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Alan Partridge finds himself in a predicament! But then, who isn’t these days? In his last TV appearance, Alan suffered a public collapse while hosting the light magazine show This Time, wrapping up with him excluded of the BBC. As his latest self-made endeavor begins, the informative film How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), the broadcaster reveals he’s since hit another low by collapsing onto a woman during an interview at a corporate event for Norfolk agribusiness stalwarts. Tough times, but personalities of Partridge’s calibre know how to bounce back: connect struggles with societal themes and try to develop a program from it.

Exploring the Epidemic of Anxiety

How Are You? then, sees Steve Coogan’s immortal alter ego in investigative guise, looking into an epidemic of anxiety, stress and loneliness that he believes is intensifying: “If I can use an outdated term, it’s just got mental!” His path includes dabbling in faith, revive old school ties, and embark on calming rural strolls, while dealing with his past. The first installment leads to a tense yet relieving meeting with “Sidekick” Simon Denton (Tim Key), Alan’s former colleague on This Time and North Norfolk Digital radio, and as this new series goes on, hidden moments from his career emerge.

Alongside his co-writers and directors, How Are You? represents a shift in direction. In contrast to earlier innovations, How Are You? sometimes rehashes past ideas: in addition to resurrecting classic structures, the series echoes past satirical documentaries of the last decade. And, as Alan’s private life bleeds into his investigations, we’re most strongly reminded of the podcast series.

The Two Sides of Alan Partridge

It creates a slight challenge. We see two versions of Alan: Triumphant Alan (in prime roles) and Struggling Alan (without work), and even though the underdog Alan shone in the classic series I’m Alan Partridge back in 1997, a nostalgic take has developed in books and audio projects. How Are You? brings us into his space and features Kelly as Katrina, his highly inappropriate love interest from the podcast. But that tragic tale – he refuses to accept her betrayal with his friend and local tanning-centre mogul – seems better suited to podcast pacing, enabling mental imagery to amplify laughs. Off-screen, the character feels more expansive: current formats thrive on challenging the triumphant version and seeing his downfall, as in past series.

Humor in Mistakes

These, however, are quibbles in the face of one large, undeniable fact: across all platforms, he delivers the most laughs in Britain, and even placeholder Partridge has more laughs-out-loud per half-hour than competing shows. How Are You? features Alan as star, producer, and director, which highlights his talent for mistakes and bad choices. If he thinks Britain’s mental health problems are best illustrated by an aggressively edited montage of exploding fruit, viewers will see it, and no one corrects his verbal errors or other mistakes in commentary. The slight grimace we regularly catch as he strides out of shot aware that the segment was a failure always delights, and nor do the idents he’s made to fit between segments, topped by his earnest, flawed grins while simultaneously swallowing a mouthful of humble British tea.

Striking Moments and Feelings

Is there anything more joyous than Alan grunting as he squats down next to a skip? Surely not. His appearance is equally entertaining, with his new dye job several shades too light to be plausible, and his clothing showcasing loud pants, black-and-white pundit pumps, multiple gilets and excited response to fashion trends.

Moreover, the content reveals his deeper side that emerged with the current writers. Several times, it delivers poignant moments, where his blindness exposes pain that briefly evokes strong feelings, until humor takes over and giggles follow. That can happen because we’ve loved him for so long: any version of Alan Partridge is always welcome back.