Re-visiting the classic Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) a few days ago,I started checking my box sets for other Comedy X-Mas specials to watch again. With him being my introduction to the work of Armando Iannucci and Steve Coogan,I got set to attend Alan Partridge's Christmas House Party.
View on the ep:
Bringing the curtain down on the Knowing Me era of the series, writers Steve Coogan,Armando Iannucci,Patrick Marber & Rebecca Front pull a cracker of a final ep, which satirically mocks all-star chat show specials, with hilarious, sparkling dialogue that sends Partridge falling into every mishap and uncomfortable long pause with his guests.Done as a extravagance special for the chat show, director Dominic Brigstocke breaks Alan's show with fantastic visual sight-gags of would-be set-pieces falling apart, and ill-judged attempts at underhanded product placement. Becoming a throne in the series in the next series, David Schneider gives BBC head Tony Hayers a fittingly slimy manner which causes Steve Coogan to have Partridge be wonderfully ill at ease, as Alan pulls the cracker on his career.