Is it just me, or is Alan Partridge the best comedy character ever?

Jan. 5, 2024

A Total Film writer on why the broadcasting legend always hits the back of the net…

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My appreciation of broadcaster, Norwich resident, and Bond enthusiast Alan Partridge began in 1997, with I’m Alan Partridge S1 (the greatest six-episode Brit-com run ever?). After that, I devoured vignettes from The Day Today and On the Hour, as well as talk show Knowing Me, Knowing You.

I was hooked by the sheer quotability of the dialogue: “Back of the net!” “Cashback!” “Jurassic Park!” But it went beyond one-liners - the hair-splitting nerdiness, the unwarranted arrogance, and the air of desperation made for a complete comedy character, rather than just a stockpile of catchphrases.

Here was a character whose comedic capacity could be unlocked in so many contexts, from faux radio broadcasts to faux chat shows to faux documentaries. And that’s before you factor in books, memoirs, travelogues… He even works on film (thoughAlpha Papais my least favourite Partridge project).

Now that the character is so fully established, you can drop him into any medium. Podcasts, further books, a live stage event (Stratagem), and more show him to be as funny as he ever was. Recent TV series This Time… was among his finest output.

The King’s coronation showed that Alan can blunder into any event with his own unique commentary. On social media, ‘Accidental Partridge’ brightens my feed, capturing real people stumbling into Partridgean faux pas. And I can’t hear about a terrible-sounding reality show without picturing Norfolk’s finest reclining on a Travel Tavern bed, speaking into his dictaphone.

Alan Partridge has been hilarious for more than 30 years, and he should continue to be commissioned for decades to come. Or is it just me?

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I’m the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I’ve worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.

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