I’m Alan Partridge may be deemed as a “classic” but I couldn’t watch any more than the first episode. 1990s shows are having a resurgence with Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That returning for a third outing and Buffy The Vampire Slayer soon to be landing on ITVX. Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier, Saved By The Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210 have also had reboots in recent years with iconic 1990s sitcom Friends continuously among the most-watched shows on Netflix .
Seen as a British classic is I’m Alan Partridge, which may have run for just two series following its 1997 premiere but went on to have multiple spin-off shows and two films. When it first came out, the comedy also won a plethora of awards including Best TV Sitcom and its star Steve Coogan taking home the award for Best TV Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards. And yet, the thought of watching more than one episode of this so-called sitcom was an uncomfortable one to say the least.
When we meet failed television presenter Alan Partridge, he is living out of a hotel after his wife left him for a fitness instructor and is desperately trying to revive his broadcasting career. As he tries to convince BBC bosses to give him another series, Partridge is working as a local radio DJ and voiceover artist, dishing out random facts to his Norwich-based listeners at every opportunity. While having a laugh track on shows like Friends and The Big Bang Theory feels like a natural addition, it is awkwardly crowbarred .
