Steve Coogan has hinted at an exciting new Alan Partridge series with a distinctive angle. The actor joined BBC Breakfast on Tuesday (January 28) to talk about his forthcoming Channel 4 drama Brian and Maggie, which portrays the last TV interview of the soon-to-retire Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with journalist Brian Walden in 1989.
In the midst of the conversation, Steve revealed to presenters Roger Johnson and Sally Nugent that he had just wrapped up filming for another Alan Partridge series. “Go on, tell us. I’m a bit scared to ask you about that, considering where we are,” Sally prodded.
Steve divulged: “I’m not sure when it’s out, it’s soon-ish. It’s called How Are You? and it’s about the mental health of the nation. Very serious subject matter that he mangles.”
Sally humorously remarked: “I can’t imagine how Alan would handle a sensitive subject,” prompting Steve to respond: “Well, I’m sure you can. You can try,” which drew laughter from the hosts.
Alan Partridge, a character co-created by Steve and Armando Iannucci for the 1991 BBC Radio 4 comedy show ‘On the Hour’, has fronted numerous spoof chat shows.
The BBC sitcom I’m Alan Partridge debuted in 1997, garnering two BAFTAs and spawning a second series in 2002. Alongside this more “serious” Alan Partridge project, fans can anticipate another mockumentary titled And Did Those Feet… with Alan Partridge.
The upcoming six-part series, set to grace screens on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, will chart the journey of the broadcaster as he reintegrates into life in Norfolk following a stint in Saudi Arabia.
The transition, however, is not without its challenges, leaving him grappling with a profound sense of disquiet, reports the Express.
“Seeing himself and his homeland anew, there are pressing and frankly glaring questions he’d like to ask of himself and, on behalf of himself, of the country,” the official synopsis tantalisingly suggests.
Throughout the episodes, viewers will accompany Alan as he delves into the voids in his own existence, probes the reasons behind the nation’s collective malaise, and seeks out the elusive formula for a funk-free life.