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.
 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.
 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.
 parabasis | 8:15 AM