Much like the first season, this is not the show to come to if you are not already familiar with the character of Alan Partridge. For that viewer there are much stronger series which bring out his character and flaws a lot better, more fully, and a lot funnier. In this show and this season the scope is limited, so we see moments of the monster we know is only one or two mild-successes away from returning, while the fragility of his ego works against him, but mostly the material keeps it light.
As such it is consistently amusing, but never really draws you into the character or material. So for a fan of the character such as myself, I enjoyed the smaller moments because I know their place in the character, but for unfamiliar viewers I doubt it would work as well. The awkwardness is done well throughout, and the smallness of the man and his world is well played out. Not all of it is successful though, and the interplay between Partridge and the other characters is not always as strong as I would have liked. In particular I think Key is capable of much more than this series gave him, and his character is very thin. Likewise the relationships within the show are quite functional; okay part of this is the focus on the studio-setting, but still, it is hard not to compare with other series which have done similar material with the character but done it in a much fuller and more satisfying way.
So, like the first season, a welcome for the character, but very light and relies on you knowing him and the stronger outings to really get the good of it.
As such it is consistently amusing, but never really draws you into the character or material. So for a fan of the character such as myself, I enjoyed the smaller moments because I know their place in the character, but for unfamiliar viewers I doubt it would work as well. The awkwardness is done well throughout, and the smallness of the man and his world is well played out. Not all of it is successful though, and the interplay between Partridge and the other characters is not always as strong as I would have liked. In particular I think Key is capable of much more than this series gave him, and his character is very thin. Likewise the relationships within the show are quite functional; okay part of this is the focus on the studio-setting, but still, it is hard not to compare with other series which have done similar material with the character but done it in a much fuller and more satisfying way.
So, like the first season, a welcome for the character, but very light and relies on you knowing him and the stronger outings to really get the good of it.
