Quote: Nick @ July 1 2012, 1:31 PM BSTThe tone felt very different and so did the character...
He seemed very Partridge to me, Coogan knows who Alan is.
Alan Partridge: Welcome To The Places Of My Life Page 3
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 1 2012, 1:35 PM BSTHe seemed very Partridge to me, Coogan knows who Alan is.
I was referring more to the writing than the performance.
I think that between the first and second series of I'm Alan Partridge Coogan actually lost the character. On the DVD commentaries I seem to recall he wasn't too fond of his own performance. He was much improved in Mid-Morning Matters though.
Quote: Nick @ July 1 2012, 1:44 PM BSTI was referring more to the writing than the performance.
I think that between the first and second series of I'm Alan Partridge Coogan actually lost the character. On the DVD commentaries I seem to recall he wasn't too fond of his own performance. He was much improved in Mid-Morning Matters though.
Sure, you could say he went a little bigger and broader at points in his performance in series two, but when the overall end result is a series as funny as that one, it's difficult to complain.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 1 2012, 2:45 PM BSTSure, you could say he went a little bigger and broader at points in his performance in series two, but when the overall end result is a series as funny as that one, it's difficult to complain.
Unless you don't think the series was quite that funny of course...
Quote: Nick @ July 1 2012, 2:50 PM BSTUnless you don't think the series was quite that funny of course...
Your loss! 
Quote: Nick @ July 1 2012, 11:34 AM BSTThis was ok but I think the absence of Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham and Patrick Marber was certainly felt. It felt like Partridge-lite.
I kind of felt this too. The Gibbon brothers have got a fairly good handle on the character, but they're never going to be Iannucci.
I've not seen it yet, but isn't one of the reasons Partridge has worked over a long period of time is that he's continuously re-invigorated with slightly different formats and writing teams?
Although I take Ben's point that there's only one Iannucci.
I had to turn it off half way through for making me more bored than amused...
I thought it was genius. An official Peartree production. A self centered, bloated, ridiculous documentary about Alan, made by Alan, edited by Alan, and written by Alan. Its subtlety was its genius. The horrid editing in the swimming pool to his daydreaming about Hitler and his confrontation with the guy selling produce (Graham Duff!). The funniest bits were his arguments with the Land Rover salesman and confronting his old teacher, who was in a wheel chair! Hilarious from start to finish and I think it will only get better with repeat viewings.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to watching it again, lots of classic Alan moments.
And there's a new special tonight!
The terrible editing seemed a bit too obvious to me.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 2 2012, 1:38 PM BSTYeah, I'm looking forward to watching it again, lots of classic Alan moments.
And there's a new special tonight!
Damn you Sky! Why must all the good comedy be put on an pricey satellite channel. Why? Why? Whyyyyyyy?
And it's not even available on Virgin Media. :/
I've watched this now and it made me chuckle in quite a few places. I particularly liked the interview in the swimming pool with Alan nearly drowning off-screen.
Quote: Nick @ July 1 2012, 11:34 AM BSTThis was ok but I think the absence of Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham and Patrick Marber was certainly felt. It felt like Partridge-lite.
Don't understand this at all, seems to be looking for problems that aren't there, especially as Armando has been involved in Partridge again starting with Mid-Morning Matters.
As for Marber, don't see the appeal, never felt he was "comedy", just a performer using it as a stepping stone to more serious work.
I think I agree with Richard Herring's opinion on him from the recent podcasts! 
(If you want to be that contrary you could say Partridge hasn't been the same since Lee and Herring were cut out of the equation! 
)
Great stuff I thought, Partridge drowning in the pool/saving it with cutaways recorded afterwards was a particular highlight, Alan is at his best when he's meta like that, especially when he's trying to save his own embarrassment.
Nice to (almost) hear from Lynn too, even though she must be getting on for retirement age by now.
Typical Alan that he'll probably never let her retire, always calling her up to sort his life out...
So, to end this post in the most cliché way possible: Textbook Alan, Ten on ten!
I had to rewatch the Anglian Lives doc from the series 2 set. I forgot how funny Peter Baynham was on that.
Back of the net!