From the Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast (Series 1): An Audible Original

The APU as it is known to some fans, the Alan Partridge Universe has been enhanced in his latter incarnations across North Norfolk Digital short studio based episodes, his books (any audiobook read by Coogan in character is worth the entry price for miles of giggles) and even the Alpha Papa movie. This universe sontinues in this medium of Podcast, essentially 100% Partridge spouting off about his own reality.The result is superbly hilarious, wonderfully indulgent for fans, as practically every line could be analysed to trace its roots to some incident in the Patridgian past. It it what the Gibbons brothers and Coogan have done so well up to now, echoing previous events and attitudes from former incarnations of the central character and bringing them back to current consciousness, often with a twist to respect current attitudes.Partridge as a character allows modern woke-ness, PC allusions and male chauvanism to be sent up wonderfully. The flawed character is ideal to comment on society and tendencies of all manner of human beings to behave in certain ways.The podcast format seems ideal - 20 minute episodes to digest and repeat so that one can appreciate the multple references, in jokes and complexities that enable the Patridge character to remain relevant even in today's mad world.If you are willing to enter into his world, then the APU will delight you with a mixture of ramblings, misadventures and indulgences for a long time. It will also provide us with an equal number of quotable lines, most of Partirdge's have only ever been stated once but come over a having been catchphrases for him. That element is genius on the part of the writers.The other part of genius here is the fact that Alan has matured and still thinks he has a handle on the world. His advice on dating (the description of chasing lips around a head is uncomfortably bizare) continues the spoofing of the male psyche where a man somehow considers himself a victim - and is a strong comment. Coming after a alusion to being "Lazonby" like a Milk Tray man, it sends up forme sexist attitudes in an effective manner. This, alone, is an important illustration of the power of comedy to show up attitudes which not only have become outdated, but can also be turned on their head and adapted for modern so called values.The new audio format allows so much to be crammed in, unrestricted as it is by visual limitations, that the mind's eye is exlpoited to a fuller extent.In short, absolutely wonderful stuff - should please fans of the character and encourage new fans to explore the back catalogue even more, if only to be able to appreciate the multi-layered writing and references.I might even go as far as to say that I prefer this incarnation to the One Show parody This Time, since it narrates a story that you can picture in your imagination. Partridge is supposedly not the fish out of water here, he is in his own chosen setting, and references to other characters along the way all add to enabling the listener to make relationships to the previous storylines.Splendid and tremendous!

Liquid podcast

Lovely StuffPure Partridge. As funny as ever and always adding new things to the Partridgeverse.

Classic Partridge. Not my words Carol, the words of top gear magazine.

As good as ever if you got it before. Perfect blend of cutting witticisms, rambling and pettiness

Funny in parts but ran out of steam towards the end......anyone of a certain vintage notice the resemblance in parts to solo Tony Hancock...

Ruddy bloody brilliant.

Partridge unleashed