Television Alan Partridge returns - New series of This Time begins Friday April 30th, 9:30pm

GBBQ

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Watched it last night, the laughs aren't as consistent/frequent as previous series but certain parts had me in stitches. Acting out shooting himself in the head after one of his weird outbursts, when he sneezes and just casually drops the tissue on the ground.

I do like that he is somewhat restrained in his outburts and faux pas. I'm sure it will build and build as the series goes on.
 

iammemphis

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I laughed when the smart board came up as “no files” when they eventually got to open the correct tab. The rest of the show was pretty good too, abit cringe in some places where it felt they were trying to hard on the cheese/comedy but it was funny.
 

Red_Aaron

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I really liked it, was laughing throughout Thought it had a good mix of outright jokes and subtle touches

The smart screen joke was good but very much a copy of the (superior) old woman at the check out scene from scissored Isle
 

Pogue Mahone

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Jaysus. I didn’t like this. At all. Couldn’t finish watching the episode. Maybe partly because this sort of sit com feels very dated? I’ve gotten so used to watching semi-improvised naturalistic dialogue in comedy shows, seeing such a carefully scripted show felt, I dunno, old-fashioned?

It just felt like joke after scripted joke was a complete dud, to the extent it was painful to watch (not in the good, so painful to watch it’s actually funny, way of previous Alan Partridges).

Yeah, I’ll have to go with massive disappointment. Won’t be watching again.
 

MoskvaRed

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I thought it was poor - not just compared to genuinely great series like “Knowing Me, Knowing You” or “I’m Alan Partridge” but judged on its own terms as a comedy. It was dull and cringeworthy (but not in an amusing vintage Partridge/David Brent way). I’ll give it one more episode but I suspect it might be time for Coogan to pension off this character.
 
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VeevaVee

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Those who thought it was poor - do you think it was a bit too flat? Perhaps intentionally so to up the cringe (the lack of other sounds such as when the VTs were running seemed to contribute to this. Think someone else mentioned this). Not sure if it's working though yet. I definitely expected more but enjoyed it enough to keep watching.
 

Pogue Mahone

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Those who thought it was poor - do you think it was a bit too flat? Perhaps intentionally so to up the cringe (the lack of other sounds such as when the VTs were running seemed to contribute to this. Think someone else mentioned this). Not sure if it's working though yet. I definitely expected more but enjoyed it enough to keep watching.
I’m not sure. I think a part of it was the lack of comedic chemistry with his co-host. Partridge comedy seems to work best when he’s bashing heads with the real world. Her character never felt very real. Just a cipher for mediocre, poorly scripted one-liners.

Actually it was probably mainly the the script. It just wasn’t very funny. IMHO. I thought the teaser trailer of the opening moments (can I have a glass of water) was hilarious but it went instantly downhill from there and I couldn’t stick it for the whole episode. The more they talked the less funny it got.
 

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I’m not sure. I think a part of it was the lack of comedic chemistry with his co-host. Partridge comedy seems to work best when he’s bashing heads with the real world. Her character never felt very real. Just a cipher for mediocre, poorly scripted one-liners.
I think I know what you mean here though. She needs a bit more life, even if she's playing the part of ultra professional presenter trying to keep it all all happy and running smoothly. I was hoping for more going on away from the show as well, or at least make it feel as lively as the One Show.
 

ivaldo

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I’m not sure. I think a part of it was the lack of comedic chemistry with his co-host. Partridge comedy seems to work best when he’s bashing heads with the real world. Her character never felt very real. Just a cipher for mediocre, poorly scripted one-liners.

Actually it was probably mainly the the script. It just wasn’t very funny. IMHO. I thought the teaser trailer of the opening moments (can I have a glass of water) was hilarious but it went instantly downhill from there and I couldn’t stick it for the whole episode. The more they talked the less funny it got.
See I thought the opposite. I thought she was a great foil and the actress played her brilliantly. The consummate professional on screen and a two faced snake off it, a kind of polar opposite to the bumbling, naive, filterless Partridge.
 

togg

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I’m not sure. I think a part of it was the lack of comedic chemistry with his co-host. Partridge comedy seems to work best when he’s bashing heads with the real world. Her character never felt very real. Just a cipher for mediocre, poorly scripted one-liners.

Actually it was probably mainly the the script. It just wasn’t very funny. IMHO. I thought the teaser trailer of the opening moments (can I have a glass of water) was hilarious but it went instantly downhill from there and I couldn’t stick it for the whole episode. The more they talked the less funny it got.
Absolutely right, the character doesn't work so well when he's in the situation where he really wants to be. ie...hosting a morning show on a major terrestrial channel. It's not plausible. The comedy works better when he's in an everyday world he feels he shouldn't be in because of his own misguided beliefs in his own ability and talent.
 

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Absolutely right, the character doesn't work so well when he's in the situation where he really wants to be. ie...hosting a morning show on a major terrestrial channel. It's not plausible. The comedy works better when he's in an everyday world he feels he shouldn't be in because of his own misguided beliefs in his own ability and talent.
The reason the movie is a bit meh.
 

Pogue Mahone

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Absolutely right, the character doesn't work so well when he's in the situation where he really wants to be. ie...hosting a morning show on a major terrestrial channel. It's not plausible. The comedy works better when he's in an everyday world he feels he shouldn't be in because of his own misguided beliefs in his own ability and talent.
Well put.
 

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Just stuck the classics on. There's a pizzaz to the character that there isn't in the new one. Don't know how to describe it. Just more energy to it.
 

ivaldo

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The “accidental Partidge” hotel advert has resurfaced again and has gone viral.

 

Carl

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Loved it.

Guess who's back in the big time?!
 

SteveJ

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Richard Madeley: the character Alan Partridge could've been.
 

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I always think they've always hinted at who Partridge has been based on since his original TV inception on The Day Today, when Alan namedrops them as people he knows. He's an amalgamation of all kinds of real life people.

Iannucci and Baynham aren't involved on this series so that might be a possible reason for the dip in quality, or it's just that people have extremely high standards since the first series of I'm Alan Partridge is a masterpiece. I like that they've varied the format of the character over the years. I imagine watching Partridge in sitcom form (IAP) was a weird jump from the chat show parody (KMKY). It's probably too hard to create a new Partridge sitcom or just do IAP Series 3. Apparently Iannucci hated IAP S2 on reflection.

I'd like to see them to do something which parodies the celeb reality TV programmes. Partridge in the Jungle surrounded by his fellow peers at the height of his fame and the new, younger, more publicly relevant celebs who turn out to be the new generation of him.
 

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Just watched s1 ep5, with the stalker guy. Completely forgot about it. Jesus Christ, it's absolute gold.
 

Pexbo

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Big step up from last week. Had me creased up.

Completely innocuous moment and a classic small touch that Partridge excels: when he gave his microphone to the lady in the crowd and she said “oh, thank you”. Had me in stitches, the subtle reaction of Alan and the others in shot.
 

CassiusClaymore

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Big step up from last week. Had me creased up.

Completely innocuous moment and a classic small touch that Partridge excels: when he gave his microphone to the lady in the crowd and she said “oh, thank you”. Had me in stitches, the subtle reaction of Alan and the others in shot.
:lol: yeah. "Don't talk into it. Put it there."
 

CallyRed

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Big step up from last week. Had me creased up.

Completely innocuous moment and a classic small touch that Partridge excels: when he gave his microphone to the lady in the crowd and she said “oh, thank you”. Had me in stitches, the subtle reaction of Alan and the others in shot.
And the passing of the after eight mint :lol:
 

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Anyone catch those TV shows listings? You can pause them on the iPlayer replay. My personal favourite was Gibraltar CID

“It’s back to the rock for more sun-drenches scrapes with the detectives on the Royal Gibraltar Police Force. 50 crates of Pernod are found in a boathouse and HM Customs want answers”

:lol:
 

VeevaVee

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Deffo a better episode. Still seems more forced and less energy in the character but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

I just watched the 'tomato, tomato' bit with the South African, from season two of IAL before it. One of the my favourite bits :lol: