The Alan Partridge Complete Box Set [DVD]

Not available on streaming services so had to buy the box set, no hardship really as I'd forgotten how funny it was

'Lovely stuff!' Not my words Michael, the words of Shakin' Stevens!

Lovely Stuff

Text book comedy.

Steve Coogan plays the character so well

Worth every penny! So funny

Steve Coogan's Alan Partridge character is excellent. At times purely hilarious, in a farcical manner, and at times horribly embarrassing, or even crushingly sad, Partridge is a well observed character, operating in a believable and recognisable contemporary world. We can find him occasionally likeable, or even sympathetic, or suddenly appallingly gauche, his egocentric self-image playing a massive role in this volatile chemistry.Series one is okay, but has aged the least impressively. Series two and three are classics, and see the character and presentation maturing. There are also sundry specials and extras, some of which feel like padding, others of which are great (e.g. his country walks and talks in East Anglia - being an East Anglian myself I also like the local connections!).There are some incredibly funny moments - his air-bass routine in his trailer-home, or, literally painfully funny, as when he tries to deliver a speech after having skewered his foot on a railing - but overall it's not so much side-splitting larf-a-minute stuff, as a more simmering character and situation driven affair.As well as being very funny, it can be very sad, poignant even. In some respects this is a very modern somewhat dark style of comedy (although already - like Partridge himself - rapidly ageing), but in others it has longer deeper roots. Partridge's tragicomic attempts to maintain his dignity in the face of adversity could be traced back to such antecedent bumblers as Peter Sellers' Clousseau, for example.Definitely we generally laugh at these characters for the pricking of their pomposity, and at their expense. But we also recognise enough of ourselves and general humanity for it to be tinged with pain and melancholy. Clever and funny. Great if somewhat uneven. Originally I gave this set just four stars. But having watched it numerous times now, and got a lot of pleasure from it, it now gets the full five; after all, I do love it.And at only £10 for the complete TV series - what I paid, roughly, and still the price at the time of leaving this review - it's very good value.

Alan Partridge is one of those characters that entertains and annoys in equal measures. Some people find his shows so funny that tears actually run down their cheeks, whereas others will not utter a single giggle.Personally, I think this dvd set contains some of the funniest British comedy moments to ever grace our screens.The genre than Steve Coogan champions with his character Alan Partridge has recently come to be known as 'cringe comedy', more so after the creation of 'The Office'.I prefer however to call it 'underdog' comedy. Alan Partridge is a hateful man. He's rude, arrogant, thinks he's above everyone he meets, is always out for just himself, and he fails at everything he does. And it is exactly those qualities that makes him so endearing. Everyone loves a loser, and Alan is the biggest loser out there.This boxset contains every episode from 'Knowing Me Knowing You' - the spoof talk show. As-well as series 1 & 2 of 'I'm Alan Partridge' - the follow up series that sees Alan fail as a Radio DJ and Author.Also there's a load of extras and deleted scenes for each series, including the Knowing Me Knowing You Christmas special, and the Comic Relief scenes from 1995.Altogether there's just under 11 hours of Alan Partridge goodness. Which makes this set extremly good value for money.Many others have written far more extensive reviews on here, so I won't go on any further except to say this.. ..Alan Partridge is a golden comedy creation, and this dvd set is an essential purchase for anyone with a sense of humor. Buy it now before the price goes back up!