Steve Coogan drops hints at what we can expect from the new Alan Partridge series
Alan is coming back to the BBC – but can he avoid messing it up this time?
Last night saw the long-awaited return of Alan Partridge to the BBC for the first time in a decade, with a special retrospective called Alan Partridge: Why, When, Where, How and Whom? that featured the character’s performer and co-creator Steve Coogan among other talking heads looking back at Partridge’s legacy.
But among all the nostalgia, there were also some tantalising hints at the future of Partridge, with the eagerly-anticipated new series coming to the BBC in 2018 revealed to be concerning Partridge’s “unexpected and undeserved second chance” on TV after accidentally shooting a man on his chatshow (in an episode that aired in 1995 – later series and a film starring the character followed his post-TV radio career).
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"It's interesting bringing Alan back to the BBC, which is where he was born as a concept," Coogan explained in last night’s documentary.
"The BBC is what Alan always wanted to be, and in making the narrative work in a logical sense, Alan is a creature of the BBC."
"Alan is very excited about this TV chance,” added collaborator Rob Gibbons (who has written for the character alongside Coogan and his brother Neil for a number of years).
“He's nervous because he knows how badly he screwed things up last time.
"So, the question is whether he can sink his claws into this job and hold onto it? You've got to doubt it."
Sounds like the comeback Partridge fans have long been waiting for.
The untitled Alan Partridge series will air on BBC2 in 2018
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
