CABIN PRESSURE

I recently listened to the radio sitcom “Cabin Pressure” for the first time and absolutely loved it. The beloved’s been telling me about it for months, ever since she downloaded it to her “pod” to listen to it on her daily train journeys, but I had somehow resisted the temptation to add yet another “something” to the huge list of distractions in my life…

Nevertheless, last Wednesday I was in my car, driving to the hospital, and I happened to switch on the radio just as a new episode of the series was about to be broadcast. I was so surprised that I had to pull over and ring home immediately to let the beloved know that it was on…

She, of course, already knew. She’s pretty good at knowing such things, perhaps because she actually peruses the Radio Times unlike myself, who simply buys it.

Anyway, the episode I heard was really funny and I’m a complete convert.

However, the fact that one of its stars is one Benedict Cumberbatch did give me pause for thought. Since his breakout turn as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s “Sherlock” series, this unusually monickered actor has become, as the saying goes, rather “hot property” and is now featuring in quite a number of “big” films on his way to becoming a “Movie Star” and all that this entails.

After all, despite his breakout role in “Rawhide”, did Clint Eastwood ever return to television acting once he’d started making successful movies with his name over the title…? I don’t think so…

Sadly, what it might entail, perhaps, is his loss from “Cabin Pressure” which would be absolutely bloody typical seeing as I’ve only just discovered the thing.

And all his fans wish him well, even the non-obsessive ones who have merely enjoyed his work but don’t consider themselves to be “Cumberbitches…”

I know that the acting profession is different now and that work is work is work, but there are very few people who have made the leap to international superstardom and still bothered turning up to record a radio show in a studio in London for the kinds of pennies the BBC can afford to pay.

I can only think of Peter Sellers, really, and even he was a little bit mad, they say.

Interestingly that other famous screen “Holmes” Basil Rathbone, alongside his lovable sidekick “Watson” as played by Nigel Bruce did actually return to the roles on Radio after they had played them on screen, but that was in an era when Radio was still the “big cheese” of the broadcasting world and not the poor relation it now appears to have become for the majority at least.

Mind you, I also worry about “Sherlock” if truth be told. After all, Martin Freeman is also hairy-footedly clambering his way up the ladder of international recognition, and despite reassurances from both stars that they enjoy making the series, you cannot but wonder whether its days are numbered, simply because of the time they take to make, scheduling two very busy young actors, and, ultimately the relatively small financial rewards for them in doing so.

I like to think that they’re both better than that, but fame can do funny things to even the best of people.

So enjoy “Cabin Pressure” whilst you can because, unfortunately, things, as they say, may never be the same again…