Alan Partridge Returns to Familiar Territory of Professional Decline in New BBC Series
LONDON - Alan Partridge, the iconic creation of Steve Coogan and armando Iannucci, is once again navigating the precarious landscape of his career in the BBC series How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), currently garnering critical acclaim for its sharp wit and unflinching portrayal of a man perpetually on the edge of obsolescence. The show marks a return to form for the character, widely considered his funniest iteration in years, following previous installments like This Time.
The series depicts Partridge rebounding from the fallout of his ill-fated stint hosting the magazine show This Time, reframing his departure as a matter of principle after “delivering a few home truths” to the BBC. Despite pursuing corporate work, the character demonstrably finds it less fulfilling than his television career. A defining characteristic remains his apparent imperviousness to criticism, exemplified by a notably blunt exchange with former sidekick Simon Denton, who bluntly told Partridge, “I want to tell you to fuck off and say that when you worked here no one at the station liked you.” Partridge, however, appeared invigorated rather than hurt.
How Are You? expertly satirizes the modern celebrity ecosystem, showcasing Partridge’s attempts to monetize his fading fame through avenues like personalized video messages, described as ”a nice little earner,” and appearances on celebrity reality television, including a cooking show where he laments forgetting what dill looks like. The show highlights the relentless pursuit of fame in a media landscape where opportunities are abundant, yet often unfulfilling.
While This Time offered comedic moments - such as Denton’s struggles with studio technology and Partridge’s views on corporal punishment – the premise of him securing such a hosting role always strained credibility. How Are You? capitalizes on the character’s inherent comedic strength: his downward spiral. The series is a continuation of Partridge’s decades-long arc as a study in dwindling celebrity, a figure whose solipsism and denial fuel a uniquely persistent, if ultimately self-defeating, ambition.
