

It's getting ever closer to the US elections 2016 or as it's more commonly known

I've often cited Stephen Nolan as one of my favourite broadcasters. (I would also recommend his mid morning show on Radio Ulster) he has a unique way of dealing with loud callers angrily planting their opinion flag, politics the way it is in Northern Ireland he's used to people with solid opinions. The other thing I like about him is the amount of compassion and understanding he shows to vulnerable contributors trying to tell their story.

One of the busiest people in tv and radio, he presents an evening show on BBC Radio 5 live (Thur-Sun) A recent addition of this show was live from a bar in Terre Haute, Indiana.

2nd @bbc5live special from Terre Haute starts 930pm .American audience have q's & I'll try to keep control . Well, just a little control ! pic.twitter.com/4dBWZTTGd1

— Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) October 15, 2016

 It's an incredible listen, I happened to come across it while it was live and have since digested the whole thing. The nature of debate and discussion around this vote, the anger, confusion, vitriol and passion of the last 3 months is amplified in this programme. Nolan is on tremendous form, commanding the discussion, at times having no choice but to shout to be heard. He manages to raise his voice in a commanding non aggressive way while also showing respect to the speakers.

'It's my show sir....Don't make me stand up' - Stephen Nolan 

With all the coverage and other debates flying around, he asks factual and honest questions and doesn't let them get off without answering them. One of my highlights is when he goes to a young voter who describes this as his 'second election' and gets his thoughts. The young man is quiet and doesn't sound to confident, but Nolan pushes him slightly and ends up getting an honest and interesting question from him. Hes a presenter who understands and uses the power of silence, and isn't afraid to pause before asking a question, making the listener lean in slightly. 

— Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) October 15, 2016

You should listen to this... My Dad Wrote A Porno

If you see someone covering their mouth, trying to stifle laughter on the Monday morning commute, chances are they're listening to My Dad Wrote a Porno. This now worldwide hit is in its second series and has only gotten better with age. 

Jamie Morton has the (no doubt skin crawling) task of reading out his dad’s self-published erotica (‘Self-published erotica’ should not be a thing, but it is) to his friends James Cooper and Alice Levine (BBC Radio 1). Each episode they delve into another chapter and follow the adventures of 'Pots and Pans' buisness lady Belina Blumenthal. Picking it apart, line by line, comma by misused comma with hilarious effect. 

The things that make this podcast a must listen are:

The dynamic between Jamie, James and Alice is very real, they have known each other for years and you can tell that by listning to them. A lot of double or triple headed podcasts could learn a lot from their on-mic relationship.

Simple format, strong content. The layout of each episode is formulaic and easy to follow. The brief recap is a good icebreaker and warm up for the coming episode. The content (Belinda Blinked) is a gift to us all, but mostly this podcast. You can’t predict where it is going and worryingly, become invested in the characters (‘Characters' is to be read with a question mark).

They give you just enough of the drug to keep you addicted. Each episode is very well edited. Never too long, and always packed with the best bits. The commonplace thing for a lot of podcasts of this style to do is to keep in the ramblings of conversations, when they don’t need to.

A lot of what the trio do each episode is very basic. I mean that in the nicest way. Radio as a medium is at its most powerful when;

You talk to one person.

Have core values and themes but move the narrative along.

Welcome the listener like a friend

Make them feel like they are ‘in on the joke’.
My Dad Wrote A Porno does all of the above, and it works. It works so well, it’s a regular at the top of the Itunes chart.

I guarantee you’ll be laughing your pomegranate’s off at this smutty hit. 

Here is a good place to start
BEST OF BOOK ONE

You should listen to this... More Perfect

I think you should listen to More Perfect from Radiolab/ WNCY

More Perfect is all of the above, it also stands out with the way it sounds, much like the nature of the topic's it covers, it has a dark sound to it. That feeling, mixed with relaxed conversation draws you in from the get go.

There's an uprising of programming about court cases in the US, be it Making a Murderer Serial or Untold.
All of these, while different, require similar things to be successful. This can include, but is not limited to:

A real story to tell and the patience to find it. 
Anywhere but particularly in the US there is an abundance of court cases and trials that could be made into programmes. They will have had to research into many in order to find the gems.

Thoroughly committed research. 
The ability to trawl through documents, interviews, trial tapes and talk to people.

Telling enough to keep the listener hooked. 
Starting with unanswered questions, giving information that makes them think; 'But why?'

This one is a very good place to start.
====The Political Thicket====

I Think You Should Listen To This

If you need something to listen to on a lazy Sunday I recommend Dead Ringers.

Dead Ringers is a weekly topical impressionist sketch show on BBC Radio 4.  It's always delivered comically but it's been particularly on point with the variety of news in the last few weeks.

Highlights include:

A sassy John Humphries.

Kirsty Wark's mamma

And DIANE ABBOT?

All of the above will make sense when you listen.

======Listen to it here======

The thing that makes Dead Ringers is the magnified personalities that still sound real. It also does that thing which radio is so good at. It allows the sketches to take place in bizarre and far flung places. (Such as putting Jeremy Corbyn on the moon.) Which wouldn't be as funny or believable on TV

Not no negate how good the TV version is.

Here's a great clip featuring a youthful John Finnemore :