One of the biggest shows of the late 1990s was Steve Coogan's I'm Alan Partridge, which launched an entire franchise and cemented the star as one of Britain's best character actors. The popular sitcomran for two seasons, one in 1997 and the second in 2002. Appearing in five episodes of the first season was actor James Lance, who played Ben, a waiter at the Linton Travel Tavern where Alan resided.