New Alan Partridge Podcast & This Time S2 Coming

[neveragain]

I love Julian Barratt's bit, even the song titles are superb. His reference to a comical song about a shepherd who comes to the big city called 'Boomtown', just perfectly drab. The question-and-answer bit at the end is fab too.

[frajer]

On the subject of MMMM (Mid-Morning Matters Music), I absolutely bloody love Alan, Simon and Dave Clifton's accordion-backed singsong of "Are Friends Electric."

[robhug]

On the subject of MMMM (Mid-Morning Matters Music), I absolutely bloody love Alan, Simon and Dave Clifton's accordion-backed singsong of "Are Friends Electric."

On the subject of MMMJ, the best jingle on any show ever is the 8 seconds of "Sidekick Simon, Sidekick Simon, Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sidekick Simon, Sidekick Simon, duu-duu-du-du-da-daa" to the sound of marching jackboots.

[frajer]

On the subject of MMMJ, the best jingle on any show ever is the 8 seconds of "Sidekick Simon, Sidekick Simon, Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sidekick Simon, Sidekick Simon, duu-duu-du-du-da-daa" to the sound of marching jackboots.

That is ace. Also enjoy the reaaaaalllllly slowed-down version that lasts forever and highlights how desperate and contrived all the wacky "boing" and "parp" effects are.

[Ja'moke]

There's also a great bit in MMM where Simon tells a joke that lands flat and Alan lets the awkward silence linger for a few seconds before hitting the "Sidekick Simon, sidekick Simon" jingle.

[Rizla]

On the subject of MMMJ, the best jingle on any show ever is the 8 seconds of "Sidekick Simon, Sidekick Simon, Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sidekick Simon, Sidekick Simon, duu-duu-du-du-da-daa" to the sound of marching jackboots.

Up there with the distressing sweary traffic report one from IAP

[QDRPHNC]

Alan on Alan on I on I on Partridge on Partridge on Alan on Alan on I on I on Partridge on Partridge on Alan on Alan on I on I on Part<gulp>ridge on Partrige

[Chollis]

nnnngghhHappy valentines

[I.D. Smith]

Obviously as a fan I would be able to tell the difference as I know all the episodes more or less by heart, but I don't think there's a huge difference in quality at all. I've always wondered whether those who saw the first series had really high expectations for the second series and so felt the dip in quality more strongly. As someone who came a bit later (in fact I think the first run of the second series was my introduction to the character beyond a vague awareness of him from The Day Today), I'd say the first is probably better, but there isn't much in it.

I agree that I think possibly the hype of waiting for S2 after the highs of S1 meant it was never going to live up to the first series in my eyes. I'd also really enjoyed The Office UK in the interim years which, at the time, raised the bar even higher for new series of IAP, as far as I was concerned. I didn't dislike IAP S2 but it felt more disjointed and broad than S1, at least at the time. Some of the editing felt off and some of the characters felt a bit last-minute (mainly thinking of the Dante's Fires rep he has a meeting with). However, I have warmed to the series over the years and there is some funny stuff in there, so I think the hype was probably a factor.

Still prefer S1 though. I think it's the loneliness and boredom from S1 of that still puts it higher than S2, for me. S2 seems like Alan has a more manic, hectic life, with more people involved and more engagements to attend, whereas S1 is largely him in that Travel Tavern, lost in life. But that's just personal preference for me.

[Chollis]

his grandma: "She used to stare me out"

i don't want this to end

[AllisonSays]

Fuck me the bit about the Norfolk accent at the end of episode 4 was funny. 'I keep trying, but it's just footile'.

[holyzombiejesus]

Thought episode 9 (the 'burglar' one) was awful, by far the worst Alan in years. Felt like it was written by different writers, just really silly with loads of daft voices. Definitely a different tone to it, kind of sub-Iannucci.

[JamesTC]

Fridge Fridge Fridge Fridge Fridge Fridge Fridge

[Noodle Lizard]

I haven't read most of this (I'm only about halfway through, avoiding spoilers) so sorry if this has already been mentioned, but has anyone else noticed some lines or sentiments repeated from other Partridge things? I've noticed a lot of them, but the first that springs to mind is the Catherine Zeta-Jones/Michael Douglas "looks like a gray crow" line from I, Partridge. There have been plenty of others though.

Either way, it's wonderful to have so much of "that voice", and the gag rate is still astronomically high which is quite astonishing given there's been around 18 hours of audiobook material alone in the past decade. Some bits did lose my attention, as I tend to only be able to listen whilst driving or running errands, so I'm probably going to have to listen through it all again at some point soon. Not sad about it.

[Dr Rock]

I think this, and much of Partridge will still be enjoyed in a hundred years.

[sevendaughters]

The only thing about IAP2 that decisively puts it beneath IAP1 on sight is the Bono episode, which is pretty bad. The rest is just a judgement call that it's not quite firing as strongly, but there are several great moments per episode.

[BeardFaceMan]

Just finished putting all the Partridge stuff I have into a playlist, it clocks in a 60 hours, didn't realise there was quite so much stuff until I tried looking at it all. Seriously, how fucking good is Steve Coogan?

[Bleeding Kansas]

I haven't read most of this (I'm only about halfway through, avoiding spoilers) so sorry if this has already been mentioned, but has anyone else noticed some lines or sentiments repeated from other Partridge things? I've noticed a lot of them, but the first that springs to mind is the Catherine Zeta-Jones/Michael Douglas "looks like a gray crow" line from I, Partridge. There have been plenty of others though.

Yes, I have noticed some repeated lines. The only other example that I can recall right now though is "trainers in a washing machine" but I think that is deliberate callback given the joke of its repetitive use in 'I, Partridge'. 

Given the enormous amount of fresh material, part of me thinks they are just jokes which they have forgotten they had used already.

[SteveDave]

his grandma: "She used to stare me out"

i don't want this to end

That bit caused me to laugh out loud (L.O.L.) in the street and have to take a moment to compose myself. Normally I'd hide it with a cough but you can't do that now.

[Pancake]

On the subject of NMMMJ (non-mid morn mat jingles) how did Chris Morris ever get away with 'Hi I'm Bruno Brooks... nnnngggcunt' on Radio One

[Pancake]

IAP2 feels silly and pantomimey like he's doing his hammiest Partridge impression, he's not the straight man anymore, and his old man makeup looks terrible on modern tellies but it's still 9/10 even with that being said

[El Unicornio, mang]

The only thing about IAP2 that decisively puts it beneath IAP1 on sight is the Bono episode, which is pretty bad.

That's my favourite episode!

The idea of Alan thinking a giant bowl of Alpen is the height of rich rock star decadence alone makes it worthwhile.

[rude soil]

Going to Remembrance Sunday dressed as a poppy is one of the silliest things he's done.

[Non Stop Dancer]

On the subject of NMMMJ (non-mid morn mat jingles) how did Chris Morris ever get away with 'Hi I'm Bruno Brooks... nnnngggcunt' on Radio One

One of the oldest things I remember from the internet. Do you have a link to it?

[Captain Z]

Going to Remembrance Sunday dressed as a poppy is one of the silliest things he's done.

That stuck out to me as something Coogan or Gibbonses clearly wanted to take a dig at via Alan. Can't remember it specifically now but there's a political bit in FTO where Alan's words are clearly the exact opposite of what Steve really thinks.

[Ferris]

That stuck out to me as something Coogan or Gibbonses clearly wanted to take a dig at via Alan. Can't remember it specifically now but there's a political bit in FTO where Alan's words are clearly the exact opposite of what Steve really thinks.

There's a few of those - Alan's thoughts on Top Gear and Piers Morgan come to mind.

[PeasOnSticks]

I hear a lot more echoes of early Partridge in Coogan's performance this time, in terms of intonation and vocal timbre, which makes this one really feel like we're hearing the original character having aged.

It's a complete delight - Alan being Alan in a low-key way, and Coogan is just so fucking good: countless instances of sublime delivery.

[Pancake]

One of the oldest things I remember from the internet. Do you have a link to it?

No but I downloaded them from here back in like... 2004 or something. Someone must have stuck them YT

[Glebe]

"See you fucking later, nutbag!"

[Joe Oakes]

I would encourage anyone who can afford to pay for this, to do so. It's great.

But if you are broke, have technical difficulties or a valid ethical reason for not giving Audible money (i like to imagine that they were involved in some sort of powered baby seal milk scandal in the 80s), then the whole thing is available on the Alan Partridge subreddit.