This Time With Alan Partridge (One Show Spoof)

[Bennett Brauer]

I'm obviously in the minority here but I don't like his in-character promotions. They're obviously scripted and I find them quite jarring.

I know what you mean, but I can't think of any that didn't provide a few laughs at least.

The in-character red carpet interviews for the Norwich premiere of Alpha Papa seemed pretty awkward at the time. I got the feeling Coogan didn't want to be doing them. (The event also shattered the Partriverse because Simon Greenall was there as Michael.)

[St_Eddie]

They only pop up briefly in the first episode.

That's not to say that they won't have a much bigger role in later episodes.  I hope there's a good reason for Sidekick Simon to be there because I'm struggling to imagine a plausible one which doesn't essentially amount to shoehorning a popular character in.

In any case, Lynn is an absolutely essential component of Alan's fictional and non-fictional life. Her contributions tell you so much about him.

Lynn's a great character but I strongly disagree that she's an "absolutely essential component".  Mid Morning Matters, Welcome to the Places of My Life and Scissored Isle did plenty fine without her (not to mention everything pre-I'm Alan Partridge).  There's absolutely no reason why new characters can't be created and be used just as well as Lynn was, to inform us, the viewers, of Alan's nature and the inner workings of his mind.

An over-reliance on established characters such as Lynn and Sidekick Simon... I don't know, it just seems a little bit like resting on one's laurels.  It's important to keep things fresh, I feel.  Aster all, at one point, Lynn and Sidekick Simon were new additions to the world of Alan.  They're not "essential" to any further iterations of Alan Partridge, as far as I'm concerned.

Having said that, I don't mean to come across as too negative, as I'm very much looking forward to this series.

That might get a bit confusing if Alan is presenting a version of The One Show in a fictional universe in which The One Show presumably doesn't exist? I may be overthinking this.

No.  I think that's absolute correct.

I've noted that Coogan hasn't mentioned The One Show in any of the publicity for this new series.  I wonder if that's due to not wanting to piss off the Beeb, by way of essentially saying that this new series mocks fluff like The One Show.  I further wonder if the BBC themselves asked Coogan not to mention The One Show during publicity.

[magval]

The in-character red carpet interviews for the Norwich premiere of Alpha Papa seemed pretty awkward at the time. I got the feeling Coogan didn't want to be doing them.

I fucking MET him in-character at a signing in London, and he was indeed very embarrassed. People kept calling him Alan and I have a great photo somewhere of him just looking exhausted.

I said something nice to him and called him Steve and it was so weird to have Steve Coogan, dressed as Alan Partridge, looking back at me.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Lynn's a great character but I strongly disagree that she's an "absolutely essential component".  Mid Morning Matters, Welcome to the Places of My Life and Scissored Isle did plenty fine without her (not to mention everything pre-I'm Alan Partridge).  There's absolutely no reason why new characters can't be created and be used just as well as Lynn was, to inform us, the viewers, of Alan's nature and the inner workings of his mind.

While I agree with you that Lynn doesn't need to be in every AP project, I think her presence provides some telling insight into Alan's private life and insecurities. You're right, she may well play a more significant role in future episodes, but I hope they use her sparingly. The same goes for Sidekick Simon. Having only seen episode one, their inclusion definitely doesn't feel like shoe-horned fan service to me. Their brief scenes are funny and help to flesh out our understanding of Alan's state of mind during this particular stage in his life and career.

I've noted that Coogan hasn't mentioned The One Show in any of the publicity for this new series.  I wonder if that's due to not wanting to piss off the Beeb, by way of essentially saying that this new series mocks fluff like The One Show.  I further wonder if the BBC themselves asked Coogan not to mention The One Show during publicity.

Possibly, yes. I guess it's quite bold of the BBC to broadcast a blatant piss-take of The One Show, but they obviously don't want to make a song and dance about it.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The in-character red carpet interviews for the Norwich premiere of Alpha Papa seemed pretty awkward at the time. I got the feeling Coogan didn't want to be doing them. (The event also shattered the Partriverse because Simon Greenall was there as Michael.)

Yeah, that was weird. The powder blue, Roger Moore-esque '70s outfit was all wrong too, Alan wouldn't wear something like that in this day and age. Yes, he'd probably want to, but he has just enough self-awareness to realise that it would look a bit naff.

Anyway, I'm nitpicking, as Alan arriving by helicopter to attend a well-attended premiere of a film about him doesn't make sense anyway. Barry Humphries can get away with that sort of in-character thing, as Dame Edna is supposed to be an international superstar, but Alan doesn't make much sense when he turns up on major TV chat shows etc. Having said that, I think his appearances on the Clive Anderson, Jonathan Ross and Richard Bacon shows are very funny, but you have to suspend your disbelief.

[jobotic]

It would make sense for Alan to have his PA off set in a way it wouldn't be on MMM, Scissored Isle or Welcome...why would she be in the studio or feature in a finished (non-fly on the wall documentary) TV programme?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

That's not to say that they won't have a much bigger role in later episodes.  I hope there's a good reason for Sidekick Simon to be there because I'm struggling to imagine a plausible one which doesn't essentially amount to shoehorning a popular character in.

It's never stated outright, but it's subtly implied that Simon's involvement was a non-negotiable part of Alan's deal. He has him there for moral support. Also, Alan likes to think of himself as a canny talent-spotter. Simon is young-ish and, as far as Alan is concerned anyway, sort of funny and cool. In an entirely misguided way, he thinks Simon makes him look cool by association.

Also, The One Show is packed with crappy, bland, third-tier correspondents, so the presence of someone like Simon isn't that unrealistic.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It would make sense for Alan to have his PA off set in a way it wouldn't be on MMM, Scissored Isle or Welcome...why would she be in the studio or feature in a finished (non-fly on the wall documentary) TV programme?

Her involvement is plausible when you see the show itself. I'm worried that I'm saying too much about it, but Lynn's brief cameo does make sense.

[kalowski]

In an entirely misguided way, he thinks Simon makes him look cool by association.

I agree. Just think of that, "Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah", laughing at "blunch" and the bit about how SS "splices the crisp packet down the side, lays it flat and shares the contents..."

[Ferris]

Lynn is in Places of my Life, albeit off camera calling Alan about his appointment.

"Lynn, your bedside manner is appalling - don't ever become a doctor. Although, a 6 year medical degree would mean you were what, seventy? At that point, you'd only be fit to examine yourself and who knows what you'd find..."

[sevendaughters]

she's also in Scissored Isle writing "what is revenge porn"

[jobotic]

Lynn is in Places of my Life, albeit off camera calling Alan about his appointment.

"Lynn, your bedside manner is appalling - don't ever become a doctor. Although, a 6 year medical degree would mean you were what, seventy? At that point, you'd only be fit to examine yourself and who knows what you'd find..."

It's ages since I saw it, my mistake. I'm glad I was wrong though because that really made me laugh.

[Avril Lavigne]

shattered the Partriverse

To be fair, it was shattered by The Day Today before it even existed.

[purlieu]

That might get a bit confusing if Alan is presenting a version of The One Show in a fictional universe in which The One Show presumably doesn't exist? I may be overthinking this.

This opens a horrible can of worms about the universe Alan lives in. Bear in mind that, if we're to take his appearances as canon, he lives in a universe where the sky had to be re-attached to the horizon.  Although I'll admit that the few shots we've seen of this do suggest it's effectively a One Show surrogate, I try not to think too much about the fictional universe he inhabits.

[Ferris]

It's ages since I saw it, my mistake. I'm glad I was wrong though because that really made me laugh.

I watched it last night which is the only reason I remembered it. Lynn is still an important bit of Alan's life, even if she's off screen.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

she's also in Scissored Isle writing "what is revenge porn"

A brilliant blink-and-you'll-miss-it gag.

There are all those cold references to "my assistant" in I, Partridge too, of course. The fact that the Gibbons have generally used Lynn sparingly in most of their work suggests they'll do the same thing in this show. She's a great character, beautifully played, but outwith the context of IAP and Alpha Papa, she works best when used either as a cameo performer or a quick joke reference.

I do, however, stand by my opinion that a post-IAP Alan project without any involvement from Lynn, however fleeting or subtle, is sort of unthinkable. 

[Ferris]

she's also in Scissored Isle writing "what is revenge porn"

Defending Alan in the YouTube comments with "only god can judge him"

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Defending Alan in the YouTube comments with "only god can judge him"

Man alive, the Gibbons brothers are such funny writers. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with whenever they decide to branch off from Alan.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

This opens a horrible can of worms about the universe Alan lives in. Bear in mind that, if we're to take his appearances as canon, he lives in a universe where the sky had to be re-attached to the horizon.  Although I'll admit that the few shots we've seen of this do suggest it's effectively a One Show surrogate, I try not to think too much about the fictional universe he inhabits.

Yeah, it's easy to ignore the fact that he initially existed in a surreal world. Apart from the bit where zombie Carol rises from the dead in OTH, he's always been depicted as a fairly realistic character.

[St_Eddie]

Lynn is in Places of my Life, albeit off camera calling Alan about his appointment.

"Lynn, your bedside manner is appalling - don't ever become a doctor. Although, a 6 year medical degree would mean you were what, seventy? At that point, you'd only be fit to examine yourself and who knows what you'd find..."

she's also in Scissored Isle writing "what is revenge porn"

Yes, but that's a technicality.  She's not in those programmes properly, which was the point that I was making (i.e. she's not an "absolutely essential component" of new Partridge).

Defending Alan in the YouTube comments with "only god can judge him"

I fucking howled at that.  Brilliant little touch.

I do, however, stand by my opinion that a post-IAP Alan project without any involvement from Lynn, however fleeting or subtle, is sort of unthinkable.

Fair enough.  I still strongly disagree though.  Horses for course, mind.

Having said that, are you suggesting that had the subtle inclusion of Lynn's YouTube comments in Scissored Isle not been included, then it would somehow be a misfire?  The programme at large would remain entirely unaffected.  You yourself said that she doesn't need to be there.  You can want her there in some capacity and enjoy her presence but I don't see how it's "unthinkable" that some sort of reference to her not be included or alluded to.

To mandatorily include Lynn because it's what the fans want is veering into "do the catchphrase, do the catchphrase" territory.

[zomgmouse]

There are all those cold references to "my assistant" in I, Partridge too, of course.

Likewise in Nomad.

[sevendaughters]

I don't view Partridge with a mindset of a canonical universe, it's not a thing that needs to be viewed through with the integrity of a show-runner's bible and more about whether the situation works and there are good jokes. I don't think we need to get all comics nerd about this very fluid and interesting entity who has aged and then youthed. I thought Alpha Papa would be a bit of a daft idea and didn't think AP worked 'cinematically' but it was good (if not essential) stuff.

[QDRPHNC]

Likewise in Nomad.

I don't think they did it as well in Nomad. In IP:WNTTAA, she was notable by her absence. In Nomad, Alan explicitly didn't use her name when using it would have been less jarring. It fit in the first book as an aspect of Alan's blithe self-centredness. In Nomad it was sort of pointlessly malicious.

[St_Eddie]

It's never stated outright, but it's subtly implied that Simon's involvement was a non-negotiable part of Alan's deal.

You see, when you say this it does make it sound forced.  It's interesting that you say that it's never stated outright.  Are you sure that you're not making up your own headcanon to excuse fan service?  Also, I don't for a second believe that Alan would potentially jeopardise his return to the BBC by insisting upon the presence of Sidekick Simon as a non-negotiable part of the contract.  Alan would drop Simon in an instant if doing so meant a return to the BBC.

...The One Show is packed with crappy, bland, third-tier correspondents, so the presence of someone like Simon isn't that unrealistic.

This, on the other hand, makes more sense.  I still think that his inclusion sounds forced though.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Having said that, are you suggesting that had the subtle inclusion of Lynn's YouTube comments in Scissored Isle not been included, then it would somehow be a misfire?  The programme at large would remain entirely unaffected.  You yourself said that she doesn't need to be there.  You can want her there in some capacity and enjoy her presence but I don't see how it's "unthinkable" that some sort of reference to her not be included or alluded to.

Not at all, I just meant that fleeting little references to Lynn are always welcome. "Unthinkable" is a bit strong, you're right, but it's nice whenever she crops up. The "only God can judge him" line is a brilliant example.

[purlieu]

I find the appearances of Michael after IAP1 a bit difficult (I agree with the idea that Alan would probably cling to the nearest thing he's got to a friend, but can't shift the image of the writers sitting around discussing how they could crowbar him into the second series), so I'm a little sceptical of Sidekick Simon being in this. I'm hoping it'll feel natural in context - there hasn't been a real misstep in the Patridgeverse in a long time, so my hopes are still high - but I'm still sceptical.

[Avril Lavigne]

I don't view Partridge with a mindset of a canonical universe

Anyone who attempts as much will surely be driven bonko.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

You see, when you say this it does make it sound forced.  It's interesting that you say that it's never stated outright.  Are you sure that you're not making up your own headcanon to excuse fan service?  Also, I don't for a second believe that Alan would potentially jeopardise his return to the BBC by insisting upon the presence of Sidekick Simon as a non-negotiable part of the contract.  Alan would drop Simon in an instant if doing so meant a return to the BBC.

The segment with Simon (the Simon segment) doesn't feel forced to me, and I'm usually very critical of cynically fan-pleasing stuff.

I can't say anything else about it, so we should continue this discussion after the episode goes out.

[St_Eddie]

I find the appearances of Michael after IAP1 a bit difficult (I agree with the idea that Alan would probably cling to the nearest thing he's got to a friend, but can't shift the image of the writers sitting around discussing how they could crowbar him into the second series), so I'm a little sceptical of Sidekick Simon being in this.

My sentiments exactly, both in regards to Sidekick Simon in this new series and Michael in series 2 of I'm Alan Partridge.

I'm hoping it'll feel natural in context - there hasn't been a real misstep in the Patridgeverse in a long time...

Alpha Papa wasn't all that long ago...

Anyone who attempts as much will surely be driven bonko.

Why is an avocado posting messages on this forum and in my mind?

I can't say anything else about it, so we should continue this discussion after the episode goes out.

Fair do's.  I'm certainly reserving judgment until after I've watched it.  Just a healthy (or perhaps unhealthy) amount of skepticism on my end in regards to certain aspects.  Either way, it's more than likely that I'll end up loving the show itself, even if I do have a few reservations.

[Ferris]

Not at all, I just meant that fleeting little references to Lynn are always welcome. "Unthinkable" is a bit strong, you're right, but it's nice whenever she crops up. The "only God can judge him" line is a brilliant example.

Agree with this - she's clearly still a big part of his fictional life. WTTPOML and SI were fictional documentaries so it wouldn't make sense to have her physically in the show. However, a tv show with some "behind the scenes" not for audience consumption bits would absolutely have side characters. Simon to make Alan feel like a big-shot, Lynn to organize everything and buy toffos.

Mrs Ferris is a big part of my life - if I made a documentary about Aston Villa, it'd be weird for her to be on screen (except at the end of an overheard phone call like Alan's fictional documentaries). Similarly, if I was doing a Larry Sanders thing (the equivalent of Alan's upcoming show), it'd be weird for her to be on (fictional) "for broadcast" material. She would, however, be in the wings because she's part of my life, so the off-screen stuff would make sense to include her.

Alan doesn't have a wife or any other close relationships, so those side characters are his equivalents and the same rules apply for him.

That's my lukewarm take on it all, anyway.