Alan Partridge fans will be in for a treat this September, as Steve Coogan is recording a podcast in the guise of his hapless host for Audible. It’s been confirmed that subscribers will be able to access the complete series of From The Oasthouse via Audible from 3 September, as it will arrive in one big 18-part chunk.
According to the bumf, 20-minute-long episodes of From The Oasthouse will “introduce one of the nation’s best-loved broadcasters to a young, diverse and digitally-engaged audience. Without the BBC or North Norwich Digital’s editorial management breathing down his neck, this new podcast will give Partridge the opportunity to fully realise his creative vision, in the highest quality audio.”
You can listen to the first episode right now by demanding your Alexa-enabled device “read From the Oasthouse” – so give it a whirl, if you already have access to the Amazon tech.
“Like most people, I assumed those who hosted podcasts were pale, tech-obsessed social lepers who live with their mums and couldn’t get a platform on any meaningful broadcaster so started spouting their bloated opinions into their USB microphones to flatter their groaning sense of self-importance,” wrote Partridge in a statement about the new podcast.
He added “But then I spoke to a man I’d never heard of before from Audible. HE called ME and made me an offer. I countered. He came back. I countered again. In short, we hammered out the details (to my satisfaction) and the result is a series of podcasts. They’ve been described as very good/sensational.”
Coogan previously told Dave Berry on Absolute Radio (via Chortle) that From The Oasthouse, which has not been unduly affected by the shutdown, was “very sort of one-on-one. If anyone wants Alan up close and personal in their own space then the podcast is an opportunity.”
Coogan also announced his intentions to start work on a second series of This Time With Alan Partridge for the BBC back in February, and had expected it to be broadcast towards the end of the year, but the recent industry shutdown has delayed a massive amount of UK TV and feature film projects, and a second run of This Time will have no doubt been caught up in it. From The Oasthouse will hopefully give the Partridge base something worthwhile to enjoy until the BBC wheels start to turn again.
The actor recently re-teamed with director Michael Winterbottom, first for last year’s satirical movie Greed, where he turned in a notable performance in an otherwise uneven film as a British billionaire loosely based on Arcadia Group chairman Philip Green, and then alongside Rob Brydon in a fourth instalment of their Trip film series, The Trip to Greece, which was much more warmly received.