This Time with Alan Partridge series 2

[up_the_hampipe]

This show is still really good, every segment is packed with great jokes and even in the repeted segments, there's always something new happening. It's not like the exact same joke with the same catchphrase. Definitely more to it than Little Britain.

Not sure if this is a criticism, as it could be purposeful, but pretty much every character - aside from Simon and Lynn - seem more unlikeable than Alan. He comes across as an embarrassing oaf, but everyone else seems actively unpleasant. Ruth, especially, is almost bullying Alan in their segments, there's no need for her to undermine every single thing he says while overly flattering Jennie. Probably overthinking though, it is still funny.

[Glebe]

pretty much every character - aside from Simon and Lynn - seem more unlikeable than Alan.

Yes, Sam is definitely a bit of a creep.

[petril]

did anyone else find the ending part to have this utter feeling of KMKYWAP? I liked it as a bit of a call back/flashback, that whole setup was sheer old school Alaning

[paruses]

This show is still really good, every segment is packed with great jokes and even in the repeted segments, there's always something new happening. It's not like the exact same joke with the same catchphrase. Definitely more to it than Little Britain.

Not sure if this is a criticism, as it could be purposeful, but pretty much every character - aside from Simon and Lynn - seem more unlikeable than Alan. He comes across as an embarrassing oaf, but everyone else seems actively unpleasant. Ruth, especially, is almost bullying Alan in their segments, there's no need for her to undermine every single thing he says while overly flattering Jennie. Probably overthinking though, it is still funny.

I had the same thought to be honest. Seems like the idea is for Alan to be seemingly on the backfoot from the start and for us to want him to triumph. In MMM the guests all start off as decent people up front even though some of them falter a little. Even the Reece Shearsmith arsehole character got turned around and (I think) everyone came out of it well. That's started the germ of an idea in my head as to why even though I enjoy This Time there's something wrong about it.

So - I thought the first ep was fine. Some genuine laughs and am sure I will enjoy/appreciate it more on a second watch in few months. Not a big fan of the Ruth bits - agree with Blodwyn there that it's too simple to sustain particularly as the segments are so long. Did enjoy Simon - his determination to master the too-complicated multi-media board worked nicely with him getting it right only to get be undone by ten phones and the wrong name. I think part of why that same joke stuff works and the Ruth stuff doesn't is that Tim Key's performance is so good (granted he has more to work with than just disagreeing with Alan and agreeing with Jenny).

Didn't really like the monks except for Alan suddenly finding common ground with the spokesman and the payoff of the heavily signposted slapstick. Also driving off to Dr Alban was not needed but made me laugh.

Body language expert bit felt like they were revving the engine. It never really got going for me although the socks recovery was nice and the video was funny but like an homage to IAP days.

Farnaby's character is brilliant. So good that I find him really difficult to watch. Such an awful man and I like how Alan wins battles even though he won't win the war.

The reunited twins was odd. I hate to say it was unrealistic but it just didn't land for me. Felt like an  On That Bombshell moment and reminiscent of the (racist) Olympians from KMKY.

Prediction for the spoilered guest is:

Spoiler alert

will tell you on Friday if I am right

[close]

[paruses]

did anyone else find the ending part to have this utter feeling of KMKYWAP? I liked it as a bit of a call back/flashback, that whole setup was sheer old school Alaning

Yes - just what I was trying to articulate!

[St_Eddie]

In regards to the return of

Spoiler alert

Joe Beasley and Cheeky Monkey

[close]

in the upcoming second episode, I'm a bit worried about it, to be honest.  His original appearance remains one of my absolute favourite Partridge moments from all of the various incarnations of the character.  Just a perfect little comedic skit.  I thought that

Spoiler alert

Joe and Cheeky Monkey's

[close]

appearance ended fantastically in their first appearance; the idea that

Spoiler alert

this naff comedian with a puppet had been given his big break on TV and fucked it up royally, only to be left to slink back into obscurity

[close]

is a great way to end things.  If they're bringing him back, then I want there to be a damn good reason for it and not just because they want to wheel on a fan favourite from the past in order to mine 'member berry points.

I guess that these days I'm always just a bit wary of classic characters returning decades after the fact because I don't want it to be another Luke Skywalker or Sarah Connor type of situation, where I just think "I wish they hadn't bothered and left well enough alone".

Fingers crossed though.

[paruses]

In regards to the return of

Spoiler alert

Joe Beasley and Cheeky Monkey

[close]

in the upcoming second episode, I'm a bit worried about it, to be honest.  Their original appearance remains one of my absolute favourite Partridge moments from all of the various incarnations of the character.  Just a perfect little comedic skit.  I guess I'm always just a bit wary of favourite characters returning decades after the fact these days because I don't want it to be another Luke Skywalker or Sarah Connor type of situation, where I just think "I wish they hadn't bothered and left well enough alone".

Fingers crossed though.

Gah - it's going to be agony not highlighting the spoilers for a week.

FAke Edit - Oh fuck - inserting a quote just shows the tags. Didn't think of that. It is who I thought then. Good (maybe). Very curious now.

[popcorn]

I think the Gibbonses are great at playing into the triumphant side of the character, where Alan actually has a point or exposes something about someone else. (As an aside, I became frustrated with Peep Show choosing consistently horrible fates for Jez and Mark - it seems to me there is humour and richness in letting characters win sometimes.)

I think it's interesting when the Gibbons do stuff like let Alan slightly puncture Sam Chatwin (who is shaping up as a nice adversary) - like when he points out the smug promotional language on Chatwin's website. Alan is, of course, guilty of infinitely worse self-promotion (and worse) than that, but Alan is positioned as a sort of baiscally unrealistic character we laugh at, whereas Chatwin is a very realistic British media personality, so there is an interesting dynamic there, a dynamic I thought I was going to spend more time thinking about and articulating when I came to write this post but it turns out I haven't.

[paruses]

I think the Gibbonses are great at playing into the triumphant side of the character, where Alan actually has a point or exposes something about someone else. (As an aside, I became frustrated with Peep Show choosing consistently horrible fates for Jez and Mark - it seems to me there is humour and richness in letting characters win sometimes.)

I think it's interesting when the Gibbons do stuff like let Alan slightly puncture Sam Chatwin (who is shaping up as a nice adversary) - like when he points out the smug promotional language on Chatwin's website. Alan is, of course, guilty of infinitely worse self-promotion (and worse) than that, but Alan is positioned as a sort of baiscally unrealistic character we laugh at, whereas Chatwin is a very realistic British media personality, so there is an interesting dynamic there, a dynamic I thought I was going to spend more time thinking about and articulating when I came to write this post but it turns out I haven't.

I think that's a very good post and wish I'd been able to put my thoughts into those words and then those words in that order. 

[Captain Z]

If I make it to Friday without finding out who this returning character is, I will consider it one of my finest achievements.

[Bazooka]

[spiler]I can't wait to see what they do next episode with Lynn's friend Andrew playing Bono again[/spiler]

[Retinend]

When it comes to greatness, the word sitcom has three additional silent syllables - %u2018character%u2019.

Here, we only seem to have the sit and the com.

Now I'm arguing on the internet... but re "character", I could describe Jenny as having has an overly professional insincerity to her, Farnaby's character is vain and ingratiating, Ruth is arrogant and pedantic, Simon is flustered and intimidated by Partridge... [spoiler redacted]   The whole thing is wall to wall characters! Even the monk was "catty", as Partridge dubiously put it.

What's more, is it even a sitcom? I'd say it was a kind of sitcom but since it's a spoof of a highly formatted BBC magazine program, surely you judge it by a different set of comedic criteria to - say - Fawlty Towers.

I wish you could feed programs into a machine and get a readout "VALID" or "INVALID" for funny. I want to just say "but it's funny!"

[An tSaoi]

Imagine crying about spoilers in a fucking Alan Partridge show.

[Retinend]

I meant it ironically - exaggeration for comic effect. I'm not upset.

[BeardFaceMan]

Imagine crying about spoilers in a fucking Alan Partridge show.

Yeah, getting upset because they've had a suprise spoiled for them that would have been a great moment to experience fresh in a TV show they are looking forward too and enjoy, what idiots!

Also, spoiling it for everyone because you were unlucky enough to have it spoiled for you? God-tier cuntish behaviour.

[Retinend]

What drama! Someone else already set the precedent of not bothering to spoil it, so I just went along with that.

[BeardFaceMan]

I was doing just fine with not knowing who it was up until your post. No drama, just think it was extremely cuntish.

[Retinend]

alright well I guess it was. Redacted now. Will respect the spoiler tags going forward.

[Dr Rock]

Has Alan done a 'Chatwin' joke, yet or is that to come?

[jobotic]

I still don't know who it is. Back of the net etc etc

[An tSaoi]

Yeah, getting upset because they've had a suprise spoiled for them that would have been a great moment to experience fresh in a TV show they are looking forward too and enjoy, what idiots!

Also, spoiling it for everyone because you were unlucky enough to have it spoiled for you? God-tier cuntish behaviour.

It's hardly Who Shot JR.

[BeardFaceMan]

It's hardly Who Shot JR.

Good job no one said it was then.

[vainsharpdad]

Now I'm arguing on the internet... but re "character", I could describe Jenny as having has an overly professional insincerity to her, Farnaby's character is vain and ingratiating, Ruth is arrogant and pedantic, Simon is flustered and intimidated by Partridge... [spoiler redacted]   The whole thing is wall to wall characters! Even the monk was "catty", as Partridge dubiously put it.

What's more, is it even a sitcom? I'd say it was a kind of sitcom but since it's a spoof of a highly formatted BBC magazine program, surely you judge it by a different set of comedic criteria to - say - Fawlty Towers.

I wish you could feed programs into a machine and get a readout "VALID" or "INVALID" for funny. I want to just say "but it's funny!"

Nowt wrong with arguing on the Internet and don't get me wrong - it was fine.

But for me, the unavoidable comparison with IAP or even something like Porridge or arguably even Father Ted is that the comedy appears to come organically out of the characters, their responses, their fully-fleshed motivations, and so on.

Stuff like Ruth is just a gag - yes there's a sort of character there, but not in the dramatic sense. If you compare the silly running joke of Ruth with, say, Sophie in IAP, they are worlds apart in execution.

[BeardFaceMan]

Nowt wrong with arguing on the Internet and don't get me wrong - it was fine.

But for me, the unavoidable comparison with IAP or even something like Porridge or arguably even Father Ted is that the comedy appears to come organically out of the characters, their responses, their fully-fleshed motivations, and so on.

Stuff like Ruth is just a gag - yes there's a sort of character there, but not in the dramatic sense. If you compare the silly running joke of Ruth with, say, Sophie in IAP, they are worlds apart in execution.

I'd say that's because This Time isn't really a sitcom, it's a sitcom in the same way Knowing Me, Knowing You was a sitcom. It is more of a vehicle for gags and set pieces than character work or story. I'd say This Time is closer to a trad sketch show than trad sitcom.

[Botty Cello]

...This Time isn't really a sitcom... It is more of a vehicle for gags and set pieces.

Agreed. It's Character comedy.

the comedy appears to come organically out of the characters

Agreed. It's Character comedy.

[St_Eddie]

What drama! Someone else already set the precedent of not bothering to spoil it, so I just went along with that.

I thought everyone else had spoiler marked it prior to your post though?  I only ask because I hope that you weren't operating under the misapprehension that I spoiled it for paruses.  He/she unfortunately chose to quote my post (which was spoiler marked from the moment it was first posted) and in doing so accidentally saw the spoiler in the appropriate tags contained within.

[There Be Rumblings]

It's on the trailer that they're now running on BBC1, so I wouldn't beat yourself up too much

[Fambo Number Mive]

Really excited they are bringing back

Spoiler alert

Alan's robot butler Mr Fancypants

[close]

next episode.

[paruses]

I thought everyone else had spoiler marked it prior to your post though?  I only ask because I hope that you weren't operating under the misapprehension that I spoiled it for paruses.  He/she unfortunately chose to quote my post (which was spoiler marked from the moment it was first posted) and in doing so accidentally saw the spoiler in the appropriate tags contained within.

Oh entirely my own fault - dangers of posting whilst falling asleep but still excitable. Quite enjoyed my brain not working out why I could see my own thoughts written down behind blacked out text.

Really looking forward to next Friday's posts.

[Emotional Support Peacock]

Can't believe everyone's making such a fuss over the return of Simon Fisher.