ALAN PARTRIDGE
alter ego Partridge
BBC1, 9.30pm
IT’S Alan Partridge, and he’s back from the TV presenter graveyard after old Auntie kicked him to the kerb way back when.
The character, played by Steve Coogan and first created in 1991 for a spoof radio show, On The Hour, has not been on primetime for a while. But as Alan would probably say, he’s bouncing back! And right on to BBC1, no less.
In this latest TV concoction, Alan has been handed a career lifeline – the chance to stand in (temporarily) as co- host on This Time, a weekday magazine show that looks very familiar.
It’s basically a parody of The One Show, with Susannah Fielding brilliant as the Alex Jones-esque Jennie Gresham, Alan’s co-host.
His chance at glory is on account of the sudden illness of regular host, John Baskell. But can he step up to the plate?
“We’re in the safe, capable, smooth hands of Mr Alan Partridge,” says Jennie as he joins her on the sofa for the first time.
Each episode runs as if it were a live broadcast of This Time, although we also get treated to the behind-thescenes moments whenever the show goes to video tape.
In this opener, it’s a chance for the consummate broadcaster to flit effortlessly between the plight of pintsized seal pups, hand- washing, vegetarianism and gambling.
Elsewhere, a guest called Alice Fluck causes pronunciation trouble, Alan steps into a Petri dish and also brings down a “hacktivist”.
This is classic Partridge, brought firmly up-to-date by Coogan along with co-writers Neil and Rob Gibbons.