Ooooooohhh…It’s a good programme!! December 9, 2007

In the absence of a decent new sitcom to capture my attention I have been turning to repeats of the brilliant Alan Partridge on Dave .

(…Incidentally can any body tell me why they chose that name? Because I just read it as a reference to The League Of Gentlemen’s character Papa Lazarou and his demonic calls of “Hello Dave“…)

But back to Alan Partridge. I did watch some of the series when it was first broadcast, and knew how good it was, but for some reason I didn’t watch religiously. Maybe it was because I foresaw a drought in comedy, maybe it was just foolishness, I don’t know but I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of it now.

I would like to draw your attention to a particular clip in the second series. Having impaled his foot on a huge spike whilst trying to climb into a Country Club Alan still goes on stage to give a speech to’Dante’s Fires’ at some corporate event. It does not go well.

Alan Partridge: Dante’s Fire Speech

This scene works on so many levels and is a demonstration of both excellent writing and virtuoso performance. The attention to detail is just one of the aspects that makes it so funny- not only are we given a cringe-inducing moment in the life of Alan with the disaster that happens on stage to him, but the scene is written in such a way that had it gone all to plan it still would have been a funny speech.

The fact the ‘fun-pack’ contains “a torch, a Curly-Wurly, a book of stamps, a free digital watch with a denim strap, a vodka minature, a Bic-style razor and a copy of the Daily Express…” speaks volumes about the company and in turn about the level of Alan’s career. Also Coogan’s mannerisms as Alan are spot on, as he is still persisting on trying to salvage the sppech from the depths of egregiousness by trying to turn on his ‘charm’ and TV professionalism. You don’t need my to endorse it…just watch it.

It is really a shame that I am having to turn to series from nearly ten years ago to meet my need for good comedy but, well, needs must when the devil drives…