And Did Those Feet, With Alan Partridge [split topic]

[Huxleys Babkins]

Well did any of us obsessives ever get to the bottom of why Lynn Benfield is never referred to by name?

I just presumed it's because Alan is a prick who didn't want to give any credit to her.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Yep, that's the running gag. Alan doesn't think Lynn is worthy of being mentioned by name.

[Milo]

Goes quite nicely alongside his multiple attempts to name his programmes "Alan's Show".

[Retinend]

What is "And Did Those Feet"? Google shows discussion of it from 2019 as a forthcoming thing that never came forth.

[holyzombiejesus]

What is "And Did Those Feet"? Google shows discussion of it from 2019 as a forthcoming thing that never came forth.

It was supposed to be some Coast style travelogue/ history of Britain thing. Coogan has alluded to it a few times, going so far as to state he was scheduled to 'be Alan' for a month's filming after series one of This Time.

[BritishHobo]

It's finally happening!

[madhair60]

can't wait ^-^

[Ferris]

Is this a reworking of his time in Qatar during Big Beacon with Andy Gray and Richard Keys, or has he gone looking for work in another gulf state?

He did mention that ethically-questionable voiceovers with middle eastern petro companies formed most of his revenue at the end of the book, so it's feasible he moved out there (again).

[QDRPHNC]

I mean, I'm looking forward to it and all, but Alan has done a lot of English travelogue / state of the nation pieces. Feels like there's so much more that could be explored with Partridge, but the Gibbons (as funny as they are if they're reading this, which they are) seem to coalesce around 4 or 5 main topics.

Give us more of Alan in LA trying to break into the American industry while keeping on GMT to avoid jet lag. Or a mockumentary about the self-financed production of Swallow. Or a filmed performance by the Alan Partridge Players. Or anything else that isn't focused on property or England or walking.

Edit. I suppose it could be a budget thing. Much easier to spread your wings in audio form. Don't know.

[holyzombiejesus]

It's not even been filmed yet, has it? Presume we'll be looking at an autumn air date.

[Steve Faeces]

Sounds promising. I'm surprised they've never done an actual version of televised military themed quiz show Skirmish as a series yet or even a feature in one of the other series (saying that I can't remember where Skirmish fits in the timeline so where it would work). It's a bit of TV Alan that we've never actually seen on TV.

[BritishHobo]

Sounds promising. I'm surprised they've never done an actual version of televised military themed quiz show Skirmish as a series yet or even a feature in one of the other series (saying that I can't remember where Skirmish fits in the timeline so where it would work). It's a bit of TV Alan that we've never actually seen on TV.

Could be fun if they did an episode of it as a pilot for a reboot - like it sank on its overlooked digital channel, but has a cult following online that have always fought for a revival.

[BeardFaceMan]

I was sure they showed a short (ie 5 seconds or so) clip of Skirmish in one of the docu shows, or am I confusing it with a sequence from the books?

[Milo]

I was sure they showed a short (ie 5 seconds or so) clip of Skirmish in one of the docu shows, or am I confusing it with a sequence from the books?

There was a bit transcribed in one of the books where a contestant with a white phosphorous bomb is asked if he wants to re-arm when discovering his target is next to a hospital, or something like that.

[markburgle]

It's not even been filmed yet, has it? Presume we'll be looking at an autumn air date.

They filmed some of it years ago, there was that incident where Coogan got out of a driving ban so he could be behind the wheel for certain sequences.

[Mobius]

Was a nice surprise to see "new partridge series" on the front of the BBC when I woke up

I loved the Richard Keys/Andy Gray/Dubai arselicking in the latest book so this should be good

[neveragain]

Sounds promising. I'm surprised they've never done an actual version of televised military themed quiz show Skirmish as a series yet or even a feature in one of the other series (saying that I can't remember where Skirmish fits in the timeline so where it would work). It's a bit of TV Alan that we've never actually seen on TV.

I remember reading that they planned to film an episode to go alongside IAP series two (which is where it fits in) but decided against it.

Anyway, I agree with QDR... It would be nice to see him doing something a bit different.

[Ferris]

Agree with past (and no doubt future) posters on CaB that a "behind the scenes" type show focusing on Alan getting a commission and actually making Swallow would be fantastic.

You've already got some of the characterization with the off-air sections of This Time... and the open goal of showing sections of the finished program but oh ha ha ha it's bad and reflects the little-englander beliefs of the creator/director.

Sort of a IAP1 twinned with Charlie Brooker's A Touch of Cloth. I'm very happy with the later years Alan we're getting so I can't complain.

[Spudgun]

I've said it before in one of these threads, but I'd love to see a series of Partridge pilots - not the finished episodes, but the raw studio footage of them being made as they inevitably degenerate into farce. I think there'd be a fair bit of mileage in that, and you could cover quite a few different types of programme.

Bonus points the closer each one is to a thinly-veiled Edmonds reboot, e.g. House Party, Telly Addicts, Swap Shop, Deal or No Deal, those mad Christmas morning live satellite link-ups that always went wrong, etc. etc.

Spoiler alert

Double bonus points if the whole thing turns out to be one massive Gotcha by Edmonds.

[close]

But, yeah, looking forward to this new series.

[Sonny_Jim]

Whilst I love the idea of Partridge meeting his nemesis Old Showbiz Pal Edmunds onscreen, I don't think Noel himself could do it without breaking kayfabe.

[QDRPHNC]

Agree with past (and no doubt future) posters on CaB that a "behind the scenes" type show focusing on Alan getting a commission and actually making Swallow would be fantastic.

Tbf, I think it's just me that's been saying it the whole time.

[Ferris]

Tbf, I think it's just me that's been saying it the whole time.

Honestly it's a veil to protect myself from scurrilous (and true) allegations that I have also been banging on about the same thing for ages in partridge threads, while also acknowledging that it's not even my idea to begin with.

[The Late Satoru Iwata]

The only Partridge idea I've ever had that I'd like to see happen is another book: not a memoir for a bloody change but a Dirty Dozen inspired military escapade or Bond-style espionage thriller as written by Alan. So - obvious insert characters, petty grievances/point scoring, odd minutiae and the narrative occasionally pointing out how clever it thinks it's being. Do it, Gibbo-Coogan. Especially the audiobook version,

[Sonny_Jim]

Isn't there a couple of chapters in one of the audiobooks where it's Alan reading from the sexy book he's just written?

EDIT:  Transgender nazis and a plot to kill Hitler IIRC

[BritishHobo]

Him reading his William and Kate fanfiction at the end of a series 2 episode of Mid Morning Matters is up there for me for great Partridge moments. The tone of it and its overfamiliarity is note-perfect to stuff like that recent Liz Jones article overreacting to Kate's hospital stay. And the self-satisfied sign-off of the weird sexy bit, going into the Blue Peter theme over the credits. Lovely.

[Shaky]

I can totally understand the docs and autobiographies starting to seem like retreads after a while but it's all part of the Gibbons' essential grounding of the character (aside from the occasional insane moment over the years). Realistically, Alan would continue to make all these identikit self-admiring shows and wring every last drop out of his relatively meagre life because, well, that's what similar sorts of slebs do in the real world.

No way would the likes of Swallow ever get off the ground, and I don't need to see him in America thanks (he'd never go anyway).

[Milo]

Isn't there a couple of chapters in one of the audiobooks where it's Alan reading from the sexy book he's just written?

EDIT:  Transgender nazis and a plot to kill Hitler IIRC

Putin's arsedoctor.

[QDRPHNC]

I don't need to see him in America thanks (he'd never go anyway).

You are bang wrong, he did an Oasthouse about his trip to LA (while keeping on GMT), which apparently he does periodically.

It's not America being such a great idea anyway, just something different. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like this era of Partridge (which has been long and brilliant) might be running out of steam, so it's a shame to see them go back to the well again.

[Tikwid]

The only Partridge idea I've ever had that I'd like to see happen is another book: not a memoir for a bloody change but a Dirty Dozen inspired military escapade or Bond-style espionage thriller as written by Alan. So - obvious insert characters, petty grievances/point scoring, odd minutiae and the narrative occasionally pointing out how clever it thinks it's being. Do it, Gibbo-Coogan. Especially the audiobook version,

Steve Bruce's trilogy of football thriller novels (Striker!, Sweeper! and Defender!) are what you need:

[BritishHobo]

Alan getting fleeced in LA is very funny but also one of those moments that's so fucking bleak that I really struggle with it. I just think, you absolute fucking idiot, why can you not help yourself? It's like having a mate who always does the wrong thing, and you try to support them, but eventually they do something so stupid and unthinking, such an act of self-sabotage, such a lack of common sense that you can't help yourself anymore. What were you THINKING