Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge

I was never a fan of Coogan's character, and when he was big in the late 90s, I never really understood the excitement my friends showed for him. But, having watched Mid-Morning Matters, I can honestly say that it is incredibly clever, superbly-written and genuinely hilarious stuff. Coogan has implied in the past that he has been hard-done by, not getting the recognition he deserves; given the fact that Gervais has done so well after The Office, this is actually justified. If you enjoy a bit of cringe humour that will have you laughing very hard while groaning and peeking through your fingers, you can't get any better than this.

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.

I have watched this series a few times and it still makes me laugh out loud each time. Superb!

While it takes a while to get going, "Mid Morning Matters" is a brilliant parody of commercial radio.

A decade after "I'm Alan Partridge", there's a number of differences with "Matters": the show's perspective is from a webcam (which takes getting used to), it focuses almost entirely on Alan's radio show (though we get glimpses of Alan's new romance), and episodes are only 12 minutes long (24 segments in total). The show is full of silly radio stunts, inoffensive pop music, disastrous interviews, and trivial talkback topics.

In the Partridge tradition, he manages to cheese off nearly every guest or caller. Even his relationship with co-host Sidekick Simon (Tim Key) is rocky at times: Simon is fired near the end of season one, but returns for season two.

There's two segments in "Matters" that really stand out and show different sides of Partridge.

The first is when Patridge fills in for a current affairs show. While it's meant to be a serious political discussion with a local politician, Alan tries to take over (even though he's clearly out of his depth) and attempts to 'ambush' the guest over bus prices.

The second one is with Dave Clifton (a fellow DJ who Partridge had a running battle with in "I'm Alan Partridge") - while it starts with Partridge and Clifton resuming their rivalry, Patridge is visibly moved by Clifton's addiction problems and how it affected his relationship with his son. It's a rare look into Partridge's human side, a nice change from his usual arrogance and ineptitude.

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.