This Time with Alan Partridge Episode 6 Review

Original air date: April 1, 2019
Directors: Neil Gibbons and Rob Gibbons
Writers: Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, and Rob Gibbons

Rating: 8/10

This seems like a bit of a rushed conclusion, though it is quite enjoyable. Jennie tells Alan that she overheard him saying something nasty about her at one point, and then walks off the show right before they start shooting live, leaving Alan to scramble and have the very unprepared Simon on as his co-star.

It starts poorly, particularly since the first guest is a fashion designer, so Alan and Simon have to text the only women in their lives to find some fashionable things to say. But as this segment goes on, the two get more and more comfortable embracing their inner camp.

This has to be my favorite part of the episode, particularly because of Tim Key’s performance as Simon. It’s not easy to outshine Coogan, but he makes the most of his role here.

The next major segment involves Alan talking about the police, and this one isn’t quite as good, except for the moment when Alan accuses a police officer of being the type of guy that would plant drugs on a black man. And Alan’s overconfidence in his wordplay is always good.

Alan then interviews a corrupt African politician accused of profiting off water supply, and considering there’s an interpreter, it goes very poorly.

This segment is also quite good.

The episode (and the series) ends anticlimactically, as Alan gets called in to his superior’s office right after the episode ends, presumably to get fired. I would have liked for this to have been stretched out more. It’s odd that Jennie leaves and then the series ends right there, but it is Alan Partridge tradition to not overstay its welcome.