Customer Reviews

I'm Alan Partridge - Series 1

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I am glad to finally see a legit release of this series here in America. I've nearly worn my bootlegs out!

The Alan Partridge character which Steve Coogan portrays is nothing short of brilliant. Snobby, arrogant, close-minded and cheesy are just a few words which describe Alan's personality. Alan is one of these self-important larger than life individuals who feels he is invincible and his arrogance lands him in hot water quite a bit through this series.

This series, titled "I'm Alan Partridge", takes place a few years after the previous series titled "Knowing Me Knowing You." While KMKY was purely Alan's talk show on the BBC, "I'm Alan Partridge" follows Alan in his daily life with a type of "fly on the wall" perspective. We see him haggling with TV execs, killing time at the Linton Travel Tavern, dressing up as a zombie, fantasizing about lap dancing for Tony Hayers and much more while managing to bewilder and insult almost everyone he comes in contact with.

The writing in this series is pure comical genius. Most of the comedy is dialogue driven as we see Alan interact with his assistant Lynn, various workers at the Linton Travel Tavern (including the brilliant Michael who shows up on the next Alan Partridge series) and many more. The character development of this series is one reason why it remains so popular. Also, Alan has quite a few memorable quips in this series (you'll be quoting them in no time) and you'll never look at lap dancing the same way again! This series landed Steve Coogan several awards including a "Best Comedy" BAFTA award.

Although I am an American I have always appreciated the British style of comedy. The biting humor of "I'm Alan Partridge" stands in a league of its own and takes its rightful place among legendary BBC comedies like "Are You Being Served", "Chef!", "My Hero" and "The Thin Blue Line." Here's hoping we get a legit release of the second "I'm Alan Partridge" series as well!

After losing his chat show, "Knowing Me, Knowing You," Alan Partridge is reduced to working the graveyard shift as a disc jockey at Radio Norwich. His wife has left him for another man, and he's reduced to living at the three star Linton Travel Tavern. He's down, but not out. As he stumbles and bumbles his way through each early morning show, he doesn't give up his dream of returning to the chat show circuit with a second series. In fact, his dreams of just what he would do to get that show are hilarious, to say the least.

This is the sequel to the uproarious "Knowing Me, Knowing You." Alan is back and is still his usual arrogant, tactless self. However, there are some differences between these two shows. The humor in "I'm Alan Partridge," is more deadpan and less outlandish than the humor presented in KMKY. Also, there is a new cast of characters to enjoy including the patient hotel staff and the ever-vigilant and pliable Lynn, Alan's personal assistant. Together they weave a fabric of comedy not to be missed. So if you enjoyed KMKY, you should definitely not miss this one. Very highly recommended.

Smash B

I wasn't familiar with the British character Alan Partridge until recently and I'm so glad I came across him. This DVD is nothing short of brilliant as Steve Coogan portrays a personality we all love to hate. Deluded and self-absorbed DJ Alan Partridge is recently separated from his wife and lives in a motor lodge, where Coogan displays his comedic genius to the hilt. My favorite parts were his fantasies where he dances in a vinyl bikini and "Dad" sweater for a BBC exec, but the humor doesn't falter throughout. I don't know how I lived through the nineties without this guy! I highly recommend this.

It's criminal this show hasn't aired in North America. This show will have you on the floor in hysterics. Steve Coogan plays Alan Partridge, who had a very short lived and very bad talk show on the BBC. He's now in Norwich, as a graveyard shift DJ, but lives in a hotel because he thinks he's "that close" to getting back on the BBC. He's the only patron in the hotel and he makes their lives hell and all of it will have you howling. Find this show, if you can, and buy it!

Steve Coogan, along with Sacha Baron Cohen are pure examples of how good British comedy is. Alan Partridge, is held in the minds of many as one of the greatest comedy characters in British Comedy history. The character itself is a failing TV presenter jumping to any radio or TV programme that will have him. I'm Alan Partridge depicts the fall and rise of Alan Partridge as he struggles against adversity to get back his career. The obstacles in his way just happen to be the controller of BBC television Tony Hayers. Alan Partridge is a boring an monotonous character who is filled with all the inner hate and loneliness we would come to expect from someone with this failing career. Everyone he comes across he fails to leave a good impression, citing his usual bigotry leaves the people who ended his career with justification as to why they did so.

Series 1 focuses on the stage in Alan's life just after he has been divorced by his wife, Carol; distanced himself from his children and is forced to live in the Linton Travel Tavern. The only ounce of a career Alan can claim to have is his radio show "Up with the Partridge" on the fictional "Radio Norwich." This isn't much as it's only on air in the dead time of 4:30am to 7:00am.

Episode 1: Room With An Alan: Alan and his P.A. Lynn view a show home in which Alan manages to confuse and bore the Estate Agent. Convinced he's destined to get a second series of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" he makes an offer. Next he has a meeting with BBC Head of Programmes Tony Hayers who will tell Alan of his future with the BBC. Alan must impress Tony with his ideas or be destined to failure. This particular stressful moment gave birth to the classic quote "Smell my cheese"

Episode 2: Alan Attraction: Without a second series of his programme, Alan is forced to fire the staff of his production company "Peartree Productions." Panicking when asked if they had a second series, Alan says yes so as they plan a party Alan makes a move on his secretary Jill. The surprising thing is that he actually gets lucky for once.

Episode 3: Watership Alan: Alan makes a disparaging comment about farmers, which enrages the farmers union and gets Alan into a lot of trouble. He's also approached to make a corporate video for a small boating holiday company in which he accepts and invents a drinking combination known as the lady boy.

Episode 4: Basic Alan: Linton is going through some major refurbishments, making Alan the only guest. In order to pass the time and cure his boredom, Alan embarks on dismantling his trouser press, walking along the dual-carriageway to the nearest petrol station to buy windscreen washer fluid, amongst other things.

Episode 5: To Kill A Mocking Alan: Alan hosts a show at the Linton entitled "An Afternoon With Alan Partridge" which is intended to impress two Irish TV executives. The afternoon is also attended by Alan's self-confessed biggest fan, Jed Maxwell. He turns out to be a complete psychopath who wants to keep Alan all to himself.

Episode 6: Towering Alan: The man who cancelled Alan's BBC career, Tony Hayers has died leaving Alan in a delightful mood. It gets even better for Alan when Chris Feather takes over Tony's job because Chris is a fan of Alan's and wants him back on the air.

For a series with only 6 episodes, it set in stone a great comedic character and was placed in the history books as a classic sitcom. It was placed in the books along with such great classic sitcoms like Fawlty Towers. To people who aren't familiar with the character, I would strongly recommend you buy this DVD. I promise this will make you laugh more than you have in your entire life.

For crying out loud when will they release the 2nd season!! I have been waiting!!! UGGH!. Love the show! I need to see the 2nd season or I may just die. Hear that AMAZON! LOL

Steve Coogan still isn't a name here as Ricky Gervais is, despite his starring in a well-received indie film a couple of years ago, "24 Hour Party People." Most might know him from what is in the U.S. thought of as a Jackie Chan movie, "Around the World in 80 Days." Thus it took a good, savvy friend to expose me to Alan Partridge a few years ago. Obnoxious, arrogant, status-conscious, age-conscious, egomaniacal yet ignorant of his lack of talent and how he comes across to others, Alan Partridge in this brief series is so hilarious, it is still guaranteed to make me laugh out loud even though we now know the dialogue!

BBC Video, please do not take as long to issue here the second Alan Partridge series! Please consider as bonuses Alan Partridge clips from "The Day Today" and his appearances at Comic Relief!

Steve Coogan is a comic genius. His work bears up under repeated viewings and is funnier every time you see it. I would suggest watching "Knowing Me, Knowing You" before "I'm Alan Partridge" in order to fully appreciate how Alan has fallen from grace in the entertainment world. If you enjoy character-driven comedy and superb comedic timing, you will love Steve Coogan's most famous creation.

By far the funniest BBC comedy I've ever seen (or perhaps tied with Little Britain). My only complaint is that Series 2 still isn't available in the U.S.! What gives?!

If you enjoy squirming with discomfort, then Alan Partridge is the man for you. 'I'm Alan Partridge' follows the downward career trajectory of the Norfolk television and radio presenter. Lacking any personal insight but with a smattering of intelligence and rat cunning, Alan wil amuse and outrage with his excruciating social interactions with the staff at the Linton Travel Tavern. Steve Coogan is brilliant as Alan and is supported by a fabulous cast of familiar faces from the British comedy scene. Cathartic comedy at its best, watching Alan trying to extricate himself from various situations or the brief flashes of his hilarious rent boy act and predilliction for lady-boys will amuse fans of English comedy such as 'The Office'.