Alan Partridge is a 1997 BBC
BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan and written by Coogan, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci. It features Alan Partridge, a tactless and inept radio DJ, after he has been left by his wife and dropped from the BBC. The show follows Partridge as he lives in a roadside hotel, presents a graveyard slot on Norwich
Norwich local radio, and desperately pitches ideas for new television shows. A second series followed in 2002,[1] with Partridge now living in a static caravan after recovering from a mental breakdown.[2][3] Iannucci said the writers used the sitcom as "a kind of social X-ray of male middle-aged Middle England."[1] 12 episodes were produced. Supporting Coogan are Felicity Montagu as his faithful but timid personal assistant, Lynn Benfield; Simon Greenall as Geordie
Geordie handyman Michael; and Phil Cornwell as Partridge's rival DJ Dave Clifton. The series was nominated for three BAFTAs (winning two), two British Comedy Awards (winning both), and a Royal Television Society award. In a list drawn up by the British Film Institute
British Film Institute in 2000, voted by industry professionals, I'm Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge was named the 38th best British television series of all time.
Contents
1 Characters
1.1 Both series
1.1.1
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (Coogan)
1.1.2 Lynn Benfield (Montagu)
1.1.3 Michael (Simon Greenall)
1.1.4 Dave Clifton (Cornwell)
1.2 Series one only
1.2.1 Susan Foley (Barbara Durkin) 1.2.2 Sophie (Sally Phillips) 1.2.3 Ben (James Lance)
1.3 Series two only
1.3.1 Sonja (Amelia Bullmore)
2 Reception 3 Episodes 4 Awards and nominations 5 Geography 6 References 7 External links
Characters[edit]
Both series[edit]
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (Coogan)[edit]
The main character of the series, Alan, a former host on Knowing Me,
Knowing You... with
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge on
BBC
BBC television, was dismissed
from the
BBC
BBC partly for punching Chief Commissioning Editor Tony
Hayers in the face with a stuffed partridge and partly because his
programmes were of a low standard, delivering ever-declining ratings.
In series one he is divorced from his wife Carol, lives in the Linton
Travel Tavern and is reduced to working the graveyard shift on Radio
Norwich
Norwich whilst desperately trying to get back on television in any
capacity.
By series two, following an off-screen mental breakdown, Alan has
fixed himself slightly. He lives in a static caravan next to the dream
house he is having built. Besides this, he has a radio show in the
evening, hosts a military-based quiz show on digital television (on
fictional channel UK Conquest, which has the highest audience share
for any programme "at that time of day in the
Norfolk
Norfolk area"), has
published his autobiography, and has a girlfriend named Sonja. Alan is
generally loathsome and narcissistic with very poor social skills and
a largely empty personal life.
Lynn Benfield (Montagu)[edit]
Alan's hard-working, long-suffering, personal assistant, Lynn appears
to run Alan's life to such an extent that he cannot survive without
her organisational skills; despite this, he usually treats her with
little more than contempt. Besides dealing with Alan's working-life,
Lynn's other duties range from the banal to the truly ridiculous —
accompanying Alan to visit a show home, buying medicinal powder for
Alan's fungal foot infections, cooling Alan with a hand-fan, and
frequently listening patiently to Alan's pointless conversations and
endless whining.
Lynn is a member of a local
Baptist
Baptist church, which Alan finds strange
but is willing to tolerate. Her mother, with whom Lynn possibly lives,
is apparently housebound, but Lynn seems able to balance her life
between looking after her mother's affairs and those of Alan. When
accompanying Alan, Lynn appears inhibited by him, but seems capable of
easily blending into social situations when Alan is not present.
Despite her intense and frequently ludicrous workload, Lynn receives a
paltry £8,000 per year, due to Alan's greedy penny-pinching.
By the second series, her mother has died, and Lynn finds romance with
a fellow churchgoer, a retired policeman. At the celebration following
her church baptism, she is shown to have many friends and is held in
high regard by other churchmembers.
Michael (Simon Greenall)[edit]
An all-purpose worker at the Linton Travel Tavern, Michael speaks with
a heavy
Geordie
Geordie accent, which Alan barely understands (or claims not
to) and, being Alan, never fails to demand clarification. Michael is
arguably Alan's only friend, and Alan is glad of his presence when he
needs to have a heart-to-heart or, more often, inane chat; their
friendship is clearly not on an even basis, however, as Michael only
ever refers to Alan as 'Mr. Partridge' and Alan clearly regards
Michael with a great deal of disdain. Michael is almost as desperate
and neurotic a character as Alan, and is very emotionally disturbed
(shown most clearly when Alan looks out of his room window to see
Michael tearing at his hair in a state of some distress).
Michael frequently tells stories of his time in the British army, to
the delight of Alan, especially if they are of a salacious or violent
nature. During a period of military placement in the Philippines,
Michael married a Filipino woman, and the two moved back to Michael's
native Newcastle upon Tyne. However, his wife left him and now lives
with his brother in Sunderland, possibly shedding light on the origins
of Michael's neuroticism. In the last episode of the first series,
Michael appears at Alan's party already drunk on
Scrumpy Jack and
proceeds to insult the other guests.
He is also a recurring character in the second series of I'm Alan
Partridge, where he has left the Linton Travel Tavern and now works in
a BP petrol station.
Dave Clifton (Cornwell)[edit]
Dave is a Radio
Norwich
Norwich DJ who runs the programme right after Alan's
"graveyard slot" show. During the handover every morning, Alan always
tries to engage in witty banter with Dave, but their chatting fails to
disguise the bitter rivalry between them. Dave is an alcoholic and has
a driving ban, according to Alan. Much to Alan's surprise and chagrin,
Dave is a friend of Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley.
Dave also appears in the second series, where he now works the
graveyard shift (after Alan's shift) and appears to have resumed
drinking. Though he sometimes gets the better of Alan in their
exchanges, usually Alan, as he would put it, "has the last laugh".
Series one only[edit]
Susan Foley (Barbara Durkin)[edit]
The manager of the Linton Travel Tavern, Susan appears to be a
stereotypical front-desk worker, with a dazzling smile and sickly
sweet manner. However, even these forced skills are not enough to deal
with Alan's clumsy, half-hearted flirting and mindless anecdotes. Alan
frequently makes tactless comments to Susan about her appearance (once
suggesting to her that she "could have been throwing up all night" but
that her smile would not falter). In reaction to these comments,
Susan's painted-on smile is sometimes momentarily replaced by a look
of shock and bemusement.
Susan displays a general dislike of Alan, becoming increasingly bored
with his feeble attempts at conversation as the series progresses, and
at one stage being terrified by Alan's poorly planned practical joke
in which he dresses as a zombie and creeps up on her at reception.
Nevertheless, she never says a harsh word to Alan—at least, until
the end of the last episode, in which she finally tells Alan what she
thinks of him at his leaving party.
Sophie (Sally Phillips)[edit]
Twenty-seven years old, Sophie is a recently employed receptionist at
the Travel Tavern. Sophie is also rarely without a smile; however, in
her case it is normally because she is suppressing a laugh over Alan's
antics. While Susan brushes off Alan's social faux pas with a smile,
Sophie is rarely able to control her laughter at Alan's odd behaviour
(such as mimicking washing himself in the shower with two bars of soap
in front of her at reception) and often has to turn away to avoid
laughing in his face. Much to Alan's annoyance, he is sometimes aware
that Sophie often jokes about him behind his back.
Ben (James Lance)[edit]
Ben is another member of staff at the Travel Tavern and Sophie's
22-year-old boyfriend. Alan is jealous of Ben's romance with Sophie,
confused by the fact that she is five years older than Ben, and does
his best to sabotage their romantic trysts, most notably looking out
of his room's window to see them sneaking around the back of the
building to have sex. In later episodes, Alan attempts to forge a
friendship with Ben, despite Alan's earlier irritation at Ben's
informal and somewhat laid-back manner. Predictably, Alan's attempts
to befriend Ben are clumsy and unsuccessful.
Series two only[edit]
Sonja (Amelia Bullmore)[edit]
Alan's thick-accented Ukrainian girlfriend Sonja, who is fourteen
years Alan's junior and possesses a very excitable and scatterbrained
personality, which leads Alan to describe her as 'mildly cretinous'.
Easily amused, she delights in pulling lame practical jokes and
showering Alan with cheap (and unwanted) gifts such as London
souvenirs and personalised coffee mugs and cushions emblazoned with
their faces. She is very devoted to Alan and clearly treasures him,
although he demonstrates little genuine affection for her in return
and clearly bases their relationship around the ego-boost produced by
their age difference and the sex.
Reception[edit]
Digital Spy
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Digital Spy wrote: "the character of Partridge hit his comic peak" in
I'm Alan Partridge.[4]
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly described the show as
"bleakly hilarious".[5]
Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge episodes
12 episodes were produced, spread over 2 series. Series 1 was first
broadcast in November/December 1997, while Series 2 was first
broadcast in November/December 2002.
Awards and nominations[edit]
Awards and nominations for I'm Alan Partridge
Year Award Category Recipient Result
1998 British Academy Television Awards Best Comedy (Programme or Series) Armando Iannucci, Dominic Brigstocke, Peter Baynham, Steve Coogan Won
Best Comedy Performance Steve Coogan Won
British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Actor Steve Coogan Won
Best TV Sitcom I'm Alan Partridge Won
Royal Television Society Television Awards Best Situation Comedy or Comedy Drama Talkback Productions Nominated
2003 British Academy Television Awards Best Comedy Performance Steve Coogan Nominated
British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy I'm Alan Partridge Nominated
Best TV Comedy Actor Steve Coogan Won
Best TV Comedy Actress Felicity Montagu Nominated
Royal Television Society Television Awards Best Comedy Performance Steve Coogan Nominated
Geography[edit]
All the places mentioned in I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge are real locations in
the East of England.
Linton and
Longstanton
Longstanton are in Cambridgeshire, though neither has a
Travel Tavern or a spice museum. Exterior shots of the Linton Travel
Tavern were filmed at the Hilton Hotel on Elton Way in Watford,
Hertfordshire.
Spalding, Pinchbeck and
Holbeach
Holbeach are in Lincolnshire;
Swaffham
Swaffham is a
market town in Norfolk,
Spixworth
Spixworth and
Hemsby
Hemsby are real
Norfolk
Norfolk villages
that feature in the show as the home location of phone-in guests.
Sprowston, a real village just outside Norwich, is mentioned in the
episode "Never Say Alan Again" in a conversation with John, Alan's
builder.
The (Great) Ouse and the
Waveney
Waveney are major rivers, as referenced in
Radio Norwich's ident. Linton really is equidistant between London and
Norwich
Norwich (about 59 mi (95 km) in each direction). Due to the
coverage, a number of
Norfolk
Norfolk residents are not happy with the
association.[6] Also, the registration plate on one of Alan's Rover
cars (P543 PEX) shows that the car was registered in Norwich.
Tiptree
Tiptree is mentioned in Radio Norwich's ident even though it lies in
the heart of Essex. Felixstowe is also mentioned even though it is in
East Suffolk.
References[edit]
^ a b Husband, Stuart (5 August 2013). "Alan Partridge: the 'A-ha!'
moments". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
^ Keeling, Robert (7 August 2013). "Alan Partridge's top TV moments".
Den of Geek. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
^ Heritage, Stuart (4 April 2014). "Alan Partridge: a guide for
Americans, newcomers and American newcomers". The Guardian. Retrieved
14 September 2015.
^ Jeffery, Morgan (13 October 2012). "'I'm Alan Partridge': Tube Talk
Gold". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
^ Endelman, Michael (27 October 2006). "I'm Alan Partridge: Season 1
EW.com". EW.com. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
^
BBC
BBC NEWS England Partridge character 'damaging' Norfolk
External links[edit]
I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge on IMDb
I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge at
BBC
BBC Online
I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge at
BBC
BBC Programmes
I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge at British Comedy Guide
Unofficial Linton Travel Tavern website
Filming locations from I'm Alan Partridge
v t e
Alan Partridge
Radio
On the Hour
On the Hour (1991–92)
Knowing Me Knowing You with
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (1992–93)
TV and film
The Day Today
The Day Today (1994)
Knowing Me Knowing You with
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (1994-95)
I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (1997; 2002)
Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge (2010; 2016)
Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life (2012)
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)
Books
I, Partridge: We Need to
Talk
Talk About Alan (2011)
v t e
Armando Iannucci
TV series
The Day Today
Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge
The Saturday Night Armistice
I'm Alan Partridge
The
Armando Iannucci
.jpg/440px-Armando_Iannucci_at_Cheltenham_Literary_Festival_2010_(tighter_crop).jpg)
Armando Iannucci Shows
Gash
The Thick of It
Time Trumpet
Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge
Veep
Films
Clinton: His Struggle with Dirt
Tube Tales
Tube Tales (segment "Mouth")
2004: The Stupid Version
In the Loop
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
The Death of Stalin
Other work
On the Hour
On the Hour (radio)
Knowing Me Knowing You with
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (radio)
I, Partridge: We Need to
Talk
Talk About Alan (novel)
v t e
BAFTA
BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Series
Yes Minister
Yes Minister (1981)
Yes Minister
Yes Minister (1982)
Yes Minister
Yes Minister (1983)
Hi-de-Hi!
Hi-de-Hi! (1984)
The Young Ones (1985)
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses (1986)
Just Good Friends
Just Good Friends (1987)
Blackadder the Third
Blackadder the Third (1988)
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses (1989)
Blackadder Goes Forth
Blackadder Goes Forth (1990)
The New Statesman
The New Statesman (1991)
One Foot in the Grave
One Foot in the Grave (1992)
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous (1993)
Drop the Dead Donkey
Drop the Dead Donkey (1994)
Three Fights, Two Weddings and a Funeral (1995)
Father Ted
Father Ted (1996)
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses (1997)
I'm
Alan Partridge
Alan Partridge (1998)
Father Ted
Father Ted (1999)
The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen (2000)
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show (2001)
The Sketch Show (2002)
Alistair McGowan's Big Impression (2003)
Little Britain
Little Britain (2004)
Little Britain
Little Britain (2005)
Help (2006)
That Mitchell and Webb Look
That Mitchell and Webb Look (2007)
Fonejacker
Fonejacker (2008)
Harry & Paul (2009)
The Armstrong & Miller Show (2010)
Harry & Paul (2011)
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (2012)
The Revolution Will Be Televised (2013)
A League of Their Own (2014)
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show (2015)
Have I Got News fo