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Alan Partridge is in crisis! But then, who isn’t these days? When we last saw him on screen, Alan had an on-air breakdown while presenting the magazine program This Time, ending the series quite literally locked out of the BBC. At the start of his new, self-produced project, the non-fiction piece How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), the broadcaster reveals he’s encountered further difficulties by fainting into the lap of a female interviewee at a business function for a Norfolk feed company. Tough times, but personalities of Partridge’s calibre know how to bounce back: connect struggles with societal themes and try to develop a program from it.

Delving into Stress and Loneliness

How Are You? features Coogan’s timeless character in documentary style, examining a wave of mental health issues that he feels is worsening: “To put it simply, it’s become insane!” He tries out spiritual practices, revive old school ties, and enjoy therapeutic hikes, as well as confronting his recent 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, previously unreleased footage is displayed.

For Coogan and his long-term writing/directing collaborators, How Are You? represents a shift in direction. While the previous show explored new ground, How Are You? often retreads it: along with bringing back former styles, the whole piece resembles the mockumentaries in recent years. With his personal issues seeping into the content, we’re most strongly reminded of the podcast series.

Dual Personas of the Character

That presents a small problem. There are two Alans: Winning Alan (currently has a big paid presenting gig) and Struggling Alan (without work), and even though the underdog Alan shone in the classic series I’m Alan Partridge back in 1997, a nostalgic take has developed in books and audio projects. How Are You? brings us into his space and features Kelly as Katrina, Alan’s wildly unsuitable paramour from the podcast. Yet this heartbreaking narrative – he ignores her infidelity with a pal and business owner – feels like one that would have benefited from the slower pace of audio-only Alan, enabling mental imagery to amplify laughs. When we can’t see him, Wilderness Alan has room to breathe: current formats thrive on challenging the triumphant version and observing his collapse, as seen before.

Humor in Mistakes

These, however, are quibbles in the face of one large, undeniable fact: across all platforms, he delivers the most laughs in Britain, and temporary versions still offer huge comedy than competing shows. How Are You? has Alan in multiple creative roles, which opens up his genius for sloppy errors and poor editorial decisions. If explosive fruit edits symbolize struggles, that’s what we’re getting, and no one corrects his verbal errors or other mistakes in commentary. The brief pained expression he makes exiting aware that the segment was a failure consistently amuses, and the same goes for his transitional clips, topped by his earnest, flawed grins while simultaneously swallowing a mouthful of humble British tea.

Visual and Emotional Highlights

Can anything top his skip-side groans? Absolutely not. He is also a visual treat, with his new dye job several shades too light to be plausible, and his clothing showcasing loud pants, contrasting shoes, multiple gilets and excited response to fashion trends.

Moreover, the content reveals his deeper side that appeared under new creative guidance. Several times, it delivers poignant moments, where Alan’s lack of self-awareness reveals a sadness that briefly evokes strong feelings, then the comedy returns and laughter resumes. It succeeds because of enduring fandom: any version of Alan Partridge is always welcome back.