Cabin Pressure Advent: Helsinki

[tealin]

'Obsessive' is just a word the disorganized use for the focused.

Gdansk should have been the first episode of Series 2, but for broadcast it got swapped with Helsinki for reasons. Because of this, Helsinki was the first episode I listened to.

I'm not exactly sure how I missed the first series, because I listen to a lot of Radio 4 and the 6:30 comedy slot is hallowed time. But I missed it. Months later, a good friend of mine, who was a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch before he was cool, started bugging me to listen. 'Eh, it's a sitcom,' I replied, preferring panel games and sketch shows; 'you just like it because it's got your man Ben in it.' A little while later, one of her friends (more of a R4 fan than a Cumberbatch one) also suggested it would be something I would like, and I waved that away as well. I think it's because the show sounded like Deep Trouble, which hadn't struck a chord.

This was sometime between falling in love with the Worst Journey radio play and getting sucked into Scott historiography big time, so I was looking for things to extend the original dramatic pleasure and decided to look up the radio career of the actor who played Cherry so perfectly. Lo, he was in an episode of this Cabin Pressure thing! Radio 4 rather craftily ran (or reran) Series 2 shortly after this discovery, so I tuned in, and wouldn't you know my luck, Matt Green was in the first episode. And it was good. Really amazingly good. I began to see the point those friends were trying to make. And then the credits rolled and the mystery was solved – it was the responsibility of John Finnemore, someone whose work I knew from The Now Show and That Mitchell and Webb Sound, and whose name seemed to be attached consistently to comedy of the highest quality. He was one of the few people on my list of Anything These People Do, I Will Listen To. I was a little cheesed off at said friends that they hadn't mentioned the fact of his creatorship when they first tried selling me on the show, but pleased enough that they got it on my radar I didn't make a fuss. The rest is history.

And Matt Green was only ever in one episode ... *

Anyway, because of this origin story, I drew Kieran as a 14-year-old version of Cherry. To some, he is the most irritating character in the whole series, but I can't hate him, I owe him too much.

*Correction: he also played Amsterdam ATC in Gdansk, but I never recognise him in that so I keep forgetting.

Comments

[out_there]

The thing I do love about Keiran is how it humanises Martin. Martin is obsessive and focused and nitpicky, but he could be so much worse.

Still, I love the sheer condescension in Keiran's pose in this picture and Martin's half stunned, annoyed expression.

[tealin]

You make a very good point – it proves that Martin's big fault (his insecurity) is also the thing that saves him from being absolutely insufferable.

Hm, I was kinda going for a smug vindictive sort of look on Martin's face there rather than annoyed or stunned ... I was fighting with him a lot when drawing this up last night so I suppose that's more excuse to revisit it in the future when I have time for revision.

[king_touchy]

I totally got smug vindication from Martin. Much of it rested in his visible eyebrow, which is tucked up pretty high under his hat.

I like your vision of Martin. I occasionally get such a Arnold Rimmer vibe, which -- nope. Martin isn't that much of an ass. (Heee!)

[inevitableentresol]

This drawing does give Martin a real Rimmer vibe. I don't think Martin's that un-self aware either.

[king_touchy]

A Rimmer vibe, yes. (Oh god that sounds filthy.) I was imprecise above -- in my experience of the show I imagined Martin, in his most supercilious moments, as Arnold Rimmer. In this drawing, for me, the resemblance isn't in physical looks but I can see it in the character as expressed in his attitude/expression.

[king_touchy]

Oh god, the look on Martin's face, I love it. "Yeah -- ! Focused. That's me." His obsession is finally recognised for genius!


I should read John Finnemore's blog. He's a smart cookie. Thanks for the link to remind me.

[inevitableentresol]

That glamour shot of Roger Allam. His hair's flowing in the breeze and everything. I can't look away.

[inevitableentresol]

Carolyn's sister would have to be the most annoying character in the whole series for me. She's unrelentingly awful, and reminds me all too much of someone in real life.

Kieran reminds me far too much of myself at that age for me to feel anything but sorry for him. He'll learn.

Have you tried Safety Catch? It's another John Finnemore sitcom, or at least he wrote a lot of the episodes and I can really hear his voice in the dialogue. I had a feeling it was by him, or someone was really trying to copy him, before I even heard the credits. It's Marmite and a lot of people hate it because it's making comedy about arms dealing, but I can listen to it over and over. That Darren Boyd's the lead is just a bonus.

[tealin]

Yes, I have heard some of Safety Catch! I had no idea John Finnemore was involved with that, but now you mention it, it makes sense. I liked it a lot, but it seems to be rerun very infrequently (because of the arms dealing?) so I haven't heard as much as I'd like. I liked where the characters were going ... did they get to take them far or was it cancelled too soon?

[(Anonymous)]

Now to me, Martin's face is just perfect: I read his expression as 'exasperation/annoyance' - and I know that any minute now he's going to give Kieran a clip round the ear...