Get Ready To Cringe: The New Alan Partridge Series Has Hit ABC iView
In 'This Time With Alan Partridge', the beloved character takes on breakfast television.
The real world has finally caught up with Alan Partridge.
When the fictional character, the brainchild of comedian and actor Steve Coogan, first appeared as a minor character on Chris Morris’ deeply prescient radio show On The Hour, he seemed like a man out of time. An awkward, mostly useless sports presenter, Alan Partridge was as far flung and bizarre as the idea that Britain might one day tear itself in twain in a misguided attempt to leave the EU.
Now, however, Partridge is right at home. He isn’t even the most inept presenter on TV — Australian morning hosts could give him a considerable run for his money — and his mealy-mouthed presenting style is the norm.
Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it joke from the new Alan Partridge show, This Time. In Episode 4, during the opening credits Alan flashes his BBC badge to the receptionist. She gives him a dirty look. In Episode 5, the shot of the dirty look is replaced with the same woman smiling. pic.twitter.com/MsYk0dXeA5
— Daniel Ralston (@danielralston) March 29, 2019
After all, watching a manicured talking head bumble around a studio muttering nonsense about defrocked priests eating a car park, or making faux pas so disastrous that entire television stations are forced into apologising isn’t the kind of thing we only see in satires anymore. It’s morning television itself.
For that reason, the new Partridge show, This Time With Alan Partridge feels like one of the most wide-eyed, honest stabs at morning television to come out in years. Following Alan as he fumbles his way through presenting duties on an infomercial saturated early morning program, it’s full of the cringeworthy moments and biting barbs that have earned the character a reputation as being one of the funniest characters on the telly.
This Time with Alan Partridge is my TV highlight of the past few years. Coogan's command of the character is faultless, as is the writing/directing behind him courtesy of @neilgibbons and @RobGibbons_. And Susannah Fielding was a revelation. Monday's won't be the same. #ThisTime
— Murray Robertson (@MuzzaRobbo) April 1, 2019
Alternating back and forth between Alan’s morning show and the chaos unfurling behind the scenes, it’s pitch perfect comedy — not to mention pitch perfect Partridge.
Better still, Aussies don’t have to wait in order to get their own serving of Partridge.
Every one of the six, half hour episodes of This Time With Alan Partridge are available to stream on iView right ruddy now. That means three hours of chaotic comedy viewing are awaiting you. Get to it, won’t you?