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Alan Partridge finds himself in a predicament! Yet, who isn’t struggling nowadays? When we last saw him on screen, Alan was melting down live on air while hosting the light magazine show This Time, concluding the season by being shut out of the BBC. In the opening of his independent production, the light documentary How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), the broadcaster reveals he’s encountered further difficulties by fainting into the lap of a female interviewee at a corporate event for Norfolk agribusiness stalwarts. Hard moments, but such characters rebound: tie your troubles to a national trend and attempt to turn it into a show.

Delving into Stress and Loneliness

How Are You? then, sees Steve Coogan’s immortal alter ego in documentary style, examining a wave of mental health issues that he believes is intensifying: “To put it simply, it’s become insane!” The journey will see him experiment with religion, revive old school ties, and take a lot of restorative country walks, as well as confronting his recent past. Episode one builds towards a hostile but cathartic reunion with “Sidekick” Simon Denton (Tim Key), an ex-co-worker from broadcasting days, and as this new series goes on, we’re shown unseen clips from Alan’s stints.

Alongside his co-writers and directors, How Are You? marks a change of pace. Whereas This Time pushed Partridge into new territory, How Are You? often retreads it: as well as directly reviving old formats, the whole piece resembles the mockumentaries of the last decade. With his personal issues seeping into the content, it recalls his audio ventures.

The Two Sides of Alan Partridge

This leads to a minor issue. The character has two facets: 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 reflective version has emerged lately in books and audio projects. How Are You? situates us in his world and features Kelly as Katrina, a mismatched romantic partner from the podcast. But that tragic tale – Alan is in denial about Katrina cheating on him with an acquaintance and entrepreneur – feels like one that would have benefited from the slower pace of audio-only Alan, enabling mental imagery to amplify laughs. Without visuals, he seems more free: current formats thrive on challenging the triumphant version and observing his collapse, as seen before.

The Genius of Sloppy Errors

Yet, these issues pale beside a key reality: in any format, he is the top humorous character in Britain, and temporary versions still offer huge comedy than competing shows. How Are You? features Alan as star, producer, and director, which opens up his genius for sloppy errors and poor editorial decisions. If he thinks Britain’s mental health problems are best illustrated by an aggressively edited montage of exploding fruit, it will be included, and there’s nobody to tell him that he’s accidentally used the word “tastistics” or similar gaffes in narration. The brief pained expression he makes exiting sensing the scene went poorly always delights, and nor do the idents he’s made to fit between segments, topped by his earnest, flawed grins while gulping down a brew.

Visual and Emotional Highlights

Is there anything more joyous than Alan grunting as he squats down next to a skip? Surely not. He is also a visual treat, with his new dye job several shades too light to be plausible, and his 2025 wardrobe featuring mustard chinos, black-and-white pundit pumps, assorted vests and excited response to fashion trends.

Plus, the subject matter here allows for the glimpses into Alan’s soul that have been there ever since the Gibbons brothers took over co-writing duties. Repeatedly, the show achieves emotional depth, where his ignorance uncovers sorrow that almost has us crying tears of emotion, until humor takes over and giggles follow. That can happen because we’ve loved him for so long: every appearance is appreciated.