Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge

Mid Morning Matters may well be one of the most underappreciated comedy shows ever made. Alan Partridge's transition from clumsy self-absorption to misplaced pomposity has been handled almost perfectly by Steve Coogan.

While I will probably always consider 'I'm Alan Partridge' to be his greatest work, this show is arguably a greater demonstration of Coogan's observational skills. The balance between uproarious slapstick comedy and the sardonic take on UK media is exquisitely executed, with expert assistance from some perfectly conceived co-characters.

This is a show that should be watched multiple times to allow the deeper subtleties to fully emerge. It may not have as many instant high payoff moments as earlier Partridge material, but the precise attention to detail makes it a real gem for lovers of satire.

This incarnation of Alan Partridge's (an always top notch Steve Coogan) career finds him at North Norwich Radio hosting a mid morning show that is not only on the radio but on the internet as well!

Along with his sidekick Simon (a bumbling but funny Tim Key), Alan interviews a variety of local notables, takes listener calls, and banters with Simon while revealing only a little of his own skewed psyche along the way.

I'll be honest, as big a fan as I am of Alan Partridge, I feel this entry is the weakest of all the others I've seen through the years. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it never leaves the tiny studio so we only see the insufferable Alan at work. It's his other life that tends to bring the most laughs, especially when he lived at a motor lodge in "I'm Alan Partridge." Hard to find, to be honest; I ordered a region 2 version via the eBay. But glad I can say that I've seen it.

For our transatlantic cousins, who only know Steve Coogan from small(ish) roles in Hollywood movies such as 'The Other Guys', 'Tropic Thunder' etc., the character he plays here is a British cult hero. Coogan's performance as Alan Partridge, a cringeworthy ex-TV presenter, now an equally cringeworthy radio DJ, is quite inspired. Mid Morning Matters is his latest venture, and though only short in length are incredibly high in quality.

It is rare that I would use the term 'comic genius', but Steve Coogan is one. The incredible observational skill of Coogan when it comes down to the finest detail that most of us would miss, is astonishing. Ricky Gervais is exceptional and has made a large impact on Hollywood for a number of reasons. But Gervais is more of an extrovert, and Coogan the man, is a lot more enigmatic.

I don't know if that is part of the reason as to why he is not a leading man in Hollywood to be honest. Maybe being more outspoken like Will Ferrell or Gervais off-camera gets more attention. Or maybe Coogan's comedy has too many nuances for mainstream audiences in the US. Maybe they need Sacha Boran Cohen's sledgehammer 'Borat' style comedy. But for me, as good as the previous three are, I think Coogan is better. I'd pick Steve Coogan for my screenplay's 'comic relief' any day of the week.

It was only watching the mostly OK Partridge movie recently that I found about this web series that Coogan also made. Although IMDb lists several seasons and a multitude of episodes, I was only able to find 12 episodes which does make up almost two and a half hours of material. The scenario is simple for the show, Partridge is now presenting on the digital radio station North Norfolk Digital and the ten minute episodes are made up of him on air and in front of the webcam. It is a simple idea but as we saw from the film, with Partridge it is usually the smaller character moments that get the biggest laughs.

With this series it is not the absolute best that Coogan has ever done with partridge but it is a fairly consistent and funny set of episodes because they frequently play to his strengths. As a character he is a great mix of warm insincerity, anger, intolerance, impatience, personality and poor social awareness. The show may not have too many big headline moments but it has lots of small cracks and tensions around Partridge, whether it be him wandering down an uncomfortably painful line of conversation or him clearly struggling with his own sense of inadequacy while at the same time being angered by it. He is a great character and when he is done well then he can work well in a movie or even just sitting in a simple room with a microphone, as indeed this series shows.

Coogan himself is great and I do love that although he has done well for himself in the US and in films, he has never trying to walk away from Partridge nor lose touch with what makes the character great (even if the film as a whole sort of did). The various supporting roles are pretty good. Tim Key is actually better in the film but here he is still pretty funny and he "awkwards" well next to Coogan. Duffy has a simpler role on the face of it (essentially she is a pretty face to allow Coogan to play a certain way) but she still does it well, playing along until she hits an awkward wall – Coogan gets the laughs but she often did as much of the work.

I'll make an effort to seek out if there are more of these episodes around or not because I did enjoy this series. It is simple and, in its simplicity it allows Alan to be Alan and more often than not this is engaging, funny, painful and awkward all in equally entertaining measures.

I recently re-watched the second season and had to keep regularly pausing so I didn't laugh over other parts of the show. I sometimes find 'cringe comedies' painful to watch on occasions but Coogan's Alan Partridge can do it to perfection. I enjoyed 'Knowing Me Knowing You' but this doesn't contain any canned laughter, which benefits the more subtle moments of humour.... "Do you know what one of the biggest killers in society is?" .."Harold Shipman?", "No obesity!"