The comeback of Alan Partridge, sponsored by Foster’s, has leapt to the top of YouTube’s most-watched videos.

The lager brand announced last month that it was teaming up with Steve Coogan, creator of the gaffe-prone DJ, for a series of short films to be screened online.

The first episode went live on 5 November at fostersfunny.co.uk and by this morning had also generated almost 200,000 views on video sharing site YouTube.

Foster’s signalled its move into comedy by sponsoring the Edinburgh comedy award that previously enjoyed a long-term relationship with Perrier.

Click on the image below to view the first Alan Partridge video. The second episode will debut on 12 November.