Steve Coogan plays the incompetent but self-satisfied Norwich-based talk show host Alan Partridge, who often insults his guests and humiliates himself in the process.

Alan was a spin-off character from the spoof radio show On the Hour (which later transferred to TV as The Day Today).

Knowing Me, Knowing You was written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci (who produced the radio version) and Patrick Marber (who also starred), with contributions from the regular supporting cast of Doon Mackichan, Rebecca Front and David Schneider, who played Alan's weekly guests.

Steve Brown provided the show's music and arrangements, and also appeared as Glenn Ponder, the man in charge of the house band (the name of which changed, without explanation, every episode).

Doon MacKichan's character Kendall Ball did not make it into the eventual TV series but did appear in The Day Today, made between the two incarnations.