"Vanity Fair" described Alan Partridge as "a national treasure ... as cherished a part of British comedy heritage as John Cleese's Basil Fawlty and Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean". According to "Variety, "in Britain "Alan Partridge is a full-on phenomenon, a multiplatform fictional celebrity whose catchphrases, mangled metaphors and social ineptitude are the stuff of legend and good ratings". Partridge is less well known outside the UK, but according to director Adam McKay, "every American comic knows who Steve is, whether it's Stiller or Ferrell or Jack Black or me ... and everyone watching those DVDs had the same reaction. How did I not know about this guy?" IndieWire wrote that "before there was ["Anchorman" character Ron Burgundy for the Yanks, there was Alan Partridge for the Brits".