Alan Partridge's British History

[Ferris]

Filmed in 2019 but not aired yet. The spoof-reporter segments were the strongest parts of TTWAP for me so reckon this will be right up my alley but have t heard anything about it for a while.

Hope it hasn't been shelved or something. I've done no research, obviously.

[markburgle]

Partly a driving tour wasn't it? There was a news item at the time about Coogan being let off a driving ban because it would've meant cancelling filming and a bunch of people losing work. Seemed like series 2 of This Time took precedence, I'd assumed it was put on the back-burner half completed

[shoulders]

I was much more interested in something like this, or a new Mid Morning Matters, or a quasi-I'm Alan Partridge than This Time.

[Utter Shit]

Partly a driving tour wasn't it? There was a news item at the time about Coogan being let off a driving ban because it would've meant cancelling filming and a bunch of people losing work. Seemed like series 2 of This Time took precedence, I'd assumed it was put on the back-burner half completed

I'm not implying anything here, but formulating and then quietly shelving a travel programme for the express purpose of avoiding an upcoming driving ban would be an incredibly Partridge thing to do.

[The Ombudsman]

I'm not implying anything here, but formulating and then quietly shelving a travel programme for the express purpose of avoiding an upcoming driving ban would be an incredibly Partridge thing to do.

True! Could it also be due to COVID? Showing a driving travel show during lockdown might have not made sense to some TV big-wigs. Really hope this does come out. I generally love anything AP but the Places of my life, Sissored Isle were awesome.

[Captain Z]

Not quite related to the topic, but I don't remember seeing this linked on the site before. The guy does a pretty good Partridge impression:

Dubbing Partridge into French, Spanish, Italian and Greek

And I'm sure this has been posted before, but always gives me some solid laughs:

[The Ombudsman]

Madeley must be emulating Partridge more than Partridge is emulating Madeley here. This man knows what he's doing.

I hate myself for finding these things funny as I know that's what he wants.

[Ferris]

Not quite related to the topic, but I don't remember seeing this linked on the site before. The guy does a pretty good Partridge impression:

Dubbing Partridge into French, Spanish, Italian and Greek

This was very good. Enjoyed the Peep Show one as well.

[QDRPHNC]

Can I be a bit of a bummer?

British history again? He's done it with Welcome to the Place of My Life, Scissored Isle, Nomad, that bit in This Time, and I'm sure other bits and pieces I'm forgetting.

As much I want this to be great, I have tried and failed since it went out to give This Time even a second full viewing. It has some great moments, but it generally way too easy to tune out.

[markburgle]

Can I be a bit of a bummer?

Not successfully no, I'm still jazzed about this series - JAZZED I tell you. British history was an ingredient in those shows, not the point, and always used sparingly. So this definitely count as a new format.

I would love them to go back to the sitcom format with him though, just see him going about his day getting up to stuff. I'm sure they could find somewhere new to take so it doesn't feel like revisiting past glories.

[petril]

I think the only new ground for Alan is an end of his career. would love to see him pottering about between shifts of having to do the sports news roundup somewhere

[QDRPHNC]

Pretty sure I've said this before, but I'd love a fly-on-the-wall documentary of the production of Swallow.

[Gurke and Hare]

Is this the "Partridge looks into Brexit" thing he was supposed to be doing at one point or is that something else?

[lb99]

Is this the "Partridge looks into Brexit" thing he was supposed to be doing at one point or is that something else?

If it is, then that's probably why it's been put on ice - Brexit feels like yesterday's news now.

[Ferris]

Is this the "Partridge looks into Brexit" thing he was supposed to be doing at one point or is that something else?

It sort of morphed into two ideas (TTWAP/this British history thing) I think?

I take the point that Alan has done some history stuff before, but it was brilliant, so can we have some more please? The filmed/edited sections are the strongest parts of TTWAP, and scissored isle was a delight.

Pretty sure I've said this before, but I'd love a fly-on-the-wall documentary of the production of Swallow.

I would also love to see this.

[markburgle]

I wondered if there'd be any mileage in an "unofficial biography" - still written by the gang obviously but in the style of something put together by some hack writer who'd gone and interviewed all his family and colleagues and stuff. Could potentially repeat the trick of I, Partridge but in reverse, where you hear retellings of events we've already heard from his perspective, but as they "really" happened or at least as they happened according to others

[Shaky]

I wondered if there'd be any mileage in an "unofficial biography" - still written by the gang obviously but in the style of something put together by some hack writer who'd gone and interviewed all his family and colleagues and stuff. Could potentially repeat the trick of I, Partridge but in reverse, where you hear retellings of events we've already heard from his perspective, but as they "really" happened or at least as they happened according to others

I think that approach would wear thin very quickly - the brilliance of being in his world is that it's largely viewed through the Prism of Alan. Hours of other people genuinely giving their views on what a cock Partridge is would blow the gaff wide open. The whole point is the audience understands Alan is an inherent bullshitter and pedant - we don't need others to tell us that, and anyway it's clear how most people view him through their reactions to the stuff he comes out with.

[BeardFaceMan]

That's only one-sided though, we generally only get to see Alan interacting with people who think he's a tit but there are lots of people who genuinely like Alan, it might be refreshing to hear that. There have been sporadic appearances from characters like Jed Maxwell who like Alan, but there's also all of his celeb pals, his little clique of Norwich-based chums, Lynn (I'd love a prolonged interview with her about Alan and her life) etc. Not sure if you could get a whole book out of it but I think there's a few ideas there that could be explored, it doesn't just have to be people who don't like Alan saying that they don't like him.

[Mobius]

Apparently Partridge was a guest presenter on Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway this weekend.

Did anyone watch it?

Hopefully someone does a video edit of the Partridge bits.

[neveragain]

He was good fun. The audience seemed to get it half of the time, although the funniest bits (referencing child labour or just generally looking bored) were met with silence. More or less.

[Captain Z]

Hopefully someone does a video edit of the Partridge bits.

Uploaded within minutes of your post:

Also features forum favourite George "who? literally never heard of him" Ezra.

[shoulders]

Might warrant its own thread?

[checkoutgirl]

the funniest bits (referencing child labour or just generally looking bored) were met with silence. More or less.

I was tricked into watching it and was disappointed as Alan played second fiddle to Ant and Deckchair who are a bit chicken in a basket style for my taste. I did enjoy their occasional concerned look to each other when Alan did a joke or comment that was a bit near the mark.

Great exposure for the live show though, how many people watch Antenna and Deck? 10 million? I have a feeling there are plenty of tickets left because the venue in Dublin I'll be going to has 12,000 seats and when I saw the League of Gentlemen there a few years ago it was at least half empty.

[ImmaculateClump]

"Coming up after the break, George Ezra's finally stopped waving and put his guitar on.
I'm not sure what else he's got left in the tank, but we'll find out in a few minutes"

Worth it for that alone, I think :D

[typeforty]

Uploaded within minutes of your post:

Also features forum favourite George "who? literally never heard of him" Ezra.

He also popped up in a sequence where a boat (I think, I'm remembering hazily) was wheeled into the studio and he was manning it, looking very bored/annoyed to be involved in the segment. Honestly, the whole thing was the funniest I've found Partridge since probably MMM.

[checkoutgirl]

a boat

A mock up of the front of a jet? The segment is basically a package holiday company advert where they give away some free holidays to plebs viewers.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I did enjoy their occasional concerned look to each other when Alan did a joke or comment that was a bit near the mark.

It's called acting, dear boy. Which is ironic, I suppose, as one of the running gags was Alan casting doubt upon their ability to act. Ant & Dec were in on the rehearsed gag, they weren't actually uncomfortable with the things he said. Obviously.

Thanks for sharing that link, Captain Z. It's always fun whenever Alan crops up on things like this.

Spoiler alert

I particularly enjoyed his aggrieved phone call to Lynn. "You've got to get me out of this, they said it would be half an hour. It's going on and on and on."

[close]

[checkoutgirl]

Ant & Dec were in on the rehearsed gag, they weren't actually uncomfortable with the things he said.

Are you sure?

[Ferris]

Ugh was not a fan of that. I'm always a bit queasy when he does something in character, there's an uncanny valley joke type thing where it's real but not quite but sort of! And it opens up all sorts of continuity problems.

Stop getting partridge wrong.

[Thomas]

'Stephen Mulhern - say what you like about him, but his availability is second-to-none.'