While it takes a while to get going, "Mid Morning Matters" is a brilliant parody of commercial radio.
A decade after "I'm Alan Partridge", there's a number of differences with "Matters": the show's perspective is from a webcam (which takes getting used to), it focuses almost entirely on Alan's radio show (though we get glimpses of Alan's new romance), and episodes are only 12 minutes long (24 segments in total). The show is full of silly radio stunts, inoffensive pop music, disastrous interviews, and trivial talkback topics.
In the Partridge tradition, he manages to cheese off nearly every guest or caller. Even his relationship with co-host Sidekick Simon (Tim Key) is rocky at times: Simon is fired near the end of season one, but returns for season two.
There's two segments in "Matters" that really stand out and show different sides of Partridge.
The first is when Patridge fills in for a current affairs show. While it's meant to be a serious political discussion with a local politician, Alan tries to take over (even though he's clearly out of his depth) and attempts to 'ambush' the guest over bus prices.
The second one is with Dave Clifton (a fellow DJ who Partridge had a running battle with in "I'm Alan Partridge") - while it starts with Partridge and Clifton resuming their rivalry, Patridge is visibly moved by Clifton's addiction problems and how it affected his relationship with his son. It's a rare look into Partridge's human side, a nice change from his usual arrogance and ineptitude.
