BBC confirms This Time's return

The BBC has confirmed that This Time With Alan Partridge will return on April 30.

Although the first series, which aired in 2019, ended with  Alan in trouble with executives over his behaviour towards his co-presenter on the fictional early-evening magazine show, it appears he has survived.

The BBC has previously said that in season two Steve Coogan’s alter-ego is ‘now established as the show’s co-presenter’, adding that the new episodes will ‘follow Alan on air and off as he tries to cling on to his position, in the face of behind-the-scenes upheaval and [his] fears that his relevance is dwindling’.

Filming of series two had been delayed by Covid, but in December writer and director Neil Gibbons revealed the series was in the can.

Co-star Susannah Fielding, who plays This Time co-host Jennie Gresham has previously said there is ‘endless material’ for the comedy.

‘These magazine shows are on every day,’ she told the Radio Times. 'There’s always the brilliant juxtaposition of really relevant topical stuff and then complete inane random crap… there are all sorts of topical things that we could do in a second series.’

Series two will also see the return of Tim Key as Simon, Lolly Adefope as reporter Ruth Duggan, and Simon Farnaby as historian Sam Chatwin, a rival for Partridge’s job.

News of the comedy’s air date was tweeted by the BBC’s press office:

The new series of #ThisTime with Alan Partridge begins on Friday 30 April at 9.30pm on @BBCOne. pic.twitter.com/k5cyl7hT7Z

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) April 14, 2021

Since this story first ran, the BBC released a brief trailer:

• Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that Rose Matafeo’s romcom Starstruck will launch on April 25 on BBC Three’s iPlayer channel, with a BBC One broadcast at 10:40pm on Monday April 26. The cast also includes Nikesh Patel, Emma Sidi, Sindhu Vee, Minnie Driver.

Published: 14 Apr 2021