Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge
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Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge (also known as Knowing Me, Knowing You or abbreviated to KMKYWAP) 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). 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, annoying and presumably deeply disturbed 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, Glen 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.
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.
Television Episodes
| Subject | Rebecca Front | Patrick Marber | David Schneider | Doon Mackichan | Other guests | Another Alan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Roger Moore" | Sue Lewis, a dull showjumper | Keith Hunt, new host of This Is Your Life | Big Red Book on This Is Your Life | Shona McGough, an abrasive punk singer | Shona's band "The Shend" | - |
| 2 | "Moribund" | Tania Beaumont, actress | Gary Barker, washed-up actor and Tania's husband | Tony LeMesmer, magician | - | Daniella Forrest, transsexual Playboy columnist | Sailor with a facial tic |
| 3 | "Hot" | Gina Langland, singer | Lawrence Knowles, sleazy promoter | Clive Sealy, Lawrence's dermatologist | - | The Olympic Golden Girls of 1936; Hot Pants, an all-male strip troupe | - |
| 4 | "A Partridge In Paris" | Yvonne Boyd, fashion designer with odd ideas | Phillippe Lambert, famous chef | Head of Cirque des Clunes | - | Nina Vanier, Alan's French co-host | Alain Pérdrid, who couldn't speak English |
| 5 | "Partridge Over Britain" | Charlotte Fraser (Lab) | Lt. Col. Kojak Slaphead the Third (Bald Brummies Against The Slaphead Conspiracy Party) | Adrian Finch (Con) | - | Terry Norton, dodgy boxing promoter; Five Miss Norwich contestants; Ronald Biggs (Lib Dem) | Dead, but appeared anyway |
| 6 | "It Is A Live Show" | Bridie McMahon, lesbian host of the show to take Alan's place | Forbes McAllister, restaurant critic | - | Wanda Harvey, Bridie's lesbian co-host | The Alan Partridge Playmates; the Maclean brothers, irritating child film-makers; Joe Beasley, awful ventriloquist | - |
| 7 | "Knowing Me, Knowing Yule" | Mary, a devout Christian | Gordon Heron, a paralysed former golfer | Tony Hayers, Head of BBC2 | Liz Heron, Gordon's wife and also a golfer | Fanny Thomas, innuendo-using transvestite | - |