Knowing Alan Partridge. A-Ha!
Timothy Sexton
June 22, 2007
Thank God for Netflix yet again! A-Ha! Without the good folks at Netflix understanding that some Americans actually prefer to watch intelligently scripted comedy instead of haphazardly scripted “reality” I might never have—finally—discovered that gem of British comedy known as Alan Partridge. I have a new hero and his name is Steve Coogan. Yes, yes, I know; you blokes don’t have to tell me that I’m a bit late to the party. But I’m an American, you see. And here in America television networks work overtime to target audience preference toward the tepid comedic stylings of something like Family Guy to the laugh-so-hard-it-literally-hurts comedy of Steve Coogan’s brilliant talk show host parody Alan Partridge. A-Ha!
Steve Coogan first became the target of my attention for his absolutely fabulous performance as Factory Records founder Tony Wilson in the film 24 Hour Party People. I originally rented that movie because part of the plot surrounds the formation of Joy Division/New Order, my favorite band(s). But what I came away with was an appreciation for this massively talented actor named Steve Coogan. I had only ever heard of him in relation to the remake of Around the World in 80 Days which I still haven’t seen and really have no pressing plan to. But I definitely wanted to check out this British show called Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge. Thanks to Netflix, I was able to do so, and I suppose I should consider filing a lawsuit against Netflix for the pain and suffering caused by watching Knowing Me, Knowing You back to back to back to back. The pain and suffering was not the kind that you experience watching the weekly sub-human plagiarism of Family Guy: nausea and vomiting, etc. No, the pain and suffering caused by watching Alan Partridge was due to laughing so hard and so long that my stomach actually hurt the next day. Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge is simply the funniest British character since those fabulous days before anyone had ever heard the name Mr. Bean and the name Rowan Atkinson immediately conjured up the various incarnations of Blackadder.
Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge is the first entry I know of in the ongoing saga of Alan Partridge. (Apparently a feature film is in development; it has been rumored that its delay is due to the fact it has to be extensively rewritten because the original script contained a plot about a terrorist attack somewhat similar to the real life terrorist attack on London.) The second entry—again, to the best of my knowledge—is called I’m Alan Partridge. This one takes up Alan’s life after his BBC chat show has magisterially gone down in hilarious flames. The first entry takes the form of a live chat show featuring Alan Partridge interviewing a wide variety of guests, all performed brilliantly by the show’s amazingly talented ensemble cast. Of particular note are Rebecca Front and Patrick Marber who so completely disappear into their various characters that sometimes you will find yourself watching them for a few minutes before you say to yourself, “Hey, that’s the same person who played….” One interesting bit of trivia is that Patrick Marber—who may be better at playing at subtle superiority than any other actor alive—was recently nominated for an Oscar for writing the screenplay to Notes on a Scandal. (Too bad he isn’t an American, or else he might have won like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did for “writing” a screenplay.)
All three, plus several other very talented actors (and writers) combine to make Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge the kind of show that The Larry Sanders Show could only dream of being. Watching Alan Partridge interview people while completely oblivious to the fact that none of his guests have the slightest respect for him is somewhat similar to watching an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (Actually, I’ve never made it all the way through a Jay Leno Tonight Show, but I’m sure even his later guests have no respect for him.) The final episode reveals that Alan’s show has been canceled due to low ratings and will be replaced by a lesbian advice show. Fast forward a few years and I’m Alan Partridge picks up with Alan now reduced to being a very early morning DJ who has frequent and unsettling visions of being a lap dancer wearing a ridiculously tight pair of leather bikini underpants asking a BBC executive what he wants. In real life, Alan is doing all he can to get back onto the telly. But, being Alan, he is own worst enemy. This show doesn’t quite have the zip that the earlier show does and is more of a traditional sitcom, but that doesn’t mean it is any less hilarious. Steve Coogan could probably have Alan Partridge take part in a word for word re-enactment of your average CSI: Miami or Family Guy script and have you laughing; he’s THAT funny. Do yourself a solid and check him; I don’t care if you do it through Netflix, or Blockbuster, or Iletyou.com or illegal internet downloading. Frankly, Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge is worth doing 45 days in the cell next to Paris Hilton.
Steve Coogan first became the target of my attention for his absolutely fabulous performance as Factory Records founder Tony Wilson in the film 24 Hour Party People. I originally rented that movie because part of the plot surrounds the formation of Joy Division/New Order, my favorite band(s). But what I came away with was an appreciation for this massively talented actor named Steve Coogan. I had only ever heard of him in relation to the remake of Around the World in 80 Days which I still haven’t seen and really have no pressing plan to. But I definitely wanted to check out this British show called Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge. Thanks to Netflix, I was able to do so, and I suppose I should consider filing a lawsuit against Netflix for the pain and suffering caused by watching Knowing Me, Knowing You back to back to back to back. The pain and suffering was not the kind that you experience watching the weekly sub-human plagiarism of Family Guy: nausea and vomiting, etc. No, the pain and suffering caused by watching Alan Partridge was due to laughing so hard and so long that my stomach actually hurt the next day. Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge is simply the funniest British character since those fabulous days before anyone had ever heard the name Mr. Bean and the name Rowan Atkinson immediately conjured up the various incarnations of Blackadder.
Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge is the first entry I know of in the ongoing saga of Alan Partridge. (Apparently a feature film is in development; it has been rumored that its delay is due to the fact it has to be extensively rewritten because the original script contained a plot about a terrorist attack somewhat similar to the real life terrorist attack on London.) The second entry—again, to the best of my knowledge—is called I’m Alan Partridge. This one takes up Alan’s life after his BBC chat show has magisterially gone down in hilarious flames. The first entry takes the form of a live chat show featuring Alan Partridge interviewing a wide variety of guests, all performed brilliantly by the show’s amazingly talented ensemble cast. Of particular note are Rebecca Front and Patrick Marber who so completely disappear into their various characters that sometimes you will find yourself watching them for a few minutes before you say to yourself, “Hey, that’s the same person who played….” One interesting bit of trivia is that Patrick Marber—who may be better at playing at subtle superiority than any other actor alive—was recently nominated for an Oscar for writing the screenplay to Notes on a Scandal. (Too bad he isn’t an American, or else he might have won like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did for “writing” a screenplay.)
All three, plus several other very talented actors (and writers) combine to make Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge the kind of show that The Larry Sanders Show could only dream of being. Watching Alan Partridge interview people while completely oblivious to the fact that none of his guests have the slightest respect for him is somewhat similar to watching an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (Actually, I’ve never made it all the way through a Jay Leno Tonight Show, but I’m sure even his later guests have no respect for him.) The final episode reveals that Alan’s show has been canceled due to low ratings and will be replaced by a lesbian advice show. Fast forward a few years and I’m Alan Partridge picks up with Alan now reduced to being a very early morning DJ who has frequent and unsettling visions of being a lap dancer wearing a ridiculously tight pair of leather bikini underpants asking a BBC executive what he wants. In real life, Alan is doing all he can to get back onto the telly. But, being Alan, he is own worst enemy. This show doesn’t quite have the zip that the earlier show does and is more of a traditional sitcom, but that doesn’t mean it is any less hilarious. Steve Coogan could probably have Alan Partridge take part in a word for word re-enactment of your average CSI: Miami or Family Guy script and have you laughing; he’s THAT funny. Do yourself a solid and check him; I don’t care if you do it through Netflix, or Blockbuster, or Iletyou.com or illegal internet downloading. Frankly, Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge is worth doing 45 days in the cell next to Paris Hilton.