This Time with Alan Partridge

Alan Partridge has seen it all. Appearing first in BBC’s On The Hour in 1991, Alan’s career has had more ups and downs than a snakes and ladders set. From here, he went on to have his own Radio 4 chat show where he interviewed France’s second-best Formula One driver and a nine year-old Oxford prodigy. With his star on the rise, Alan made like Jeremy Vine, transferring from radio to TV. His big band chat show though came to a dissonant close when he punched a BBC commissioner in the face. Exiled into the wilderness, he became a night owl, occupying the graveyard slot on Radio Norwich. Despite wowing tens of listeners, it wasn’t enough to convince bosses to keep him on mainstream radio; as a result, he joined the roster of North Norfolk Digital. Along with Sidekick Simon the pair made mid mornings matter. What Alan really wanted though was to come home. As the home of British Broadcasting, the BBC is where great British broadcasters belong. Alan is one such broadcaster. So despite a short stay on Sky Atlantic (watched only by Rupert Murdoch and his eldest son), Alan dreamt of a day when the nation’s corporation would come calling.

Fortunately for Alan the host of magazine show This Time is gravely ill, so he gets the call. It’s taken him twenty-five years, but finally he’s back where he belongs: on prime-time television. Understandably, he’s nervous: his mouth drier than a nun’s unmentionables; he needs water and he needs it now. Next to him is Jennie Gresham, a consummate professional, a handbrake to Partridge’s off-road presenting. With her as co-driver, there’s a chance this vehicle won’t go crash, bang, wallop. After all, Alan needs it to succeed. He’s a short-term replacement, there on probation; a digital personality on day(s) release. Mess this up and it’s back to the big house- by that I mean little house of local radio. Get it right and he’ll be re-admitted into media society. A lot is at stake.

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The first episode of This Time is a mix bag. For me the first episode had moments but didn’t knit together as a whole. This isn’t the end of the world. Since the magazine format is segmented, you're never waiting long for the next 'sketch'. For example, the seal pups section at the beginning, where Partridge interviews a naturalist, doesn’t elicit that many laughs; however a later one on gambling really does. Also, it’s worth remembering that it’s an establishing episode. There’s signs early on that Alan’s relationship with Jennie will become fraught. Off-air he makes an alliterative quip and debates whether to say it live; she shakes her disapproval. On-air Jennie lifts the line and scores laughter from the crew. Later, they question a reporter on betting terminals: every question Alan asks is met by dismissal, whilst Jennie’s re-wording of these is met with the contrary The on-screen dynamic works beautifully between the pair as it sets up two things: conflict between the characters and the audience’s sympathy for Alan. Jennie is made for television: she’s conventionally attractive, intelligent, a safe personality. Conversely, Alan is awkward, loose-lipped, a hazard around live tv.

We root for Alan as well because he’s grown up. When Steve Coogan considered bringing Partridge out of hiatus, he thought of how to do him differently. He enlisted the Gibbons brothers, Neil and Rob, to work on the new incarnation. Being fans of 90’s Alan, the pair wanted to remain loyal to the character, whilst having him reflect his older age. Thus, the Partridge of the last ten years has been altogether more nuanced than that of the 90’s. Some would argue that in striving towards verisimilitude, the character has lost some of his comic punch – less Basil Fawlty now, more David Brent – in other words, he appears more documentary than sitcom. It’s true there is now more pathos. He doubts his ability at the start of this episode and is hurt by a cyberhacker’s expose later on. Alan is no longer the larger-than-life flat character of catchphrase and delusion; he is rounded by nuance and awareness instead. That’s not to say Alan can’t make a complete balls of things. See how a solitary thought on toileting leads to a two minute act out: however  this Alan knows what he’s doing is wrong. Before the comedy of Alan rested in him being a monster; now it lies in him being human.

In my opinion, the second episode is stronger. Alan is less tentative here, maybe reflecting his growing confidence in getting through his first show. It begins with Partridge going ‘off-grid’ in his eulogy to This Time host, John Baskell. Buoyed by the news of a competitor’s death, Alan gives the viewer a heartfelt metaphor about a distressed pigeon placated by a train set. The metaphor of course being that This Time provides a vital distraction to its viewers. Public service broadcasting in all senses of the term. Between features Lynn, Alan’s PA, appears. In the first episode she was utilised well; in this one hilariously. If Alan is becoming more complex, we need secondary characters that retain their buffoonery. Lynn is worried that Alan is being upstaged by Jennie, therefore she channels her inner-Lady Macbeth, urging him to vanquish her: ‘Fortune favours the bold. The time is upon us.’ Her life is intertwined with Alan’s. He has made a concubine of her, achieved subjugation. His domination has led to Stockholm Syndrome where instead of resenting her captor, she'll do anything for him. His failure is hers. His success hers. Vicariously, she lives through him.

Another returning character is Sidekick Simon (Tim Key). Again, this was a better segment than the previous episode. Here, the two look at a UK map, which lights up as tweets come in. It reminds Alan of air strikes. Together the two ruminate on what would happen if Britain’s livestock was struck. It’s another wonderful moment of surrealism that harks back to I’m Alan Partridge. The difference is it’s done more quietly and isn’t shouted at you. Despite really enjoying this scene, I don’t think Tim Key works so well here. Given the rest feels so believable, it doesn’t sit right that Alan could bring one of his parochial mates over to live TV. It’s a minor quibble, but I do think it would work better with a different character in that role.

I looked for a picture that would illustrate my above point, but couldn't find it, thence this image.

Earlier I alluded to the mixed response and wanted to address that before I go. It appears the broadsheets have received the new series well, whilst some fans haven’t. The second episode was down by over a million on the first. There’s always a drop-off on the premier, but rarely this large. What I would say is this comedy belongs on BBC2. After twenty-five years it makes sense that the corporation wanted to lay out the red carpet and logo for him, yet this isn’t mainstream comedy. This Time is layered, intricate and very subtle. It’s the one comedy since Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle that I’ve felt compelled to  re-watch immediately. And watch again you should. Because if you do, you’ll notice new and hilarious things. In the first episode, Alan walks the streets of London reporting on hygiene; off-camera a man chides, ‘Partridge, you wanker.’ (I missed it first time round.) In the second episode a pre-recorded feature fails to pick up Alan suppressing a burp. (Like the fictional production crew, I missed it too.) These are small things, but as with all comedy the devil is in the detail.

If you want comedy that’s going to be rammed home to you – like a block of cheese, you mothers – this isn’t for you. If you’re prepared to pay attention and appreciate quiet brilliance, you’ll be more than pleased. First class comedy!

This Time with Alan Partridge is on BBC One, Monday at 9.30.

This Time with Alan Partridge is available now.