Armando Iannucci

While the script, direction and characterisation are all borderline holy in their perfection, it ignores the fact that, at this stage of his career, rather than let him languish on the "third best slot on Radio Norwich", the producers of The Entertainers would have dropped Sayer like a shot for a pop at Partridge.

Viewed in an utterly contemporary context, the new series of I'm Alan Partridge looks curiously dated. Recording it on video and including an audience laughter track flies in the face of recent comedy tradition.