Alan's Family
Carol Parry
Alan's ex-wife. He hasn't quite managed to get over their divorce.
- The Alcoholic: There are some hints that the stresses of living with Alan drove her to drink.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: Although Alan himself doesn't view it this way (for obvious and fairly valid reasons, to be entirely fair to him), it's heavily implied. At the very least, one doesn't have to observe Alan for long to realise that being married to him probably wasn't a tremendously happy experience. Certainly, the fact that even in Alan's telling Carol is much clearly closer to their children and more involved in their lives than he is despite apparently being the wrongful party is very telling.
- The Unseen: She's only ever referenced by other characters, and has never made an on-screen appearance.
Fernando & Denise Partridge
Alan's children, from whom he's mostly estranged.
- Ambiguously Gay: As we've never met her it's never been confirmed for sure, but the hints that Alan has given us about Denise heavily imply that she's a lesbian, and that Alan's response to this is a key reason why there's tension between them. It is, of course, also possible that she's not, but Alan has simply reached this conclusion due to his clueless views of female empowerment, creativity and sexuality.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: There are some hints that Fernando has married a woman who is both from a non-white ethnic background and who is (what Alan considers to be) from a "lower" social class than he is. Alan appears to have responded to this with his usual tact and charm, which apparently hasn't helped the relationship between the two.
- Parental Favoritism: Alan clearly prefers Fernando to Denise. Though Fernando certainly doesn't reciprocate and wants as little to do with him as possible.
- Straw Feminist: Played with; as with Ambiguously Gay the hints Alan has given us about Denise suggest that she has strong feminist views, which he mangles into something like this. Adjusting for his obviously skewed and unreliable perspective, however, suggests that it's equally possible if not likely that she's simply not interested in putting up with Alan or his sexist, misogynistic bullshit, which in typical blinkered fashion he just interprets as Straw Feminism.
- The Unfavorite: Alan doesn't exactly have anything bad to say about Denise, he just doesn't have much of anything to say. She's generally something of an afterthought.
Mr. and Mrs. Partridge
The people who brought Alan into the world. Alan tends to discuss them as abusive monsters whenever they are brought up, and as they are both deceased this makes them conveniently unable to speak in their own defence.
- Abusive Parents: Alan tries to depict them as this in his memoirs. Reading between the lines and accounting for Alan's status as Unreliable Narrator and tendency to hold disproportionate grudges for minor slights suggests that in actuality they were probably quite average, if a bit indifferent towards him.
- Noodle Incident: The exact circumstances under which Mrs Partridge met her end are glossed over by Alan, but the details which he does provide suggest some incredibly lurid events, apparently involving some kind of sexual mishap.
- Parental Neglect: How they actually probably were towards Alan.
- Parents as People: They clearly weren't great at parenting if the way Alan turned out is anything to go by, but he's clearly exaggerating if not outright lying about how abusive and cruel they were.
Alan's "Friends"
"Sidekick" Simon Denton
A former lab assistant whom Alan hired onto North Norfolk Digital to deliver hackneyed comedy and endure abuse.
- Butt-Monkey: It's his official role to endure awful things, often by Alan's hand. Alan did hire him, but working for Alan is no picnic. Alan bullies him off-air and on (physically too, as revealed in Nomad), steals his best jokes, is constantly watching him for the slightest of mistakes, briefly fires him completely for an ill-advised prank and views any kind of potential career advancement that doesn't involve Alan as a betrayal deserving of harsh retribution. Then comes the hostage situation where he gets clobbered by Alan, then spends a whole night with a shotgun to his head.
- Hero of Another Story: Simon is adopted, and occasionally tries to talk about his search for his birth mother, subsequent rejection and how he grapples with that. It sounds like an interesting drama, but Alan is quick to cut Simon off when this topic surfaces.
- Hidden Depths: Simon is much more socially adept than Alan, and there are hints about his self-awareness and intelligence via some Silent Snarker tendencies. Of course, Alan does everything he can to quash his potential.
- It's also hinted that he could have some potential as a broadcaster if he could just get away from Alan, which Alan is aware of and displeased by. At one point on This Time he introduces a segment and comes across as very self assured and charismatic. Naturally, Alan is not happy.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Even Alan is taken aback when he makes one insensitive snipe too many and a hungover, heartsick Simon barks, "Back off!" abruptly, on-air.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Alan tries to use him as this in-universe.
- Silent Snarker: He usually knows better than to say anything outwardly, but he'll sometimes be seen reacting with disbelief at Alan's antics.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Despite Alan's constant bullying, they are mostly on the same side and Alan does care about Simon and doesn't abandon him when the BBC give him another chance.
Michael
An all-purpose worker at the Linton Travel Tavern, Michael speaks with a heavy Geordie accent, which Alan barely understands (or claims not to) and, being Alan, never fails to demand clarification. Michael is arguably Alan's only friend, and Alan is glad of his presence when he needs to have a heart-to-heart or, more often, inane chat; their friendship is clearly not on an even basis, however, as Michael only ever refers to Alan as 'Mr. Partridge' and Alan clearly regards Michael with a great deal of disdain. Michael is almost as desperate and neurotic a character as Alan, and is very emotionally disturbed (shown most clearly when Alan looks out of his room window to see Michael tearing at his hair in a state of some distress).
Michael frequently tells stories of his time in the British army, to the delight of Alan, especially if they are of a salacious or violent nature. During a period of military placement in the Philippines, Michael married a Filipino woman, and the two moved back to Michael's native Newcastle upon Tyne. However, his wife left him and now lives with his brother in Sunderland, possibly shedding light on the origins of Michael's neuroticism.
- Ax-Crazy: Displayed most prominently in his extended monologue about his desire to steal a helicopter, fly it over the house of someone he knows, kill him and commit suicide by flying into the sea.Michael: Me, I'd, I-I-I'd have an, an Apache attack helicopter.
Alan: Oh, great.
Michael: Aye. I'd gan back to school. But first I'd take out the labs and then I'd type into the attack computer 'Mr Cragg, chemistry teacher'. Blow 'im to bits.
Alan: Yeah, I know the feeling.
Michael: And then I'd go looking for Tom Donaldson. I'd be hovering just down the road from his house, there.
And he'd see us, but I'd duck down behind the trees, and he thinks he's safe, right? And he's just about to put the key in his front door, and I come up from behind the hedge, 'Hello, you bastard.' He panics, right? And he goes in the house, so I get the 30-millimetre cannon and I take out the fish pond, coy carp in there couple of rounds each, right? And then I just tilt the helicopter over to one side and the machine-gun bullets is chewing up the drive, right? He comes out. 'Oh no! Not me Triumph Stag! I've just had it resprayed!' I cut it right in half, right? And then he goes, 'Ahhh!' He runs up on to the garage roof. I say, 'Right. This is for you, Tom.' He goes, 'No, no!' He's begging us, he's begging us man, 'No, please don't!' And then I fly off to Cornwall and I just smash in the sea in a big ball of flames.
Alan: [Who is looking about as comfortable with this narrative as you'd expect] ....sleep well, Michael. Erm, who's Tom Donaldson?
Michael: Oh, he's just a mate. - Cloudcuckoolander: Probably why he becomes friends with Alan. He's one of very few people to carefully listen to Alan's insane stories and hypothetical situations.
- The Ditz: He is one of the few people who can make Alan Partridge seem like a smart, wholly sane individual.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Alan, eventually.
- Oop North: He's from Newcastle.
- The Unintelligible: His broad Geordie accent can be difficult to understand, especially when he speaks fast, and Alan often points this out. Eventually he grows to understand Michael a little more.
- Violent Glaswegian: Well, he's actually a Geordie, but he's quite violent, if his dialogue with Alan is anything to go by.
- Sanity Slippage: He appears a bit more put-together during initial appearances, but it soon becomes clear just how crazy he actually is.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: He has not come back from the war unscathed.
- Senseless Sacrifice: When trying to save Alan from Pat, Michael bewilderingly jumps off a pier into the ocean. It's unclear if this was a diversion or an escape strategy, and merely serves to confuse Pat and Alan.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He isn't found after his Senseless Sacrifice in Alpha Papa.
- According to Nomad: Michael was not found after jumping from the pier and is presumed dead.
- The second series of This Time contains some hints that he might still be alive.
Bill Oddie
- The Unseen: He's never seen in person, only mentioned. He's seen on-page in I, Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan, though. He helps Alan with his wife's infidelity and takes him to the zoo when Sue Cook doesn't show up, but then, that's Sue.
Sue Cook
- The Gambler: She's a gambling addict, betting mostly on horses.
- The Unseen: Except in the book.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Sue Cook has a rather pleasant, professional and calm public persona. In the world of Alan Partridge, however, behind the scenes she is apparently a rather foul-mouthed and unreliable gambling addict with a bit of a drinking problem.
Linton Travel Tavern
Susan Foley
The manager of the Linton Travel Tavern, Susan appears to be a stereotypical front-desk worker, with a dazzling smile and sickly sweet manner. However, even these forced skills are not enough to deal with Alan's clumsy flirting and inane comments. Alan frequently makes tactless comments to Susan about her appearance (once suggesting to her that she "could have been throwing up all night" but that her smile would not falter). In reaction to these comments, Susan's painted-on smile is sometimes momentarily replaced by a look of shock and bemusement.
- Break the Cutie: Eventually, Alan's general Alanness gets to her.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: But as Alan finds out, she has limits.
- Stepford Smiler: Even when she's giving bad news, she has a great big smile.Alan: What a lovely smile. You know, you could have been throwing up all night for all I know, and yet your smile wouldn’t show it. I don’t know, perhaps that’s how you keep your figure.
Sophie
A recently employed receptionist at the Travel Tavern, Sophie is also rarely without a smile; however, in her case it is normally because she is suppressing a laugh over Alan's antics. While Susan endures Alan's appalling lack of social skills with a smile, Sophie often can't contain her amusement and has to walk away so she doesn't laugh in his face. Alan is bemused by her behaviour and is annoyed when he overhears her doing an impression of him.
- Corpsing: She frequently leaves the room and tries to hide her giggling at Alan's mishaps.
- Servile Snarker: Since she works at the Travel Tavern and Alan's a paying customer, she clearly can't unleash the full force of her disdain for him if she wants to keep her job. But she manages to work around it plenty.
- Smug Snake: Her relationship with Alan is like a snotty teenage girl laughing at a dorky boy.
Ben
Ben is another member of staff at the Travel Tavern and Sophie's boyfriend. Alan is irked by his youth and his very laid-back approach to his job, but later when Ben admires Alan's new Bang & Olufsen speaker set, they have a brief chat about music and Alan feels a moment of bonding with him, but he still ends up acting like an out-of-touch old fart.
- Official Couple: With Sophie.
- Servile Snarker: Is clearly enjoying himself when he comes up to Alan's room to disconnect the adult movie channel from his TV, when it's quite obvious Alan doesn't really want him to, despite his claims to the contrary.
- Smug Snake: As with Sophie, Ben tends to come across like a bit of a too-cool-for-school jerk picking on one of the dorky kids.
Other Characters
Tony Hayers
The Chief Commissioning Editor for BBC Television. He wasn't a huge fan of Alan to begin with, which made Alan punching him with a frozen chicken live on television and then assaulting him with some cheese after being informed his show wasn't going to be recommissioned something of a mistake on Alan's part.
- Butt-Monkey: Alan shoves cheese into his face in Series 1 of I'm Alan Partridge, shouting "SMELL MY CHEESE, YOU MOTHER!"
- Death by Irony: A guest at his funeral notes that he spent his professional life in television, only to die while trying to fix a TV aerial. Alan finds this observation to be very impressive.
- Jerkass Has a Point: He's only really a jerkass from Alan's point of view, but nevertheless he does have a point that Alan isn't entitled to TV shows on the BBC, and that the poor quality and lack of success of his work more than justifies the decision not to commission any more from him.
- Killed Offscreen: Sue Cook informs Alan over the phone of Hayers' death by falling.
- Never Speak Ill of the Dead: Alan says he'll do this in his book, but then goes on to talk about how pathetic and horrible Tony was, even saying he was overjoyed at his death.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Although Alan doesn't view him as such, he tries to let Alan go as gently as he can and shows a lot of patience as Alan desperately pitches increasingly terrible ideas for programs, until in the end he has no choice but to put his foot down. This is especially impressive considering he's talking to the man who punched him in the face with frozen poultry live on television.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: To Alan, of course, granted Hayers is often impressively pragmatic until Alan reaches extremes.
- Skewed Priorities: Though Hayers does have controlled distain for Alan's behaviour, his explanation for letting him go is kept to the mundane and pragmatic excuse of poor ratings, rather than Alan's repeatedly unprofessional antics on-air and his failure to control his guests and staff, up to arguing with, assaulting and even murdering them.
Dave Clifton/Tom Barrington
Dave is a Radio Norwich DJ who runs the programme right after Alan's "graveyard slot" show. During the handover every morning, Alan always tries to engage in witty banter with Dave, but their chatting fails to disguise the bitter rivalry between them. Dave is an alcoholic and has a driving ban, according to Alan. Much to Alan's surprise and chagrin, Dave is a friend of Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley.
- The Alcoholic: Dave seems to have an addictive personality; he fell into alcoholism and later drug addiction.
- Dumbass DJ: Speaks with a typical smarmy, irritating radio DJ voice. Nor is he particularly intelligent.Dave: I think you're splidding hairs a little bit there Alan.
Alan: Sorry, "splidding"?
Dave: Yeah, splidding, you know.
Alan: Sorry, it's difficult to understand you when you say "splidding" Because I know in real life you say "splitting". It's interesting the way you substitute a "d" for a "t" when you're broadcasting. If you ask me, it's the behaviour of a "dosser". - Jerkass: To Alan, who he despises and is despised by in turn.
- Off the Wagon: After being reassigned to the graveyard slot himself, he falls back into prolonged drinking.
- The Rival: To Alan. They often aim barbs at each other on-air, pretending it's banter. Their rivalry gradually softens up over the years until they finally bury the hatchet.
- Took a Level in Kindness: His experiences with alcoholism and drug addiction leave Dave with a much more optimistic, friendly and humble personality. He even manages to become friends with Alan, if Nomad is to be believed.
- Witty Banter: Their interactions aim for this, but it works out as well as this trope usually works out between two people almost completely lacking in wit who viciously hate each other.
Sonja
Alan's thick-accented Ukrainian girlfriend. Sonja, who is fourteen years Alan's junior, possesses a very excitable, scatterbrained personality which leads Alan to describe her as 'mildly cretinous'. Easily amused, she delights greatly in pulling lame practical jokes and showering Alan with cheap (and unwanted) gifts such as London souvenirs and personalised coffee mugs and cushions emblazoned with their faces. She is very devoted to Alan and clearly treasures him, although he demonstrates little genuine affection for her in return and clearly bases their relationship around the ego-boost produced by their age difference and the sex.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Sonja does seem to love Alan in her own way, but Alan views her more as a tool to boost his own ego.Sonja: Alan, I love you!
Alan: (from the other room) Thanks!
- Mail-Order Bride: A crass old friend of Alan 'set him up' with Sonja, along with some of his other friends with similar foreign girlfriends. Alan seems to be unaware of this.
- May–December Romance: With Alan, who is much older than her. He never shuts up about this, constantly boasting about their age difference.
- Sensual Slav: Her main appeal for Alan.
- Yandere: For Alan.
Rosie Whittier
A wine expert.
Tommy Gaskell
A former serviceman and current survival expert.
