The IT Crowd (2006)

Watchseries; Like Father Ted and Black Books before it this show is packed with great comedy. There are real gems in here (as well as some stuff we've seen before). Katherine Parkinson does a fine job as Jen, the voulnerable but strong IT manager (who doesn't do IT!),this is particularly satisfying as many Female characters don't fare well in comedy and can quickly fall into the 'say line to the camera, move off screen' rubbish we see so often. Chris O'Dowd is great as Roy and although he provides many of the 'stock comedy moments' this is mixed with new material and isn't detrimental to the overall piece. Richard Ayoade as Moss is another great character, to see how he peels an Orange is worth the DVD price alone. It is worth noting that this is already being traded on Ebay.

Like Father Ted and Black Books before it this show is packed with great comedy. There are real gems in here (as well as some stuff we've seen before). Katherine Parkinson does a fine job as Jen, the voulnerable but strong IT manager (who doesn't do IT!),this is particularly satisfying as many Female characters don't fare well in comedy and can quickly fall into the 'say line to the camera, move off screen' rubbish we see so often. Chris O'Dowd is great as Roy and although he provides many of the 'stock comedy moments' this is mixed with new material and isn't detrimental to the overall piece. Richard Ayoade as Moss is another great character, to see how he peels an Orange is worth the DVD price alone. It is worth noting that this is already being traded on Ebay.

The IT Crowd watchseries. this show is like the British version of seinfeld for the it lovers, extremely intelligent, well written and most importantly well acted. The actor who stands out is def Richard Ayoade, explosive performance. Although 10 stars, i think people ages 17-40 might like the show better, than older or younger crowds, because of the intelligence of comedic tones, and also the it parts. The first episode, might be hard to understand for Americans, because of the British English vs American English, but by video two, it takes you to it's world. Work place, co- workers. overall, this show hits between left and right in comedy, between two intelligent guys, and a co-worker, with barely any It knowledge who's an idiot at IT but brilliant at people, and IT guys, that are brilliant at IT but idiots with people. I love the automated phone message, to shut off and restart the computer, is a classic. Hilarious.

This is truly a comedy of pure genius. All the elements involved are spot on, and combine to make a show of pure brilliance. Brilliant scripts, wonderfully acted, the mix of Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Parkinson combine outrageously well. Huge credit to Graham Linehan too, previously successful with Father Ted and Black Books his pedigree is there for all to see.

The out and out funniest episode in my humble opinion had to be The work outing, which I can watch again and again and still be belly laughing, it's immense, other top quality episodes include The Speech, Calamity Jen and finale The internet is coming. Very few dips in quality.

What a shame it had to finish, this was gold. 10/10

For those who complain that "The Big Bang Theory" is too artificial and panders to mainstream audiences, there's a fantastic option for getting your geek/comedy fix in the U.K.'s "The IT Crowd". The sitcom, from writer/director Graham Linehan, is one of the funniest shows I've ever watched. In my opinion, sitcoms have always been a cheap form of laughs that cater to the lowest common denominator with themes reused over and over again for the same gags. But this one felt genuine and original with a fun twist on common life foibles as seen through the eyes of two antisocial computer techs toiling away in the basement of a major corporation. We introduced to their world in the beginning with the arrival of Jen Barber (Katherine Parkinson) when she's hired as the manager of Reynholm Industries' IT department. A computer- illiterate woman intent on faking her way to success, she meets Roy Trenneman (Chris O'Dowd) and Maurice Moss (Richard Ayoade): the company's crack IT team. Over the course of four series (and a total of 25 episodes), the three of them will endure everything from cannibalism to viral menstruation as they attempt to break out of their sheltered world and, you know, do things grown adults are supposed to do. The show has a fun balance of humor that will appeal to the more geek-centric viewers while keeping most of it broad enough that anyone can find something hilarious. This show is everything I'm pretty sure "The Big Bang Theory" wanted to be.

What makes "The IT Crowd" so much fun? The characters. I freakin' love the characters in this show. All of them. The show manages to keep the roster down to a manageable four (five, when Richmond is around) to give each plenty of screen time for us to get to know them. Roy is the IT team's more… social…member, and that's not saying much. He has a general hatred for the common populace (which I can get behind) and finds most people to be blithering idiots, but he's also a lech who uses his position to try and troll the upper floors of the building for his next hot (unsuccessful) date. Chris O'Dowd (who I'd only previously seen in BRIDESMAIDS) injects the character with the perfect level of charm and exasperation. The fan favorite of the show is Moss and his endless list of eccentricities. He's a more prototypical nerd: hyper-intelligent, naïve, and utterly inept when thrust into social situations. He's the sort who'll faint at the thought of a woman opening discussing her unmentionables or find a website to aid in engaging in casual conversation with sport fans. Richard Ayoade is perfect in the role. Every time Moss is on screen, you can bet the best laughs will come from him. Fun fact: Ayoade was the only cast member to be ported over to the States to star in the American version and even he couldn't save the unused pilot from becoming an inferior copycat of the original that saw a fast, merciful death before reaching air. The final member of the IT crew is Jen. She's the "normal" one. She's got no computer experience (outside of checking her email) and she can actually engage in personal relationships. She's a manipulative go-getter who initially hopes her management role in the IT department could lead to bigger and better things. As Jen, Katherine Parkinson is the audience's vessel into this absurd show and the best moments are when it becomes apparent that she's become ingrained in the world of geek culture. The final character

This time, he's dealing with technology. The IT Crowd, with it's old-skool computer game style opening credits, immediately catches the attention.

Roy and Moss are two IT staff working for a big company. But despite the size of the company, the two seem banished to the basement of the building. However, they seem to enjoy their locked-away existence, occasionally being tortured by moronic staff asking why their computer won't work, which is usually answered with, "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" The characters are likable, and the script is a joy. Further proof that Mr. Linehan has a good eye for great actors and actresses, and that his writing skills have not waned with time. After all of his previous successes (including Father Ted, Black Books and material for Harry Enfield And Chums, The Fast Show, Big Train, Coogan's Run, Brass Eye and Jam) The IT Crowd is another triumph.

This series is so good. The cast is wonderful and it made me laugh and cackle in a way that I haven't too often. Really good stuff. I love the reality of all of the wires and all of the keyboards around... etc. The mess of the place/office is heartwarming - and the randomness of the "relationship manager" is really funny. The show has a 70's look to it - It kind of looks like my old shows growing up, like the Jeffersons - so it has this feel to it like there is some kind of art going on.

Brits rock.

The show is hilarious at times, and I don't just throw that word around. :-)