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FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Manny Trillo on April 09, 2015, 04:34:06 PM

Title: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Manny Trillo on April 09, 2015, 04:34:06 PM
I know that he's a Steve Coogan character and that it's a spoof of a thing of a blah. The internet has confused me so I will ask you: where should I start? What should I watch (listen to?) first?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Manny Trillo on April 09, 2015, 05:26:16 PM
UPDATE: A friend has recommended that I start with "Knowing Me, Knowing You". Thoughts?

(Also: please pardon the potential breach of message board etiquette in replying (first) to my own post ....)
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Denim Gremlin on April 09, 2015, 05:44:14 PM
start with I'm Alan Partridge season 1. It's the best stuff and it's the perfect introduction to the character, Knowing Me Knowing You is really great but it's more of a parody of a talk show, I'm Alan Partridge is the character in his best form and it'll make you appreciate everything else with him so much more I think. It's all amazing though
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Ad on April 09, 2015, 07:12:30 PM
I agree with Kid Collin, that Alan Partridge season 1 is the best, but I started with Knowing Me, Knowing You. I'm glad I did because it's such a perfect introduction to the character. You can't go wrong, either way. And you definitely need to see all three series. (Knowing Me, Knowing You and Alan Partridge seasons 1 and 2.)

Enjoy!
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Manny Trillo on April 09, 2015, 10:13:48 PM
Awesome. Thanks all.

Netflix has a 2013 "Alan Partridge" movie but I assume I should save that.

Hulu Plus has "Knowing Me" so I might start there unless I can find the other (earlier) one you mentioned.
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: not that clay on April 09, 2015, 11:35:43 PM
I think Tom suggested starting with "I'm Alan Partridge," because that's what I did, and I think it's the way to go. "Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge" is just as great but IAP is more accessible. They're all genuinely amazing and you can't lose.
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: jimakaclark on April 10, 2015, 08:45:30 AM
if you want to start at the beginning you should start with The Day Today or On The Hour (radio show)
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Eric Fishlegs on April 11, 2015, 02:33:57 PM
Does I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE spoil the ending of KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU? That might be the best reason to start with KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU but it oesn't matter a ton.
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Denim Gremlin on April 11, 2015, 03:01:15 PM
Quote from: Eric Fishlegs on April 11, 2015, 02:33:57 PM
Does I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE spoil the ending of KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU? That might be the best reason to start with KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU but it oesn't matter a ton.

not unless you consider him not having a show anymore a spoiler. Knowing Me Knowing You is a parody of a talk show, it has references that are made in the later show but it's not really a storyline like I'm Alan Partridge, which takes place "in the real world"
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: JeffertonFromTX on April 12, 2015, 08:32:52 PM
I'm really glad someone started this thread. I just watched the movie and it was hilarious but I had no idea where to start with the other stuff.
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Josh on April 15, 2015, 12:28:54 AM
Here's the order I would recommend. IMHO it's necessary to see him when he has success, with KMKY, to really understand the pathos of IAP. Tom has come out strongly in favor of the oft-maligned IAP series 2 ("...those six episodes of IM ALAN PARTRIDGE are the best three hours of television I have ever seen") (http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php?topic=1257.msg145059#msg145059). Here's a link to some discussion of this same topic from 2009: http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php?topic=3693.msg121917#msg121917. (http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php?topic=3693.msg121917#msg121917.) Have a blessed day.


Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Gleepglop on April 15, 2015, 02:12:21 PM
Oh man, I didn't realize Armando Iannucci (In The Loop, Veep) had anything to do with the Partridge character. I'm gonna have to move the Alan Partridge oeuvre up in my binge list.
Title: Re: Alan Partridge: where should I start?
Post by: Gleepglop on June 25, 2015, 01:26:23 PM
Quote from: Josh on April 15, 2015, 12:28:54 AM
Here's the order I would recommend. IMHO it's necessary to see him when he has success, with KMKY, to really understand the pathos of IAP. Tom has come out strongly in favor of the oft-maligned IAP series 2 ("...those six episodes of IM ALAN PARTRIDGE are the best three hours of television I have ever seen") (http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php?topic=1257.msg145059#msg145059).
Just checking back in on this thread since I've begun working through the Steve Coogan Collection DVD box set. The set's ordered chronologically, and I'm just following that. Am most of the way through series 2 of I'm Alan Partridge, and while I enjoyed KMKN and the first series of IAP, this second season is the first stuff from the set that had me laughing out loud pretty consistently. Little hints of the multi-layered acerbic brilliance that you see in Iannuci's later stuff like In the Loop, The Thick of It, and Veep, and I've grown to love the characters (Alan, Lynn, Michael). I'm also usually pretty put off by the whole sitcom format (esp. with canned/studio laughter) but the material is just so good.