MATTHEW Wright's TV WEEK: PARTRIDGE GOING A BIT OFF

WE thought he was gone for good, the tragic victim of an inevitable mental breakdown. But Alan Partidge is back. Bouncing back. Sadly Bouncing Back is the title of his new novel, not the way I'd describe the ham-fisted radio ham's return to TV. I'm Alan Partridge (BBC2, Monday) wasn't a failure. It was very funny in places. Especially when you weren't deafened by canned laughter.

But I was disappointed. Partridge, now over his mental collapse ("very sad, boo hoo," he said) is back on late-night Norwich radio making similar wisecracks as he did in 1998. His long-suffering PA and his Geordie fan are still with us, but both have been demoted to lesser roles. Alan also has a girlfriend - a 32-year-old sex-mad Ukrainian. "Not bad for a man of 47," he bragged. A bloody miracle though for him. And that's why the over-used girlfriend gag died a death - too silly for words and not funny at all.

The highlight of Alan's return was his speech to his old school, an absolute masterstroke."Is anyone here epileptic? Statistically at least one of you must be," he told the class, adding without missing a beat, "and at least two of you must be gay." Cruel stuff, but delivered by Coogan, it worked

Will the show get any better? Maybe. Maybe I was expecting too much? Maybe Coogan was trying too hard? But it was still good to see Alan back. Even if he wasn't bouncing.

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