# Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
**Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa** is a 2013 British comedy film directed by Declan Lowney, in which [Steve Coogan](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-coogan)'s radio DJ character [Alan Partridge](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-partridge) becomes the police's negotiator in a siege at his Norwich radio station, North Norfolk Digital.[1](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) It was the character's first cinema appearance after roughly twenty years on radio and television.[2](https://player.bfi.org.uk/rentals/film/watch-alan-partridge-alpha-papa-2013-online)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | UK premiere 24 July 2013 at Anglia Square, Norwich; UK cinema release 7 August 2013[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/) |
| Director / writers | Declan Lowney; screenplay by Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons, Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci, and Peter Baynham[1](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) • [4](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/bbcfilm/films/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) |
| Principal cast | Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge), Colm Meaney (Pat Farrell), Anna Maxwell Martin, Felicity Montagu, Tim Key[1](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) • [5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/cast_crew/) |
| Production | BBC Films and BFI present a Baby Cow production; distributed by StudioCanal[4](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/bbcfilm/films/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) |
| Running time / certificate | 90 minutes; UK certificate 15[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/) |
| Filming | January and February 2013, in studio and on location in Norfolk, including Sheringham and Cromer Pier[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/) |
| Reception | 87% on Rotten Tomatoes (107 reviews); Metascore 66 from 27 critics[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alan_partridge_alpha_papa) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/alan-partridge/) |
| Awards | Best Comedy at the Empire Awards; nominated for Best British Film and for Best Feature Film Soundtrack at the Music+Sound Awards[4](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/bbcfilm/films/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
When North Norfolk Digital is taken over by a new media conglomerate, management begins clearing out staff. Alan, to save his own job, suggests that his colleague, the late-night DJ Pat Farrell ([Colm Meaney](https://www.edgepedia.org/colm-meaney)), be laid off instead.[8](https://time.com/47991/alan-partridge-hits-the-big-screen/) When Pat learns he is being sacked by the new management, he returns to the relaunched station with a shotgun and takes the staff hostage during an office party.[9](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/241472/) • [10](https://bbc.com.im/programmes/b044k3x8) Pat will negotiate only with Alan, who is despatched by the police to talk him down and must appease both the hostage taker and armed police.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/24/alan-partridge-alpha-papa-review) • [10](https://bbc.com.im/programmes/b044k3x8) The tagline summarized the setup: "He used to chat for a living... now he's chatting for his life".[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/)
## The character on screen
Alan Partridge first appeared on the [BBC Radio 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-radio-4) news satire *On the Hour* (1991–1992), then moved through a series of much-loved television slots: sports reporter on *The Day Today* (1994), chat show host on *Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge* (1994–1995), and the sitcom *I'm Alan Partridge* (1997–2002).[12](https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/not-quite-jurassic-park-steve-coogan-film) By the time of the film he was hosting the online show *Mid Morning Matters* from North Norfolk Digital.[13](https://www.timeout.com/film/steve-coogan-interview-alan-partridge-is-becoming-more-like-me) The BFI described the film as the character's long-awaited debut after twenty years of cult success on TV and radio.[2](https://player.bfi.org.uk/rentals/film/watch-alan-partridge-alpha-papa-2013-online)
[Felicity Montagu](https://www.edgepedia.org/felicity-montagu) reprised her role as Alan's PA Lynn from *I'm Alan Partridge*.[14](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/news/1088/alan_partridge_movie_title_release_date/) The cast also included [Tim Key](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-key) as Sidekick Simon, Simon Greenall as Michael, Phil Cornwell as Dave Clifton, Darren Boyd, Monica Dolan, Sean Pertwee, and [Nigel Lindsay](https://www.edgepedia.org/nigel-lindsay).[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/cast_crew/)
## Production
The project was previously known simply as *Alan Partridge: The Movie*; the title *Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa* and the release date were announced in March 2013.[14](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/news/1088/alan_partridge_movie_title_release_date/) Shooting took place in January and February 2013 in Norfolk, including Sheringham and Cromer Pier.[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/) Declan Lowney, previously known for directing *Father Ted*, directed.[2](https://player.bfi.org.uk/rentals/film/watch-alan-partridge-alpha-papa-2013-online)
The writers deliberately kept the film small-scale. [Armando Iannucci](https://www.edgepedia.org/armando-iannucci) said the team was aware of the fate of many movies spun off from television shows and did not want the film to be "the equivalent of *Holiday on the Buses*"; rejected concepts included sending Alan somewhere enormous and elaborate.[15](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/22/armando-iannucci-partridge-alpha-papa-interview) Coogan made the same point from the character's side: making the reference points international or sending Alan to America would, he said, end up pleasing nobody.[8](https://time.com/47991/alan-partridge-hits-the-big-screen/)
The first cut ran almost twice as long as the finished film, and co-writer Neil Gibbons called it the worst first cut he had ever seen. Characters and subplots removed in the edit included a right-wing cleaner, a yoga-instructing courier whom [Partridge](https://www.edgepedia.org/partridge) loathed, and a storyline in which Lynn investigated the business dealings of the station's new owner, Gordale Media.[16](https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2024/03/12/55160/secrets_of_alan_partridge%3A_alpha_papa_revealed)
## Release and reception
The film premiered in Norwich, rather than London or New York, on 24 July 2013, and opened across UK cinemas on 7 August.[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/) • [13](https://www.timeout.com/film/steve-coogan-interview-alan-partridge-is-becoming-more-like-me) It reached DVD and Blu-ray on 2 December 2013.[4](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/bbcfilm/films/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) In the United States it opened in a limited release on 4 April 2014 through Magnolia Pictures, under the shorter title *Alan Partridge*, and grossed $153.3K.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alan_partridge_alpha_papa)
Critical response was favorable. Rotten Tomatoes recorded 87% from 107 reviews, with a critics consensus noting that the film ditches the television series' nuanced humor for something broader and succeeds in presenting the character on a global scale; Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 66 based on 27 reviews, in its "generally favorable" band.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alan_partridge_alpha_papa) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/alan-partridge/) The Guardian's first-look review called the film "a quietly audacious triumph", arguing that its achievement was to remain faithful to Partridge's small-screen character while giving him a plausible redemptive arc.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/24/alan-partridge-alpha-papa-review) Time Out gave three stars out of five, praising the one-liners and Coogan's physical comedy while judging the final act rushed.[17](https://www.timeout.com/movies/alan-partridge-alpha-papa) At the Empire Awards the film won Best Comedy and was nominated for Best British Film.[4](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/bbcfilm/films/alan-partridge-alpha-papa)
## References
1. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, British Council UK Films Database](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/alan-partridge-alpha-papa)
2. [Watch Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa online, BFI Player](https://player.bfi.org.uk/rentals/film/watch-alan-partridge-alpha-papa-2013-online)
3. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/)
4. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, BBC Films (mirror)](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/bbcfilm/films/alan-partridge-alpha-papa)
5. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa cast & crew, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/alan_partridge_alpha_papa/cast_crew/)
6. [Alan Partridge, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alan_partridge_alpha_papa)
7. [Alan Partridge Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/alan-partridge/)
8. [Alan Partridge Hits the Big Screen, Time](https://time.com/47991/alan-partridge-hits-the-big-screen/)
9. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/241472/)
10. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, BBC One programme page](https://bbc.com.im/programmes/b044k3x8)
11. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa – first look review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/24/alan-partridge-alpha-papa-review)
12. [Not quite 'Jurassic Park': Steve Coogan on film, BFI](https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/not-quite-jurassic-park-steve-coogan-film)
13. [Steve Coogan interview, Time Out Film](https://www.timeout.com/film/steve-coogan-interview-alan-partridge-is-becoming-more-like-me)
14. [Alan Partridge movie title and release date revealed, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/news/1088/alan_partridge_movie_title_release_date/)
15. [Armando Iannucci interview, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/22/armando-iannucci-partridge-alpha-papa-interview)
16. [Secrets of Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa revealed, Chortle](https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2024/03/12/55160/secrets_of_alan_partridge%3A_alpha_papa_revealed)
17. [Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa review, Time Out](https://www.timeout.com/movies/alan-partridge-alpha-papa)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of 2013 to 2014 › Titles symbols to I*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license