Steve Coogan considering Alan Partridge chat show
- Steve Coogan is considering making a new Alan Partridge chat show for TV
- The new show would involve real people, rather than actors, as guests
- He says: "We really want to make fun of the guests in a way that is a bit edgy"
Steve Coogan has revealed he is considering producing a TV chat show hosted by Alan Partridge, in which the character interviews real people.
During the recording of Alan Carr: Chatty Man, which will be shown on TV tonight, Coogan was asked by Alan Carr what is coming up next for his famous character. The actor confirmed in reply: "We might do a real chat show."
This will not be the first time Alan Partridge has hosted a chat show. The character's first radio series in 1992, which then transferred to TV a year later - Knowing Me, Knowing You... With Alan Partridge - saw the hapless DJ attempting to interview guests. However, in that case the guests were played by actors. This new format would involve Alan interacting with real celebrities.
Elaborating further about the idea, Coogan said: "We might do a real one, with real guests. I don't know. We are having a think about it. Thing is, we really want to make fun of the guests in a way that is a bit edgy."
The writer and comedian, recalling his sketch for the British Comedy Awards 2000, told Carr: "I interviewed Elton John once and made fun of his propensity of buying huge bouquets of flowers and being a gay ex-pothead. He was great. He wore his pink suit to look extra gay for us. It was nice."
Coogan is appearing on Alan Carr: Chatty Man to promote, amongst other things, the Series 2 DVD of Mid Morning Matters With Alan Partridge, which is currently airing on Sky Atlantic.
Asked about the controversy surrounding Top Gear filming by the Cenotaph, Coogan replied: "I am outraged. Outraged. Yeah that's it. I mean there is a point to it but I think people do like to get... I mean the British especially, we do like to get really angry about things, don't we? It was probably inappropriate but I think people love to go 'how dare you'. A lot of finger-waggers, aren't we?"
He also revealed: "In fact, when I'm abroad I get recognised, not for Alan Partridge, but for having been on Top Gear three times. That is my claim to fame. They did mention me [in relation to being one of the new hosts] but I'm not sure I would be very good at that. You know, they always say it's better to say 'why wasn't he a presenter on Top Gear?' than 'why was he a presenter on Top Gear?'. Think about that. It's quite wise."
Last month it was reported that Coogan has been banned from driving after he was clocked doing 54mph in a 30mph zone.
As also reported recently, Coogan is now working with Rob Brydon to make a new series of The Trip. The Trip To Spain will air on Sky Atlantic later this year.
Sky Atlantic will begin showing Happyish, the US comedy series in which Coogan plays a middle-aged ad man with a "low joy ceiling", from Wednesday 30th March.
Alan Carr: Chatty Man, which will also feature All Saints, Rob Delaney, and The Aliens actors Michael Socha and Michaela Coel, is on Channel 4 tonight (17th March) at 10pm.
In the below preview clip, Coogan reads out some 'Accidental Partridge' tweets: