- "Fizz!" "Buzz!" "'Ave a banana!"
- ―Martin, Douglas, and Arthur
Xinzhou is the fifth episode of the fourth series of the BBC's Cabin Pressure, which was first broadcast on February 6, 2013.
Synopsis[]
Official synopsis for the episode Xinzhou:[1]
- It's cold, it's dark & there's no food on board. What better time for Gertie to decide to fall to bits? And what worse time for Arthur to try out his maths skills?
Plot[]
The crew rush to take off from Xinzhou before sunset, but ATC refuses them clearance in time because Arthur has left a snowman on the runway. With Gerti's APU startup motor having failed, they are unable to switch Gerti off so are forced to overnight on the plane.
Arthur has unwittingly provided nothing but baby food as catering, and their hunger is not helped by a mysterious scent of bacon that they trace to Martin's shirt. The crew play Fizz Buzz in an attempt to send themselves to sleep but have to simplify it for Arthur. Any hope of sleep is spoiled by Gerti's APU alarm; the air inlet has been blocked by snow, requiring them to periodically unblock it.
The crew discuss their relationships: Carolyn is unwilling to say whether she would let Herc, who is facing redundancy now that his employers have been bought by Swiss Airways, move to Zürich; Martin says that he has a third date with Theresa planned. Carolyn and Douglas encourage Martin to apply for a job now that Swiss Airways is hiring. Douglas confesses that the pork smell is from his having used Martin's travel iron to fry bacon.
On finding that Arthur plans to stay outside in the cold keeping the air intake clear, Douglas instead perches Martin's hat on Arthur's snowman and uses it to block the inlet, finally allowing them some sleep.
Cast[]
- Stephanie Cole as Carolyn Knapp-Shappey
- Roger Allam as 1st Officer Douglas Richardson
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Capt. Martin Crieff
- John Finnemore as Arthur Shappey
- Lobo Chan as ATC at Xinzhou
Trivia[]
Xinxhou was the most difficult episode to write, and was only finished on the morning of recording after an all-night writing session.[2]
References[]
- ↑ BBC Radio 4: Cabin Pressure, series 1, Xinzhou. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ↑ Forget What Did: Farewell Bear Facts - Xinxhou. Retrieved 28th September 2023.