Sunday, January 14, 2007
knowing me, knowing you:
Ricky Gervais has built a lucrative career stealing the career of Steve Coogan. First his David Brent takes the oblivious, pedestrian and loathsome aspects of Coogan's Alan Partridge. Now his whatever-the-fuck character on Extras takes the failing-show-biz aspects of Alan Partridge. Did I mention that Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge and I'm Alan Partridge are the greatest sitcoms of all fucking time?
--Spencer Ackerman
The earlier, radio version of Knowing Me Knowing You is also pretty great. Same character and setup (he's still basically a shlemiel, but as he manages to achieve his goal of getting his radio show onto the television, he's sort of on the upswing). I think most or all of the sketches are different.

By the way, congratulations on fixing the "Hot for TNR" display issue that was affecting some of us antediluvian users of Internet Explorer.
Blogger Hillel | 7:57 PM

in praise of Steve Coogan: Tristram Shandy was the funniest film last year. A very wise film as well, with sage advice for neocons who like to pee out windows.
Blogger larrybob | 3:56 AM

Why must we slag off one thing in order to praise another?

Alan Partridge and The Office share a sensibility, sure, but there are plenty of dissimilarities. The Office is about middle and working class characters, it has no laugh track, it has an Epic Romance at its core, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's comedy is less cartoony (meant as a description, not an insult) than Steve Coogan's etc.

There's room for lots of uncomfortable, mockumentary comedy in the world, we can include both Coogan and Gervais/Merchant in the pantheon, methinks.
Blogger parabasis | 8:15 AM