The IT Crowd Set to Return

When The IT Crowd first appeared on our screens, nobody paid much attention. That, however, is the game its creator was playing when he started making the sitcom about three IT workers who are banished to their building's grimy basement and, typically, end up in all kinds of scrapes as they go about their day to day lives.



Graham Linehan, the man behind this massively entertaining show, claimed that he was "playing the slow game" and believed that once the show started to catch on, the first season would get its time in the limelight. He certainly had reason to believe so: as the creator of enormously popular sitcom Father Ted, Lineham had seen this kind of result before.



For those familiar with Father Ted, it's pleasing to see that The IT Crowd sticks to the same comedic formula as its predecessor. Even more pleasing, The IT Crowd is a show that has made it past the third season, something Father Ted could never do following the tragic death of its eponymous character Dermot Morgan. In fact, The IT Crowd has even been slated to make it as far as a sixth season, with the prospect of more to come should its popularity remain at the same levels as today.

In the show, three hapless workers – "a dynamic go-getter" (the IT dept's head, Jen), "a genius" (quirky computer-head Moss), and "a man from Ireland" (the department's clown, Roy). Between them, the three possess all of the qualities that keep the show's dynamic so extraordinary and entertaining to watch. The situations that appear in the show are often outlandish and bizarre, but the writing is consistently tight and always manages to make the story work.



In an industry where most shows are striving for cutting realism and the feeling that there's barely any script to lead the actors on, such as Peep Show and The Office, it's a breath of fresh air to see someone take a step back and bring out a new sitcom (especially one that's so hilarious). For fans of The IT Crowd and newcomers alike, it's good to know that the show is frequently to be found on high definition satellite for those times you need a fix of Jen, Moss and Roy's unique blend of madness in the setting of their dingy basement office, so you can catch it at any time.