🔗 Share this article

Alan Partridge is in crisis! But then, who isn’t these days? In his last TV appearance, Alan had an on-air breakdown while hosting the light magazine show This Time, wrapping up with him excluded of the BBC. In the opening of his independent production, the light documentary How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), the presenter shares he’s encountered further difficulties by passing out in front of a guest at an industry gathering for an agricultural firm. Challenging periods, yet figures like Partridge recover: tie your troubles to a national trend and attempt to turn it into a show.

Delving into Stress and Loneliness

How Are You? showcases the beloved persona in documentary style, examining a wave of mental health issues that he perceives as escalating: “In old-fashioned language, it’s gone crazy!” His path includes dabbling in faith, reconnect with friends from school, and take a lot of restorative country walks, as well as confronting his recent past. Initial episodes culminate in a fraught but healing gathering with “Sidekick” Simon Denton (Tim Key), Alan’s former colleague on This Time and North Norfolk Digital radio, and as this new series goes on, previously unreleased footage is displayed.

Alongside his co-writers and directors, How Are You? marks a change of pace. In contrast to earlier innovations, How Are You? sometimes rehashes past ideas: as well as directly reviving old formats, the series echoes past satirical documentaries of the last decade. With his personal issues seeping into the content, we’re most strongly reminded of the podcast series.

Dual Personas of the Character

That presents a small problem. We see two versions of Alan: Successful Alan (with high-profile jobs) and Wilderness Alan (doesn’t), and even though the underdog Alan shone in the classic series I’m Alan Partridge back in 1997, a more wistful Wilderness Alan has recently taken flight in books and audio projects. How Are You? situates us in his world and features Kelly as Katrina, Alan’s wildly unsuitable paramour from the podcast. Yet this heartbreaking narrative – he ignores her infidelity with a pal and business owner – feels like one that would have benefited from the slower pace of audio-only Alan, enabling mental imagery to amplify laughs. Off-screen, the character feels more expansive: current formats thrive on challenging the triumphant version and observing his collapse, as seen before.

The Genius of Sloppy Errors

Still, these are minor points compared to a major truth: across all platforms, he delivers the most laughs in Britain, and brief appearances yield constant humor than competing shows. How Are You? is produced and directed by Alan, as well as starring him, which opens up his genius for sloppy errors and poor editorial decisions. If explosive fruit edits symbolize struggles, viewers will see it, and no one corrects his verbal errors or other mistakes in commentary. The slight grimace we regularly catch as he strides out of shot knowing on some level that that piece to camera was another balls-up consistently amuses, and nor do the idents he’s made to fit between segments, the best of which sees him attempt to fix us with a sympathetic smile while simultaneously swallowing a mouthful of humble British tea.

Striking Moments and Feelings

Can anything top his skip-side groans? Surely not. He is also a visual treat, with a poorly chosen hair shade, and his clothing showcasing loud pants, statement footwear, multiple gilets and over-the-top joy about style revivals.

Additionally, the theme offers peeks into his inner world that have been there ever since the Gibbons brothers took over co-writing duties. Several times, it delivers poignant moments, where his ignorance uncovers sorrow that briefly evokes strong feelings, then the comedy returns and laughter resumes. That can happen because we’ve loved him for so long: every appearance is appreciated.