The Steve Coogan Collection (DVD/BBC)
Steve Coogan is certainly well-known in his native United Kingdom for a wide variety of comedic endeavors: the fellow behind KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU (as faux talk-show host, Alan Partridge); as blue-collar liar and dope-aficionado mechanic, Tommy SAXONDALE; the lead in DR. TERRIBLE’S HOUSE OF HORRIBLE; COOGAN’S RUN; as one-half of the PAUL AND PAULINE CALF’S VIDEO DIARIES and a sequel, their P&P’s CHESSE AND HAM SANDWICH show, along with some specials.
What they all have in common are the ego and talents of Mr. Coogan (who is also to be found as the lead in Michael Winterbottom’s 2005 brilliantly comedic take on Laurence Sterne’s 18th Century novel, TRISTAN SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY and as the hapless director in 2008’s TROPIC THUNDER).
So let’s take the talent first: Mr. Coogan can definitely hold his comedic own onscreen – his imagination and comic-timing are fun to watch. But, whether or not one actually enjoys it brings us to the ego portion. He has plenty of it, on display and almost always in the same degree with each new show. His is a talent that is best recognized by the Brits; he reflects much of the new British arrogance outsiders comment on. But he’s definitely off-the-wall funny, so you takes yur chances with him.
It’s a thirteen-disk collection, making the most of what he has to offer. Thus, there are countless hours of Coogan to be seen – but what you make of those hours is of your own choosing.