Pete Gibson-Black

I was concerned with the first episode in places last week when this (version) of Alan Partridge launched. There were however some pockets of humour that fitted his character and made me laugh; the Granddad Graham story and the wide of the mark references to German U Boat commanders both feeling like Alan. Last night's offering was a complete car crash however. Surely the point of Alan is to make people laugh. The writing is lazy and repetetive, crass, awkward and at times telegraphed and insulting. Coogan's performance is totally OTT! And before any says the blindingly obvious "but he's like that because he's desperate to be back on the tele," This doesn't hold water for me. Alan was often "Saaaaad" and out of touch, opinionated and self-centred, self-obsessed, insular and ignorant, at times surreal and leftfield, grotesque (I'm flaking again, pillow/flapjack). But what he was was undeniably funny, probably moreso when he was at his lowest ebb in I'm Alan Partridge Season 2. Sidekick Simon is absolutely wasted here, and as for Lin? Who is wasting these opportunities? Is no-one watching this back? This show (a good descriptor in some ways) is about as far from classic comedy as it gets. It is a telegraphed and gringeworthy caricature of a classic character that maybe can't or shouldn't be on TV anymore. What this says about the current comedy pulse of BBC TV and it's previously stellar writing quality over the years speaks volumes. Alan should join Stuart Lee in his comedy vehicle and drive to Dundee in his bare feet if this is his future. RIP AP!