The real tragedy with Partridge is that whatever he may think, say, plan or do, it is guaranteed to injure, shock, insult or unsettle whomever he comes in contact with: given his highly personal view of both the world and man, neither can ever hope to live up (down?) to Alan's expectations. Partridge as the communicative equivalent of Pandora: destined to be misconstrued, wholly irrespective of his intentions, but often through his own making. To me, as a comedic interpretation, he is unassailable, with David Brent coming a close second: in each case, it is not only because of the marvellously perceptive writing, but also and sometimes especially thanks to the subtle, absolutely spot-on acting.
