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Back in the early 2000s, it seemed like Steve Coogan might kill off Alan Partridge. He’d spent a decade playing the hubristic Norwich broadcaster in TV and radio projects like On the Hour, The Day Today and Knowing Me Knowing You, culminating in a second series of BBC sitcom I’m Alan Partridge. The series had brought him two Baftas, but Coogan would later admit that there was a time he considered the character to be an “albatross” around his neck. But 20 years later – after numerous TV series, a feature film, a book deal, a podcast, and two live shows – the idea of Partridge simply disappearing in the early Noughties is impossible to imagine. The character has become Coogan’s life’s work. Far from an albatross, he’s become an inseparable part of Coogan’s identity – like Rod Hull and Emu, if Emu was surgically grafted onto Rod Hull’s face.

In 2008, the second season of “30 Rock” tied the record set by “The Cosby Show” in 1986 for earning most same-year comedic performing bids at nine. One year later, the Tina Fey-led sitcom raised that bar to its current position of 10, which no traditional comedy series was able to touch until “Ted Lasso” did so this year. Half of the 10 actors nominated for the Apple TV+ show’s second season were also recognized for its first year, while four of the remaining five are total Emmy newcomers. Included in the latter subset is guest competitor James Lance, whose first TV academy notice has come three decades into his career.

To date, Lance has appeared as Independent reporter Trent Crimm in 10 “Ted Lasso” episodes. He is presently nominated in the Best Comedy Guest Actor category for his performance in the second season finale, entitled “Inverting the Pyramid of Success.” Set after...

HBO has released the first teaser for yet another prestige limited series, which are quickly becoming the network’s bread and butter since the hits of “Big Little Lies” and “The White Lotus.” Starring Academy Award winner Olivia Colman and “Harry Potter” favorite David Thewlis, “Landscapers” is a darkly comic mystery about a seemingly ordinary married couple who become the subjects of a murder investigation after two dead bodies are discovered in their back garden. Set in the northern English city of Nottingham and inspired by real-life events, the four-part series is the creation of debut screenwriter Ed Sinclair, who also happens to be Colman’s husband.

A little more about the unique love story: “As the investigation moves forward, inspired by Susan’s obsession with old Westerns and classic cinema, the fantasists cast themselves as Hollywood heroes in narratives of their own invention. Powered by Susan’s extraordinary imagination,...

In today’s Global Bulletin, Steve Coogan takes Alan Partridge on the road; Another Screen offers a free, month-long selection of films from Palestinian women filmmakers; Spain gets a “Temptation Island” spinoff show; the Gulf Cooperation Council launches a campaign to bring audiences back to the cinema post-covid; Vis makes its first reality format deal in the Nordics with Svt; and ITV appoints Kunal Shah as sales director for South Asia.

Theater

Steve Coogan is bringing his most famous character to the stage in “Stratagem With Alan Partridge,” a new live show set to tour the U.K. and Ireland in the Spring of 2022. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Saturday.

With a Ted Talk-style head-mic, perfectly quaffed hair and a love-hate-able shtick that has tickled British audiences for decades, Alan Partridge will bring his unique brand of motivational speaking to audiences in a show produced by Phil...

When an individual is cast against type, the results are always interesting. Armando Iannucci has made a reputation as a writer and director of cutting-edge contemporary comedies, from BBC’s “I’m Alan Partridge” to HBO’s “Veep,” and including his Oscar-nominated work as a writer of 2010’s “In the Loop.”

So he may seem an unlikely match for Charles Dickens, but Searchlight’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield” turns out to be a perfect vehicle for him.

“I was re-reading ‘David Copperfield’ about 10 years ago and was struck at how very funny and modern he is,” Iannucci tells Variety about the much-filmed tale. He cast Dev Patel as the title character — again, a piece of casting against type that works very well.

Iannucci and co-writer Simon Blackwell make the work feel up-to-date, not by inserting anachronistic topics or attitudes; the film seems contemporary because it focuses on the characters...

Updated, 6Am Pst: The offending tweet has now been updated and Netflix has apologized.

“Our tweet was unacceptable and has since been removed. We are very sorry for the hurt and distress it caused,” said a spokesperson.

Previously, 4.20Am Pst: The official Twitter account for Netflix’s supernatural series The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina caused outrage on Sunday, January 10, with a tweet that made reference to “Bloody Sunday” and featured a series of pics of cast members including star Kiernan Shipka splattered in fake blood. See below.

The presumably inadvertent reference – Netflix has been asked for comment – to the tragic 1972 massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland, prompted fans of the show to reply pointing out that the caption would likely be taken as offensive and that the streamer might want to re-think it.

“Please take a minute to read your caption, then put it into google. Then apologise to your Irish...

Baby Cow Productions, the UK film and TV outfit with credits including Alan Partridge, Stan & Ollie and The Trip, has named Sarah Monteith as Managing Director.

In the newly-created role, which she will take up in mid-May, Monteith will work alongside CEO Christine Langan.

Monteith was most recently interim Chief Marketing Officer for BBC Studios, and has held numerous leadership roles across the BBC.

Baby Cow’s upcoming slate includes the Channel 4 commission Chivalry, a comedy drama written by and starring Sarah Solemani and Steve Coogan, and The Witchfinder, written and directed by Rob and Neil Gibbons and starring Daisy May Cooper and Tim Key.

Steve Coogan, Creative Director and Founder, said, “Baby Cow has been going through a period of transition and development, expanding into drama as well as building on our reputation for pioneering comedy shows. We are now at a stage where much of our slate...

James Bond is finally back in Spectre and, like all Bond films, it boasts a high-profile theme tune from an artist-of-the-moment. But where does Sam Smith sit in the illustrious ranks of Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney and Rita Coolidge (!)? We've gone back through every single 007 song to find out which ones are earworms and which need their 00 status revoked.

A quick point to note: we've discounted instrumentals so the opening credits pieces from Dr No and On Her Majesty's Secret Service are not on the list.

23. 'Another Way to Die' - Jack White & Alicia Keys (2008)

The first and only duet in the entire Bond theme back catalogue, on paper this sounded great but what emerged was a sludgy, lifeless and unremarkable track that went in one ear and out the other.

22. 'Die Another Day' - Madonna (2002)

Compounding the horror of her on-screen cameo in this stinker of a...

Someone pick up the phone to Alan Partridge, because Youth Hostelling with Chris Eubank has finally happened in real life.

Well, sort of.

Former boxing champion Chris was left baffled earlier this month as Twitter users quizzed him over a famous scene in I'm Alan Partridge where Steve Coogan's hapless broadcaster pitches some downright baffling ideas for TV shows to BBC controller of programmes Tony Hayers.

However, Alan's dream has now become a reality - and it seems like Chris enjoyed his visit to the Yha in Brighton, testing out the bunk beds and the WiFi as well as entertaining the guests.

"My inaugural visit to a youth hostel was enlightening and delightful!" he wrote on Twitter. "Expect the unexpected!"

David Schneider, who played Tony in 'A Room with an Alan', was absolutely delighted by the surprising turn of events.

Behold! It has happened. #DeliberatePartridge

(ta @juliansheasport)

https://t.

According to Spectre director Sam Mendes, we'll soon find out who'll be joining the illustrious ranks of Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney and Rita Coolidge (!) in belting out a James Bond theme.

To mark the occasion, we've gone back through every single 007 song to find out which ones are earworms and which need their 00 status revoked. A quick point to note: we've discounted instrumentals so the opening credits pieces from Dr No and On Her Majesty's Secret Service are not on the list.

22. 'Another Way to Die' - Jack White & Alicia Keys (2008)

The first and only duet in the entire Bond theme back catalogue, on paper this sounded great but what emerged was a sludgy, lifeless and unremarkable track that went in one ear and out the other.

21. 'Die Another Day' - Madonna (2002)

Compounding the horror of her on-screen cameo in this stinker of a film is Madonna's...

Can you believe it? Mel Gibson's Braveheart premiered 20 years ago today in the Us, fast becoming a box office hit, a multi-Oscar winner and genuine pop culture phenomenon.

To celebrate the '90s classic's big birthday, we dive into Braveheart trivia to find out who nearly took on the role of William Wallace, the role originally earmarked for Sean Connery and which celebs count the Gibson flick among their all-time favourites.

1. Randall Wallace came up with the idea for the film while on holiday in Scotland in 1983. Visiting Edinburgh Castle, he asked a tour guide to tell him the story behind the statues of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. The guide did just that, and the rest is movie history!

2. Terry Gilliam turned down the chance to direct Braveheart after being offered the role while he was working with Gibson on an abandoned film version of A Tale of Two Cities.

St Patrick's Day gets a lot of love, what with all the pub going and the Guinness drinking. In comparison, England's St George's Day tends to be a much more low-key affair, but there is a benefit to this: an evening free to catch up on some great TV.

To celebrate dragon slaying and all the other things that make our country great, we've put together a list of the best films and television shows from the UK available to watch on Netflix right now:

Sherlock

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have redefined Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective for the 21st century.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have both been heaped with praise for their roles as the dynamic duo of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, in stories that bring a modern twist to the classic mysteries.

Doctor Who

Digital Spy readers hardly need us to list the virtues of Doctor Who.

Hollywood went hunting for lots of British comedy talent in the 1990s - and lured the likes of Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson...

For some reason, Hollywood fell in love with British actors again in the 1990s. Sparked by Alan Rickman's turn as Hans Gruber in Die Hard at the back end of the 1980s, many movie villains were either Brits, or in the case of Cliffhanger, John Lithgow taking on the mannerisms of a British antagonist.

Yet in particular, Hollywood went recruiting British comedy talent, with faces then mainly - but not exclusively - known for their small screen work getting roles of various sizes in Hollywood productions. Here are some who racked up the air miles - starting with the man who arguably became one of the most successful...

Hugh Laurie - 101 Dalmatians

Laurie is a man of many talents, who ultimately cracked America with...

Digital Spy's best TV shows of the year is always a hotly-contested list - with only 25 spots to allocate, many of our favourites miss out by a whisker.

Here's a smattering of series that almost made the final countdown - these are the best of the rest.

Additional material by Tom Eames

Digital Spy's best TV shows of the year 2014: 5-1

Digital Spy's best TV shows of the year 2014: 10-6

Digital Spy's best TV shows of the year 2014: 15-11

Digital Spy's best TV shows of the year 2014: 20-16

Digital Spy's best TV shows of the year 2014: 25-21

The Fall

Though we'd never go so far as to say that familiarity breeds contempt when it comes to The Fall, it is true to say that the second series of Allan Cubitt's crime thriller lacked a little of the impact of the 2013 run.

Stephen Mangan has revealed that Alan Partridge fans still regularly yell out "Dan!" to him - despite the sitcom moment being more than ten years old.

Mangan - who has since appeared in Green Wing and Episodes, and voiced the title character in Postman Pat: The Movie - played Dan Moody, a kitchen salesman who tried to lure Partridge into a menage a trois in I'm Alan Partridge.

"I get 'Dan' shouted at me almost every day," Mangan told Digital Spy, adding that festivals are "a dangerous area for me".

"If it gets around the crowd that I'm there, I've had 6,000 people shouting 'Dan' at me. Maybe it will morph into 'Pat'?" he said in reference to his role as Greendale's premiere postman.

Postman Pat: The Movie will open in cinemas on May 23.

Stephen Mangan has revealed that Alan Partridge fans still regularly yell out "Dan!" to him - despite the sitcom moment being more than ten years old.

Mangan - who has since appeared in Green Wing and Episodes, and voiced the title character in Postman Pat: The Movie - played Dan Moody, a kitchen salesman who tried to lure Partridge into a menage a trois in I'm Alan Partridge.

"I get 'Dan' shouted at me almost every day," Mangan told Digital Spy, adding that festivals are "a dangerous area for me".

"If it gets around the crowd that I'm there, I've had 6,000 people shouting 'Dan' at me. Maybe it will morph into 'Pat'?" he said in reference to his role as Greendale's premiere postman.

Postman Pat: The Movie will open in cinemas on May 23.

BBC Two is 50 - the British Broadcasting Corporation's second eldest child hits the half-century mark today - Sunday, April 20.

Picking out the greatest shows from five decades of broadcasting seems like a near-impossible task, but never say that Digital Spy is easily cowed. These are - in our humble opinion - the channel's finest ever offerings.

BBC Two is 50: The Hour, Bottom and more shows to bring back

The rules are as follows: shows like Red Dwarf that originated on BBC Two are eligible, but shows better associated with another channel are not - say Top of the Pops, which aired on BBC One for the majority of its run but shifted to the sister channel for its final episodes.

Oh, and we're talking only original commissions - so no Us imports either. But even that barely narrows it down, so if you think there are any glaring omissions,...

BBC Two celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend and we've been asking our readers for their fondest memories and favourite ever shows from the channel.

Here is just a small sample of your replies.

The Day Today - Snossis

"No one's mentioned The Day Today! Groundbreaking stuff! Also, I'm Alan Partridge was probably the best sitcom of the 90s."

Robot Wars was the start of the weekend! - Bassebuwa

"Everyone born in the late 80s/early 90s will remember having their tea in front of The Simpsons, Fresh Prince and - to mark the start of the weekend - Robot Wars. BBC Two used to be incredible. It's a shame it's now a shadow of its former self."

Bring back Red Dwarf! - Pointy

"Red Dwarf and The Mary Whitehouse Experience meant a lot to the 11-year-old me. Thank you, BBC Two."

I miss BBC Ceefax - Kessuki

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer,...

Any Yanks concerned that the Brits outclass us may find relief in Alan Partridge, an import comedy that at first seems to stand as evidence of some over-there comic superiority. Compared to our broad Ron Burgundys, Steve Coogan's local broadcast ass Alan Partridge stands as sharp, incisive parody, a desperate, thin-skinned, self-involved, utterly detestable radio host who specializes in forgettable on-air palaver — and who, once the microphone is off, leaves a trail of smarm after him like a slug's slick. The character's well-pitched awfulness is exemplified in this killer joke from the BBC's I'm Alan Partridge: Every story he tells in his low-selling memoir ends with, "Needless to say, I had the last laugh."

A miserable medium between Will Ferrell's Burgu...

The chronicles of Alan Partridge, the local radio DJ and one-time talk show host, are culminating on the big screen. After over 20 years parading through BBC Radio 4's "On the Hour," the "I'm Alan Partridge" show, and numerous spoof interviews, Steve Coogan's popular character has landed in a feature film. And according to the tagline, someone is trying to kill him. Magnolia Pictures acquired the North American rights to the film last August (read more here). The film premiered in North America at the 2013 New York Film Festival, a month after it was released in the UK. It is set for Us theatrical release on April 4, 2014. Here's the official synopsis below: Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) has had many ups and downs in his life. National television broadcaster. Responsible for killing a guest on live TV. Local radio broadcaster. A nervous breakdown in Dundee. His self-published book, 'Bouncing Back', subsequently remaindered and pulped.

The actor on his enduring love for Guns N' Roses, the brilliance of The Wire, and the appeal of artist Eric Roux-Fontaine

Jack Huston, 30, is the grandson of the Hollywood film director John Huston and nephew to actors Anjelica and Danny Huston. He is best known for his role as Richard Harrow, a disfigured war veteran turned assassin, in the HBO Prohibition drama Boardwalk Empire. Huston was born in London in 1982, the son of Lady Margot Lavinia Cholmondeley and Walter Anthony (Tony) Huston. He decided he wanted to be an actor at the age of six after playing the lead role in a school production of Peter Pan. He began to get major film roles in his early 20s and has since appeared in 19 films and almost every episode of Boardwalk Empire's four seasons. He can currently be seen in Strangers on a Train by Craig Warner. Directed by...

Norwich found itself at the centre of media attention earlier this summer when local DJ Pat Farrell took employees of radio station Shape (formerly North Norfolk Digital) hostage for a tense siege that drew in former BBC chatshow host Alan Partridge.

As his exploits come to DVD and Blu-ray in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Digital Spy asked the man himself about his hectic danger day, his current taste in music and how - as the writer of autobiography I, Partridge - he feels about the literary success of a certain El James...

Did the events of Alpha Papa change your perspective on life?

"Not particularly. My colleague Pat Farrell held up a radio station, but I already knew that within every Irishman lies the potential to go loco with a firearm. That's just how they are.

"I was also pretty cool with the risk of death. I've had a good career,...

Norwich found itself at the centre of media attention earlier this summer when local DJ Pat Farrell took employees of radio station Shape (formerly North Norfolk Digital) hostage for a tense siege that drew in former BBC chatshow host Alan Partridge.

As his exploits come to DVD and Blu-ray in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Digital Spy asked the man himself about his hectic danger day, his current taste in music and how - as the writer of autobiography I, Partridge - he feels about the literary success of a certain El James...

Did the events of Alpha Papa change your perspective on life?

"Not particularly. My colleague Pat Farrell held up a radio station, but I already knew that within every Irishman lies the potential to go loco with a firearm. That's just how they are.

"I was also pretty cool with the risk of death. I've had a good career,...

Strictly Come Dancing cha-cha-chas back into your Saturday nights this weekend, offering a glittery and ever-so-slightly-camp alternative to the sobbing and warbling of ITV's The X Factor.

After ruling the ratings roost in 2012, the X Factor team and ITV will have been waiting nervously to find out who their competition is this year, but following the unveiling of the lineup on The One Show tonight, Simon Cowell and co will probably be sleeping a little bit more easily.

The biggest names on the lineup are probably Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden, BBC Breakfast's Susanna Reid, rugby play Ben Cohen and Wag Abbey Clancy. It's hardly a selection of names to get your pulse racing.

Of course Strictly lineups have never been exactly brimming with A-listers. From orange-faced antiques babbler David Dickinson and Celebrity Big Brother reject Claire Sweeney in series one to the likes of bland acting bore Colin Salmon...

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has released a new clip online.

The footage from Steve Coogan's comedy features the Norfolk DJ singing along to Roachford's 1988 single 'Cuddly Toy'. The scene is used in the movie's opening credits.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa sees the North Norfolk Digital host drawn into a siege when DJ Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) is fired after a corporate takeover and takes the remaining employees hostage.

When speaking to Digital Spy recently, Coogan said that by the time I'm Alan Partridge's second series entered production, the writers were deliberately thinking of catchphrases that the general public would pick up.

"We knew that if we had Alan say it, then people would start saying it on the street," he explained.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is out in the UK now.

> 'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' review: Steve Coogan's DJ is under siege

> Alan Partridge: 10 things...

After a blustery day behind the scenes of Alpha Papa, the question remains: where does Steve Coogan end and his most famous creation begin?

A freezing winter day in Cromer and it is impossible to tell where reality stops and Alan Partridge's world starts. "The best smiles for miles," says an advert for Cromer pier. "If hearty fun is good for the ticker," suggests another, GPs should prescribe "a strong dose of Cromer's seaside special". These Partridge-esque pronouncements are real but the pier shooting gallery and Susan Boyle poster are not. Two of a phalanx of police officers who have sealed off the pier from the public are genuine but most are actors watching the denouement of the long-awaited Alan Partridge movie.

The sheepskin gloves Steve Coogan is wearing when we shake hands must be Alan's? "They are actually mine," says Coogan, a little defensively, "but there is an overlap.

Steve Coogan has admitted to feeling "slightly ashamed" by one of his past Alan Partridge quotes.

In episode five of the first series of I'm Alan Partridge, titled 'To Kill a Mocking Alan', the character calls his stalker Jed a "spastic" and "mentalist", and the actor told Time Out London that he was "annoyed" at himself for the line.

> Ten Things About... Alan Partridge

"I got a letter from a young girl when Alan had described someone as a 'spastic mentalist'," Coogan said.

"Her brother had cerebral palsy, and she loved the programme and felt let down."

Coogan continued: "I think I can defend everything I have done comically, on an ethical level but I'm annoyed about that: slightly ashamed.

"You can think it's just [Alan's] ignorance but you have to think why you are doing it. What does it mean, the comedy that you are doing?"

Alan Partridge returns in...

Steve Coogan has admitted to feeling "slightly ashamed" by one of his past Alan Partridge quotes.

In episode five of the first series of I'm Alan Partridge, titled 'To Kill a Mocking Alan', the character calls his stalker Jed a "spastic" and "mentalist", and the actor told Time Out London that he was "annoyed" at himself for the line.

> Ten Things About... Alan Partridge

"I got a letter from a young girl when Alan had described someone as a 'spastic mentalist'," Coogan said.

"Her brother had cerebral palsy, and she loved the programme and felt let down."

Coogan continued: "I think I can defend everything I have done comically, on an ethical level but I'm annoyed about that: slightly ashamed.

"You can think it's just [Alan's] ignorance but you have to think why you are doing it. What does it mean, the comedy that you are doing?"

Alan Partridge returns in...

Partridge writers Peter Baynham and Neil and Rob Gibbons reveal what they've learned about East Anglia's everyman philosopher

Mr Partridge will see you now

Peter Baynham When I first heard Alan on On The Hour, which I wasn't involved in, it felt like a new kind of comedy. I hadn't seen or heard anything like it before. As I became more involved, I remember thinking he didn't feel like a one-joke character; there was something three-dimensional about this guy, something real. Without someone as talented as Steve Coogan, he could just have been "the comedy sports presenter".

Rob Gibbons Neil and I had been on the writing circuit for a while when we ended up writing for Steve's live tour in 2008. We were really on board to do Paul and Pauline Calf because Steve thought that would fit with our northern mindset. But we decided to pitch some Alan stuff...

Alan Partridge, back in a new film, remains the actor's most memorable part, but much has changed since he first portrayed him – from Hollywood success to his presence at the Leveson inquiry

When Armando Iannucci finished work on the second series of I'm Alan Partridge in 2002, he told Observer readers that Steve Coogan's best-loved character had reached the end of the road. "I got a sense by the end of filming," he said, "that this was probably enough." By then, Coogan had developed a love/hate relationship with his Radio Norwich-presenting alter ego. The comedian wanted credibility and Hollywood stardom, but what he got was people shouting "a-ha!" at him in the street. A decade after Partridge's debut on the Radio 4 show On the Hour, it seemed like a good time to put Alan's sports casual suits into mothballs.

Eleven years on and Radio Norwich's finest is on the verge of movie stardom.

Alan Partridge, back in a new film, remains the actor's most memorable part, but much has changed since he first portrayed him – from Hollywood success to his presence at the Leveson inquiry

When Armando Iannucci finished work on the second series of I'm Alan Partridge in 2002, he told Observer readers that Steve Coogan's best-loved character had reached the end of the road. "I got a sense by the end of filming," he said, "that this was probably enough." By then, Coogan had developed a love/hate relationship with his Radio Norwich-presenting alter ego. The comedian wanted credibility and Hollywood stardom, but what he got was people shouting "a-ha!" at him in the street. A decade after Partridge's debut on the Radio 4 show On the Hour, it seemed like a good time to put Alan's sports casual suits into mothballs.

Eleven years on and Radio Norwich's finest is on the verge of movie stardom.

Tesco's online streaming service Blinkbox is launching a new 'Try Before You Buy' scheme to allow its customers to sample episodes before investing in the full series.

Current hit Us programmes such as American Horror Story, Arrow, Modern Family and Supernatural, as well as modern classics such as The West Wing and The Wire are among the shows involved in the new initiative.

From July 21 to August 19, Blinkbox users will be able to sample the first episodes of as many of the available TV shows as they wish.

Blinkbox CEO Michael Comish said: "Great TV continues to be one of our biggest obsessions and the fuel for many conversations. There's more choice than ever before thanks to services like ours, and our insights told us that customers relished the opportunity to try TV before committing to purchase. After all, life's too short to watch something that you're just not into.

Director: Declan Lowney; Screenwriters: Armando Iannucci, Steve Coogan, Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons; Starring: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Felicity Montagu, Sean Pertwee, Simon Greenall; Running time: 90 mins; Certificate: 15

Alan Partridge has shown himself to be nothing if not versatile in his two-decade broadcasting career. Steve Coogan's iconic comedy creation has cropped up as sports reporter on The Day Today, chatshow host on the short-lived Knowing Me, Knowing You) and down-and-out TV star in I'm Alan Partridge.

The character has returned with renewed vigour in recent years, spearheaded by fresh writers - twins Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons - who were the driving force behind the gutbustingly-funny autobiography I, Partridge, webcam series Mid Morning Matters and Norfolk documentary Welcome to the Places of My Life. Resilient through multiple mediums, it was inevitable that Alan would find his way to the silver screen.

Alpha Papa keeps things parochial for Partridge - he's...

Director: Declan Lowney; Screenwriters: Armando Iannucci, Steve Coogan, Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons; Starring: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Felicity Montagu, Sean Pertwee, Simon Greenall; Running time: 90 mins; Certificate: 15

Alan Partridge has shown himself to be nothing if not versatile in his two-decade broadcasting career. Steve Coogan's iconic comedy creation has cropped up as sports reporter on The Day Today, chatshow host on the short-lived Knowing Me, Knowing You) and down-and-out TV star in I'm Alan Partridge.

The character has returned with renewed vigour in recent years, spearheaded by fresh writers - twins Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons - who were the driving force behind the gutbustingly-funny autobiography I, Partridge, webcam series Mid Morning Matters and Norfolk documentary Welcome to the Places of My Life. Resilient through multiple mediums, it was inevitable that Alan would find his way to the silver screen.

Alpha Papa keeps things parochial for Partridge - he's...

Review Simon Brew 24 Jul 2013 - 15:30

TV's Alan Partridge gets his own movie, but has Norfolk's most famous DJ survived the transition? Here's Simon's review of Alpha Papa...

The regular trap that Christmas specials and big screen takes on television shows fall into is to remove the natural context that the characters seem to thrive on. So we get them heading off to far-off climes, or into scenarios a million miles removed from how we're used to seeing them, and with few exceptions (The Inbetweeners Movie being one), they come a cropper as they do so. Moved away from home ground, you begin to appreciate why the 'sit' bit of 'sitcom' comes first.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa clearly makes a conscious choice to avoid such a folly right from the start. This is firmly a film about a 55-year old man from Norwich, who stays within the bounds of Norfolk for the whole movie.

Comedian, actor, writer and director who came to prominence in satirical TV sketch show Not the Nine O'Clock News

Mel Smith was once upstaged by a talking gorilla. He was playing a zoologist in a sketch on his hit comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News and the gorilla suit contained Rowan Atkinson. "When I caught Gerald in 68 he was completely wild," said Smith. "Wild?" retorted the gorilla. "I was absolutely livid!"

If the gorilla had the best line, Smith had the more expressive countenance, mugging with a deadpan virtuosity rarely seen since Oliver Hardy in his pomp. That face – as hangdog as his childhood hero Tony Hancock's – made Smith, who has died of a heart attack aged 60, one of the most recognisable of postwar British comedians.

Smith's face was only part of his fortune. He was a writer and editor of some of the most redoubtable British TV...

Mel Smith has died at the age of 60. The comedian's agent Michael Foster confirmed he suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep yesterday (19.07.13). Mel was known for his professional partnership with Griff Rhys Jones, and together the pair produced and starred in sketch show 'Not The Nine O'Clock News'. The duo also set up their own company and talent agency - Talkback Productions - which created the likes of 'Smack The Pony', 'Da Ali G Show' and 'I'm Alan Partridge'. Fellow comedian Stephen Fry joined friends and colleagues in paying tribute to the late star, who he described as a ''kind,...

Mel Smith has died at the age of 60. The comedian's agent Michael Foster confirmed he suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep yesterday (19.07.13). Mel was known for his professional partnership with Griff Rhys Jones, and together the pair produced and starred in sketch show 'Not The Nine O'Clock News'. The duo also set up their own company and talent agency - Talkback Productions - which created the likes of 'Smack The Pony', 'Da Ali G Show' and 'I'm Alan Partridge'. Fellow comedian Stephen Fry joined friends and colleagues in paying tribute to the late star, who he described as a ''kind,...

Sofia Coppola's story of the teen gang who robbed celebrity mansions is a shallow ode to Hollywood excess

There is a scene in I'm Alan Partridge in which our hero must pretend that the home of a fan is actually his own. He offers two TV executives he wants to impress a tour, despite never having been there himself. This is the lounge, he says, revealing a room with a single chair and a painting of a near-naked woman reclining in front of a Harley. Then he opens the door to the next room, which turns out to be plastered with posters of himself, customised T-shirts, blown-up autographs, a lifesize model, personalised bunting. The execs flee, frightened as to the kind of mind that could conceive of, let alone inhabit, such a shrine to self-love.

One can only imagine their horror faced with the house of Paris Hilton as...

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has premiered a new poster.

The artwork shows Steve Coogan's hapless North Norfolk Digital presenter leaping over police tape and into the siege taking place at his radio station.

[poster via Total Film]

I'm Alan Partridge regulars Lynn (Felicity Montagu), Geordie Bp garage worker Michael (Simon Greenall) and DJ Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) will return for the feature film.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa was written by Armando Iannucci, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons and Coogan, and opens in UK cinemas on August 7.

> 'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' - fans start Norwich premiere campaign

> Alpha Papa: What's your funniest Alan Partridge moment? - open thread

> 'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' trailer: The 10 funniest bits - clobber!

Watch the latest trailer for the comedy below:...

With talky TV drama more and more dominant, has film ceded the intellectual high ground for ever? Pieces such as Richard Linklater's latest seem to offer a sliver of hope

In recent years, cultural smart alecs have warmed to an increasingly insistent theme: television, they've announced, is now better than the movies. Our picture houses, they've assured us, are in thrall to superhero nonsense, CGI explosions and sentimental drivel fit only for 12-year-olds. Persons of discernment look instead to the small screen, which these days is awash with edifying drama, complex characters and witty comedy.

Like so many crude generalisations, this one contains some truth. It's TV that has given us The Sopranos, The Simpsons, The Office, The West Wing, The Wire, Mad Men, Sex and the City, The Larry Sanders Show, I'm Alan Partridge and The Killing. In comparison, the big-screen highlights of the last couple of decades look a little bit thin.

In the Loop - a political farce set in London and Washington - is the brilliant cinematic debut of Armando Iannucci. Here, in a candid behind-the-scenes diary, the satirist reveals the joys of playing basketball with star James Gandolfini and the pleasure of a hometown screening in front of his eightysomething mum ...

We didn't even have a piece of paper to start with. I'd been told that most films start with a small piece of paper. On it is written a one-line version of your film. "Imagine Vera Drake meets The Cider House Rules." "It's like Fantastic Four, but with Anthony Hopkins on a horse." "A small-town family murder their cleaner and then bury her in some waste ground that then gets built on by a shoe manufacturer, whose shoes are haunted by her deranged spirit, resulting in a little girl kicking the town's mayor to death but with very...

It didn't take long. Moments after we finished watching the new trailer for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa yesterday, our minds were already floating back to some of the classic moments from Steve Coogan's comic creation.

Partridge first cropped up as a hapless sports broadcaster on BBC Radio 4's On the Hour two decades ago before cutting through the mediums of chat show, sitcom, web video and travel documentary with his unique combo of chit-chat and analysis. One thing has remained consistent: he is always absolutely hilarious.

> 'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' trailer: The 10 funniest bits - clobber!

> Steve Coogan talks 'Alan Partridge' movie: 'There is a threat level'

With Norfolk's finest heading to the big screen this summer, Digital Spy wants to know what your funniest ever Partridge moment is. Air guitar? Re-enacting The Spy Who Loved Me? Reeling off a host of terrible TV show ideas? Leave...

It didn't take long. Moments after we finished watching the new trailer for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa yesterday, our minds were already floating back to some of the classic moments from Steve Coogan's comic creation.

Partridge first cropped up as a hapless sports broadcaster on BBC Radio 4's On the Hour two decades ago before cutting through the mediums of chat show, sitcom, web video and travel documentary with his unique combo of chit-chat and analysis. One thing has remained consistent: he is always absolutely hilarious.

> 'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' trailer: The 10 funniest bits - clobber!

> Steve Coogan talks 'Alan Partridge' movie: 'There is a threat level'

With Norfolk's finest heading to the big screen this summer, Digital Spy wants to know what your funniest ever Partridge moment is. Air guitar? Re-enacting The Spy Who Loved Me? Reeling off a host of terrible TV show ideas? Leave...

While "The World's End" may be the most anticipated Brit-com of the summer by quite some distance, there's at least one other laugher landing before the weather cools that could be worth the price of admission; the big-screen debut of Alan Partridge. There's been talk of bringing Steve Coogan's most seminal creation, a low-rent talk show host turned regional radio DJ, who featured in the series "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "I'm Alan Partridge," to the big screen for quite some time, but shooting finally got underway earlier this year for an August release date, and after a brief tease earlier in the year, a full trailer has arrived over at MSN for "Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa."  As reported earlier, the script (co-written by Coogan, Partridge vets Neil & Rob Gibbons, "Veep" creator Armando Iannucci and "Borat" Oscar-nominee Peter Baynham, sees Alan become involved in a siege at his radio...

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa's second trailer has been released.

Steve Coogan returns as the hapless radio DJ in the action comedy, which will open in cinemas later this summer.

Video: Exclusive Trailer - Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has been written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons.

In the movie, Partridge's radio station North Norfolk Digital is subject to a takeover, leading to staff redundancies and the station's rebranding as 'Shape'.

However, events soon take a dramatic turn when Alan is drawn into an armed siege as a negotiator between the gunman and the police.

'Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa' - photo gallery:

Coogan has previously described Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa as "a bit Dog Day Afternoon and a bit Network".

I'm Alan Partridge regulars Lynn (Felicity Montagu), Geordie Bp garage worker Michael (Simon Greenall) and DJ Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) will also star in the movie,...

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has released a Father's Day ecard exclusively through Digital Spy.

Steve Coogan's hapless North Norfolk Digital DJ sits front and centre of the card, which wishes your "number one Alpha Papa" a happy Father's Day.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa will see the eponymous broadcaster drawn into an armed siege at his radio station prompted by mass staff lay-offs following a takeover by a giant media conglomerate.

I'm Alan Partridge regulars Lynn (Felicity Montagu), Geordie Bp garage worker Michael (Simon Greenall) and DJ Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) will return for the feature film, which is due to open in UK cinemas on August 7.

Watch the teaser trailer for Alpha Papa below:...

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has released a Father's Day ecard exclusively through Digital Spy.

Steve Coogan's hapless North Norfolk Digital DJ sits front and centre of the card, which wishes your "number one Alpha Papa" a happy Father's Day.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa will see the eponymous broadcaster drawn into an armed siege at his radio station prompted by mass staff lay-offs following a takeover by a giant media conglomerate.

I'm Alan Partridge regulars Lynn (Felicity Montagu), Geordie Bp garage worker Michael (Simon Greenall) and DJ Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) will return for the feature film, which is due to open in UK cinemas on August 7.

Watch the teaser trailer for Alpha Papa below:...

This period of economic hardship hasn't brought about the predicted burst of creativity – instead it's More of the Same

It's said there are only seven master plots in fiction (or five, or 20, depending on who's counting). But at the current rate of rehash, scientists predict there will be only seven master franchises come 2025. These will include: Spiderman (played by a different 26-year-old every three years); that thing with Vin Diesel and the cars (Fast and Forty-fourious will see the gang of ageing speedsters pull off a heist on mobility scooters); and any amount of spun-off Star Wars characters (to be tired of Boba Fett's backstory is to be tired of life). Oh, and Poldark.

Poldark's back, in case you missed the news, or perhaps assumed the reports had wormed through some tear in the commissioning continuum from 1996, which is the last time the 18th-century Cornish romantic saga was revived.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa has released its first teaser poster.

The artwork shows a bullet shattering a North Norfolk Digital mug, hinting at the tense siege story at the heart of the film.

Alan Partridge star Steve Coogan recently lifted the lid on the film while appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show.

The actor revealed that the Norwich radio station experiences mass layoffs after a takeover from Gordale Media. A siege erupts at the station prompting Alan to become the negotiator between the gunman and the police.

I'm Alan Partridge regulars Lynn (Felicity Montagu), Geordie Bp garage worker Michael (Simon Greenall) and DJ Dave Clifton (Phil Cornwell) will return for the feature film.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa was written by Armando Iannucci, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons and Coogan and opens in UK cinemas on August 7.

Watch a teaser trailer for the film below:...