View source for Martin Brennan (character)

{{Short description|Fictional character created by Steve Coogan}}
{{other people|Martin Brennan}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}

'''Martin Brennan''' is a fictional character created by the British/Irish comedian [[Steve Coogan]] for the critically acclaimed 2019 television sitcom ''[[This Time with Alan Partridge]]'', a parody of day-time British shows such as ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]'' and ''[[The One Show]]''.<ref name="ii">Stacet, Pat. "[https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-reviews/this-time-with-alan-partridge-review-this-is-what-truly-great-enduring-comedy-looks-like/37933024.html This Time with Alan Partridge review: This is what truly great, enduring comedy looks like]". ''[[Irish Independent]]'', 20 March 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2024</ref> The show is hosted by Coogan's long-term fictional character [[Alan Partridge]], who is a parody of a tactless and inept television host.<ref>Abbott, Kate. "[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/feb/14/alan-partridge-bbc-brexit-steve-coogan Part David Cameron, part Piers Morgan – Alan Partridge returns in time for Brexit]". ''[[The Guardian]]'', 14 February 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2024</ref> In the segment, Brennan is invited as Partridge's doppelganger but becomes unruly by insulting his host, gifting a [[tortoise]] (a protected species) and singing [[Irish rebel song]]s.

The sketch gained controversy in Britain when Coogan was perceived as mocking an Irish [[ethnic stereotype|stereotype]] and singing two rebel songs on mainstream British television. However, the performance was very well received in Ireland, with one critic writing that because Coogan is half Irish, Brennan could have become an "offensive caricature" but instead become an overnight "social-media icon".<ref name="it" /> In an interview, Coogan said that he played the character "in such a way that it would empower Martin and disempower Alan."<ref name="ll" />

Brennan was revived in 2022 for Coogan's touring live show, where he appeared on an overhead screen to interact and sing with Partridge.<ref>Mallon, Sandra."[https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/steve-coogan-reveals-irish-double-26360027 Steve Coogan reveals Irish double Martin Brennan will join him in his new stage show]". ''[[Irish Mirror]]'', 1 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2024</ref><ref name="ll">Mather, Ciarán. "[https://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/local-news/767937/steve-coogan-says-his-famous-irish-rebel-character-will-return-in-alan-partridge-live-shows.html Steve Coogan says his famous Irish rebel character will return in Alan Partridge live shows]". ''[[Leinster Leader]]'', 16 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2024</ref>

==Sketch==

In the skit, Partridge and his co-host Jennie (played by [[Susannah Fielding]]) interview Martin Brennan, also acted by Coogan, who had been invited onto the show as Partridge's doppelganger and is presented as a farmer from [[County Sligo]] with bad teeth, a ruddy complexion, a [[comb over]] and a heavy [[Brogue (accent)|brogue]] accent.<ref name="it" />

The interview quickly becomes unruly as Brennan claims to have never heard of Partridge until a few weeks ago—he had been told that Partridge was a "famous fella, used to be on the TV way back",<ref name="ii" /> and says he responded to the request for an appearance by asking "Who the hell is dat".<ref name="av">O'Keefe, Donal. "[https://avondhupress.ie/ha-hah-alan-partridges-strained-relations-with-ireland/ Ha-hah! Alan Partridge’s strained relations with Ireland"]. ''The avondhu'', 27 March 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2024</ref> Brennan begins to sing "[[When You Were Sweet Sixteen]]", but controversially follows the rendition with segments of the [[Irish rebel song]]s "[[Come Out, Ye Black and Tans]]" and "[[The Men Behind the Wire]]", interrupting the show's planned closing montage of police dogs set to [[Duran Duran]]'s "[[Hungry Like the Wolf]]". The political and incendiary lyrics of the rebel songs discomfort Partridge and the other hosts and guests.<ref name="it">Clarke, Donald. "[https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/steve-coogan-come-out-ye-black-and-tans-is-two-fingers-to-the-british-1.4176305 Steve Coogan: ‘Come Out, Ye Black and Tans is two fingers to the British’]". ''[[Irish Times]]'', 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024</ref><ref>"[https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2020/0214/1115275-steve-coogan-i-sang-black-and-tans-song-as-a-bet/ Steve Coogan: 'I sang Black and Tans song as a bet']". [[RTE]], 19 February 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024</ref><ref name="g1">Coney, Brian. "[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/14/come-out-ye-black-and-tans-wolfe-tones-alan-partridge How Alan Partridge helped Come Out Ye Black and Tans top the charts]". ''[[The Guardian]]'', 14 January 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2024</ref> The piece ends with a visibly upset Partridge whispering to a producer into his microphone, "Oh my god, that was like an advert for the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]]. Who are we going to blame? Find out who booked them and sack her."

==Reception==
The character has been described as the highlight of ''This Time'' and quickly became viral on social media.<ref name="it" /> The nuance behind the caricature of a [[Connacht|West of Ireland]] bachelor farmer was widely praised by Irish critics and fans.<ref>Cashin, Rory. "[https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/steve-coogan-martin-brennan-ireland-743330 Steve Coogan is bringing back Martin Brennan for the new Alan Partridge show]". [[Joe.ie]], 2 March 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2024</ref> Writing for the Irish ''[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]]'', the critic Pat Stacey titled his review of the episode "This is what truly great, enduring comedy looks like".<ref name="ii" />

The sketch follows from a 1997 segment on "[[I'm Alan Partridge]]" where he meets with two Irish [[RTÉ]] producers, played by the [[Father Ted]] writers [[Arthur Mathews (writer)|Arthur Matthews]] and [[Graham Linehan]], where talking about [[Bloody Sunday (1972)|Bloody Sunday]], Alan confuses the event with the [[Sunday Bloody Sunday|U2 song of the same name]], saying "Sunday Bloody Sunday. What a great song. It really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday, doesn’t it?" and remarking that "Ireland has changed from its abiding image as a land of "leprechauns, shamrock, Guinness, horses running through council estates, toothless simpletons, people with eyebrows on their cheeks, badly tarmacked drives, in [the UK], men in [[platform shoe]]s being arrested for [[Timeline of the Troubles in Britain|bombings]], [[1969 Northern Ireland riots|lots of rocks]], and, uh, [[Beamish and Crawford|Beamish]]."<ref name="av" /> He finishes by saying in a mock Irish accent that "I think people are saying, there’s more to Ireland than this. Good slogan for the tourist board. 'Dere’s more teh Oireland dan dis!'".<ref name="av" />

[[File:SteveCoogan1SecondFilm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Steve Coogan in 2005]]
Coogan, who was born and raised in [[Manchester]] to Irish parents, defended the controversial aspects of the character, saying that "the decisions I make on comedy aren't made on a whim. That whole history between the British and the Irish runs through me. My mother grew up in [[County Mayo|Mayo]] and I spent all my summers there".<ref name="it" /> In contemporary interviews he says that he grew up hearing [[Ethnic joke|Irishman jokes]] and told "a few" himself, clarifying that "all that stuff is important to me. There is a strange thing going on in Ireland with the younger people saying: this is our country."<ref name="it" /> He further said that although singing [[Irish republicanism|Republican]] songs on prime time British television had been a comedic goal of his for a number of years, partly born of "mischief", he was unsure how it would be taken, and was glad when his mother (Kathleen, née Coonan) "was relieved that people thought it was great."<ref name="it" /><ref>Brady, Tara. "[https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/2022/10/08/steve-coogan-the-monarchy-is-a-fascinating-topic-whichever-side-of-the-fence-youre-on/ Steve Coogan: 'I’ve always wanted to tell an Irish story, to make a film about a nice priest']". ''Irish Times''. Retrieved 5 May 2024</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|qid=Q65090716}}

{{Alan Partridge}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brennan, Martin}}
[[Category:Comedy television characters]]
[[Category:Fictional Irish people]]
[[Category:Talk show characters]]
[[Category:Irish male characters in television]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 2019]]
[[Category:Characters created by Steve Coogan]]