Steve Coogan: 'We just felt like being funny with Alan Partridge again'
Steve Coogan in How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge).
It’s been 34 years since Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci first created Alan Partridge, a parody of British television personalities. Since his debut in 1991 on the Radio 4 series On the Hour, Partridge has appeared in television series, books, podcasts, and film.
After a four-year hiatus, Coogan and his co-writers Neil and Rob Gibbons have brought the veteran presenter back in a new series,
The BBC series follows Partridge returning to the UK after doing promotional work in Saudi Arabia, as he attempts to rebuild his career through a documentary about mental health.
Coogan, 59, says he enjoys reinventing and playing the character, as it offers a way to explore taboo topics. “It’s quite a good conduit to talk about popular culture and things that are difficult, or to say things that are perhaps taboo or would be difficult to talk about as a private person,"
explains the Lancashire-born actor and comedian.
“Through the character, you can say things or explore issues that might otherwise be problematic. There was an appetite for that, and we felt like doing it. We tend to return to it when we want to, really. Obviously, we’re happy if the BBC or anyone else wants it, but generally, it’s on our terms. And this time, we just felt like being funny with Alan again.”
The Cheshire-born Gibbons brothers, who also co-directed the series, say they decided to explore the theme of mental health to help Partridge make his comeback in British media.
“I think Alan is, in some ways, an idiot, but as a broadcaster, he actually has pretty good instincts,” explains Neil.
“He’s had two big chances with the BBC and he’s blown both of them. There was the unfortunate incident of him shooting a guy live on TV. Now he’s desperate for one more shot. I think he and his assistant Lynn probably looked around and asked, ‘What’s hot at the moment?’ And they landed on mental health.
“So Alan thought, if I can convince people to let me on TV to talk about my vulnerabilities, I could come across a nice little earner. Get me on the mental health gravy train.”
While Partridge has gained a new following among Gen Z on TikTok, with younger viewers often seeing their parents reflected in the character.
“I’ve noticed, anecdotally, not through any market research, that there’s been a shift in how people respond to Alan,” explains Coogan.
“In the first 15 or 20 years, the reaction was more like: ‘Thank God I’ve managed to avoid those banana skins in my own life, while this man slips on them all.’ More recently, though, it’s become more generational. Older viewers, people with grown-up kids in their early 20s, come along with their children, and that younger generation sees their parents in Partridge. They recognise that desperation, the awkward attempts to stay relevant, to not seem square, to be ‘on message,’ to keep up with the kids.
“I think that’s why a lot of younger people get it and like it: Alan reflects their parents’ struggle to bridge that gap.”
- airs on BBC One and iPlayer from Friday, October 3
