This Time with Alan Partridge

Maybe it's a - long awaited - channel promotion. Partridge maybe have been on BBC Two before, but not for 16 years. I don't think it's a wild suggestion to say this might have been considered for Two, but I think it's more the presumption that the BBC One audience can't understand a relatively simple joke.

You’ve not seen Piers Morgan on GMB, I take it?

I absolutely love Alan Partridge but this show just isn’t doing it for me.

Yes, it was excellent. As usual I only really half watched it so I will have to rewatch it again at some point as there's a lot I missed, especially having read various threads about it online (there are hints throughout episode 1 and 2 about the climax of episode 2 apparently*). It's densely packed with jokes and little bits of business, which is why they can afford to throw away a slapstick falling over gag


Also having heard the excellent Empire podcast with the Gibbon Brothers I've got a much better understanding of the programme and what they were trying to achieve and the creative thoughts behind it.


*

Same. I'll see it out to see if it improves but I haven't found it overly funny so far.

I don't think the format lends itself to Alan as a character. He can flourish on his own show like Knowing Me Knowing You as it's his baby, and we can fully see Alan develop as the character that he is.

The gag of the awkwardness of his mannerisms on This Time can only stretch for so long, and by the looks of it they're intending to stretch this for the full series.

Also in any other situation the co-presenter would speak over him and shut him down. Whereas it's obvious the script is just written for Alan to just say what he wants with barely any interruption, which everyone knows is not realistic for a typical show format like this.

Piers Morgan doesn't present The One Show, and it's obvious that This Time is not a breakfast morning programme, so the irony is somewhat very vague. Also Piers is given time to say what he wants as he is a loud and powerful character, something which Alan isn't.

I stand my by view that this would have stood up better as a stripped Monday-Friday series. I think when the entire series unfolds it will be even more enjoyable to watch all the way through, back to back.

There are many layers of storytelling/humour involved in this show, some of which only becomes apparent after the 2nd or 3rd viewing. I'm discovering more with each watch, and I'm genuinely interested to see the story arc unfolding.

The 2 new comedies are not doing well in the overnight ratings. Partridge went sub 2m.

Millionaire trounced them both last night.

Arguably not great scheduling to put Alan Partridge against Jeremy Clarkson.

Only 1.9m last night which is disastrous for BBC One

Checking Genome, S1 of I'm Alan Partridge received a repeat showing on BBC 1 in 1999.

I thought S2 in 2002 was on BBC 1 from the outset, at 22:35hrs ish, but I see it was actually on BBC 2 at 22:00hrs

Last week's episode consolidated to 5 million, which is a pretty big uplift.

There’s just something ‘off’ with this series, there are funny moments but I don’t think it’s worth the five star reviews. In an era of Piers Morgan’s and Richard Madeley’s, Alan Partridge is nothing extraordinary to the modern audience. The central joke seems to be the awkwardness between the presenters, which can only be stretched out so far. Featuring more than just the TV studio might have helped.

Being under 2m suggests BBC Two was probably better after all. Even with catchup, it’s highly unlikely episode 2 will reach 5m, probably 4m at best.