Stars: Steve Coogan, Patrick Marber, Rebecca Front, Doon MacKichan, David Schneider

Director: Dominic Brigstocke

Summary: All from the popular TV comedy series in one pack.

Norwich's king of chat Alan Partridge stars in these six episodes from the classic BBC TV comedy. Includes the festive special KNOWING ME, KNOWING YULE, get it

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Ah-Ha! In 1995 Norwich's most famous son Alan Partridge made the transition from radio to TV with Knowing Me, Knowing You, a chat-show so wholly misunderstood that one clever-clog TV critic described it as "moribund". By way of rebuttal, just consider Alan's parade of fantastic guests, including a hypnotist who persuades Alan that he's an owl; a US pop diva with whom Alan shares a memorable Abba duet that happens to be in all the wrong keys for him; raunchy male dance-act Hot Pants; Cirque des Clowns, whose extreme violence upsets Alan; and, most exciting of all, Roger Moore (via mobile phone from a traffic jam on the Chiswick roundabout).

Steve Coogan's creation fell on hard times later--as chronicled in the magnificent I'm Alan PartridgeSeries 1 and Series 2--but here he's revelling in his prime-time exposure with no thought of becoming "clinically sad" or gorging on Toblerone bars. Co-writers Armando Iannucci and Patrick Marber lovingly recreate everything that's fake and contrived about the whole chat-show genre: the shameless plugging, the recalcitrant celebs, the novelty acts and, most of all, the insufferably smug host oblivious to his own tediousness. Coogan's regular guests are ably played by some faces familiar from The Day Today: Rebecca Front, Doon MacKichan, David Schneider and Patrick Marber himself. Other game guest stars are John Thomson (as a naval officer also called Alan Partridge) and Minnie Driver (as a transsexual agony aunt), not forgetting Steve Brown as disconcertingly gay music director Glen Ponder.

The high-water mark of Alan's career arrived with his Christmas special Knowing Me, Knowing Yulein which his own living room was lovingly recreated at Television Centre. Unfortunately, and despite the presence of Mick Hucknall, the new Chief Commissioning Editor of BBC TV, Tony Hayers, is deeply unimpressed with the show and gets punched in the face by Alan, who, it turns out, is handy with a turkey. On that bombshell, Alan's career took a downward turn.

On the DVD:Knowing Me, Knowing Youis a two-disc set including all six episodes and the Christmas special. There's a group commentary throughout with contributions from Armando Iannucci plus Patrick Marber, Rebecca Front, Steve Brown and Dave Schneider speaking in and out of character. Other extras include the original pilot show, Alan on Comic Relief, Alan's rural rambles, his TV trailers, plus stills and cast biographies. --Mark Walker

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Cast Commentary On Every Episode, Knowing Me Knowing Yule Christmas Special Episode With Optional Commentary, Alan Aid Alans Live Injects From Comic Relief 1995, Untransmitted Pilot Episode, Alans Country Ramble, Cast And Crew Biographies, Image Gallery
Year:	1994
Release Date:	October 20, 2003
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B B C D V D 1207
Keywords:	You, Comedy, Off, General, Series, Knowing, Me, Tv, Complete, Schedule, Yule
Genre:	Comedy