Alan Partridge to ask How Are You? on BBC One "soonish"
Alan Partridge is returning to television soon, "mangling" the subject of mental health, Steve Coogan has confirmed.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning, Coogan explained that the spoof, six-part BBC One documentary, previously known as And Did Those Feet... With Alan Partridge, will air soon with the new title of How Are You?
"I'm not sure when it's out, it's soon-ish" Coogan said. "It's called How Are You? and it's about the mental health of the nation. Very serious subject matter that he mangles."
When presenter Sally Nugent replied: "I can't imagine how Alan would handle a sensitive subject," Coogan responded: "Well, I'm sure you can. You can try."
When filming began on the series in May, the series was described as Partridge unpacking "what is missing in his life, explore why the nation is in such a funk, and find out what it might take to keep a person funk-free ... settling into life back in Norfolk after a year working in Saudi Arabia, but the adjustment has left him with a deep sense of unease.
"Seeing himself and his homeland anew, there are pressing and frankly glaring questions he'd like to ask of himself and, on behalf of himself, of the country.
"One of the first - if not the first - documentary to address the issue of mental wellness, the six-part series follows the revered and beloved broadcaster on a quest to understand what's going on, with Britain's minds and his own. It's a show that makes a statement that will create shockwaves: 'I'm Alan Partridge, and I'm not OK'. Partridge will write, present and produce the series. He will also direct the series."
Coogan was appearing on BBC Breakfast to promote his role as political interviewer Brian Walden alongside Harriet Walter as Margaret Thatcher in the Channel 4 drama Brian And Maggie, airing tomorrow night.
A BBC spokesperson declined to comment on How Are You?, which is made by Coogan's production company Baby Cow (Gavin & Stacey, This Time With Alan Partridge).