Was I too hasty about The IT Crowd?

For two years straight, I gave The IT Crowd worst show of the year. I only judged it so harshly because I expected so much. I mean, it was written by Graham Linehan and I love him. I probably shouldn't tell you this... it's probably bad journalistic form or something... but I think it'll make you laugh.

Episode 3.6 Review

I still say this third season has been The IT Crowd's best, but the latter-half definitely dropped the ball. The slack pace, cruel elements and paucity of belly-laughs was 'Calendar Geeks' undoing.

Episode 3.5 Review

The penultimate episode of this much-improved third season is sadly its weakest. The idea of satirising social networking sites is rich ground for comedy, but nothing is taken to any particularly original directions by writer Graham Linehan.

Episode 3.4 Review

A good, solid episode all round. Once again, this was far funnier after the advert break than before it, which is quite common for IT Crowd's set-up and pay-off style.

Whenever he appears, playboy boss Douglas Reynholm threatens to take over this sitcom and make it his. Matt Berry's barnstorming performance as Douglas is entirely in tune with Graham Linehan's writing: it's daft but so confidently, riotously daft that you can't help wanting to know where it leads. If there's a drawback, it's that Linehan's ideas can be more brilliant than his plotting.

I've said before that this is not the greatest sitcom in the world, but it's better than a lot of the rubbish that's been slarted out in the name of the comedy over the last year. Parents of the Band, anybody? Shudder. Tonight, Matt Berry steals the show once again as Douglas, the sleazy boss of the company as he's interviewed by a journalist. Those three in the basement do some stuff too.

Episode 3.2 Review

Overall, 'Are We Not Men?' was definitely one of the better IT Crowd episodes in a long time.

Ah, this is more like it. It takes a misguided attempt at sitcom like Parents of the Band that really makes you appreciate the quality of The IT Crowd. A trio of central characters that work well together, some nicely executed performances, comedy that ranges from observational to absurdity, and, most important of all, some gags that make people laugh. It's not a classic, but at least it is funny.

In praise of the nerdiest of computer nerds

Graham Linehan's brilliant sitcom The IT Crowd, set in the computer support department of a large corporation, has just waltzed off with the International Emmy award for best comedy. Since it first booted up on Channel 4 in 2006, the show has gradually gained the respect and affection of critics and fans alike.

IT manager on The IT Crowd

The Guardian asks an IT manager what he thinks of The IT Crowd: There was one moment in this show when Roy, the main character, was summoned up to the top floor to open the lid of his boss's laptop, and I felt his pain. In my last job, I was asked by a lady to reboot the internet for her.