Alan Partridge: where should I start?

[Manny Trillo]

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.

[Manny Trillo]

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 ....)

[Denim Gremlin]

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

[Ad]

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!

[Manny Trillo]

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.

[not that clay]

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.

[jimakaclark]

if you want to start at the beginning you should start with The Day Today or On The Hour (radio show)

[Eric Fishlegs]

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.

[Denim Gremlin]

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"

[JeffertonFromTX]

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.

[Josh]

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"). Here's a link to some discussion of this same topic from 2009: http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php?topic=3693.msg121917#msg121917. Have a blessed day.

• Knowing Me, Knowing You radio show
• Knowing Me, Knowing You TV show and Xmas special
• I'm Alan Partridge TV show
• Mid-Morning Matters web series
• I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan audiobook
• Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa film
• Anglican Alan, Welcome to the Places of My Life, and Open Books TV specials
• On the Hour and The Day Today appearances

[Gleepglop]

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.

[Gleepglop]

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").

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.