Bank Holiday Sign Offs and Outro

I am hopping mad and I want something in the middle. Aha! Absolutely, yep, yep, yep, absolutely. Monkey tennis, spring bring! There's a new chat in town. I have the last laugh. Damn! Monkey tennis, love pierce my foot of the spine. With a chuckle, with a chuckle. Monkey tennis, radical, awesome, mega! Monkey tennis? Okay. Where's my assistant? I do not know. Monkey Tennis. Edwards is a total was of a guy. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. It's harder than the sun! They said hold the headless back. This is great answer. Monkey Tennis back of the net. The people who enjoy Alan Partridge will enjoy this podcast. The people who've never got it still won't get it. Hello, friends, and welcome once again to Monkey Tennis, the Alan Partridge fan podcast. I'm Adam Brooks and I'm joined by Tom Dark. glittering year ahead. Nicolda. Ladies and gentlemen it's Abu Hamza, the boss like Muslim cleric with a hook for a hand. And Tom Stab. Take your top off. Just a selection of classics from over the years there. That was Hanagan. That was Hannigan. That was Hannigan. Uh welcome everyone and thank you so much for joining us for this very special one off episode of Monkey Tennis because it's our tenth birthday today. been a whole decade, believe it or not, since we first uh sat around a picnic table at Producer Jed's CD Lodge and uh recorded the first slew of episodes. Um so before we get into the the the meat of this episode, we just wanted to say thank you so much for listening now and for those of you that have listened over the years. been to a live show, supported us uh in any way. Um we I I think it's safe to say none of us expected to be doing this ten years after the first episode. No. And it and it's only because you've all uh tuned in and made it the runaway success that it has been. So thank you so much for that. Um Should we say run runaway success or just a thing that's happened? Cantering cantering success. Um So for this episode we decided to do something a bit different for the first time in ten years, we said, please send in your questions to us for us to answer about the pod, about partridge in general, and you did not disappoint. So we're going to crack through as many of those and answer as many of your questions as we can. Um You got in touch, of course, as you always do via x.com slash the partridge pod. Instagram and Monkey Tennis Pod, Facebook.com slash thepartridge pod and thepartridge pod at gmail.com. Not relevant to the ask us anything nature of this episode, but a huge thanks to those of you who've also thrown a few quid our way over the years at KO dash F I dot com slash monkey tennis, including Stephen Kent Taylor, who donated not this morning. uh so the latest uh of a long line of excellent supportive listeners that have sent us a few quids, so thank you for that. So In the episode we'll be answering as many of your questions as we possibly can, but as it's our tenth birthday, we wanted to throw in a little surprise. So I'm gonna pass over to Tom's now to tell you some exciting and exclusive news. Thanks, Adam. Yes, this is a Monkey Tennis exclusive, as we can now exclusively reveal, but we will be returning to the start of our first ever live show. almost a decade ago for another special intimate live podcast recording of Monkey Tennis. We will be at the Prince Charles Cinema in London's famous Leicester Square for a ten years of monkey tennis show. That is going to take place on Thursday, Nov the nineteenth. thirty PM. Yes, indeed. And we can also reveal that tickets will be fifteen pounds and they are on sale. Now they are on sale right now from PrinceCharlesCinema dot com slash monkey tennis. Uh you can check that website out or check out our social media posts that will be going out uh later today. That's princecharlescinema.com slash monkey tennis. Well actually, just a quick side note, should it not be King Charles cinema now? Should they not have rebadged it, you fall? Anyway. Great point. Uh. Uh, obviously we are incredibly excited to go back to one of our favorite venues, the site of our first ever live show all those years ago, and celebrate a decade of monkey tennis with all of you. Some of you may have even come to that show, some of you may be coming to a monkey tennis live show for the first time. We want you to book soon, book to avoid disappointment. This is a one off, I cannot stress this enough, it is a one off intimate show and we have no further plans for live shows. So come join us and celebrate ten years of monkey tennis. Uh, can I just add there will be no refunds. I'd also say this is arguably the most exciting thing to happen to Leicester Square since M's world, so uh do bear that in mind. Well, after that exciting news, um, I'm gonna move us into the AMA section of uh the show. That stands for Ask Me Anything. Oh God. Yeah. It's questions that that you've been asking me. Um and I'm gonna ask them on behalf of you. Um, so it's me asking them questions from you. It's Alan. On Alan, on Monkey, on Tusking on Nick. So hopefully that makes sense. Um, but no, in all seriousness, uh, you've been in touch asking your questions of us. So I'm going to um host this uh section. Oh but g feeling a bit power mad now. Um Is this gonna be the fun section or the work section? I feel like this is the work section. This is the work section. Yeah, this is the work section. So we're going to kick off with our first question, which comes from Matt Fitzpatrick, who asks, Dear monkeys, uh like that. Uh I'm an OG listener, never miss an episode. Well done uh for 10 years. Great mates. My question, uh, although both are excellent, which era of Alan are you most fond of? Uh Yucchi or Gibbons. Ooh, who wants to tackle this one first? Oh, Tom Snap. I'll go first. I think it's interesting to say that uh interesting to note that Matt's question is is asking which are you the fondest of rather than which is your favourite. If you go fondist that's invoking a sense of nostalgia and looking back and whereas the Gibbons are sort of in the now, so to speak. So yeah, fondest would be Inucci and Co. Favourite. Mm, I think it's a bit more of a uh I think it's a bit more of a close call. I w I I would be tempted to say But um favourite is actually Gibbons given the volume and consistency. I think if I try to strip nostalgia out of this, 'cause I was out as I've mentioned many times, I was at the filming of of uh of some Minucci era partridge. If I try and take that out of it, I think I'm fondest of Gibbons, but I recognize that I wouldn't even be pay attention to Gibbons were it not for the strong Inuchi start. And so I think that's that's the way round that I'd have it. It's a very salient point. There there's no gibbons without Yanucchi. Um I mean I I think it's almost impossible to take nostalgia out of this question for me. Um I think the fondness The phone I think I'd be fondest of the Yanichi era because I think about it probably would be partridge that I would return to most, the highest kind of repeat value. But a lot of that you do have the baked in nostalgia element of that as well. And kind of I guess initial discoveries of of the character as it is. I think it's interesting that when we were sort of growing up with Partridge and when there was that gap between You know, um Inucchi era ending and the Gibbons era starting. the reason that a lot of that partridge got repeat viewing was because it was the only partridge. Whereas now there's such a huge canon. I find that my repeat viewings Well it's not even repeat viewings. The the parts which I repeat the most is the audio books or mid morning matters, 'cause I listen to those Like if I'm doing chores or like I just I just want something funny to listen to or listening to it before bed or going to sleep, that's actually the partridge that I think now I have consumed the most. I I am I'm a hundred percent with you on that. Um it is still pretty much Oast House most nights. Um and uh four nights out of seven, it will usually be a night wee, uh and then I'll just pop it back on at three in the morning to just help me uh go back back to sleep. Um Your lucky, lucky wife. But only four nights out of seven. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Three nights I'm getting all the way all the way through. Um, but I I think I agree with Adam basically. Um I think earlier, Alan is probably a little bit of a blunt instrument. I think there's much more sort of nuance and um as there's more, dare I say, complexity to the character now, but you don't get any of that. um without kind of what what came before. Um it's also one of those things like kind of don't make me choose. They they just they just work they work so well and they compliment each other. Um but I think broadly, uh we we're kind of all um similarly uh aligned uh there. Um Next question comes in from Jamie Atkinson, um, who asks, are there any partridge alumni you've got close to interviewing, but it fell through. Funny you mentioned that, Jamie. Yes, there are. Um and in fact the the the very episode you're listening to now, uh if we're honest, was originally slated to uh feature an interview with a well-known partridge alumni. Um This isn't exactly the question you've asked, but a question we often get asked on social media is um Is what does Steve think of the podcast? Have you ever spoken to Steve? And I think the answer is no, indirectly, and that's kind of on purpose. I think the nature of this podcast well, firstly, I'm convinced this podcast would wind Steve right up if he ever listened to it. It's basic it's it's for people speculating and getting his vision wrong. Um, and I think I think what what what we know what we know of Steve as well is that he's sort of, you know, I guess he's appreciative of having an audience, but he's not necessarily the biggest fan of fans, let's say. Um, so we had some early chats with his agent when we first set up the podcast just to let them know that we were doing it and doing it out of out of respect. Um we've been in the same room as Steve at various sort of events, but honestly, um as as someone uh I believe might say a little later on in one of their questions, getting Steve on this podcast I think is A unlikely and B. sort of the end of the podcast. So yes, we did have a very, very popular partridge alumni, someone we've been trying to get for a long time, uh lined up, but unfortunately we just couldn't make it happen. So uh you're stuck with the four of us today, I'm afraid, but maybe maybe one day in the future we'll get said person on. I don't know if you guys remember, we were very close to getting Patrick Marbour on as well, but um we had some we had uh emails between I think it was me and his and and his agent and it was around the time we were trying to secure Interviews. For um, you know, when we did Susanna Fielding, when we did um Tim T. Tim Key, et cetera. Um yeah, I think we got very close I I did remember us getting very close to Patrick Marbo, but unfortunately couldn't get that across the line. But obviously we have been in incredibly blessed by getting Simon Greenall, by getting Susanna Fielding, and get by getting Tim Key, um as as proper Partridge alumni. And of course. So Dansworth of Moody Shire himself, Stephen Mangdon. Yeah, I mean that's it's not bad actually w when you reflect on that, is it? We've we've had some amazing people on the podcast, which is I think again, you know, we're in a bit of a reflective state of mind for this episode. Like it never would have been on our kind of like plan to be to even do that. So to to have had four significant members previous cast is incredible, let alone The other kind of famous fans we we had on Um, during our kind of like pandemic kind of zoom interview series as well. And all of them be one, very generous with their time, and two, be absolutely brilliant and lovely and then, you know, really got it and were were were a joy to interview. So um Yeah, we we've been uh we've been lucky with the guests that we've had, uh, including Simon Greenall, who we thought was just gonna talk about Nelson for the entire podcast, but um turned out to be an absolute treat, obviously. I do think um I think Adam made this point that it seems unlikely from what we know of Steve that that he would come on. Obviously that would be great, but to to a de to a degree it's like we've completed w we've completed the show then. Um but but getting getting some time and um chatting to the Gibbons I I do think would be w would be something that would be um good for us in terms of uh, you know, getting uh an understanding of them, their writing process and it'd be really good to just hear from them about how they find kind of writing out them. But will it happen? We don't know. But um it would be good if we could get them on. Okay, and moving on with the questions. Next up we have one from Aaron Judd who says, uh, this could be just a yes no. Uh and is this is this new news? This is an exclusive? The question is, will we be getting Oast House Series four podcasts? I think the short answer is yes, I will. Yes. Yes. Bas basically like life is busy, you'd you'd be amazed how long it takes to um prep. uh detailed methodical notes. Well, for Adam and Tom. I think me and Stab just uh nod along and uh ch chuckle occasionally. Absolutely throwing you under the bus. Uh I I I no I I am No I'm leaving I leave it. I'm terminating the interview. Uh Right, hold on actually though. Some Sab, I put it to you because you bragged about it. There was one episode we did where you didn't have any notes whatsoever. Yeah. And if you are gonna threaten if you are gonna threaten to storm off the podcast in protest, can you actually do it so that we've got something to put on social media and make it look a bit dramatic, like people do. Yeah, or maybe Nick, if you'd like to cry now, that'd be good or something. I can't stand up remember because of a Will you apologise to Finte? Uh yeah, then well I genuinely can't actually no I do remember what episode it was. Oh come on, g give it I I think if there's ever a time to reveal, let's go. What what was the episode? Uh it was whatever was be it was when you know when Alan Partridge goes to the um goes to the s to the stables and he has to interview the jockey who takes a top off. Um What is that from? Oh in the day to day. Yeah. The day to day. Yes, that was it. The day to day episode. I had no notes for that. So ple please do go back and listen to that episode and enjoy hearing Tob go, mmm, yes. And I agree every three minutes. That's exactly what I've got in my notes. But yes, uh to return to the original question, we will be covering Ost House four. We we shunted it out of the way to prioritise how are you, um, but we will be coming back to that later in the year. So uh yeah, keep your ears out. Um, we then had uh a few questions come in, um, which uh I've sort of clumped into one mega question. Yeah. And uh essentially the question's kind of center around the the future of of Alan. So I think uh I'll just phrase the question like this. Um, where does partridge go next? What do we see as maybe the next kind of like three to five years? um from from our perspective in terms of where Alan goes. I'm thinking the format, you know, we've seen him in the live show, in a podcast, um, a conventional kind of T V show, and then maybe a thought kind of like the concept of the show or maybe locations. So We're looking for a bit of like, What's the what's the medium and maybe a what's the uh content um itself. Um Anyone want to kinda tackle this one first? So the two questions you've got here for us, Nick, are where does Partridge go next? and you're allowed to control the next three years of all things partridge, what do you do? So there's there are a few different layers we can we can get into here. Um I mean I'm happy to start. Um Please do. 'Cause I I guess this is kind of like what would we do? But also what do we think would actually happen? So what do we think would actually happen? I feel like you know, in the the real life BBC Gibbons type era. I would imagine there's gonna be another show on the BBC. I would be really surprised if it's How are you series two? Um But I'm a bit puzzled as to what they might actually do now because I feel like, you know, they've done The this time thing is done with those two series and out. I feel like perhaps A a one off, a special, a a Sican Isle type. One off for a Place is my lifestyle show. And I think in terms of if I was controlling partridge for the next three years. That's probably what I'd be keenest on doing. I think that's what I'd like to see. Next, I I think though particularly places in my life in Cesar Isle are probably Some of the my favorite kind of standalone pieces and I feel like that would work quite well 'cause I I think we'd all have kind of agreed how are you has perhaps been a bit hit and miss and I think maybe even like this time the quality of series two compared to series one. Perhaps a bit hit and miss too. I'd quite like to see M maybe like a pair of documentaries or or kind of mockumentaries. In Alan's world. But I wonder Can't quite figure out. What they should be. And kind of what what I what I would like them to be. It's almost like You know, d does he need to return to another local radio station but maybe Somewhere completely different. Or maybe an Isis thing that we talked about felt like it was teased a bit. Were we gonna get a series about Alan kind of living his life in Saudi Arabia or something. So is it really putting Alan very kind of out of his depth in a totally different Scenario. I'm I'm a bit unsure. Uh so I've tackled this the other way around. I've started with what would I do if I had three years of partridge, and then I've I've ended with what I suspect will happen. For the purposes of this I've presumed that budget is no issue. Um I'm I'm living in fantasy world, not commissioner reality. So I've I I've got three ideas. So I'll run through them run through the idea for a programme. We've listed them. Yeah. The last one's just monkey tennis. Um yeah, so What we have talked about a lot on the pod is about which formats hasn't he tried, what sort of what what style of show or or medium haven't we sent Alan in. And I think we we've determined that most of the ones he hasn't tried, he hasn't tried them because they won't work over a long series or e They can't sustain a whole book. You'll also notice on TV in general, there's a lot of so called golden handcuff steals that tie the likes of Zoe Ball and Graham Norton to one channel. And so you then see them used heavily across the BBC doing loads of different things. Some of them they're well suited to, some of them Maybe less so. So my idea here is that we have a six part series, but it's sort of a compendium where Alan is given a bronze or tin handcuffs deal. Um and we basically see him try his hand at various projects. So he's signed to the BBC, he's been given a nominal fee, um, and therefore he's sort of obliged do loads of different stuff. So episode one, Alan's p perhaps hosting a game show. Episode two, he's hosting a nature show. Episode three, he's voicing a kid's cartoon. Episode four, he's doing a cookery show. And so the beauty of it is is that these shows could be made up Or he could do the actual shows, you know, you've got him doing give us a clue, you've got him doing country file, that sort of thing. Um And and make it a sort of crossover event, like eight out of ten cats, do you count down. Depends what serves the comedy best. That's a really fun idea. And then I think I think the good thing about it is it's it's sort of it's a fun comment on the way that presenters are spread very thin to give the BBC bang for its buck, but it also highlights how Alan's inept across a range of different formats without giving any of them enough length to get tiring. So like you don't want to see him do six episodes of a game show, but to see him struggle through half an hour of like, you know, deal or no deal, um, I think could be really funny. It's a bit like when he hosted T F I in character, or even did the the celebrity announcer thing on um And next that is not takeaway. So kind of putting the APU into the the real world crossover. Yeah, I think that's a really fun idea, but I think logistically in the real world, next to impossible to make happen, I would imagine. It's a shame you say that because I would say these ideas only get more controversial uh divisive as we move on. The second one, perhaps a bit slightly more poignant, is uh Coogan finally crosses his two streams, the increasingly subtle smart comedy of Alan and the emotional pathos of Philomena, Stan and Oli. So what we have here is a feature length special that sees Alan putting Lynn into r a retirement home. How will he cope without his trusty PA? Will he haggle over her care fees? Will it mean that Alan faces his own mortality? Will the fact that the whole thing is a pear tree documentary production mean we see a nice tug of war between his genuine sadness and his desire to use this as a career currency? Um, so I think it's a move that lots of partridge fans of a certain age are now looking at with their own parents. I think it's a slightly more serious, poignant side to Alan, but there's still room to bring some laughs out of it. Needless to say, it's got BAFTA written all over it. Um and then the final idea, this is I've confused myself even writing this down. Um mixing the APU and real life further, one of Alan's books gets optioned for a series. So we then get to basically see events of previous Partridge, Mid Morning Matters, Alpha Papa, I'm Alan Partridge, but reimagined through Alan's own eyes. So events that we already know and love. but repositioned through his unreliable narrator lens. That's I like that. It also it means you can have some fun with casting as well. Who's you gonna get to play him? Does he had action sequences? How does Carol's affair translate onto the screen? So it's sort of It kind of mixing a bit of nostalgia with the with kind of revisionist history of Alan. Um, so those are my those are my three big pitches. What what do I think's gonna happen? Another book, a fifth series of Oast House, a BBC six party in two years' time, either that or a Coogan film project, one of the ten that takes off, will do, and he'll be out of partridge land for a couple of years. So we might maybe see a little bit of a rest. I I think um with kind of like what's actually gonna happen, oh more Oast House feels a a given. Yeah probably quite easy to write. Um I'm sure it pays very well. Um and they are drenched. They are drenched. Um it it feels like it's quick and quick and eas um and and fun. um and also could probably kind of like almost flies a bit under the radar. So it probably doesn't like almost have like scrutiny really on it. So like n no one's kind of assessing it, critiquing it, it's probably not even getting, you know Oh, the only people do that on us. Exactly. Yeah. Um I I think the problem I found with this is when you think of um sort of ideas for a pr for a program, basically. They could all be quite plausible, but the reality is they have covered quite a lot of like Um Quite a lot of things. ground. And so thinking of things that are kind of new and original and as we've kind of heard the Gibbon say before, you know, if people can think of it, we wouldn't do it. Makes it quite hard to think what what it would be because even some of the things that you talked about, Adam, even that final idea of kind of like almost the the recommission and the and the kind of um unreliable narrator and who would he cast and Even some of that feels like it's slightly been done before and kind of like Taking um the format of something like this time where you're sort of seeing behind the curtain, but it's a show, but it's also about kind of, you know, behind the scenes of the making of the show. Um it's really hard to see where you could go with something original and new, which kind of leads me to believe there's something in just it's it's the host house. It's probably another BBC documentary. I did wonder if there's something that feels like it could be quite close to Alan's heart around his family tree. I wonder if there's something around like his h the history of the partridges and he's touched on it. Like a who do you think you are style thing. Yeah. I I wonder if there's something in in that. Um as as a kind of like area that would be interesting for him to probe because I I know he's done the kind of like footsteps of his father and like even with something like Big Beacon, but you could have like, where have I come from? Who am I? And then it weaves into kind of like, you know history, British culture, as well as like Partridge and right wing nana and all all those all those people. So I I don't I don't know exactly how that comes to life, but I do think as Territory. there's probably something in the family tree maybe that they might want to explore. this g that th that idea kind of leads in a little bit to one of my ideas, which is Maybe that could be a comic relief thing. Who do you think you are who do you think you are? Who do you think you are? Is an Is it with Alan? with Alan Partridge, as in like he is on the show who you think you are. Um As as a comic relief. sort of uh program. Uh, same with um Louis Thoreau into the Allen sphere. Where it's Louis Thoreau. in like doing a documentary about Alan Partridge, which leads into my other idea, which is I think we've done Obviously I Man and Parch is kind of filmed in a mockumentary style, but I would like to see a proper actual Partridge. the creative control taken away from him, the unreliable narrator thing disappears because he is actually the subject of a proper documentary because of, you know, who he was and his status as a BBC sort of prime time presenter, his fall from grace, bouncing back. Like that sort of thing. He could arguably in the real world be the subject of a documentary. Um by someone and I think I think that would be quite fun. And you could even tie it into like him trying to um reconnect with uh Fernando and Denise, like him trying to uh reconnect with his family whether they are actually ever seen on screen, I don't know, because then you actually sort of commit to having people play them or whatever. A sort of proper fly on the wall documentary, Alan in the Search for His Family or something like that. You know, going to um What's the place in in is it in Yorkshire, um where Denise lives? Um Hepden Bridge. Um, so yeah, just a a bit more sort of I I like Alan's documentary formats, so s you know, How Are You, Sissed Isle, et cetera, I do really like them. But there is obviously a certain amount of you know How has Alan managed to get this commissioned? And there's a lot of retrofitting in terms of how he's got all of these projects over the line. I would le like to see something where he doesn't have the creative control and someone else does and they do an actual proper documentary about him and there'd be a huge amount of pathos in that, obviously. It's got a tragic figure, um, but still room for a lot of fun, as long as it was done tastefully and not like we're laughing, you know, we're not laughing at him. I think that would be quite fun. But ultimately, if I had control of partridge for the next three years, I would probably go away for a year and a half. I think just to ju there's just been so much. And that's not like to say that I I'm saying that because we have to cover it. I'm saying it just because Is is there a chance, and we've kind of discussed this on the pub before, that the character gets a little bit stale if it just chairs out the same thing over and over again. Now, obviously. pinch of salt with t in terms of like the same thing over and over again, 'cause there is variety, but there has just been such a wealth of partridge that maybe some time away would do the character good from you know for for everyone. Yeah, I'd I'd agree with that. Um It's also just put me in mind of something we discussed ages ago about a kind of documentary, The Search for Michael. I still think that'd be a really fun thing to see. I don't think that will ever happen, but um Just like an Well it w well quite, but you know, more of a more of an actual on camera documentary. Gabby to find blah blah blah. But yeah, yeah, I I think that's in the end we kind of got there a nice house so it kind of doesn't need to happen. But I I could visualize it. It would be quite fun. Um okay, I'm gonna lead us through some some more questions now, chaps. So strap in. Uh, next question is in from Guitar Romantic. They write. I feel like if you ever get Coogan himself on the pod, that should be the end of the show. Like you completed it, mate, so don't get him on. That's discussed, I think. Agreed. Agree, that's we won't be doing that and we couldn't be doing that. Um, so my question as a listener since early days with several contributions run out. What's the most you've ever disagreed about of something partridge related? E. G, did one person really love Stratagem? Brackets probably not. Um did things ever get spicy off mic? Um Now I feel like there was something where I think Nick in particular really dislikes something the rest of us Didn't dislike I can't for life what it was now. I think we've g we've gone through I think it was think it was this time where we would rank our favourite episodes and we would decide at the end of each series what order our favourite episodes went in. And there was quite a bit of I wouldn't say disag I wouldn't say sort of like, you know Um It never got particularly heated or anything like that, or you know, no genuinely sort of like d d angrily disagreed with each other, but there was obviously some disagreement in terms of the the the order. in which we place those episodes. Um certain people going to bat for certain scenes and certain sections and other people going bat to bat for others. And it's you know, it it it If if we just agreed on every single thing, it would make the whole, you know, um the whole concept quite boring. But I think it was I think it was this time because quite a lot of that series was very sort of almost sketches within the format. So we were kind of ranking those and yeah, I think there was a bit of a disagreement there, but you know. Nothing too much. Um, I th I think ul ultimately when it comes to partridge, there's not huge dis disagreements, um, generally speaking. Like um and and if there is, it's it's relatively small. I think the thing where sometimes there's more discussion and and debate and a bit of a back and forth is where we've done um like the live events or um things like Comic Con in the past or we did a uh lockdown um quiz uh which kind of um involved lots of lots of filming and kind of thinking about how we would do that. And whilst I wouldn't say it's about disagreements. Sometimes it's it's trying to come to a kinda a common consensus around um how we um approach some of these kind of more um I guess sort of challenging um things that we want to do with the show. Um and bearing in mind most of our conversations basically are done in a WhatsApp chat. uh it can be lots of kind of back and forth and trying to find middle grounds and, you know, how much detail is enough. How much do we need to get into some of this. So I wouldn't describe it as like things getting spicy or anyone kind of falling out of anyone. But that that's where I think we us and have deliberated in the past, like how do we do the live show, where do we do it? Um, you know, d w w what does Comic Con look like? What do we cover? And some of the logistical stuff and that that's where things uh kind of can sometimes be uh a bit more kind of debated and we have to kinda listen to each other's uh opinions on those things. But um all all still good friends and n never spicy. Never spicy. I I think it's interesting they they raised like Strasgym as as an example of probably us all having very similar views on that. And I do think in general probably are all broadly have been of the same viewpoint so that the the formats the vehicles we tend to prefer over others, overall. Yeah, I think that's fair. I would say to Nick's point it's it's more the how that we might uh disagree than the what. Um Although one other point I will say, and you'll probably notice this if you go back to early episodes, I would say we've got uh infinitely better at turn taking. I think that's it that's that's been a big through line of the pod. Everybody gets their say. But yeah, in terms of spice uh guitar romantic, we tend to try and keep as much spice on mic as we can. uh in service of you, the listener. Guitar Romantic also did have an additional follow up question on their message here. Um Dave write, so much time has elapsed between Nick's poll fail and the present day that I think you need to begin the quest for a second meme. Is it time to post another poll? Now we are assuming Uh Guitar Romantic is referring to Monkey Tennis episode sixteen. If you are newer to the pod or maybe just haven't Listen to an episode that far back. I can highly recommend episode sixteen. From around 17 minutes in, or you know, obviously listen to the whole episode. Um I would say I don't think we'll ever have a better moment than that. Um if people don't know If we listen to this job. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um I if you're listening to this and you don't know what we're talking about, I kind of don't want to say. I would just say go and listen to episode sixteen. I think that's still for my money. the funniest moment we've ever had. And that was probably in our first year of broadcasting. We eight. Anyway, we are assuming that is what guitar romantic is referring to there. think it might almost be worth adding here that I think the reason that those those first episodes and certainly like moments like that. worked so well was because uh again, this is sort of a maybe a little bit of a peek behind the curtain for sort of newer listeners, but um if you've been with us since the beginning you probably know this. We used to record our episodes pre Covid in person. Um Jed, our producer had a sort of uh in container city in Uh He had a sex dungeon in East London with four podcasts. Container if you know London, Container City on the Bank of the Thames. Uh, we would go there and those first few series were basically we're gonna go to Jed's office thing, we're gonna record and I think maybe we sh we shared a couple of these images. Like the the setup was like it was a park bench, there were laptops everywhere, there was like Uh mics that were like stuck together with gaffer tape and seller tape and um Um it was it was extremely, extremely DIY. Um but and basically what we would do is we would do a series in a weekend, we would get all of the beers, and I mean all of the beers, and drink all of the beers and get progressively more and more pissed. and uh record these episodes. So um I th I think, you know, obviously I mean, not obviously for people who who who don't know us, but we all lived in London at the time, so it was easier to sort of get everyone together, we would pick a weekend and we would just bosh out a series in a weekend and just get hammered. Um, but then obviously you grow up, you have lives. U only one of us now lives in London, so we have to resort to Zoom and it's sort of like been the norm post Covid. But there was a certain romanticism, a certain innocence about those first few series when we would just get into Jed's uh office in a container city in East London and just get hammered and record partridge. I think a real sign of the times as well, the uh we were gifted beer from Brew Dog back in back in the day for the first few series, which uh R I P basically. Remember them? Um yeah, I've got fun fond memories of game. We're drinking wood now, Adam. Got fond memories of being locked out of the toilets at container city and uh trying to handle mics with uh hands covered in Monster Munch crumbs. Um to try and give you a view of what to give you a view of what East India Key was like at the time. It was the sort of place it's the sort of place where they're filming a Hollywood film next door, but you can't find anywhere that will sell you chewing gum or a can of Coke. Ha ha ha ha. Yeah. Okay, another question then as we continue our AMA from Mantees. Uh Twenty four hundred I I don't know. Mantises Mantises. Mantis two four zero zero. Um, do any of you have jet light levels of partridge memorabilia or anything weird? 'Cause after ten years of doing a fan podcast, I'll live with you. I'm really scared. Uh I think the short answer is yes. Uh a a lot of the memorabilia that we've we've all got, I think, were little trinkets and bits that we picked up when we were invited to the BBC uh to go and see a preview of this time. Um so there's a couple of bits and pieces uh from from that. Um I picked up a couple of signed things over the years as well. So I've got uh I've got an alpha paper case signed by Felicity Montagui. Um, I've also Pride of Place got um a copy of the On the Hour C D box set signed by Chris Morris. So partridge adjacent. Well, partridge is on it, so More than adjacent, but you know what I mean. That is where it began, yeah, that's fine. Uh, I d I uh I don't really have any um m memorabilia um unfortunately. Um uh the only thing I I think we've kind of got is a couple of like pictures with with talent. So does Stephen Mangan kindly posed for pictures with us. Um I think there's one with um Simon Greenall as well. So Those are probably the closest I would say, but actual physical kind of partridge memorabilia. I I mean I haven't even got all the books, so I'm Nick that's because you you issue physia apart from nineteen seventy five skateboards. Get get rid of it. Apart from that part from that, you don't like having things. Um I mean I perhaps I I may come closest to the the Jed Maxwell Not Shepherd levels here 'cause I do still have my VHS box sets of I Mal and Partridge. Um because I I Well, I mean, yeah, I got rid of all my other VHS years ago. I just didn't want to get rid of those because I thought they're quite a nice Bold artifact to have. Um, and they're literally just, you know, they're they're on a shape on a shelf kind of As just like an object to to to to enjoy. Um And I think I probably I've got Probably Pretty much everything on DVD. That there is So you know, from like the day to day through to this time? And I do have a this time mug behind me, which again I think is probably from the BBC. Um and Uh, is there anything else? Oh I've I've also do have like a an old C D box set of like n I think the know me, knowing you BBC radio shows as well. So there there's a bit of a collection there, but a lot it it's decorative. Yeah. Um to roll a plug, a boast and the truth into one. Um we've also got uh a DVD copy of uh How Are You? Uh because if you can't get a DVD that's signed, why not get a DVD that you're on? Um so as I'm sure we've mentioned before, we did the commentary for one of the episodes on that. So I would say that's top of my list of partridge memorabilia 'cause it's got my name on the back. And I can sign it to myself. Same Atom from Atom. Thanks. You're the best. Is that gonna be a Christmas present for your wife this year? Signed copy of the D V D. Only this year. Uh and I I I've got it on Blu ray. I mean, who wants a DVD in twenty twenty six? At least go H D. All right, one more question in my section before I hand this over. Jane Freeman writes, How did you guys first meet? Now who wants to field this one? Well the question very much depends on who you guys are. Technically Tom Well no I guess. If we're going chronologically, Nick and Tom met first, right? Yeah. I think that's a way to approach it, isn't it? Chronolog chronologically is the is the best way. Well I feel like Tom Tom Dark, I feel like you're the you're the centre of this Mm. Am I the connective tissue of the MTU? Yeah. Okay, so let's let's so yeah, so Nick and I went to university together many, many, many years ago. Um, and then Adam and I met. through working at water music in the early days where neither of us work anymore. Then would I be writing s now, I think perhaps okay, so I'm gonna try and see if I get this right. Let's see. So then I think Adam Tom Stab three working together. You've already got it wrong. You've already got it wrong. Because you've missed out. The fifth beetle. The George Martin of Monkey Tennis producer Jed. We uh we both knew through his hugely popular uh alternative music website, audio junkies that he used to run, and then the parties that spun out from that. Yes. Yeah, so we were 'cause we I th okay, right. So yeah, Adam and I knew each other through the Warner Music Connection and we I guess we would have been active members on the audio junkies uh website message boards and then events and general meetups in London, which is how we got to know Jed. So that's where Jed comes into the picture and has been our producer. from from from day one and evermore. So then Adam and Tom. Working together through Warner slash Atlantic. Uh Adam Adam was already working at Atlantic and then I joined and that's how I met Adam. And then I guess the interesting bit of context here is I think Over a I don't know whether it'd been over like six months or maybe longer. We all went and guested on episodes of Smegheads. Jed's own Red Wolf podcast, right? And I think that's kind of where the idea came from. I didn't, but I did guest host with Jed on his very short lived X Far podcast. Yeah. I also guested on Jed's short lived podcast, What to Watch on Netflix. Oh I did that one too. Yeah, we've all we've all done that, surely. But I I guess essentially that that was the thing about us being friends with Jed and Jed being a real Trailblazer slash trendsetter ahead of the curve for podcasts. having his own kind of um Portfolio of shows. And I think, yeah, but basically with us all guesting on them out over a period of time going, ah Maybe we should try doing this. And that is essentially where Monkey Tennis was born, right? Well, I th I think there's a I think there's a a couple of things. One, there's you you've basically gone through gone past about ten years worth of being friends together probably before any of the things that's the first time. Oh, yeah, I mean no one cares about that though, do they? But I bet but I bet but me becoming friends with Adam from work I think then. allowed me to enter the dark sphere. Uh, and became friends with him and I assume at the time were you th all three living together in Tooting or Wandsworth around that sort of time? So I w that's how Nick would have come into the fold as well, where we all basically became friends and then were s friends for years and years and years. Um not anymore though. Doing all sorts. I mean, there was five years of us running a club night before we started um the partridge pod as well. Um But do you remember how we decided on um to do how decided to do Alan Partridge and why we decided to do Alan Partridge? 'Cause I knew can anyone remember that? I ve I remember the discussion. Well the the whole thing was is that we wanted to do a podcast, but we couldn't decide what we were gonna do the podcast on. Whether it was gonna be like pop culture, entertainment, film, whatever, we just knew we wanted to do one. So this would have been like twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen. took us the best part of eighte months to go, right, we can't decide what we're gonna do. Let's do it on I'm Alan Partridge because it's something that we all know, it's something that we're all passionate about. It's twelve episodes. So we'll learn so we'll we'll record with Jed. We'll learn how to like do a recording, how to edit, how to get something onto iTunes at the time. You know, uh and then we'll use that as the test case to w while we work out what we actually want to do, because this podcast that we do for Alan Parch, like I say, it's twelve episodes. About fifty people will listen to it, about a hundred people if we're lucky or whatever, but we will have learned the process of how to record it, how to edit, how to get it live, and Um, then we can, you know, decide w you know, we will have learnt the sort of ne necessary skills in order to hit the ground running with the podcast that we actually want to do. Ten years later. There definitely wasn't a huge amount of strategy, but I do remember thinking at the time that all of the kind of watch along podcasts that you had were all focused around big American drama properties. So there was one for Breaking Bad, obviously, there were a load for Game of Thrones. There was next to nothing for British TV. Yes. Um apart from, you know, the odd kind of the odd one, uh including Jed's By dwarf one. Um, so that was the bit of the impetus as well is it's something it's something we know, it's something we like, it's something that's not been covered by anyone yet. Um, that was the the three ticks in the box, I think. I mean, out of interest here as well, the the WhatsApp group that the four of us have, I think was initially perhaps created to even discuss the podcast project. What's the date? That was created on the ninth of March twenty fourteen. Uh also a point that we made earlier when we were talking about we w we did have some early discussions with Steve's agent at the time. I think that came about because We stupidly called the first stories of the podcast Monkey Tennis the Alan Partridge Podcast and they kicked up a stink because it made it well, didn't kick up a stink, but did contact us because No we because we made it look official and we w We u we used the autograph and we used his likeness in the image as well. Yeah, yeah for fine, the logo and the image and there was nothing to say it was a fan that I wouldn't say Steve that I think we just we we would not have anticipated really anybody would have taken that much notice of it was more naivety to be honest but to be fair to be fair it wasn't necessarily their agents coming to us we instigated a call with them because we wanted to see if Steve was interested in somehow being involved. And then I think it we quickly realized that that was less of a less of a conversation uh about him ever coming on and more of a conversation about copyright infringement. Oh God. Yeah. Uh but and actually perhaps this is this is as good a time as I need to mention it. So I mean I think you know, having a moment of reflection about it all now. I think that was the insane thing that I think By episode two or episode three. Podcast. I think it was episode two. Podcast hit number one in the UK iTunes podcast. It was nine days after we started. Which is absolutely crazy. I remember I remember just refreshing iTunes, podcasts, over and over again. Go it's gone up another place. It's now in the top ten. Do you remember what now in the top five. Do you remember what knocked us off number one? No. It was uh we we got knocked off number one because Tom Hanks did Desert Island discs. Oh fair enough. Yeah. Um but I mean obviously, yes, there is a s certain allowance to go, okay, at the time We did have an image of Alan on the artwork, the logo. It didn't say it was unofficial or file. Still, you know, you you would tell within thirty seconds. What it is. Um But I think also the amazing thing that happened around that time. We had a review in the Telegraph, calling it one of the best Tv and film podcasts. Which was Amazing because that wasn't press that we sought out to do. the journalists that wrote that, they organically found it and profile it in the paper and it had a photo with it and everything. So, you know, obviously I think that helped it then sustain In those really early days as well, 'cause I mean I think it's I mean, obviously it's insane now the amount of podcasts that there are. Like, you know, you You really have to fight to get a podcast reviewed in the telegraph these days. You know, ten years ago. It just happened quite organically, which I still think is quite amazing. And I would say we are fairly influential in that in the in the podcast space because now you have Peep Show podcasts, you have uh This Country podcast, you have Office UK podcasts and things like that. So, you know, our R came first. There's a there's a probably infinitely better. But uh We uh we've somehow somehow managed to eke what is it, a hundred and seventy episodes now out of out of our And all and all we did was copy Jed's format. That's all we did. And yeah, thanks, Dead. Time for me to pick up the questions now and Jamie Atkinson asks, Are there any earlier episodes of the podcast you'd be tempted to revisit now you're more experienced? Nick, you've got your hand up. Please lead us lead us into this question. It lead us into the answer to this question, I should say. Well, I I think we would have done what I'm about to suggest sooner had it not been for the fact that we never saw coming the sheer volume that that the Kibbens would would produce. So we're Jamie, we're we're struggling to keep our heads above water uh at the moment. You haven't even got O Star Series four. So revisiting early stuff does feel like a luxury. That said um if into the future things do get a bit slower and we do find ourselves with a bit more time. something that I think would be quite interesting to do is um the early we we started by covering IMLM partridge series one, series two. Um we were inexperienced and it doesn't sound great as as we've just kind of mentioned. But rather than us kind of like re just doing those wholesale, one of the things that we had to do for the how are you. commentary which Adam's um uh just just uh flagged earlier was that we had to to thirty minutes because it was commentary on the episode. And one of the things that I think could be interesting to do is rather than us drafting loads of notes, 'cause ultimately we know those scripts inside out, we know the show inside out. And what could be quite fun is uh almost a commentary style episode. So that's like a long Yeah, it's just thirty minutes. And we're not getting into the detail 'cause I o I also think those earlier shows quite have the same level of character detail. Where you can really kind of I mean, obviously we could, but I I think there could be something in thirty minute watch alongs series one, series two, which g gives us ultimately some of the series that people are most fond of. means that we're not just out and out doing what we've already done. It's a s it's a slightly fresh take on a familiar format. I definitely go back and speak the audio quality, I'll give you that. Um I do think it's quite nice that we've we've if this isn't too lofty a term, evolved with partridge a bit in that the early I Man of Partridge years are a bit scrappy and anarchic. Um and then we've come on to be a little bit uh a little bit slower and wiser um in our analysis of Alan late in latter years. I think another good reason not to go back is I don't know if I've got the joint dexterity to draw a chalk penis on my own back in twenty twenty six. Um so I think I'd probably leave that that little pet project in the past as well. I would say on the audio quality that Yeah, I do wonder particularly now with I hate to say it, but with AI tools, whether we could go back and remaster some of some of the really early live episodes. I remember there were a couple where basically promises about recordings were not kept. So Where we've done where we've done some live events. where we weren't fully in control of the audio recording. Some of those the audio is really quite bad and that's just a shame because the chat was good, but the quality was somewhat lacking. Um so I don't know, maybe that's a little uh project for for Jed. I'm sure he's not busy. I I would actually say that I wouldn't be tempted in any way, shape, or form to revisit like re recording any episodes or anything like that one because I think there's an innocence, there's a charm to those early episodes because we were so young and inexperienced. Um, but also because, you know, we were able to do those in person. And we were able to do the things like draw a chalk penis on the back of your head, pour a load of sunny delight over a load of old VHS tapes, um, uh, draw the logo to the footsteps of my father. you know, we were able to do those in person. So I think going back and re recording them I think you would lose some of those really fun elements, those fun interactive elements that we weren't able to do. Um uh we haven't been able to do sort of really since since Covid. Which is why I'm really looking forward to a live show, which is happening on Thursday, the nineteenth of November, at eight thirty PM. Tickets on sale now for just fifteen pounds at Prince CharlesCinema dot com slash monkey tennis. Just have to say that. Great. Uh now we're gonna move into the slightly sillier questions, guys. Uh McAfee T twenty one asks, is stuck on a desert island, you're allowed one condiment. Which is it gonna be? Rapid fire, Adam. Uh it's either Frank's hot sauce or Pain Is Good Blue Cheese Buffalo Barbecue Sauce. That's two answers. I'm gonna need one. Yeah. It's the first one. Tom Dark, what about you? Uh Saracha. That's a that's a oh no that is a gravy. That's a gravy. That's a gravy. That's a hot sauce. Nick's a hot sauce, yes. Nick. One well, I w so I want it to be it would probably be the light Hellman's mayonnaise, but I oh I worry that one. It's gonna go bad on a on a side it's gonna go sun bad, isn't it? It's gonna go bad may I'm sorry, it's congealed in the sun and you've lost the game. Yes. Are I still on a desert island though? Yes, but the only condiment you brought has hardened into an egg pot. Is that your is that your final answer? Um he gets to change his mind. Tom, let's let's keep it moving. Yeah. Uh mine would be the uh chili crisp. Uh which I think could could you call it a condiment? The chili crisp. It's liquid enough, isn't it? We'll give it a year. It's chili crisp. Chili crisp, you know, like the crispy chili oil. Crispy chili oil. Oh right. Oh God. Yeah, that is gonna give you a very, very spicy bottom. And then I don't know how you're gonna be cleaning that. That's where the real spice is. I'm taking I'm taking it over your translucent sweaty mayo, pal. Uh, next up we have uh sorry, brilliant name. I am Billa Ricky Dicky, who asks what's Jed's favorite egg preparation method? Deviled? Freud. Chucky egg. It's not a deal breaker, but I would like to know. So with that in mind, let's pass over to producer jet. You know, that is a really good question and because it's such a big subject. I thought I'd make it into a song. In the shells, crack split clean in that little spell Sunny side bright on a hot iron pan Running gold center, yeah, that's my jam Scrambles off with the butter So we let the morning end over raising Toast with the yolk so slow Jay wants eggs and you are ready now Say loves eggs Say low X Fried boil bag is rest Every egg dish comes out first From the shell to the plate that goes That's my song about eggs. Back to the boys. Thanks for that, Jed. And to reveal to the listeners, obviously we actually don't know what Jed has just said, but uh Either way, pretty pretty safe to assume it was disgusting. Next up we have Ollie who asks, Will you be attending at the Allan Partridge Fan Fest? to which I would counter Oli are you one of the uh organizers of the Alan Partridge Fan Fest? And that's why you've asked us this across multiple social media channels. Um yeah, I mean let's give the man a free plug. The Alan Partridge Fan Fest, I think is a festival of Alan fans. I think it's in its second year. Um, I believe Simon Greenall is scheduled to appear and it's happening somewhere in the uh East Anglian region. I'm sure you can Google the rest for yourself. A great plug. Also it costs Also it costs it costs three times uh the price of a ticket to see monkey tennis live at the Prince Charles cinema on November 19th. Just thought I'd put that out there. Prince Charles Cinema dot com slash monkey tennis. Next up, Hot Coffee Breath says, In what order do you perform your morning ablutions? Who wants to take that first? This has got Nick written all over it. Happy to go first. Actually, you know what? Let's just have Nick. I I've already talked to you about four nights out of seven. It's it usually starts about three in the morning. So you've you've got that first and foremost. He has the night wheeze. Yeah Come on, come on, mate, I'm not alone. Um and there will be dribble when you're walking down to the bed. I'll usually arise about six thirty, um, go into immediately go to toilet. So I've got to go straight in there. There's no knocking about. Um Then I Sit. about five minutes and see what happens. On the toilet. Yeah. So it's a five minute sit. And you have a bit of a think about what's happened in the night. And um then It depends whether I'm being physically active that day. Cause if I am being physic, I won't shower, which is why the point before is so crucial. Because either in in a day when I'm not being physically active, I can hop in the shower and um everything's washed away. Or from being physically active, it's a deep claim. Um and then it's usually teeth. Um And just put the best smile on and then head out the door. A great morning. How do you perform your ablutions? It's stun it's stun silence. Well don't worry, hot coffee breath. Hopefully I've given you everything you need about my perfect morning. I mean it's uh shower clean te do your hair, pop your sh clothes on and out the door, isn't it? You should make a big sit first. Have a thing. Uh right. All I can say is after the P or P has landed, please make sure that you're clean handed. You wait you said earlier, just to pick you up on one bit, you said to jump in the shower and wash it all away. Does that mean you're not is that shame or you're not you're not wiping your bum after your big sit. You misinterpreted that. That's just just just get clean. That's what I think. Right, uh no further questions. And on that bumshell, we move on to bumshell. It's now time for our own highlights and funny stories. Yeah, I think it's it's a got a little opportunity here before we get into the kind of last round of questions, I think. Um Just uh give a moment for any particular highlights, funny stories. things that really stick in the mind over the last ten years. I mean Something I wanted to give a shout out to in particular was I also thought it was mad that we were the answer to a question on IT V's show The Chase. Oh yeah. I still can't believe that happened. That is mad. That is mental. That is that is mad. Uh, my own personal highlights, unfortunately, all revolve around giving Nick a bit of a doing. Is uh you losing your mind before every single live show that we ever did, including upstairs at the Prince Charles Cinema when we were hiding in the projection room ready to come down. You're just completely losing your mind. I think I lost my mind as well at the end of the Manchester show where I did an interesting. Uh you then also lost your mind briefly backstage before our live show in Bristol where you last kept asking us if You had the file and we had no idea what you were talking about. And then the last one is when we call God Lee. End of the Manchester show. We said goodbye. You start talking to the audience. Thank you. I was trying to make a uh pot Weren't you apologising for something as well. You're basically like Thank you, Manchester, and I'm really sorry. about something. I don't know. That was mad. There was also a moment of high drama before the Manchester show 'cause we had about thirty seconds till uh till the music came on and Nick decided he needed a poo. It always comes back to the ablutions when Nick's involved. Also the great thing about Nick not leaving the stage in Manchester The day before, he'd made the point of talking to us about oh when we kind of enter and exit the stage, we should all try and be a bit more like organized about it. So the Manchester show, the three of us left the stage quite rapidly and in like efficient fashion. Nick's just Q and A. Nick went r Nick went rogue. Yeah. He he is available after the show to sign copies of his book Ablutions and Me, The Nicolda Story. Um I mean th there's a few highlights that spring to mind for me. I mean the obvious one and I I appreciate this sounds like um like trumpet blowing, so do apolog apologise, but um going to number one on iTunes or Apple Podcasts as it is now was a a huge surprise and and really set up a lot of fun things to follow. Also, I've always uh loved a bit of punk and the op the the opportunity to book our own tour was super exciting to me, unleash my inner Ian McKay and I think I was quite proud that we, you know, the tech, the venues, the travel, the press and the promo. We did it all ourselves. We didn't get any help. There's no agent and no management, obviously. So that was really fun. Um Obviously. Yeah. Obviously. I mean just look at we couldn't even get Nick off the stage. Um I think I think finally as well, it's been really nice speaking to to sort of partridge alumni, but the one that's that's pushed the button for me was getting to talk to Tim Key. um was a real treat and I I've I've thought I've not thought about the timing of that episode since And I think if you um on the wall behind Tim, if there's any clips still on social media, there's a load of post it notes and I the I've thought about the timings and I believe that the the post it notes on the wall were the planning stages for the ballad of Wallace Island. Um so everything ties together quite nicely that that film was in the early stages when we were speaking to Tim for the podcast. Uh, one of one of my um m memories and I don't I don't know if anyone else will remember this or I'm sure you will when I when I say was we were doing um Uh, we were at uh King's Place doing the London Podcast Festival. We were um going to be joined by Stephen Mangan. We'd ordered a cab for him. But does everyone remember that he was basically, I think either running late or the cab had picked him up late and he just wasn't at the show. And there was a kind of real chance that um he potentially was gonna be late, um or wouldn't join us in time. And obviously the show was going out live, we were recording it and we were in a position where potentially we were gonna have to fill or make something up. And I remember we were basically walking onto the stage to do the kind of second part of the show, which he was joining us in. And then he literally just appeared the side of the curtain and kind of walked on with us at the same time. But like I just remember it being really touch and go with um that show. And the other thing that was that was um really good about that show is we came off and it had gone really well and um the the show was great. And I remember he was like, Do you want do you guys want a quick quick drink? And um we just had a drink with him in in the kind of green room backstage and I think we're just chatting to him with over a glass of like red wine for like forty five minutes and it was it was really good. So that that for me is a real stand out memory. My own personal highlight, which unfortunately none of you chaps got to participate in, was the excitement of being picked up at about five thirty in the morning. To go and be taken to BBC Radio. to do the five live breakfast show with Nicki Campbell to talk about um the return of Partridge to the BBC. That was incredibly exciting and just a very cool experience to go get pick up by the BBC, get taken to broadcasting house uh not broadcasting house to the new BBC. um uh uh uh offices, studios, etc., and uh yeah, be interviewed by Nicki Campbell on Five Live Breakfast and Um it it felt like it felt That was a real sort of um validation of what we'd been doing, like as just a bit of fun that we were invited onto BBC to talk to um to to to talk on the radio and also to be invited to go to the screenings of the first two episodes of of this time at the BBC and just that feeling of like Alan's back on the BBC. This is a new television project for him. It felt really, really exciting. There were lots of really cool, famous people in the room and it felt genuinely exciting and a cool thing to be a part of. And yeah, I'll I'll we'll always be grateful to have that experience because that kind of felt um that kind of felt r really good for to be able to do that with my friends as well, which is nice. Who were they? Mel Gallagher and McKenzie Crook, wasn't it? Just a bit. Just a bit. Just a bit. Um next to him, mate. Um I think uh one of the sort of nerve wracking but exciting highlights and picking up on what Nick said earlier is on stage when I was introducing both Steve Mangan and Simon Greenall. did not know if they were there. So I couldn't 'cause they they both arrived, but obviously we're already doing the show. It's it's light on stage, it's dark at the back. I had to read those names out, wait ten seconds till I could see them appear to know that they actually turned up. Yeah. And I had absolutely nothing planned if they were late. And then perhaps to wrap up this section, let's let's talk about regrets as well. Uh it's not not not too deep, although we've pr probably got a massive list. I think I just looking back at it, I just find this quite baffling, also quite funny, but also quite frustrating. For some reason set up the the social accounts and the email address for the podcast before we decided what the podcast is going to be called. So I think, you know, maybe like the working title being like the partridge pod we're like oh but we should come up with a more fun name and obviously monkey tennis was the the perfect name to go with. So that is why we have this thing where Instagram is Monkey Tennisport but everything else is partrid pod and in particular why I found that quite frustrating because I actually remember Tom when you were on five live they introduced you as Tom from the partridge pod. And it's like that's not what it's called. But um yeah I I don't know why we didn't decide the name a hundred percent before we kind of stop getting points from but yeah I've been so it it it's a it's a tits bit. You'll be excited by this Tom, but um I know uh I think in the US, which means I'm sure it's coming here at some point, you can change your Gmail account so you can actually change uh what it's called. So who knows? Maybe it will be Monkey tennis pod or the monkey tennis pod or Whatever we want to call it. Very much very much depends on us securing it before this episode goes out and somebody nicking it from under our noses and selling it back to us. And also we'd have to probably AI Adam back into every episode saying you can email us email us a hundred and seventy times. So I think to be honest we'll probably leave it. Um, so yes, thank you so much for all of your questions. We've had some really insightful and funny ones to ponder, but as predicted, we've had a lot of very obvious ones. So we're gonna rattle through these as quickly as we can. I'll read these out. Anyone that's got either be correct or partridge adjacent answer. Well just a good answer. So Tony Jenkins and at least four others said who invented the skip. I don't care who meant Skip. Probably more. Probably more. Uh Tim Oscroft says, Does that mean there will be noise or there won't be noise? I mean audio medium there will be noise next. Mark Roy says, Who who who do you think you are? The part. Great. Uh Aaron Judd says, in your opinion, which cereal is easiest to store up? Muse next. Chloe Brooks, why did Sue Cook pull out? Well, you'll have to listen to the live show for Alpha Papa where she genuinely did pull out uh and said. Yeah, there you go, that's a real thing. Yep Uh Mark D Short said, Are you in favour of the death penalty? Uh probably I am, and I think probably you guys aren't. So it's a split vote. Is that 'cause we're white lefties? Yes. Yes. And is that is that for treason and murder or just in general for tree treason and murder and getting bond wrong. John Wood Wood says where's Baz? I think he's gone out to get some ease. Barnaby Cook says, When was the last time you had the worth of both worlds? Probably right now. Yeah. Yeah. Uh Dani on the partridge board. Daniel White says where get shoes. Uh, Resident String five one seven four says What kind of Irish is your granddad? Uh has anyone got an Irish granddad? No, I need um Who the hell is that? Mark Pritchard says what do you think about pedestrianisation of Norwich City Centre? People like it, there should be more of it. Yeah. I'm dead against it. Yeah. I mean I would talk about access to Dixons, but Dixons doesn't exist anymore. Um, Timothy S. Sullivan says, Has your career gone off the rails a bit? Well, I think all all four of us have been made redundant in our working lives at some point. So if we say yes. I did not expect that. S sorry, no not you, the the the person behind you. William Simington says Are there any monkey tennis ten year anniversary time blazer badge combination packs available? Uh the answer is no, but there are some absolutely excellent monkey tennis ten year anniversary live tickets available at Monkey Tennis uh at Prince Charles Cinema dot com slash monkey tennis. Uh he also asked Have you ever fired two guns while jumping through the air? I'd love to. Uh yeah, King. We have all we have all been working out lately. Uh uh and number three, what is a sausage really? Um T. Yeah. Just put good food. Are you still on the chicken sausages, Nick? Oh yes. Oh yes. We can't get bought down in the chicken sausage that we can need to move. That needs its own episode. Not when we've got an important question like Rick De Flair's who asks Can I have an Irish coffee delivered to the room, please? No, right? Eh? Tea? Cale Fanter? Present the crisps? Tea or coffee. Tea or coffee. But that seems fair. Um so yeah, that's the uh that's the end of it. That's the end of your slightly more grimly predic predictable questions. Um so all that's really left is to wrap up and say thank you so much for listening, both now and at any point over the last decade. Christ, it's been a decade. Um, we also wanted just to remind you one last time, we are doing a live show, our first live show in years, going all the way back to where we did our first ever live show upstairs at the Prince Charles Cinema, uh on November the nineteenth at eight thirty PM. Get your tickets for fifteen quid uh at uh princecharlescinema.com. slash monkey tennis. As mentioned, we'll be back later in the year covering Oast House Series four. But we wanted to leave you with something special. Uh something perhaps some of you will have already guessed. It's your latest string of Bank Holiday, What You're Doing and Who's With Ya. So uh here we go. Oh also I think at right at the very end of the episode we should put in our uh our very favourite highlight. uh all episodes of monkey tennis aka Nick absolutely losing it. So uh stay tuned for that. But in the we we are gonna take it back to episode sixteen. I think we'll we'll drop it in. We will, we will. But uh but here we go. Your bank holiday sign offs, thanks and goodbye. Timothy O'Sullivan says, in Partridge Speak, I'm taking Michael Crawford for a slaughter pub lunch in Guildford, though we all hope he does not do his betty routine at the all you can eat salad bar in real life. Taking my wife out for a nice day in Mercil Beach as it's her birthday. Louise Victoria says genuinely cleaning out the attic, but with my husband Mark, rather than the lovely Kate Winslit. Also, we call it a loft, but that didn't work as well. Goodbye. Michael Cullum says, nothing currently, but I'm looking forward to some lovely heterosexual tapas later in Little Oakley. Kieran Smith says, My friend Michael will be taking out Sue Cook, which we will follow with a cup of beans, but it's on to Ipswitch for the Truck Fest. Adam Rogers will be attending the Norfolk Snail Racing Championships with Charlotte Hawkins, then taking her for a scampionships basket meal or wash down with a pint of thatchets. Sarah Locklear says, Uh I watched The Spy Who Loved Me yesterday in honour of the long weekend. Sadly, no strawberry nest quick was consumed. Johan Herrenberg is going to be enjoying his Cuban cigar rolled on the thighs of a virgin. Peter Cookson's keeping it simple with Carlsberg wine and egg at the Hungry House. Chris Bateman will be dancing on stage like a looney with Zack Pelanski. Uh, Will Lamita, hopefully said that right, uh, Le Windsor, and a bullish scotch. Yeah. Jonathan Edwards Guinness Cake celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Hayden Lee Lyons says a paint by numbers of a Spitfire with Susie Dent. Jamie Atkinson, riding an elephant through Basing Stoketown Center with Tom Cruise. Dora Pantry Waxing my cracking. Ha ha. Paul Stacey is listening to Wings, the band the Beatles could have been. Name Neil Jameson activity. I'm having a hot egg. Terry Cole, currently driving to Dundee in my bare feet with an open box of tablerous. Steve Weller. My fantasy bank holiday. Jogging with Amanda Holden in a classic Range Rover. Lovely stuff. Dave Atherton is doing the big cryptic with Zuzan. Marcus Parker says, I'm enjoying a lovely hot bubble bath as I lather myself up and listen to the smooth, smooth voice of Sting. John Wood says nothing. Bye. Andrew Farmer says I'm birding with Sean Bean 'cause I really can't tell the real world from partridge anymore. Becky Rogerson, Picnic, Rich and Olivio and Tracker Bars. Adam Howe says Wildlife Park today with Roger Moore. Rich BN is having a deep bath with Death O Mark Cordell DIY Center. Carrie Smith went to Long Stanton Spice Museum. Malcolm Robert can, driving both ways round the M twenty five, just put the babywells in the glove box. James Black, James Bon Marathon. Uh J Jinson. Hod carrying with Katie Perry. What's hot carrying? Anyway. There you go. Okay. Barbara Kirk waiting for the doctor to call me back. Per perhaps it's worth is it worth saying Barbara Kirk who's perhaps misunderstood the assignment. I went in very enthusiastically with Barbara Kirk. You were giving that the X Factor style then. Yeah. I went in very enthusiastically. Four million tweets Barbara Kirk who is waiting for a doctor to call her back. Re medical review. Michael fell, trying to eat just crisps. Stag surveying potholes for Jeremy Clarkson before retiring to his pub for a spot a lunch. Lovely stuff. Joe buying an all-day bus ticket and staying on the same bus for ages, eating through an entire multi-pack of Walker's crisps with Charlie Bingham. Someone simply known as Hobson is uh going to the National Portrait Gallery with Leslie Judd followed by Ladybinks in the Groucho Club. Uh a young Frank Einstein says I'll be hiking through the hills of Norfolk with only a Tobler own for company. And finally, Tom Webb. I'd go mattress shopping with Ian Botham, followed by Chem Sex with Tim Benfield. Brackets beefy would politely decline. From all of us at Monkey Tennis, the Alan Partridge fan podcast. Thank you for ten sensational years and goodbye. Okay. Um and uh a couple of things that we wanted to mention that we'll be sharing on our social pages. Um have sent in some rather humorous pictures. Uh first up is one from Ross is on fire. An Alexis fan. Yeah. Uh so uh Ross, uh who's possibly on fire, has sent uh a picture of a picture of a uh uh is that it's a mug? It's a pint mug uh fill with uh beer. Are you serious? That's a fucking tattoo on his leg, tattoo. A pint mug full of milk and human hair. I thought I genuinely thought that that was a point glass. If anyone would like to donate Nick some eyes, please do please get in touch. Okay, we will share the picture that we were sent and I would like to stress and when we post it, would you put it not But it is bad. It was it it's in monochrome, so it's been given to me. You may you may you may know that as black and white printing. I for one look forward to the results of a poll that just consists of this photo and the words tattoo or It's easy for easy for you can see where I thought you can see it. There is clearly a Sheen Had So This is this is amazing. This man Ross, not only is he on fire, he's paid and gone under the pain of having an Alan Partridge tattoo. And then he sent it to us. And then the only credit the only credit you've given him is to f uh for finding a novelty pint glass. My stomach. I'm really sorry, Ross. I am hopping, Matt, and I want something in the middle. Aha! Absolutely, yep, yep, yep, absolutely. Monkey tennis, bring, bring! There's a new chat in town. I had the last laugh. Damn! Monkey tennis. With a chuckle, with a chuckle. Monkey Tennis? Radical Awesome Mega Monkey tennis? Okay. Where's my assistant? I do not know. Monkey Tennis? Edwards is a total wazook of a guy. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. It's harder than the sun! I said all the hell is back. This is great, answer. Monkey tennis? Back of the net. The people who enjoy Alan Partridge will enjoy this podcast. The people who've never got it still won't get it.