The Alan Partridge comparison was way off. Partridge wasn't an asshole to everyone, only his assistant Lynne and Michael, who he could exploit. His emotional collapse when in a real world situation or around strangers was the funny part, cos it knocked down this desperate mini-empire he'd created after his career collapsed. Crucially, David Brent's character depends on his unfailing ability to have the last word and turn arguments his way with his cringeworthy management-speak rhetoric. The two shows were in big competition at one stage, one after the other in the schedule, which led to them being faced off against eachother in the public eye, but they're very different shows. Alan Partridge's character evolution from The Day Today, To Knowing Me Knowing You, to I'm Alan Partridge is something that's often ignored, I think.