Computer Says "Not Bad"

This was my TV review of the sitcom The IT Crowd, first published on a now-retired blog on 7 February 2006. 


The IT Crowd

Channel 4 – 9.00 P.M.



Even with a pedigree like Graham Linehan’s (The Day Today, Father Ted, and Black Books), Channel 4’s decision to show the first two episodes of his new sitcom The IT Crowd back-to-back is unclear. Perhaps they felt, as with Father Ted, it needed a couple of episodes to get to know the characters. So the first episode was spent mostly setting up the situation of Jen (Katherine Parkinson) disrupting the geeky world of computer nerds Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Maurice (Richard Ayoade). Despite the inevitable IT clichés early on (technophobe Jen forgetting to plug her computer in) the show had got into gear by the second episode. Chris Morris was reminiscent of Reggie Perrin’s C.J. as the overbearing boss Denholm, and there was evidence of the surreal, knowing plot-telegraphing that Linehan excels at (involving a barefoot Jen and a Japanese businessman stomping like Godzilla in a pair of Doc Martens).

As with Gervais and Merchant’s ever-so-slightly disappointing Extras, The IT Crowd has its work cut out in following a true sitcom classic. Indeed, there were moments that had echoes of its priestly predecessor: the old woman falling down the stairs recalled many similar pratfalls in Ted, while Maurice’s lack of nous is pure Father Dougal (“Why are you giving me the secret signal to shut up?”).

Worth logging on for next week.

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