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Alan Partridge finds himself in a predicament! But then, who isn’t these days? During his previous television outing, Alan had an on-air breakdown while presenting the magazine program This Time, wrapping up with him excluded of the BBC. As his latest self-made endeavor begins, the informative film How Are You? It’s Alan (Partridge), the presenter shares he’s since hit another low by fainting into the lap of a female interviewee at a business function for a Norfolk feed company. Tough times, but personalities of Partridge’s calibre know how to bounce back: connect struggles with societal themes and try to develop a program from it.

Delving into Stress and Loneliness

How Are You? then, sees Steve Coogan’s immortal alter ego in investigative guise, examining a wave of mental health issues that he believes is intensifying: “To put it simply, it’s become insane!” He tries out spiritual practices, meet up with former classmates, 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), Alan’s former colleague on This Time and North Norfolk Digital radio, and throughout the series, previously unreleased footage is displayed.

With Coogan and his creative partners, How Are You? is a sideways move. While the previous show explored new ground, How Are You? sometimes rehashes past ideas: as well as directly reviving old formats, the whole piece resembles the mockumentaries of the last decade. And, as Alan’s private life bleeds into his investigations, viewers will think of his podcast work.

Contrasting Alans

This leads to a minor issue. The character has two facets: Successful Alan (with high-profile jobs) and Struggling Alan (without work), and even though the underdog Alan shone in the classic series I’m Alan Partridge back in 1997, a more wistful Wilderness Alan has recently taken flight in books and audio projects. How Are You? brings us into his space and features Kelly as Katrina, his highly inappropriate love interest from the podcast. Yet this heartbreaking narrative – he refuses to accept her betrayal with a pal and business owner – might have worked best in audio form, allowing audience creativity to enhance humor. 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

Still, these are minor points compared to a major truth: in any format, he is the top humorous character in Britain, and temporary versions still offer huge comedy 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. If he thinks Britain’s mental health problems are best illustrated by an aggressively edited montage of exploding fruit, that’s what we’re getting, and no one corrects his verbal errors or other mistakes in commentary. The subtle wince he shows off-camera sensing the scene went poorly never stops being funny, and the same goes for his transitional clips, highlighted by his awkward, caring expressions while drinking tea clumsily.

Memorable Scenes and Sentiments

Can anything top his skip-side groans? Definitely 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, an arsenal of body warmers and excited response to fashion trends.

Moreover, the content reveals his deeper side that emerged with the current writers. Repeatedly, the show achieves emotional depth, where his blindness exposes pain that nearly brings viewers to tears, then the comedy returns and laughter resumes. It succeeds because of enduring fandom: any version of Alan Partridge is always welcome back.