Steve Coogan scares me

[Hey, Punk!]

I don't know why as I am a fan of his work, but he scares me a little. I don't know if it is his almost handsome face, framed by imposing eyebrows and teeth; his eerie impressions or the fact that he managed to convince me that The Trip wasn't at all fictionalised. He's a bit of a phenomenon and I can't believe Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci and the other writers involved in Alan Partridge had much of a contribution to the character we know today. He is like an alien who has studied humanity (choosing Britain for whatever reason) and made a distillation of us.

[Chollis]

I'm glad he doesn't have long hair anymore

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

If anything he has improved with age. Lee and Herring praised him during the Day Today but it was lukewarm (mind you they were nicer about him than Patrick Marber).

Sticking with Partridge:

Even at KMKY tv series stage Partridge was not that much of a complex character, most of the humour in that series related to events and dialogue, not character work - it was only from IAP onwards that they really mined the comic potential of the character itself and huge amount of pathos that was there.

Coogan's performances have steadily improved too - Partridge is full of quirks and ticks in MMM that weren't previously apparent and I think Coogan's obsession with minutae and technical detail helps with that.

Much as he deserves praise I think Lee and Herring were right in that having writers feeding him stuff and bouncing off that is the best environment to bring out the best in him, which there is no shame in.

[Hey, Punk!]

It must just be his face then.

[the science eel]

Mark's scares me more on that Light User Syndrome cover...

[Small Man Big Horse]

After reading Coogan's autobiography I do think he deserves a lot of credit for shaping the character, not because he says so but his writing echoes Alan a surprising amount, and he is quite the odd (and often dull) man.

[magval]

Absolutely, there's some really good Alan Partridge material in his book that just happens to correlate with his actual opinions and means of expressing them.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

It seems like Partridge i.e. Coogan threw in a lot of Mancunian stuff that jarred with his supposed upbringing. The 'I've pierced my foot on a spike' bit for example. Plenty of earlier ones too. Obviously deserves the bulk of the credit for the character.

Or maybe I've imagined it.

[thraxx]

After reading Coogan's autobiography I do think he deserves a lot of credit for shaping the character, not because he says so but his writing echoes Alan a surprising amount, and he is quite the odd (and often dull) man.

What struck me about his autobiog, apart from the fact that I quite enjoyed it, was his strict catholic upbringing and the fact that even though he rejects god and faith he won't stop bloody banging on about catholicism.

[Enzo]

What struck me about his autobiog, apart from the fact that I quite enjoyed it, was his strict catholic upbringing and the fact that even though he rejects god and faith he won't stop bloody banging on about catholicism.

The same can be said for all Irish ex-catholics though

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

The same can be said for all Irish ex-catholics though

Bollocks though isn't it? I mean, speaking as one.

_{No, not a bollock}

[McFlymo]

He scares me a bit, low threshold for tomfoolery. Unless it's HIS tomfoolery!
Same with Paul Whitehouse.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

It seems like Partridge i.e. Coogan threw in a lot of Mancunian stuff that jarred with his supposed upbringing. The 'I've pierced my foot on a spike' bit for example. Plenty of earlier ones too. Obviously deserves the bulk of the credit for the character.

Or maybe I've imagined it.

I don't quite get this. Are you suggesting that piercing one's foot on a spiiiiike is a purely Mancunian phenomenon?

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I don't quite get this. Are you suggesting that piercing one's foot on a spiiiiike is a purely Mancunian phenomenon?

He does sound Mancunian when he says that, no?

[St_Eddie]

He does sound Mancunian when he says that, no?

Yes, he does.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Hmm. Suppose you could be right. He does say pierced ME foot as opposed to MY foot.

[MuteBanana]

He's got the famous 90s comedy rubber lips. All the rage. Chris Morris, Martin Clunes, Dexter Fletcher, Harry Enfield.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

Yes, he does.

I'm pretty sure there's a few moments in IAP1 when he drifts into manc too.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Eeeeh! 'appen he thinks I'm a right indecisive tit.

[Glebe]

He looks a little bit like Christopher Lee... in a way.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

He looks a little bit like Christopher Lee... in a way.

He's always had plenty of Leeway.


_{I don't know what that means}

[St_Eddie]

He looks a little bit like Christopher Lee... in a way.

It's the eyebrows.

[Captain Z]

What struck me about his autobiog, apart from the fact that I quite enjoyed it, was his strict catholic upbringing and the fact that even though he rejects god and faith he won't stop bloody banging on about catholicism.

Let it go, Steve, you're never going to meet him.

[kidsick5000]

I'm glad he doesn't have long hair anymore

You might want to sit down.
https://youtu.be/TzKTjKkFua8

[DrGreggles]

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17286412.is-this-brightonian-a-dead-ringer-for-steve-coogan/

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17286412.is-this-brightonian-a-dead-ringer-for-steve-coogan/

DESOLATION

[Cuellar]

Hmm. Suppose you could be right. He does say pierced ME foot as opposed to MY foot.

Just coincidentally I'm watching that episode now and he clearly says 'MY foot'.

So there's THAT.

[Bennett Brauer]

"Yeah, they're ruined..." after briefly examining the juice-soaked Bond videos.

Can't think of any Mancisms from the first series though.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

"Yeah, they're ruined..." after briefly examining the juice-soaked Bond videos.

Can't think of any Mancisms from the first series though.

Nor can I right now but have a vague memory of him using a character accent on his radio show. That doesn't fully count though as he's playing Partridge 'doing a voice' - i.e. Autobahn. I'm sure there's one. It's usually when he's angry/outraged.

In IAP2, where is his accent from when he says 'Norfolk's maddest man'? (Don't say Norfolk) Sounds northern-ish to my untrained ear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdbEFSrfSF0

[good times]

isn't he a bit of a drug-crazed womaniser, or have I just invented that?

I think this (assuming I haven't made it up) when juxtaposed with his right-on Corybnista public persona puts me off him slightly.

It's not quite wank-beast territory, but it makes me think he might be a bit of a covert rotter.

Also his character in The Trip seems a little too real to me (the narcissistic stuff) similar to Gervais in Extras/The Office.

Not to suggest this makes him scary, just that might be a bit of a pebble.