Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa   Starring: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Felicity Montagu, Simon Greenall, Tim Key and Sean Pertwee Distributor: StudioCanal RRP: £19.99 Certificate: 15 Release Date: 02 December 2013

When Alan's radio station, North Norfolk Digital, is taken over by a new media conglomerate, it sets in motion a hilarious chain of events which see Alan having to work with the police to defuse a potentially violent siege. Will Alan talk round disgruntled colleague Pat Farrell? Will there be shots fired in anger? Will Alan become a public hero or simply another footnote in the history of broadcasting...?

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa sees everyone's favourite Norfolk radio presenter / sports reporter / chat show host / corporate speaker return to his Norfolk roots. After his TV career has hit the skids, he's returned to Norfolk to present his own show on the local radio station. But, when a media conglomerate plans to buy the station they want to slash costs... and the best way to do it is to sack one of the presenters.

When presenter Pat Farrell gets wind of this he realises that his show, mainly listened to by the older generation, is likely for the chop and he voices his concerns to Partridge. In a bid to allay Farrell's fears, Partridge walks into a meeting and discovers Farrell is indeed for the chop. But as Partridge jumps to his colleague's defence, he notices that the meeting notes have him or Farrell for the chop. So Partridge, in a bid to save his own neck, starts to point out Farrell's short comings.

The result is Farrell is sacked, but he's grateful to Partridge for trying to help him. The next thing Partridge realises is that Farrell has gone on the rampage throughout the studio with a firearm. Farrell has hostages and refuses to speak to the police - he will only talk to his old friend Partridge. Realising that this could kick-start his TV career once again, Partridge agrees to go in and help end the siege.

This movie is the next natural progression for the character - after appearing on the Radio and TV as a sports reporter in On the Hour / The Day Today and then the radio and TV as a chat show host in Knowing Me, Knowing You. The start of the end of his media career was mapped out in I'm Alan Partridge. It's surprising it's taken this long for an Alan Partridge movie to be produced.

This is everything you'd expect from an Alan Partridge vehicle. It's quick paced, small in scale and very funny. For Partridge fans, there's the added bonus that Lynn and Michael make appearances.

There's also some great music in this film - including Roachford's 'Cuddly Toy' (1988) (which has one of the movie's most memorable moments as Alan mimes to it in his car during the opening credits; Glenn Campbell's 'Wichita Lineman' (1968); and Willie Nelson's 1982 version of 'Always on My Mind'.

Extras include an audio commentary with Steve Coogan and writers Neil and Rob Gibbons; Hectic Danger Days: The Making of Alpha Papa (34 min, 25 sec); Deleted Scenes (25 min, 58 sec all of which could have been included in the finished movie. I particularly enjoyed the alternative ending - although it was just a little too silly to have made it into the final cut); and Bloopers (4 min, 19 sec).

Highlights of the audio commentary include the reveal that Colm Meaney (who Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine will instantly recognise as Miles O'Brien) was a last minute replacement for an actor who let them down (although it's not revealed who); and the fact that there wasn't really much of a script when filming began and that writing was done as they went along).

So, a perfect movie that will please die-hard fans as well as a new generation who have no idea who Alan Partridge is.

9

Darren Rea