The IT Crowd - a brilliant comedy creation at DVinfo.net

David Knaggs · February 5th, 2011, 09:56 PM

I missed this series when it first come out and only "stumbled across" it fairly recently. It was the first episode of Season 2, called "The Work Outing". I was so impressed that I immediately downloaded Season 1 on iTunes and watched it on Apple TV.

The pilot episode is one of the best-written pilots I've ever seen. The very first scene is comedy perfection.

In comedy writing, sometimes there are certain plot points and situations that need to be set up and, following that, you can get into the really funny stuff. Especially in a pilot episode, where there's usually a huge amount of "setting up" to do. Graham Linehan (the Writer/Director) has taken these "tedious" set-up points and made them hysterically funny. Not only did he make it funny, but he achieved about 10 minutes worth of set-up in a two-minute opening scene. Then the following scene introducing Roy on the phone answering an IT service call is similarly brilliant. I'm trying to avoid giving spoilers to those who haven't yet seen it, but can't resist quoting one of Roy's lines: "Excuse me, are you from the past?" Brilliant stuff. And it tells you all you need to know about Roy's character.

I also liked how Linehan took a very simple premise (in the above-mentioned Season 2 episode "The Work Outing") of how Roy and Moss were so unnerved by the presence of an attendant in the, er, "bathroom" of a theatre that they decided to seek out alternate facilities in that same theatre - and made it into a howlingly funny episode.

If you like British (and Irish) comedy, this is a superb one. But do bear in mind that this is purely my opinion and that senses of humour can vary wildly from individual to individual.

Andrew Smith · February 6th, 2011, 12:25 PM

I though the best episode was when she dropped and broke the internet. Unbelievably funny!

Andrew

February 5th, 2011, 09:56 PM	#1
David Knaggs Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 826	The IT Crowd - a brilliant comedy creation I missed this series when it first come out and only "stumbled across" it fairly recently. It was the first episode of Season 2, called "The Work Outing". I was so impressed that I immediately downloaded Season 1 on iTunes and watched it on Apple TV. The pilot episode is one of the best-written pilots I've ever seen. The very first scene is comedy perfection. In comedy writing, sometimes there are certain plot points and situations that need to be set up and, following that, you can get into the really funny stuff. Especially in a pilot episode, where there's usually a huge amount of "setting up" to do. Graham Linehan (the Writer/Director) has taken these "tedious" set-up points and made them hysterically funny. Not only did he make it funny, but he achieved about 10 minutes worth of set-up in a two-minute opening scene. Then the following scene introducing Roy on the phone answering an IT service call is similarly brilliant. I'm trying to avoid giving spoilers to those who haven't yet seen it, but can't resist quoting one of Roy's lines: "Excuse me, are you from the past?" Brilliant stuff. And it tells you all you need to know about Roy's character. I also liked how Linehan took a very simple premise (in the above-mentioned Season 2 episode "The Work Outing") of how Roy and Moss were so unnerved by the presence of an attendant in the, er, "bathroom" of a theatre that they decided to seek out alternate facilities in that same theatre - and made it into a howlingly funny episode. If you like British (and Irish) comedy, this is a superb one. But do bear in mind that this is purely my opinion and that senses of humour can vary wildly from individual to individual.

February 6th, 2011, 12:25 PM	#2
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,015	I though the best episode was when she dropped and broke the internet. Unbelievably funny! Andrew