Richard Ayoade

And the silliest programme is . . .

The IT Crowd (Channel 4) started on Friday night with a double bill -- a wholly unprecedented launch technique for a sitcom, and one that displayed Channel 4's understandable smugness in continuing to secure the oeuvre of Graham (Father Ted, Black Books) Linehan. Linehan's sitcom worlds are the most instantly recognisable of the last 20 years: very traditional set-ups, with very conventional characters (the eccentric, the buffoon, the drudge, the drunkard, the ditz, the geek, etc). However, all operate in an air of such concentrated silliness that it's a wonder their eyes don't roll into the back of their heads and they all just drop down dead.

Caitlin Moran, The Times, 6th February 2006

The IT Crowd is the new Graham (Father Ted, Black Books) Linehan sitcom, and therefore of major importance to anyone who habitually throws themselves on the sofa and sighs, "Ah, I love telly". The ludicrously talented Richard Ayoade finally gets a lead role, Chris Morris returns as a wholly satisfying parody of manhood, and the whole thing seems comfortably bedded in within 15 minutes. All in all, no reason to lose faith in humanity just yet.

Caitlin Moran, The Times, 28th January 2006

It is, simply, a clever idea that works well on television - unlike the Perrier Award-winning Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (Channel 4, Thursday, 10.35pm) which is a clever idea that doesn't work well on television.

Caitlin Moran, The Times, 30th January 2004