Steve Coogan

Doll and Em stars actresses Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells as exaggerated versions of themselves. Whilst Mortimer will be familiar to most from The Newsroom, as well as countless Hollywood films, Wells' name is less well known. However, most will have seen Wells over the years in one sitcom or another and she's probably best known for her appearances in Star Stories and Some Girls. The loose story of the show sees Dolly split up with her boyfriend and head to America to work as Emily's assistant. Obviously, this balance of power between the pair builds up a tension based on the fact that one is much more successful than the other. Several comic sequences throughout the episode increase these hostile feelings including one in which Dolly can't work out how to use Emily's sat-nav and another where Dolly finds herself inadvertently locked out of Emily's house.

Doll and Em draws obvious comparisons with The Trip, as it features two real-life friends working together and the slight resentment that builds during the show. The difference is that Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are both well-known and the problems that arose during The Trip made both men question how their careers had gone. Meanwhile, Doll and Em is a lot more one-sided with the former being an almost unrecognisable presence and the latter being an actress whose hit it big in America. Despite Emily's fame though, I just can't buy the fact that she'd be stopped on the street and asked to pose for photos, which is what happened in one scene in this episode. But my main problem with Doll and Em is that it really didn't go anywhere and at the end of the day felt quite inconsequential. I didn't find it funny nor did I identify with either woman and in addition I know exactly in which direction this series is going. Whilst I can see what Wells and Mortimer were trying to achieve with their show, it comes across as a self-indulgent passion project rather than a fairly well-observed comedy drama.

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Pope Francis meets Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan, along with Philomena Lee, whose young son was sold for adoption by nuns in 1955 and was the subject of Coogan's recent film Philomena, have met Pope Francis in Rome.

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We cornered Rob Brydon and recent Oscar nominee Steve Coogan in a Park City eatery, and asked them for a few road-trip tips. They were all too happy to oblige.

Video: The Trip to Italy with Coogan and Brydon

One of the more eagerly awaited films at the Sundance Film Festival has been The Trip to Italy - a sequel to Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's 2010 adventures.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reunite for Italian job

Three years on from 2010's The Trip, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon have reunited with director Michael Winterbottom for a sequel The Trip to Italy. According to Coogan, "it's exactly the same but sunnier."

Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon take The Trip to Italy

The gastronomic TV comedy The Trip is returning. We join its two stars during filming in Italy and find their relationship has blossomed - with the help of some more fine dining.

Audio: Steve Coogan reacts to Philomena Oscar nods

He is best known for his comedic roles but Steve Coogan's serious side has been acknowledged by the Academy Awards. Coogan's movie Philomena has received four Oscar nominations.

Considering the awful track-record of UK TV characters given their own feature-films, I'm so relieved Steve Coogan's superlative Alan Partridge makes the transition this well. A project that's been rumoured for around a decade, it feels like the spectacular success of The Inbetweeners has made British TV production companies take the risk with a movie--knowing that even a UK-only hit will be enough to recoup low financial stakes.

Alpha Papa works because the situation is definitely something that suits cinema better than television (slightly), but it's not so grandiose that it betrays the character's small and specific pleasures. Alan Partridge has always been more verbally funny than physically hilarious, so it just makes sense to have a story set inside his radio station (North Norfolk Digital) on the eve of a corporate takeover that sparks a hostage crisis when colleague Pat (Colm Meaney) is sacked and loses his mind.

It's a predicament that puts Alan in a comfortable environment (literally "chatting for his life", as hostage negotiator and Pat's occasional cohort), but during an uncomfortable life-or-death week of craziness where he's suddenly a Very Important Person in the public mind. (I'm actually excited to see what the next Partridge product on television will be, as it would be logical for the character to get a career resurgence in the wake of Alpha Papa's events. He would at least get on Celebrity Big Brother, right?)

I'm just so relieved this film doesn't get too much wrong. The jokes and hilariously overwrought dialogue is intact, Coogan's predictably excellent (in a role he's perfected over 20-years at this point), and fans will appreciate the nods to various Partridge-universe characters and events. I especially enjoyed seeing Alan's long-suffering agent Lynn (Felicity Montagu) and "best friend" Michael (Simon Greenall) again, for the first time since 2002's I'm Alan Partridge (incredibly). Lynn gets a particularly nice sub-plot; enjoying being 'pampered' by the police, as someone with an insight into Alan.

Could Steve Coogan upset the Oscars?

The Awards Editor for Variety magazine has indicated that Philomena, co-written by and starring Steve Coogan, could be in the running for an Oscar this year.