I shouldn't be mentioning this, because I work at BBC Worldwide. The release of the I'm Alan Partridge DVD was an almighty fuck-up on Worldwide's part. Apparently, they didn't consult Steve Coogan or Peter Baynham and Armando Ianucci about the release, and the three of them were annoyed they weren't given a chance to supply any additional special features to the DVD. They've got a point. The one additional feature on it is a crap 'Alan's Family Tree' graphic which is basically a picture of a tree with cast heads in it.
Coogan, Ianucci and Baynham have asked for the DVD to be recalled and people who've bought it to be given their money back. I'm not sure how Worldwide are going to do that, but I suppose some poor tosser who works here is going to have to figure out a way. I think the plan is for a better DVD with some new features to be released later.
I'm only posting this because I leave next week. This place is toss.
If that's true then it explains the pisspoor BBC releases of their sitcom back catalogue so far.
Nice to see their treatment of their assets hasn't improved since the days of Python.
Actually, on second thoughts, everyone on this forum knew IAP was coming out on DVD for months before it arrived (it was being discussed at length), so I assume there was decent pre-publicity.
Are we meant to believe that Coogan, Baynham and Ianucci only noticed their own show was due to come out when they wandered into their local HMV and found it racked on the shelves? Why didn't they object sooner?
>Actually, on second thoughts, everyone on this forum knew IAP was coming out on DVD for months before it arrived (it was being discussed at length), so I assume there was decent pre-publicity.
>
>Are we meant to believe that Coogan, Baynham and Ianucci only noticed their own show was due to come out when they wandered into their local HMV and found it racked on the shelves? Why didn't they object sooner?
Wasn't it mentioned in the Iannucci webchat that we all had a big pagga with Steve Berry about a couple of months ago. Reportedly he said that he wasn't really bothered about it and didn't see the point of extra features or aanything. Perhaps that was the first he'd heard, and that was just bluster he made up on the spot when in reality he wants to be in control, and bring us a wonderful DVD package.
>If that's true then it explains the pisspoor BBC releases of their sitcom back catalogue so far.
>
>Nice to see their treatment of their assets hasn't improved since the days of Python.
I asked this before, and I'll try again: why are some releases from BBC so much better than others? We know the Doctor Who ones are better because they are handled by the Restoration Team who actually care about it, but how do we account for the difference between the treatment of, say IAP and LofG? Is it because in the case of the latter, the artists themselves insisted on being involved, and were determined to do a good job? But how come they were consulted, yet Ianucci, Coogan and Baynham weren't?
What's going on?
>If that's true then it explains the pisspoor BBC releases of their sitcom back catalogue so far.
>
>Nice to see their treatment of their assets hasn't improved since the days of Python.
I asked this before, and I'll try again: why are some releases from BBC so much better than others? We know the Doctor Who ones are better because they are handled by the Restoration Team who actually care about it, but how do we account for the difference between the treatment of, say IAP and LofG? Is it because in the case of the latter, the artists themselves insisted on being involved, and were determined to do a good job? But how come they were consulted, yet Ianucci, Coogan and Baynham weren't?
What's going on?
>>If that's true then it explains the pisspoor BBC releases of their sitcom back catalogue so far.
>>
>>Nice to see their treatment of their assets hasn't improved since the days of Python.
>
>I asked this before, and I'll try again: why are some releases from BBC so much better than others? We know the Doctor Who ones are better because they are handled by the Restoration Team who actually care about it, but how do we account for the difference between the treatment of, say IAP and LofG? Is it because in the case of the latter, the artists themselves insisted on being involved, and were determined to do a good job? But how come they were consulted, yet Ianucci, Coogan and Baynham weren't?
>
>What's going on?
Weren't the League of Gentlemen involved in the DVD production though, again to make sure the package was decent. Given how much they're all film/tv fanboys, I would be stunned if they hadn't insisted on there being a decent set of features.
The BBC are good at doing this, and sticking stuff out without a thought. A couple of the This Life cast members were pissed apparently because they didn't get a chance to do a commentary etc for the series one DVD.
The point is, why ask some people about DVD contributions, and others not.
Anyone heard the John Howard Davies on the Fawlty Towers first series DVD? This must be one of the worst commentary's of all time. Big long gaps while he tries to think of something to say, and the sound of the actual show completely mixed off. Never have big slabs of silence seemed so joyless.
>the sound of the actual show completely mixed off. Never have big slabs of silence seemed so joyless.
Having never even SEEN a dvd, indulge me for a moment: when you're playing the commentary track on most dvds, does the sound of the show/film disappear completely or just drop?
It normally just drops, and occasionally they'll briefly switch the sound back up to illustrate a point.
ta!
Well if they were going to put some special bits on an IAP DVD, it's not as if there's a shortage of material. For starters they could have that guest shot he did on the Election Night Armistice (if I remember correctly, Partridge-chronology wise, it was a nice segue from KMKY into IAP)... An in-depth Partridge career retrospective (with clips from more choice guest appearances) would also be nice.
And how about an in-character audio commentary with Partridge (and maybe Lynn, Michael, Tony Hayers etc)? They wouldn't even need to pay for make-up on that one, and Coogan must be able to adlib that character in his sleep by now...
And the Clive Anderson interview.
And the 30 minute improvised version of the car scene with Alan and Lynn that the Corpses mention (the scene where she shoves a fan in his face).
And that comic relief skit with Bryan Ferry (which basically plays like one long IAP deleted scene)...
>And how about an in-character audio commentary with Partridge (and maybe Lynn, Michael, Tony Hayers etc)? They wouldn't even need to pay for make-up on that one, and Coogan must be able to adlib that character in his sleep by now...
How would that work? It's not Spinal Tap, is it. It's not fly-on-the-wall, so how can he acknowledge he was being filmed? Unless it was done like The Simpsons Behind The Laughter episode.
>How would that work? It's not Spinal Tap, is it. It's not fly-on-the-wall, so how can he acknowledge he was being filmed? Unless it was done like The Simpsons Behind The Laughter episode.
Cue regurgitated argument between posters and Corpses surrounding the documentary / sitcom premise behind IAP
Well, even if it wasn't considered a fly on the wall type thing, I'm sure some clever bod at the BBC could think of some way around it. The Partridge universe doesn't have to be particularly logical or coherent, just enough to get by (and provide us saddo fans with any excuse for some new material)...
Anyway, I'd still kill to hear an in-character AP commentary. Maybe a DVD re-release of KMKY is in order? At least it would get around the was-he-being-filmed-or-not problem...
Besides, if they did ever do a commentary, what would you rather have:
Partridge?
or Coogan, in how-great-all-the-actors-were-and-how-cold-it-was-on-the-day-of-filming mode?
DVD commentaries have such potential, yet the vast majority are boring and wasted opportunities.
Why not Ianucci and Baynham. With Peter reprising he role from L&H's R1 series.
How I long to hear Pete again.
>Besides, if they did ever do a commentary, what would you rather have: Partridge? or Coogan?
Both in the form of the KKMKY behind the scenes radio show - recently available for download on here I believe - in crisp DVD quality, perhaps adorned with galleries, scripts, production notes and photographs from the various Partridge incarnations. An anal Partridge montage.
Two tracks: 1. Ianucci, Coogan and crew.
2.Partridge (with Lynn or Michael occasionally coming in and out, as if he were doing a radio show...besides, this should make sense if the rumours about Michael being his driver in the next series is anything to go by...)
The Clive Anderson interview was frustrating because Anderson was asking questions along the line of 'you're actually Steve Coogan, aren't you?', although Partridge replies with a retort concerning the Bee-Gees.
Special DVD introduction by Partridge (if we're going along with 'he knows the camera was there'...he implied that it was a documentary crew in the Anderson interview, and that they showed too much)
Character guide, with new info.
Partridge's Top Ten music lists
Photo Gallery
Impro scenes, outtakes, the usual 'unseen 20 minutes' that they had already
Interview with Coogan (but would he be in character as a paranoid closet-homosexual psychopathic actor in 'The Man Who Think's He's It' Live Video, or would he actually be himself?).
>>if we're going along with 'he knows the camera was there'...he implied that it was a documentary crew in the Anderson interview, and that they showed too much
You're right, I had completely forgotten about that. Lends credence to the theory that IAP was in fact meant to be a fly on the wall project.
>>>if we're going along with 'he knows the camera was there'...he implied that it was a documentary crew in the Anderson interview, and that they showed too much
>
>You're right, I had completely forgotten about that. Lends credence to the theory that IAP was in fact meant to be a fly on the wall project.
Maybe. Maybe not. Surely it's the *only* way that Coogan being interviewed as Partridge could acknowledge the existence of the programme?
I'm sure I read somewhere that he refuses to do interviews as himself, only as Tony Ferrino or whoever. But then, he did that SBS special as himself, and he was on that Frank Skinner thing too, so that's bollocks. Ignore this post.
> Ignore this post.
Righto.
>>>if we're going along with 'he knows the camera was there'...he implied that it was a documentary crew in the Anderson interview, and that they showed too much
>>You're right, I had completely forgotten about that. Lends credence to the theory that IAP was in fact meant to be a fly on the wall project.
>Maybe. Maybe not. Surely it's the *only* way that Coogan being interviewed as Partridge could acknowledge the existence of the programme?
True enough. Anyway, let's forget about this! Anyone want some cheese?
IAP makes no sense in relation to Partridge chronology anyway, because the KMKY Xmas special featured the fight with Tony Haers that sealed the fate of his 2nd series.
A Partridge in-character commentary could be added by presenting it as an "audio-diary" (maybe Alan dictates it at the end of the day, as a relaxation method), which could then refer to the events depicted without assuming in any way that he knows it's being filmed. Just an idea.
>IAP makes no sense in relation to Partridge chronology anyway, because the KMKY Xmas special featured the fight with Tony Haers that sealed the fate of his 2nd series.
>
I presumed that since it was a couple of years on from the 'live incident' on the Xmas special, that Hayers would have been a little more open to hearing what Partridge had to say. Besides, when they were showing the trailer for IAP on BBC, they'd show that bit of Xmas footage where Hayers goes 'I'll make sure that you'll never ever work on television again' or something to that effect, followed by a brief clip of his meeting with Hayers (the 'cheese' incident).
Therefore it was probably a meeting that Partridge insists on, since he did bring up his dislike for Hayers before the meeting.
But any TV presenter who pulls a stunt like Partridge did on the Xmas show would not get a 2nd hearing, simple as that. I know it isn't meant to be gritty social realism, but there are limits of credibility.
Let's be honest: the Xmas special was meant to bring down the curtain on the whole character, the he had to be exhumed because, ahem, other projects didn't work out so well.
Speaking of which, another Partridge series is planned just as soon as Dr. Terrible is out of the way.