Alan Partridge Superthread - Sponsored by Dettol

Mike Litoris

Duke of Schomberg wrote: »

I think the difference with this series is that there is a new writing team, in particular Armando Iannucci is no longer involved as co-writer.

In fairness, while quite a step down, I liked most of the stuff post Armando. I quite enjoyed last season too. It had some great moments but the style and writing in this episode felt like all the stuff I didn't like about last season.
I did get good laugh out of him imagining where the monks worked before they found God! "This one was quite high up in I.C.I"

lee_baby_simms

artvanderlay wrote: »

More of the same, that is, not funny at all. I laughed when Alan compared his nose hair to bracken, and thanked Lynn for loaning him her nasal hair trimmer. That was in the first minute of the show, and nothing after that made me laugh. Cock piss Partridge indeed: this is the worst he has ever been.

It's like there are now two versions of Alan: this one that makes no sense and is not funny,, and the audiobook/Oasthouse Alan which is still amusing and in line with the character's history and personality.

Lynn and Simon completely wasted, and the new characters are dull as dishwater. Strange decisions being made all around with this show. Money must be good though.

Would you describe the current format as moribund?

lee_baby_simms

artvanderlay wrote: »

It's not real!!!

“Pack it in you.”

Acosta

Mike Litoris wrote: »

Man it really saddens me to say this but I thought that was piss poor.

I wouldn't go that far, but it didn't do a whole lot for me. And I did think the first series was really good, bar the final episode.

I would have preferred a return to MMM instead of another series of This Time. But we're only one episode in so there's plenty of time for it to improve. I did get a few laughs, just no beer coming out my nose hysterical moments that I crave from an episode of Partridge, whatever the format is.

I can't agree with criticisms of the writing in recent times because both seasons of MMM is right up there with the very best of Partridge IMO. And Scissored Isle is a classic too.

fryup

"where's the caravan?"

Ash.J.Williams

I love it but am biased, it’s not as funny as previous, however the scenario is totally different, he’s the BBC’s bi*tch now and he has to tow the line , with the humour coming from the real Alan jumping out now and again.
Simon is great but seems to have regressed a bit for some reason. Alan himself is over doing it, some material is too mad to fit in such a show without a flinch from the team, the engagement and time issues were perfect and threw in a classic slapstick routine with the monks for some reason

The body language section had too much new Alan and didn’t go anywhere .

Still looking forward to the series:)

There will need to be a laugh of Martin Brennan proportions soon though

Ash.J.Williams

fryup wrote: »

"where's the caravan?"

I lol at that poor oul fecker

And a mid ranged caravan at that

sligojoek

fryup wrote: »

"where's the caravan?"

And Sonia/Sonja sp?

I only recently discovered she used to be Des Bishop's wife in Corrie in the 80s 90s

sliabh 1956

Not great but the final scene with the two blokes seperated at birth did make me laugh especially Alans frantic efforts to salvage the item he was going to present

artvanderlay

I'm really looking forward to John Thomson's appearance on the show next week. It would be great if he became a regular because he was Coogan's original comedy partner years back before Alan. I loved his spoof of a Bernard Manning-style comedian:

Sultan of Bling

artvanderlay wrote:

I'm really looking forward to John Thomson's appearance on the show next week. It would be great if he became a regular because he was Coogan's original comedy partner years back before Alan. I loved his spoof of a Bernard Manning-style comedian:

Will cheeky monkey make an appearance?

artvanderlay

Sultan of Bling wrote: »

Will cheeky monkey make an appearance?

Looks like it. Hopefully he won't be hurled to the floor in anger like the last time! :pac:

It'll be interesting to see if Alan keeps going full circle with these guests. Maybe bring back Glen Ponder? Or even one of the misbehaving Hollywood child stars that grew up to become a gay porn star, who's now the spitting image of Richard Gere, and whose movies pay sardonic homage to Gere: "Gays of Heaven; Pretty Man; and An Orifice and a Gentle Hand."

I've got to stop listening to Alan

Thargor

Its okay but somethings just not right with This Time, the show itself is a bit too wacky, its like they already had a programme based on taking the piss out of This Morning and the rest and then shoehorned Alan in right before filming, its too obviously a comedy now.

artvanderlay

Thargor wrote: »

Its okay but somethings just not right with This Time, the show itself is a bit too wacky, its like they already had a programme based on taking the piss out of This Morning and the rest and then shoehorned Alan in right before filming, its too obviously a comedy now.

Yeah, it's weird alright. It's like it's all a wet dream by Alan. Even looking at that clip for next week, Alan shouting at the audience "this is exactly their level!". How is that even remotely funny and how would somebody saying that ever be broadcast? Where is the quality control? Either the Gibbons brothers are a bit rubbish now, or they are scared to challenge Coogan's less funny instincts and glad to pocket a fat paycheque.



I'll come back to the point I made a while back but how the hell do they justify Alan even being back on the BBC? They would not go near somebody like Alan, given his history with them. Oasthouse works because it's just a small podcast for Alan's few fans, and is believably pathetic but he's supposed to be back on the BBC, the thing he has chased all his life, and it barely gets a mention in Oasthouse. WTF??? I think Coogan has lost his mind a bit, but I view this like if The Beatles kept releasing stuff beyond 1970: decreasing returns but I'll always check it out because of how great they were. This Time belongs to the Alan canon in the same way that Best of the Beatles (the Pete Best solo album) belongs to the Beatles canon.

Ash.J.Williams

Thargor wrote: »

Its okay but somethings just not right with This Time, the show itself is a bit too wacky, its like they already had a programme based on taking the piss out of This Morning and the rest and then shoehorned Alan in right before filming, its too obviously a comedy now.

I’d say the use of laugh tracks in the previous shows made it obviously a comedy show

Ash.J.Williams

artvanderlay wrote: »

Yeah, it's weird alright. It's like it's all a wet dream by Alan. Even looking at that clip for next week, Alan shouting at the audience "this is exactly their level!". How is that even remotely funny and how would somebody saying that ever be broadcast? Where is the quality control? Either the Gibbons brothers are a bit rubbish now, or they are scared to challenge Coogan's less funny instincts and glad to pocket a fat paycheque.



I'll come back to the point I made a while back but how the hell do they justify Alan even being back on the BBC? They would not go near somebody like Alan, given his history with them. Oasthouse works because it's just a small podcast for Alan's few fans, and is believably pathetic but he's supposed to be back on the BBC, the thing he has chased all his life, and it barely gets a mention in Oasthouse. WTF??? I think Coogan has lost his mind a bit, but I view this like if The Beatles kept releasing stuff beyond 1970: decreasing returns but I'll always check it out because of how great they were. This Time belongs to the Alan canon in the same way that Best of the Beatles (the Pete Best solo album) belongs to the Beatles canon.

You know tubridy filled in for wogan?

Hande hoche!

Simon's childhood obesity remark was marvelous.

artvanderlay

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

You know tubridy filled in for wogan?

Not on tv though, and despite Tubridy's numerous sins, I don't recall him shooting a man dead live on air :pac: Although knowing RTE nepotism, if he did do that, he'd still keep his job!

steve_r

I'm glad to have Alan back, but not a huge fan of the "This time" format.

Since the Gibbons brothers have been writing Partridge, they've softened/matured the character to make him less obnoxious and even sympathetic at times. I think this works well in MMM, Audiobooks, and Oasthouse as the character should naturally develop as he ages.

The issue I have with the "This time" format is putting a sympathetic Alan figure into the artificial This Time format, where he interacts with people who quite often are mean to him, doesn't really make me laugh at all.

IAP was hilarious because Alan was generally the brunt of the jokes, and he brought it on himself most of the time. I think the character works best in grounded situations, where he interacts with normal people.

I think "This Time" as a whole is ok - it's crammed with jokes, some of which are good, but it never really makes me laugh aloud at all (apart from Martin Brennan).

PieOhMy

The way his knees crack every time he crouchs down is gas but it doesn't make me laugh out loud. I still enjoy watching tho and the corporal punishment and Martin brennan pieces from last season demonstrat that all time gold could be struck any moment still - especially Brennan.

tobefrank321

PieOhMy wrote: »

The way his knees crack every time he crouchs down is gas but it doesn't make me laugh out loud. I still enjoy watching tho and the corporal punishment and Martin brennan pieces from last season demonstrat that all time gold could be struck any moment still - especially Brennan.

The first series of This Time was pretty good. Interactions with the reporter in Hollywood etc. They hate each other and she's always correcting him. The old non PC Alan comes out every so often. Still hasn't joined the 21st century. Episode with Brennan and visiting the library to discuss curse words were good. Also having to do both jobs when co presenter walked off. Some classics in there. Series 2 not a great start but having his big segment cut short at the end made me laugh out loud.

sonofenoch

steve_r wrote: »

I'm glad to have Alan back, but not a huge fan of the "This time" format.

Since the Gibbons brothers have been writing Partridge, they've softened/matured the character to make him less obnoxious and even sympathetic at times. I think this works well in MMM, Audiobooks, and Oasthouse as the character should naturally develop as he ages.

The issue I have with the "This time" format is putting a sympathetic Alan figure into the artificial This Time format, where he interacts with people who quite often are mean to him, doesn't really make me laugh at all.

IAP was hilarious because Alan was generally the brunt of the jokes, and he brought it on himself most of the time. I think the character works best in grounded situations, where he interacts with normal people.

I think "This Time" as a whole is ok - it's crammed with jokes, some of which are good, but it never really makes me laugh aloud at all (apart from Martin Brennan).

Funnily enough I look at old reruns of I'm Alan Partridge and rarely laugh out loud, maybe it familiarity ......I never liked the first series of the talkshow format Knowing me Knowing you (if that's what it was called) .......I think the character peaked around Mid morning matters and one offs like Scissored Isle........it is what it is light entertainment not to be dissected too seriously

Thargor

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

I’d say the use of laugh tracks in the previous shows made it obviously a comedy show

Well yeah but what I mean is the humour used to come from seeing Alan clash with normal people, the builders, the staff in the Travel Tavern etc, This Time isn't the real world, it's its own wacky comedy universe that seems to be trying to be funny aswell, it doesn't sit right with me anyway.

artvanderlay

The opening of this always gets me, when Alan mistakenly refers to Gerry Anderson as Gerry Adams. :pac:

MonkstownHoop

artvanderlay wrote: »

The opening of this always gets me, when Alan mistakenly refers to Gerry Anderson as Gerry Adams. :pac:

Sperts Porsonality lol

Butterbeans

artvanderlay wrote: »

The opening of this always gets me, when Alan mistakenly refers to Gerry Anderson as Gerry Adams. :pac:

"If any of Kate's friends are listening, please don't, eh, tell her"

Welsh Megaman

Hold onto your sides... :eek:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbEIR5NA310

thecretinhop

dat was epic. very close to martin brennan. woke baby cretin up laughing..

D.Q

We need to talk about Alan audiobook is absolutely peak partridge. Could not believe how consistently good that was all the way through.

mid morning matters in second.

IAP in third.

el Fenomeno

D.Q wrote: »

We need to talk about Alan audiobook is absolutely peak partridge. Could not believe how consistently good that was all the way through.

mid morning matters in second.

IAP in third.

Both Audiobooks are the best work he's done since IAP, imo.