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March 28, 2024, 10:27:34 AM

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This Time with Alan Partridge series 2

Started by Wayman C. McCreery, April 14, 2021, 03:31:40 PM

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DrGreggles

Quote from: jobotic on April 15, 2021, 11:19:55 AM
Yes but there's pre-recorded bits, like in the real One Show. And they kept "Alan you wanker" in it.

I don't care , I thought it was funny, but its not realistic.

To put my Partridge World hat on for a second, I like to think that the Alan had irritated everyone to such an extent that the production team left those sorts of things in as payback.

An tSaoi

Quote from: kalowski on April 15, 2021, 11:23:53 AM
It made me laugh but there were too many "why did they keep that in?" moments which were evidence of trying too hard.

I think some bits are just the moments that get captured passively by the studio camera when the pre-recorded clips are playing. So, the show we're watching is not exactly the show that's actually going out. That gives them a certain amount of leeway. Of course, you couldn't excuse the pre-recorded bits on this basis, as logically they should have edited out the gaffes.

Still, I reckon almost everything that happened in S1 could have happened on the real One Show. It's not as far removed from reality as some people think. Besides, who cares how realistic it is? The Day Today isn't realistic.

God, this again. Do people still not realise that we aren't watching "This Time" as broadcast but from the perspective of Alan?

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on April 15, 2021, 10:20:23 AMThis Time s1 was overall unsuccessful, a mystifyingly hollow centre with funny things interspersed around, or occasionally puncturing it, but there's always the chance they have learned what worked best and what didn't.

This is wot I fink as well.
Hopefully they learnt a lot from the first series and series 2 is when it starts to find it's feet.

BeardFaceMan

Quote from: Huxleys Babkins on April 15, 2021, 11:59:29 AM
God, this again. Do people still not realise that we aren't watching "This Time" as broadcast but from the perspective of Alan?

I knew it wouldn't be long until the "this isn't realistic/that would never happen on tv" comments started, I thought it wouldn't start until the second series began though.

Utter Shit

#35
Quote from: frajer on April 15, 2021, 10:54:33 AM
It's really interesting to read people's criticisms on the first series because I thought by and large they nailed it.

Maybe it's because I've only ever seen clips of The One Show and its ilk, and the details may not be accurate to modern magazine shows, but it feels like they really captured the bland topics and forced intimacy of those shows.

It's a fair to wonder "who's filming that?" or "why would they leave those bits in?" because of course they wouldn't, but I enjoyed the characterisations, the tone and the jokes so much that I never questioned it. I suppose they're the sort of flaws that you notice if you're not engaging with something (which again, is completely fair).

You definitely needed to suspend your disbelief more than on many other Partridge vehicles, but I think it stands up really well. I felt slightly underwhelmed when it first aired, but watched it again a while ago and it was great - I think the disappointment the first time round was just because expectations were so high, and it narrowly failed to meet them.

BeardFaceMan

Quote from: Utter Shit on April 15, 2021, 12:18:46 PM
You definitely needed to suspend your disbelief more than on many other Partridge vehicles, but I think it stands up really well. I felt slightly underwhelmed when it first aired, but watched it again a while and it was great - I think the disappointment the first time round was just because expectations were so high, and it narrowly failed to meet them.

I think it's because it's Partridge with a BBC1 tinge, which we've never really had before. It's a new flavour that didn't quite suit some people.

Norton Canes

Good there are lots of funny bits in this can't wait

Norton Canes


Chollis

Argh what was the bit where he was complaining about the low quality chocolate bar Lynn had packed for his lunch

popcorn

Sign me up. Yes please.

I shared a lot of the misgivings people had about series one at the time, but I enjoyed it nonetheless, and even moreso on second viewing.

Ornlu

Quote from: Chollis on April 15, 2021, 12:55:25 PM
Argh what was the bit where he was complaining about the low quality chocolate bar Lynn had packed for his lunch

"think premium - Double Decker, Topic!"

Ferris

Quote from: Huxleys Babkins on April 15, 2021, 11:59:29 AM
God, this again. Do people still not realise that we aren't watching "This Time" as broadcast but from the perspective of Alan?

Yes exactly.

When pre-recorded bits are being broadcast, he's flitting about the studio doing what he likes and he's the character we follow. Also the show is filmed over a period of months and we are only seeing an assortment of 6 episodes - potentially every other episode across that time period is an entirely by the book exercise in TV blandness which would give a very good "normality" rate, if that level of verisimilitude is important to you. I also buy the "production staff hate him so leave little bits in to make him look like a wally" theory.

Looking forward to this.

Captain Z

I hope this series focuses on 6 normal episodes where nothing remarkable or funny happens, to make it more realistic.

popcorn

Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on April 15, 2021, 01:07:00 PM
I also buy the "production staff hate him so leave little bits in to make him look like a wally" theory.

This is also why I assume the admins do not remove all your posts fyi.

pigamus

Quote from: Captain Z on April 15, 2021, 01:10:41 PM
I hope this series focuses on 6 normal episodes where nothing remarkable or funny happens, to make it more realistic.

We're not all thick cunts just because we don't happen to agree with you about this.

Armin Meiwes

Really disliked the first series of this (it was shit).

Armin Meiwes

V heavily enjoyed From the Oast House tho in case anyone was thinking of coming for me/underestimating my Alan love.

An tSaoi


Gurke and Hare

I'd managed to clear the From The Oast House theme from my head, and now a couple of people have mentioned it here and it's back, you bastards.

purlieu

I think the amount of criticism it got suggests that it didn't necessarily hit all the right notes. For me it was the mix of a very realistic / believable format and Alan being a larger than life character that just jarred a bit, really. But mostly in the first two episodes. Once Alan became the regular host the whole thing suddenly became part of his world and it worked much better for me. Not my favourite Partridge vehicle, but if the quality is on par with some of the later episodes then I'm definitely looking forward to it.

sevendaughters

Quote from: purlieu on April 15, 2021, 07:07:03 PM
I think the amount of criticism it got suggests that it didn't necessarily hit all the right notes.

Possibly. But there was a very palpable desperation for them to nail it because it was on BBC1 at a decent hour and could shove a rocket up the arse of commissioners and send a clear message that there is room in the mainstream for good and non-formulaic comedy instead of the urethra-drippings served up of late. I think this led to a gross amplification of minor faults, with some over-analysis of the general concept and over-criticism of the logical consistency in some quarters. Watching it again a year or so removed presented a show that was clearly streets ahead of Man Like Mobeen and Warren, to name the first two shows that came into my head.

I am surprised it got renewed because I remember Piers Morgan gloating over its declining ratings.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

I think it's also worth bearing in mind that series one of This Time was the first thing the Gibbons(es) had directed, which may explain why some of it felt a bit off. Considering the sheer amount of work and attention to detail they've put into their Partridge stuff over the years, I suspect they've probably looked back at series one and worked out why certain decisions weren't quite right.

And I say that as someone who thought it was, by and large, a very funny series.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

This Time wasn't a ratings disaster by any stretch, it did okay, and the BBC would only ever axe a Coogan/Partridge vehicle if it was an embarrassing failure*. They don't want to lose him again, he's a prestigious artiste who they need more than he needs them - it must still rankle that he fucked off to Sky to make loads of critically-acclaimed Partridge stuff.

* There was a certain amount of schadenfreude to be had from the embarrassing failure of Warren, which was supposed to be the big mainstream-friendly sitcom lead-in to the 'cooler' This Time. Something for everyone in a BBC comedy power hour! But no one liked Warren, it was total dogshit, whereas This Time was generally well-received and made Warren look even worse than it already was.

DrGreggles

Overnight ratings mean nothing these days anyway.
All about the the 7 dayers, motherfuckers*!


*sorry

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: DrGreggles on April 15, 2021, 08:52:02 PM
Overnight ratings mean nothing these days anyway.
All about the the 7 dayers, motherfuckers*!

If only Nancy Banks-Smith was on Twitter, that could be her bio.

quinlad

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on April 15, 2021, 07:33:58 PM
I think it's also worth bearing in mind that series one of This Time was the first thing the Gibbons(es) had directed

Apart from Scissored Isle and MMM.

gilbertharding

I'd completely forgotten about Warren. In fact, even now, I can't really remember who was in it or what it was about. Martin Clunes is a driving instructor? Am I warm?

It was no The Wright Way, anyhow.

Oh - and the last thing on Jimmy Donny Cosgrove's twitter feed is this RT:

QuoteBTW, Prince Phillip fought against actual Nazis, real proper Nazis, not people who didn't vote for Corbyn or people on the internet that you don't like and whose views differ from yours.

What a cunt.

Attila

One of my take-aways from This Time was during all the hybrid teaching guff I had to fo last autumn, baffling students as I clicked through set up stuff on Teams/streaming, all the while muttering, 'Bird it, bird it, bird it'.


(Or was he saying 'birdie, birdie, birdie?' My American ears couldn't tell the difference.)

Mobius