I hope it's as good as his other TV work. As opposed to being only as good as his cinema work. (24 Hour Party People aside, natch.)

Marber seems an unlikely choice to direct; I'd always assumed his involvement was as a writer. Though I don't think it's at all a bad idea, I suspect the funding people will want a more recognised get-it-delivered-on-time director. (Tristram Shapeero's big break?)

Yeah, it's possible he won't be directing. Hell, it's probably even likely he WON'T be directing. That was just an assumption on my part...I don't know anything other than what the article I linked to says. It'll be interesting to see the names that get attached to this project. You have to wonder about all of Coogan's previous cohorts throughout the years...will he want to bring them on board as a historical nod? Or leave them behind so as not to fall into gimmick?

>I hope it's as good as his other TV work. As opposed to being only as good as his cinema work.

None of that, though (correct me if I'm wrong) was actually WRITTEN by Coogan, which means he'd not have had control over the material in any substantial way. That's part of why I'm so excited by this. Coogan's been on the big screen often enough...but never--to my knowledge--presenting his own material.

Also, Tristram Shandy was brilliant. I just feel the need to say that...

Well, he co-wrote The Parole Officer. (His best film, but that's not saying much.) But I share the excitement - weirdly BECAUSE this comes from radio and TV. Parole Officer seemed so desperate to be 'a movie', so it missed a on many of Coogan's strongest qualities of characterisation. This one, no matter how hard they try to expand it, comes from a really strong source. (I really rate Marber, too. So it'll be good to have him on the writing team.)

And yes, I stand corrected. A Cock and Bull Story (as it was called over here) was very good. On the subject of Coogan's film career, it's what we must refer to as The Winterbottom Exception.

Don't they all hate Marber nowadays? I'd be surprised to see him back working in that sphere, I thought his bridges were long burned...

And yes, Cock and Bull was fucking wonderful. I can't understand why there are people who hated it but loved 24HPP (which is also fantastic, it's just... how can you like one and not the other?)

>Well, he co-wrote The Parole Officer.

I...stand corrected, Ted.

>This one, no matter how hard they try to expand it, comes from a really strong source.

Absolutely. There's a huge attraction to the fact that this is Partridge just because the character has so much history behind him and is already so embedded in Coogan's comedy. There's so much that comes along with him just by virtue of pulling him off the shelf.

>Don't they all hate Marber nowadays?

I've read about him falling out with the On the Hour / Day Today team, but don't remember anything about he and Coogan not getting along. He did work with him on Coogan's Run, which, I know, was some time ago now, but if I'm not mistaken he also turned up for the KMKYWAP commentary, which was jovial enough...

No idea. I'd love to see him sign on to the project officially. Of course, I'd also love to see "Peter Baynham" appear somewhere among the writing credits.

I think it's just Lee and Herring who hate Marber. He was on the KMKYWAP commentaries with no sign of any problems, plus of course the new Peter O'Hanrahahanrahan sketch on the TDT DVD.

>of course the new Peter O'Hanrahahanrahan sketch on the TDT DVD.

Which was about eleven million times more hilarious than a one-off many-years-after-the-fact bonus sketch should have been. Ditto the new Partridge/Morris chat bits. Brilliant stuff.

I honestly think that sketch is actually the funniest thing on the TDT DVD. And I utterly love TDT. It's wrong, it's tasteless, it's a joke that British comedians simply shouldn't be doing, it's unbelievably cringeworthy... and it's perfect. Completely perfect.

24HPP is really bloody good. If its anywhere near as good as that, it'll be great.

If it isn't penned by the team of Coogan, Armando Ianucci and Peter Baynham (which it won't be because Ianucci said he's absolutely had it with Partridge) then it won't be as good as the series. I'm sure it will still be worth watching though. It would have been made by now but they stopped working on it when the July 7th 2005 'terrorist' attacks happened.

The series never NEVER fails to make me piss my sides (note: always have a mop handy). You can't not laugh when he's doing the Kate Bush song to Susan behind the desk - 'How could you leave me when I needed you? Possessed you I hhhated you, I loved you too...'

'Oh it gets dark...'

I love this that someone did with that TDT easter egg - mixing it with the News 24 theme...