Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge

Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge
Genre	Comedy
Format	Mockumentary Fly on the wall
Created by	Steve Coogan Neil Gibbons Rob Gibbons Armando Iannucci
Written by	Steve Coogan Neil Gibbons Rob Gibbons Armando Iannucci
Directed by	Ted Dowd
Starring	Steve Coogan Tim Key Pippa Duffy
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	12 (Web Version) 6 (TV Version)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Steve Coogan Henry Normal Jon Mountague
Producer(s)	Armando Iannucci
Running time	15 minutes approx (Web Version) 30 minutes approx (TV Version)
Production company(s)	Baby Cow Productions
Broadcast
Original channel	FostersFunny.co.uk (Web Version) Sky Atlantic HD (TV Version, TBC)
Picture format	HDTV 1080i/720p
Audio format	Stereo
Original run	5 November 2010 (2010-11-05) – present

Mid Morning Matters is a Web/Television Mockumentary/Fly on the wall/Comedy series written by Steve Coogan, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons and Armando Iannucci, produced by Baby Cow Productions and fully funded by the British arm of Australian Lager giant, Foster's, which resurrects the 90's television character, Alan Partridge. The first of twelve 15 minute episodes was uploaded to the Fosters Funny website on November 5, 2010. It is unknown when the first of six 30 minute episodes, edited from the Web series, will (likely) air on Sky Atlantic HD.^[1] It was speculated that the TV edit of the series would air on BBC Two, Partridge's original TV home, and BBC HD, with other possibilities being UKTV channel, Dave (and Dave HD), Channel 4 (and Channel 4 HD), Channel 5 (and Channel 5 HD) and Comedy Central UK (and Comedy Central HD).

Plot

In Mid Morning Matters Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) is back working as a disc jockey, this time on the fictional station 'North Norfolk Digital'. He is occasionally joined by 'Side-kick Simon' (Tim Key) who eventually leaves or is fired due to Alan's gradual dislike towards him. Alan is noticeably annoyed when he discovers that Simon had started guesting as a side-kick on another radio show (a late night comedy show). Much of the comedy surrounding Simon was his failure to grasp political correctness on sensitive issues which Alan would have to cover for when Simon slipped. After his departure Alan recruits a new side-kick, Zoe (Pippa Duffy), and quickly develops a crush on her. In the final part of series one, Zoe reveals she is going travelling for three months much to Alan's disappointment. The episode ends with a shot through the window into the recording booth as Zoe hugs Alan and gives him a kiss on the cheek; there is no sound and it is unknown what Alan has said to warrant this reaction. This is a rare low key ending to an Alan Partridge series with the high point being when Alan scolds Side-kick Simon after he plays a practical joke on him.

Production

In August 2010, it was reported that Alan Partridge would make a comeback series online for lager giant Fosters.^[2] On 8 October 2010, it was announced that the new show, entitled Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters, would premiere on 5 November 2010 on Foster's comedy site, http://www.fostersfunny.co.uk . In a press release, Steve Coogan announced, in character:

"I am delighted to announce that after years as a regional broadcaster on North Norfolk Digital my groundbreaking radio segment, Mid Morning Matters, will now be accessible to a potential audience of billions via the World Wide Web (www).

That it has taken Foster’s to help realise my dream of joining the information superhighway is a damning indictment of the established broadcasters whose shabby treatment of me on Sept 10th 2001 was frankly shabby. I made dozens of calls the next day, all of which were ignored.

My appreciation must go to Armando Iannucci and Baby Cow for ignoring the lies, God bless them. In the meantime I look forward to “hanging out ‘n’ chillin” with the MySpace generation."^[3]

After the six episodes aired online, in December 2010, Armando Iannucci confirmed on Twitter that "there will be 6 more Alan Partridge Mid Morning Matters starting in February." This series started on February 4, 2011, as episode 7, and ran every Friday until episode 12 on March 11, 2011.

In Episode 3, released on 18 November 2010, Alan invites listeners to vote for "simply the best of Norfolk" (who is the best person Norfolk has produced?) in which he makes reference to Bernard Matthews ("he is tantalisingly close to producing the ten-pence turkey, now there's a thought..."). Matthews died a week later on 25 November 2010.

Following the series, Alan appeared again as part of the Red Nose Day 2011 set for a one-off show akin to the Mid Morning Matters arrangement, and here Side-kick Simon reappears in his former capacity. Here, Alan interviews a nun over whom he sneezes blood by mistake. The series was written by Steve Coogan, Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons and Armando Iannucci.

Future

On 4 October 2011 co-writer Neil Gibbons announced on his Twitter feed that a second series of Mid Morning Matters was in development.^[4][5] When asked by a fan (via Twitter) if there would be more Mid Morning Matters, Iannucci replied, "Soon".

References

1. ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/00000674/alan_partridge_web_series_tv_debut_sky_atlantic/
2. ^ "In pictures: Alan Partridge makes internet comeback". BBC Norfolk. 2010-08-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8957000/8957095.stm. Retrieved 2010-08-31. 
3. ^ "Brand New Alan Partridge exclusive to Foster's". Foster's Funny. 2010-10-08. http://www.fostersfunny.co.uk/2010/10/brand-new-alan-partridge-exclusive-to-fosters/. Retrieved 2010-10-08. 
4. ^ "Mid Morning Matters series 2 in development". 2011-10-04. http://completelyalanpartridge.net/index.php/2011/10/04/mid-morning-matters-series-2-in-development/. Retrieved 2011-10-04. 
5. ^ http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/00000639/alan_partridge_steve_coogan_mid_morning_matters_2/