This Time with Alan Partridge

This Time with Alan Partridge is a British sitcom first broadcast in 2019 on BBC One.[1] It stars Steve Coogan as the inept broadcaster Alan Partridge in a spoof of current affairs programmes such as The One Show and Good Morning Britain.[2][3][4]

This Time with Alan Partridge
GenreParody
Developed bySteve Coogan
Neil Gibbons
Rob Gibbons
Written bySteve Coogan
Neil Gibbons
Rob Gibbons
Directed byNeil Gibbons
Rob Gibbons
StarringSteve Coogan
Susannah Fielding
Felicity Montagu
Tim Key
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
ProducerTed Dowd
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time29 minutes
Production companyBaby Cow Productions
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release25 February 2019 (2019-02-25) –
4 June 2021 (2021-06-04)

After a series of productions with Sky, This Time was the first BBC Alan Partridge production since I'm Alan Partridge ended in 2002. Susannah Fielding plays Partridge's co-host Jennie, and Tim Key and Felicity Montagu reprise their roles as Simon Denton and Partridge's assistant Lynn Benfield. The series received generally favourable reviews. A second series was broadcast in 2021.

Premise

Alan Partridge, an inept broadcaster played by Steve Coogan, becomes the stand-in presenter of This Time after the regular co-host falls ill.[5] According to The Guardian, the show features "Partridgean tirades on everything from hand hygiene (leading him to lurk outside the BBC toilets doing spot-checks on colleagues) to hacking".[5]

Production

Alan Partridge was created in 1991 by Coogan and Armando Iannucci.[6] Following early Partridge shows such as Knowing Me, Knowing You and I'm Alan Partridge, produced by the BBC, This Time was the first BBC Partridge project following several Sky productions.[5] It was produced by Coogan's production company Baby Cow Productions, written by Coogan and the Gibbons brothers, directed by the Gibbons brothers, and produced by Ted Dowd.[7]

Coogan felt it was the right time for Partridge to return, and that he might represent the views of Brexit voters.[5] Neil Gibbons said the world of live television presenting had changed since Partridge had been created: "If someone fluffed a line or got someone’s name wrong or said something stupid, it was mortifying. But nowadays, those are the sort of people who are given jobs on TV."[5] He likened Partridge to presenters such as Piers Morgan, who he felt had been hired to present Good Morning Britain because he said offensive things. Coogan and the Gibbonses ignored this because "if you put Alan in a world where his crass buffoonery is part of the selling point, there's nowhere for him to fall".[5]

A second series was produced in 2020, and was broadcast on BBC One from 30 April 2021.[8][9]

Reception

This Time with Alan Partridge has received mostly positive reviews.[10] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian wrote that "the differentiation of This Time With Alan Partridge's layers and escalation of every exchange is precision-engineered: beautiful things and a joy forever."[11] Tim Glanfield of Radio Times felt it was "some of the best Alan Partridge ever made".[12] Sean O'Grady of The Independent gave it five stars, and found it "a consistently strong creative achievement".[13] The segment with Steve Coogan as Martin Brennan (the Irish Alan Partridge lookalike who closes the show with Irish Republican Army songs) was described by Raidió Teilifís Éireann as "TV moment of the year", which would be remembered "in the canon of truly great Partridge moments."[14]

Hugo Rifkind of The Times was less positive, saying "Only very occasionally does it soar into unexpected places. Still, for a character that came along a quarter of a century ago and still isn't old, maybe fresh delights are a bit too much to ask."[15] Writing for Prospect, Lucinda Smyth argued "This Time is... OK. But it is not the best of British television, it's not even the best of Coogan, and it undermines both to say so... I don't mean to say that there haven't been a few gems in This Time. But overall the timing is patchy, the belly-laughs are few, and the script is tiringly Alan-centric."[16]

The television host Piers Morgan, who is spoofed by This Time, said that Coogan was "trying to exact revenge on me because he now hates everything to do with newspapers... I used to love Alan Partridge, he used to be hilarious, brilliant. It is now utterly unwatchable. Because Coogan has disappeared up his derrière, unfortunately."[3]

Cast

Guest appearances

Series 1 (2019)

Episode 1 [17]

Episode 2 [18]

Episode 3 [19]

Episode 4 [20]

Episode 5 [21]

Episode 6[22]

Series 2 (2021)

Episode 1 [17]

Episode 2 [18]

Episode 3 [19]

Episode 5 [23]

Episode 6

Episodes

Series 1 (2019)
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [lower-alpha 1][24]
1"Episode 1"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons25 February 2019 (2019-02-25)5.86
Alan Partridge is hired to present BBC One magazine programme This Time after one of the two regular hosts, John Baskell, falls ill. Alan and the co-host Jennie Gresham cover seal pups, hygiene, and cyberterrorism.[25]
2"Episode 2"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons4 March 2019 (2019-03-04)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
This Time former co-host John Baskell has died aged 65. In a recorded segment, Alan takes part in a reenactment of the Peasants' Revolt. Later, in remembrance, Alan reads out tweets from viewers reflecting on their favourite memories of John. This quickly turns awkward after allegations of sexual misconduct by John begin to overtake the live feed.
3"Episode 3"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons11 March 2019 (2019-03-11)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
Now the new permanent co-host of This Time, Alan presents pieces on vegetarianism and corporal punishment.
4"Episode 4"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons18 March 2019 (2019-03-18)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
Alan talks about police dog bravery. He demonstrates CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation using a mannequin. His piece on product placement involves filming Monty Don without his prior knowledge. Alan meets a Daniel Craig lookalike and his own lookalike, an Irish farmer who performs a medley of three songs. The first being When You Were Sweet Sixteen and the second two being Irish republican songs: Come Out, Ye Black and Tans and The Men Behind the Wire.
5"Episode 5"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons25 March 2019 (2019-03-25)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
Alan talks about the Me Too movement with a feminist woman, then reviews tweets of mother-in-law jokes (all originally written by Les Dawson) with Simon. Alan suffers an allergic reaction to oysters which makes his lips swell severely, yet goes ahead with his performance with mixed vocal harmony group the Quavers.
6"Episode 6"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons1 April 2019 (2019-04-01)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
Jennie confronts Alan about an insulting comment he made about her behind her back, leading her to walk off set and leave Alan to finish the show without her. Simon joins him as co-host: they discuss women's clothes, being arrested by the police, water supply in Africa and dreams. Alan is called in for a meeting with the executive producer, the Director-General of the BBC and Jennie immediately after the show.

Series 2 (2021)
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
7"Episode 1"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons30 April 2021 (2021-04-30)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
Alan is relishing his revived television career. However, conscious of being left in the shadow of co-presenter Jennie and alert to potential changes behind the scenes, he grows increasingly anxious about his place in the big time. Jennie and Sam announce their engagement live on air.[26]
8"Episode 2"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons7 May 2021 (2021-05-07)Unknown[lower-alpha 2]
A new make-up artist flirts with Alan, and a ventriloquist act returns from Knowing Me, Knowing You.[27] The episode's main focus is the criminal justice system, during which Alan investigates by spending time in a young offenders' institute.
9"Episode 3"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons14 May 2021 (2021-05-14)N/A
Alan joins an SAS training mission and interviews a journalist who criticises the show. Drinks expert Rosie Whitter demonstrates cocktail recipes.[28]
10"Episode 4"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons21 May 2021 (2021-05-21)N/A
Alan investigates chemsex. He learns that Jennie and Sam have broken up. Izzy Barnes demonstrates drama therapy in the studio.
11"Episode 5"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons28 May 2021 (2021-05-28)N/A
Alan pays tribute to female World War 2 fighter pilots and deals with a studio invasion by a group of topless female anti-capitalist protesters. Alan invites the studio make-up artist Tiff to his house in Cornwall for the weekend.
12"Episode 6"Neil Gibbons and Rob GibbonsSteve Coogan, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons4 June 2021 (2021-06-04)N/A
Alan loses an opportunity to interview Princess Anne, and falls for Simon's prank, causing him to broadcast embarrassing photos to the nation. He snaps on air, declaring his audience "idiots", and is emboldened by tweets calling for different TV coverage.
  1. Total number of viewers who watched on any device within 28 days of original transmission date.
  2. Did not rate in top 15 programmes on BBC One for the week, and so viewing figures were not published by BARB. This generally means viewing figures were below 4.5m.

References
  1. Raeside, Julia (17 February 2019). "'We've had a love-hate relationship': Steve Coogan on bringing Alan Partridge back to the BBC". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  2. Holmes, Jonathan (25 February 2019). "'Mick Jagger, what do you think about otters?' Sorry, Alan Partridge –The One Show is beyond parody". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  3. Warner, Sam (6 March 2019). "Piers Morgan hits out at Steve Coogan after new Alan Partridge series parodies Good Morning Britain". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  4. "Steve Coogan brings Alan Partridge back to the BBC". BBC News. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. Abbott, Kate (14 February 2019). "Part David Cameron, part Piers Morgan – Alan Partridge returns in time for Brexit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  6. Connelly, Brendon (4 January 2013). "Richard Herring On Co-Creating Alan Partridge, His Rasputin TV Show And Dave's New Comedy Competition - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors". Bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  7. "BBC One - This Time with Alan Partridge, Series 1, Episode 1". BBC.
  8. "This Time with Alan Partridge to return with season 2 in 2021". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  9. "New series of This Time with Alan Partridge". BBC Press Office twitter feed. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  10. "This Time With Alan Partridge: Series 1" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  11. Mangan, Lucy (25 February 2019). "This Time With Alan Partridge review – an excruciating white-knuckle ride". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  12. Glanfield, Tim (26 February 2019). "This Time with Alan Partridge first-look review: quite simply some of the best Partridge ever made". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  13. O'Grady, Sean (25 February 2019). "This Time with Alan Partridge on BBC1 is a consistently strong creative achievement". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  14. "Watch: Alan Partridge just gave us the TV moment of the year". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  15. Rifkind, Hugo (1 March 2019). "TV Review". The Times. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  16. Smyth, Lucinda (15 March 2019). ""This Time" is not the best of British TV or Alan Partridge—and it undermines both to claim otherwise". Prospect. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  17. ""This Time with Alan Partridge" Episode #1.1 (TV Episode 2019) - IMDb". www.imdb.com.
  18. "Episode #1.2". 4 March 2019 – via IMDb.
  19. "Episode #1.2". 4 March 2019 – via IMDb.
  20. "Episode #1.2". 4 March 2019 – via IMDb.
  21. "Episode #1.2". 4 March 2019 – via IMDb.
  22. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9789983/?ref_=ttep_ep6
  23. "Episode #2.5". 28 May 2021 – via IMDb.
  24. "Four Screen Viewing". BARB. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  25. "This Time with Alan Partridge - Series 1: Episode 1" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  26. "This Time with Alan Partridge Series 2 Episode 1" – via www.radiotimes.com.
  27. "This Time with Alan Partridge Series 2 Episode 2" – via www.radiotimes.com.
  28. "This Time with Alan Partridge Series 2 Episode 3" – via www.radiotimes.com.
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