Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Comedy |
| Creator(s) | Steve Coogan Armando Iannucci Patrick Marber |
| Starring | Steve Coogan Rebecca Front Doon Mackichan Patrick Marber David Schneider |
| Opening theme | ABBA - Knowing Me, Knowing You |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 including one Christmas special (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Armando Iannucci |
| Executive producer(s) | Peter Fincham |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC2 |
| Picture format | PAL (576i) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original run | September 16 1994 – October 21 1994 (Christmas Special shown on December 29 1995) |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Knowing Me, Knowing You (BBC Radio 4 series) (1992 – 1993) |
| Followed by | I'm Alan Partridge (1997 – 2002) |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge (also known as Knowing Me, Knowing You or abbreviated to KMKY...WAP) is a British comedy show first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as a six-episode series, which subsequently transferred to BBC Television with a series of six episodes (beginning 16 September 1994), and a Christmas special (Knowing Me, Knowing Yule) in 1995. It is named after the song Knowing Me, Knowing You by ABBA (Alan Partridge's favourite band), which was used as the show's title music.
The show was a parody of a chat show, and both the radio and television versions were so embarrassingly accurate that listeners and viewers often thought they were the real thing. Many wrote in to complain, for example, at Partridge slapping a child prodigy in an episode of the radio series. The series did feature an audience who clearly knew the show was a parody, but apparently this wasn't enough to persuade some listeners that it wasn't real.
Steve Coogan played the incompetent and annoying but self-satisfied Norwich-based host, Alan Partridge. Alan was a spin-off character from the spoof radio show On The Hour (which later transferred to TV as The Day Today).
Knowing Me, Knowing You was written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci (who produced the radio version) and Patrick Marber (who also starred), with contributions from the regular supporting cast of Doon Mackichan, Rebecca Front and David Schneider, who made up Alan's weekly onslaught of annoying and inane guests. Steve Brown also appeared as the man in charge of the house band, Glenn Ponder.
Some of the more notable ‘guests’ parodied real life appearances by guests on chat shows. For example, the medical fashion parade by ‘Mrs Whippy Head’ is clearly a reference to Vivienne Westwood's infamous appearance on Wogan, and the child prodigy Simon Fisher's appearance in the radio series was seemingly inspired by James Harries' (now Lauren Harries) appearance on the same show.
Alan went on to appear in two series of the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge, following Alan's life after his sacking from TV after punching the commissioning editor of BBC2 (David Schneider) on his Christmas special, shortly after his wife left him.
[edit] Radio Episodes
| Episode Number | Broadcast Date | Interviewees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 December 1992 | Lawrence Camley, Ally Tennant, Adam Wells | Recorded on 14 March 1992 |
| 2 | 8 December 1992 | Simon Fisher, Janey Katz, Nick Ford | - |
| 3 | 15 December 1992 | Michel Lambert, Shirley Dee, Chris Lester | - |
| 4 | 22 December 1992 | The Duchess of Stranraer, Steve Thompson, Sandra Peaks | - |
| 5 | 29 December 1992 | Conrad Knight and Sally Hoff, Bernie Rosen, Jack 'the Black Cat' Calson | - |
| 6 | 5 January 1993 | Tony Hayers, Trudy Sky and Yvonne Boyd, Lord Morgan of Glossop | - |
| Special | 3 July 1993 | N/A | Documentary-style programme called 'Knowing Knowing Me, Knowing You' |
[edit] Television Episodes
| Subject | Rebecca Front | Patrick Marber | David Schneider | Doon Mackichan | Other guests | Another Alan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ‘Roger Moore’ | Sue Lewis, a dull showjumper | Keith Hunt, new host of This Is Your Life | Big Red Book on This Is Your Life | Shona McGough, an abrasive punk singer | Shona's band, Roger Moore (voice; performed by Steve Coogan) | - |
| 2 | ‘Moribund’ | Tania Beaumont, actress | Gary Barker, washed-up actor and Tania's husband | Tony LeMesmer, magician | - | Daniella Forrest, transsexual Playboy columnist (Minnie Driver) | A sailor with a facial tic (John Thomson) |
| 3 | ‘Hot’ | Gina Langland, singer | Lawrence Knowles, sleazy promoter | Clive Sealy, Lawrence's dermatologist | - | The Olympic Golden Girls of 1936; Hot Pants, an all-male strip troupe | - |
| 4 | ‘A Partridge In Paris’ | Yvonne Boyd, fashion designer with odd ideas | Phillippe Lambert, famous chef | Head of Cirque des Clunes | - | Nina Vanier, Alan's French co-host (Melanie Hudson) | Alain Perdrix, who couldn't speak English |
| 5 | ‘Partridge Over Britain’ | Charlotte Fraser (Lab) | Lt. Col. Kojak Slaphead the Third (Bald Brummies Against The Big-Footed Conspiracy Party) (real name Martin Dwyer, student) | Adrian Finch (Con) | - | Terry Norton, dodgy boxing promoter (Alan Ford); Five Miss Norwich contestants (Barbara Durkin, plus four uncredited); Ronald Biggs (Lib Dem) (Felix Dexter) | Dead, but appeared anyway |
| 6 | ‘It Is A Live Show’ | Bridie McMahon, lesbian host of the show to take Alan's place | Forbes McAllister, cynical restaurant critic for The Spectator | - | Wanda Harvey, Bridie's lesbian co-host | The Alan Partridge Playmates; the Maclean brothers, irritating child film-makers; Joe Beasley, awful stand-up comic (John Thomson) | - |
| 7 | ‘Knowing Me, Knowing Yule’ | Mary, a bellringer and devout Christian | Gordon Heron, a paralysed former golfer | Tony Hayers, Chief Commissioning Editor of BBC Television | Liz Heron, Gordon's wife and also a golfer | Fanny Thomas, innuendo-using transvestite (Kevin Eldon) | - |
