This Time with Alan Partridge

"This Time with Alan Partridge" is a witty, culturally relevant, and hilarious British comedy television series produced by BBC One. This unique television show began airing in 2019 and was extended into the 2020-2021 season due to its popularity. The show features Steve Coogan as its protagonist, Alan Partridge, reprising his famous role from earlier successful series.

The show was developed as a satire of current affairs programming and the world of live television, encapsulating the elements of comedy, drama, faux pas, clumsiness, and trademark Partridge humour. “This Time with Alan Partridge” represents Alan’s big career break, offering a format that provides the audience with a clever mix between a behind-the-scenes look at broadcasting and a view on Partridge's personal life.

Motoring through the comedy landscape, Steve Coogan’s character, Alan Partridge, is depicted as a failed television presenter whose previous 1990s chat show, “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” had ended in public disgrace. In “This Time with Alan Partridge,” Partridge is given another shot at live TV reinvention, and this time, the context is a magazine news program, somewhat similar to BBC One's 'The One Show.' The tagline, 'a show that sums up the daily zeitgeist,' adds a hilariously hefty obligation to the protagonist’s assignment.

Despite Partridge's personality and incompetence, he secures a career-resurrecting role, stepping into the shoes of a regular presenter on ‘This Time,’ an evening weekday magazine, following the mysterious sudden departure of John Baskell. Hence, for the character of Alan Partridge, this is a vital and golden opportunity to reclaim his position in the spotlight of prime-time broadcasting, which he has been longing for.

Co-hosted with Jennie Gresham, played brilliantly by Susannah Fielding, Alan gives his unique perspective on a myriad of topics, including gun control, casual racism, and corporal punishment, sometimes causing eyebrows to raise with his unpredictable candor. The duo’s on-screen chemistry leads to numerous audacious flirtations, mixed with every aspect of Alan’s gaffes and indiscreet remarks.

The cast is expertly complemented by ‘Simon Denton’ (Tim Key), a character who adds an extra layer of depth to the comedy, and Lynn Benfield (Felicity Montagu), Alan's long-suffering personal assistant who manages to save the day on numerous occasions, contributing heavily to the narrative and the humour.

"This Time with Alan Partridge" combines elements of drama, intrigue, miscues, and is full of humor and reflective social commentary. It uses the mockumentary-style form of comedy, presenting interviews and features about lifestyle, consumer affairs, arts & culture, innovation, and showbiz glamour in the most outlandish and amusing way.

The show elevates itself with the help of excellent writing from Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons, and Steve Coogan, who displays an unflinching commitment to the role, expertly balancing Partridge’s vanity and obliviousness to great comedic effect.

Alongside its outrageous humour, it also acknowledges and brilliantly satirizes contemporary socio-political issues, deftly intertwining them into the hilarious, offbeat dynamic of the show. Alan's ineptitude perfectly captures the weight of live TV, constantly teetering on the edge of disaster, and this is masterfully wielded to comic effect, creating a bizarre and entertaining view of the world of broadcasting.

Through six episodes of “This Time with Alan Partridge,” every broadcast is a hilarious escapade, each delivering a fresh coat of comical brilliance. The show is simultaneously cringe-worthy and funny, with Partridge continuously sticking his foot in his mouth. His various gaffes, antics, and awkward exchanges ensure that the audience is frequently overcome with laughter.

In conclusion, “This Time with Alan Partridge” is wonderfully humorous and painfully relevant, a perfect comedic mirror to the reality of live TV. This show, filled with wit, subtle brilliance, and renowned for its iconic character, is a must-watch for fans of British comedy and anyone wanting a good belly laugh packed with clever social commentary.