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Alan Partridge is in crisis! However, many are in similar straits today? During his previous television outing, Alan was melting down live on air while hosting the light magazine show This Time, concluding the season by being shut out of the BBC. At the start of his new, self-produced project, the informative film How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), Alan discloses he’s experienced another setback by fainting into the lap of a female interviewee at an industry gathering for an agricultural firm. Challenging periods, yet figures like Partridge recover: link personal issues to broader trends and try to develop a program from it.

Delving into Stress and Loneliness

How Are You? features Coogan’s timeless character in roving factual mode, examining a wave of mental health issues that he feels is worsening: “In old-fashioned language, it’s gone crazy!” He tries out spiritual practices, meet up with former classmates, and embark on calming rural strolls, while dealing with his past. The first installment leads to a tense yet relieving meeting with “Sidekick” Simon Denton (Tim Key), an ex-co-worker from broadcasting days, and as the episodes progress, we’re shown unseen clips from Alan’s stints.

Alongside his co-writers and directors, How Are You? is a sideways move. Whereas This Time pushed Partridge into new territory, How Are You? often retreads it: as well as directly reviving old formats, the series echoes past satirical documentaries from the 2010s. And, as Alan’s private life bleeds into his investigations, it recalls his audio ventures.

Dual Personas of the Character

It creates a slight challenge. The character has two facets: Winning Alan (currently has a big paid presenting gig) and Wilderness Alan (doesn’t), and although Wilderness Alan was the star of the faultless TV sitcom I’m Alan Partridge back in 1997, a reflective version has emerged lately in books and audio projects. How Are You? places us inside the oasthouse and features Kelly as Katrina, a mismatched romantic partner from the podcast. However, this sad story – he refuses to accept her betrayal with a pal and business owner – feels like one that would have benefited from the slower pace of audio-only Alan, allowing audience creativity to enhance humor. Without visuals, he seems more free: modern TV excels at pressuring the successful Alan and watching him implode, as happened on previous shows.

Humor in Mistakes

Yet, these issues pale beside a key reality: in any format, he is the top humorous character in Britain, and brief appearances yield constant humor than anything else on telly. How Are You? features Alan as star, producer, and director, which showcases his knack for blunders and misjudgments. Should he believe exploding fruit represents mental health, it will be included, and no one corrects his verbal errors or similar gaffes in narration. The brief pained expression he makes exiting aware that the segment was a failure always delights, and nor do the idents he’s made to fit between segments, topped by his earnest, flawed grins while drinking tea clumsily.

Visual and Emotional Highlights

What could be funnier than his dumpster antics? Absolutely not. Visually he’s a feast too, with an implausibly light hair color, and his attire including bright trousers, statement footwear, multiple gilets and an enthusiastic overreaction to the news that rugby shirts are back in fashion.

Plus, the subject matter here allows for the glimpses into Alan’s soul that emerged with the current writers. More than once the series pulls off flashes of pathos, where Alan’s lack of self-awareness reveals a sadness that briefly evokes strong feelings, until humor takes over and giggles follow. It succeeds because of enduring fandom: all iterations are gladly received.