[Larry the Loafer]

Was it just me, or was the Alan Partridge sketch just flat? I again think with no laughter from the audience included, it felt even more flat.

I feel that way with almost all Partridge material since Mid Morning Matters. I know laugh tracks aren't popular nowadays, but the original BBC days had an energy to them that worked well with the farce. Everything from MMM to the One Show parody (whose name escapes me) falls more under the awkward cringe category that's probably more popular nowadays, but it really limits the comedy potential in my opinion. How often can his co-host awkwardly ignore something inappropriate he's said?

It still begs the question as to why the live audience laughter wasn't played in over the pre-rec sketches. They did this a few years back during a Royle Family sketch, which I found really strange, but it makes sense for a big live show.