gappy
Sunday 16th May 2021 1:03pm
Oxford
2,698 posts
Quote: chipolata @ 14th May 2021, 1:44 PM
I disagree. Although this show isn't 100% successful, I actually think some of the best Partridge has happened in the last ten years, and think the character has easily got another 27 years in him.
It's not exactly that he's exhausted, it's just that he's been to many things. So, first he was just a cipher, a simple way of parodying poor sports broadcasters or chat shows; then he was a sit com loser, whose character flaws always let him down; then he was a quieter, more mature character on MMM; then he was a hero in alpha Papa (because cock piss Partridge wouldn't have worked for a 90 minute narrative).
And, I think all of these worked fine. But This Time does all of them at once, parodying prime time magazine shows, trying to build a sit com ensemble dynamic, showing Alan's failings up, but also giving him victories. I feel it's just too many things at once, so the show feels uncertain.
To put it more simply, like so many negatively drawn or satirical characters that go on a long time, everyone's started liking him too much (the writers, the performer, the viewers).
Having said all this, I still watch the show, and scenes get a laugh, because the performances are strong, and the writing is generally tight