Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I'm Alan Partridge--Steve Coogan

My exposure to Steve Coogan came via Chris Myers' Monday lunches, where he, brother Eric, Chris Laun, and myself would eat slices, wing dings, pizza prizes, and medium cokes from Never On Sundays and watch episodes of I'm Alan Partridge. This show certainly had its moments of hilarity, but brother Eric and myself threatened to put an end to Monday lunches if the show of choice continued to be I'm Alan Partridge. It's not that it was bad or unfunny, but man does this guy drive you nuts...especially on a weekly basis. Rumor has it that after I graduated Peabody they continued on with these Monday lunches until Chris moved out of Mount Vernon. They made the switch from I'm Alan Partridge to another Todd pick and Steve Coogan series, Saxondale. According to brother Eric this was much better received.

It is funny how much longer the wikipedia entry is for Alan Partridge, the fictional character who appears in Day to Day, Knowing Me, Knowing You, and I'm Alan Partridge, than the entry of Steve Coogan, the actor, writer, producer who created and played him. Wikipedia really has the life of Alan Partridge covered. My best explanation of the show is that Alan Partridge is a washed up celebrity (during the show he's a late-night radio host), who is trying to get back in the spotlight (or just make some money) any way that he can. The season that I saw he was living in a hotel, and most of the show's funniest moments came while he was interacting with the hotel staff. The show obviously had something going for it, but for me the character of Alan Partridge drove me nuts. This is a perfect example of Todd's list partially being things that might need a second chance. I might like this one more the second time around. This first clip was emailed to me by Chris today, and it is one of my favorite moments in the show. We've even threatened to drink ladyboys one night, and I could probably still be convinced. The second is another clip from I'm Alan Partridge...I really like this laughing guy in the elevator.




4 comments:

b-more literate said...

Hey, Adam. It's Kathleen (from St. Dominic's and Wind-up, respectively haha). I adore Steve Coogan, and was very pleased to see him mentioned here. Check out Tristram Shandy's A Cock And Bull Story (it's on dvd). It is a mockumentary about an unfilmable novel starring Steve Coogan. Very good--- and also, Hamlet 2. Too funny and ridiculous for words.

adam. said...

hey kathleen! whoa, i didnt know people read this thing. great to see you here, though.

yeah, i think i need to expand my steve coogan knowledge. i heard hamlet 2 was amazing. i just dont think I'm Alan Partridge was the show for me. I'll check other stuff out and report back.

adam. said...

also, you should submit a recommends list! hopkinak@gmail.com

b-more literate said...

Hey, thanks, I will email ya that. I will have to ponder my recs for a bit...