Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge

Infobox Television
show_name = Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge


caption = Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge
genre = Comedy
(spoof chat show)
camera =
picture_format = PAL (576i)
audio_format = Stereo
runtime = 35 minutes
creator = Steve Coogan
Armando Iannucci
Patrick Marber
developer =
producer = Armando Iannucci
executive_producer = Peter Fincham
starring = Steve Coogan
Rebecca Front
Patrick Marber
David Schneider
Doon Mackichan
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme = "Knowing Me, Knowing You" by ABBA
endtheme =
country = UK
language = English
network = BBC2
first_aired = September 16 1994
last_aired = October 21 1994
(Christmas Special shown on December 29 1995)
num_episodes = 7 including one Christmas special
list_episodes = Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge#Television Episodes
chronology =
preceded_by = "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (BBC Radio 4 series) (1992 – 1993)
followed_by = "I'm Alan Partridge" (1997 – 2002)
website = http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/k/knowingmeknowing_7771710.shtml
imdb_id = 0108828
tv_com_id = 5241

"Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge" (also known as "Knowing Me, Knowing You" or abbreviated to "KMKY...WAP") is a British comedy show first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as a six-episode series, which subsequently transferred to BBC Television with a series of six episodes (beginning 16 September 1994), and a Christmas special ("Knowing Me, Knowing Yule") in 1995. It is named after the song "Knowing Me, Knowing You" by ABBA (Alan Partridge's favourite band), which was used as the show's title music.

The show was a parody of a chat show, and both the radio and television versions were so embarrassingly accurate that listeners and viewers often thought they were the real thing. Many wrote in to complain, for example, at Partridge slapping a child prodigy in an episode of the radio series. The series did feature an audience who clearly knew the show was a parody, but apparently this wasn't enough to persuade some listeners that it wasn't real.

Steve Coogan played the incompetent and annoying but self-satisfied Norwich-based host, Alan Partridge. Alan was a spin-off character from the spoof radio show "On The Hour" (which later transferred to TV as "The Day Today").

"Knowing Me, Knowing You" was written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci (who produced the radio version) and Patrick Marber (who also starred), with contributions from the regular supporting cast of Doon Mackichan, Rebecca Front and David Schneider, who made up Alan's weekly onslaught of annoying and inane guests. Steve Brown also appeared as the man in charge of the house band, Glenn Ponder.

Some of the more notable ‘guests’ parodied real life appearances by guests on chat shows. For example, the medical fashion parade by ‘Mrs Whippy Head’ is clearly a reference to Vivienne Westwood's infamous appearance on Wogan, and the child prodigy Simon Fisher's appearance in the radio series was seemingly inspired by James Harries' (now Lauren Harries) appearance on the same show. There is also a curious homage paid to the BBC in the form of Adam Wells' fictional pop single "The Smiling Bicycle Of Amsterdam": it is based on a loop of John Baker's (BBC Radiophonic Workshop) BBC station ID "Radio Nottingham" (1968).

Alan went on to appear in two series of the sitcom "I'm Alan Partridge", following Alan's life after his sacking from TV after punching the commissioning editor of BBC2 (David Schneider) on his Christmas special, shortly after his wife left him.

Radio Episodes

Television Episodes

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=comedy/guide/articles/k/knowingmeknowing_7771710.shtml|title="Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge" Comedy Guide
* [http://www.sitcom.co.uk/alan_partridge "Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge"] at the British Sitcom Guide
* [http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/knowing/ "Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge"] at Phill.co.uk Comedy Guide
*imdb title|id=0108828|title=Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge

References