How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge) Review – Unmatched Laugh-Out-Loud Moments on the Small Screen

Alan Partridge finds himself in a predicament! But then, who isn’t these days? When we last saw him on screen, Alan was melting down live on air while presenting the magazine program This Time, ending the series quite literally locked out of the BBC. In the opening of his independent production, the light documentary How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), Alan discloses he’s experienced another setback by passing out in front of a guest at an industry gathering for an agricultural firm. Hard moments, but such characters rebound: tie your troubles to a national trend and try to develop a program from it.

Investigating Mental Health Trends

How Are You? showcases the beloved persona in investigative guise, probing widespread emotional struggles that he perceives as escalating: “If I can use an outdated term, it’s just got mental!” The journey will see him experiment with religion, reconnect with friends from school, and enjoy therapeutic hikes, while dealing with his past. Initial episodes culminate in a fraught but healing gathering with “Sidekick” Simon Denton (Tim Key), Alan’s former colleague on This Time and North Norfolk Digital radio, and as the episodes progress, previously unreleased footage is displayed.

Alongside his co-writers and directors, How Are You? represents a shift in direction. While the previous show explored new ground, How Are You? often retreads it: along with bringing back former styles, the whole piece resembles the mockumentaries of the last decade. With his personal issues seeping into the content, viewers will think of his podcast work.

The Two Sides of Alan Partridge

It creates a slight challenge. The character has two facets: Triumphant Alan (in prime roles) and Outcast Alan (on the sidelines), 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? places us inside the oasthouse and includes Kelly in the role of Katrina, a mismatched romantic partner from the podcast. However, this sad story – he refuses to accept her betrayal with a pal and business owner – 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: television nowadays feels more suited to putting Winning Alan under pressure and seeing his downfall, as in past series.

The Genius of Sloppy Errors

Still, these are minor points compared to a major truth: whatever medium he inhabits, Partridge remains the funniest comic creation in Britain, and brief appearances yield constant humor than competing shows. How Are You? is produced and directed by Alan, as well as starring him, which showcases his knack for blunders and misjudgments. Should he believe exploding fruit represents mental health, 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 slight grimace we regularly catch as he strides out of shot knowing on some level that that piece to camera was another balls-up never stops being funny, and the same goes for his transitional clips, highlighted by his awkward, caring expressions while simultaneously swallowing a mouthful of humble British tea.

Memorable Scenes and Sentiments

Can anything top his skip-side groans? Surely not. His appearance is equally entertaining, with an implausibly light hair color, and his 2025 wardrobe featuring mustard chinos, black-and-white pundit pumps, assorted vests and an enthusiastic overreaction to the news that rugby shirts are back in fashion.

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, then the comedy returns and laughter resumes. That can happen because we’ve loved him for so long: any version of Alan Partridge is always welcome back.