The Most Despicable Man on Television (Im Alan Partridge !)

Member Name: dave27

Product:	Im Alan Partridge !
Date:	25/09/02 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great, big, hatred

Disadvantages: None

Norwich ? what does that conjure up to you? A pretty insubstantial football team who play in canary yellow, a city which is one of the least appealing in the UK or the home of Anglia Television and the Quiz of the Week, the Sale of the Century? Well, it?s a pretty fair bet that these days the first connection you will come up with is the most despicable man on television, the totally abysmal media entertainer Alan Partridge, as brought appallingly to sleazy and unpleasant life by the phenomenal Steve Coogan.

The I?m Alan Partridge series is one of the most consistently, ferociously funny comedies of the last decade, and it has its roots in the spoof chat show, Knowing Me Knowing You, which had Partridge as the host from hell. However, it was with the demise of Partridge?s career in television and his attempt to resurrect his star in the less salubrious environs of Radio Norwich that the Partridge demon really found his niche.

The series is set immediately following the end of Partridge?s TV series, when disastrous ratings and performances led to the end of his contract (although the accidental shooting of a guest might have had something to do with it). The vain, untalented, prejudiced and unpleasant Partridge has managed to find a slot on Radio Norwich on the early morning slot, while he tries to find a new career with corporate videos and adverts. He yearns for the chance of another shot at TV stardom and relentlessly pursues BBC executives. He has set up home in the seedy world of the Linton Travel Tavern in Norwich and makes life a misery for the staff of the hotel and his personal assistant, the exploited Lynn. Partridge is convinced he is a great star and that the staff love his celebrity qualities, but in reality they despise and pity him.

The series is exquisitely devised and shaped, with an all too true depiction of life in hotels, with Partridge revelling in adult channels, tiny chocolate and hotel cosmetics and top of th
e range hi fi systems, lording it over his pathetic empire. The man is an absolute and utter monster, shallow and stupid and endlessly convinced that everyone is out to keep his talents hidden under the most enormous bushel in the world.

In Partridge?s world, all other humans, including his ex wife and her new lover, all the TV executives, the hotel staff and guests, are tiny little victims, to be exploited and belittled and sucked dry in the pursuit of his self gratification. The reality is that it is the endlessly flawed Partridge who is the victim, the figure of fun, the pompous, spiteful, conceited, talentless sperm of the devil.

He?s a wonderful, wonderful creation, and easily the best character ever devised by Coogan. It takes a lot to remove the memory of the Manchester scum, Paul and Pauline Calf, but Partridge eclipses nearly every comedy character in recent years with his absolute ineptitude and substanceless self regard.

Coogan is an absolute genius, and with Partridge he has found a vehicle to demonstrate his extraordinary talent for character assassination. He?s a truly irredeemable character with nothing whatsoever going for him, evoking less sympathy than possibly anyone you?ve ever known on TV.

As an example of the depths to which Partridge will sink, think on this. His production company is going through some terrible financial difficulties, and he decides to sack all his staff. Of course, the coward cannot tell them to their faces, and resorts to locking himself away and announcing the news over an intercom, so they cannot get at him. A middle aged female employee misses the announcement and agrees to go back to Partridge?s hotel room for a bit of slap and tickle (cue some bizarre tricks with chocolate mousse). The next morning as the woman returns home in a taxi, she hears Partridge on the radio, revealing that he has used her and that she has been sacked. I can?t explain it half as well as I need to, b
ut if you?ve seen it you?ll know exactly what I mean. The entire episode was priceless.

It?s fairly typical of the demon Partridge?s actions, however, and the greatest pleasure is the way that he continually gets his comeuppance, an eternal loser. Even when he eventually gets the call from the BBC to return, things turn bad when the programme controller has a heart attack before the contract can be signed. Partridge shows his resourcefulness by dragging the corpse?s lifeless hand across the contract to feign his signature. Classic, classic stuff.

Coogan is masterful at anything like this and certainly created a despicable little man when he dreamed up Partridge ("Does my breath smell of gas?")

It was one of those satiric little pieces that was so close to real life that could easily be mistaken for docudrama if you come back late from the pub and switch it on by accident. However, it's very, very funny when you get the joke and you'd have to be as dim as some of Partridge's mates not to.

I'm not sure that there are plans for any more shows and it's a shame because AP was one of the comedy highlights on the box when it was around. It gets plenty of reruns on UK Gold and gets funnier every time you see it.

Me and Mrs D actually agree on something for once in our love for Coogan.


Episodes -
A Room with an Alan
Alan has decided to buy the show house at a new site, but faces car vandalism - C*** P*** Partridge.

Alan Attraction
Alan has a quantity of shop soiled Chocolate Oranges to shift, decides to sack his staff and beds an employee

Watership Alan
Alan falls foul of farmers when he insults them on his radio show and gets a corporate video contract

Basic Alan
Alan gets bored and masquerades as a zombie using shower curtains

To Kill a Mocking Alan
Alan gets friendly with his No 1 fan

Towering Alan
Alan get
s a contract and bids farewell to the hotel

Summary: