Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 4 2010, 7:13 PM BSTHe built a little den under his desk.
Great episode! 
The IT Crowd 4.0 Page 14
Episode 2 of any series always seem the weakest don't they? Or is that just me?. I wonder if they're slotted like that purposely?
I thought there were some really funny moments - liked the Countdown stuff and the Matrix references. (Wasn't too sure about the 'They Live' reference though. One sci-fi movie reference is enough surely.)
The C Story, Jen's little subplot, seemed a bit - meh - and as someone said earlier - "tacked on". It was obviously just there to give her something to do in the ep, but I'd have preferred to have seen her embroiled in the Moss/Countdown plot somehow, and done away with the secret meeting storyline altogether.
I always find though that with Graham Linehan's stuff, even the weaker shows have moments of brilliance that make them worth watching. This week (for me) it was the exchange between Moss and Minus Zero in the 8+ club. Also Matt Berry's genital thrusting was hilarious and disturbing in equal measure.
Have to agree with others on that Windows line at the end though - ouch.
Disagree with people's insistence that there should be more IT-related humour. I think the balance is about right. I've done it myself - when you start writing storylines around the nature of the business rather than the people that inhabit it, it doesn't usually work.
Quote: Lee Henman @ July 4 2010, 11:57 PM BSTDisagree with people's insistence that there should be more IT-related humour. I think the balance is about right. I've done it myself - when you start writing storylines around the nature of the business rather than the people that inhabit it, it doesn't usually work.
There isn't any 'IT-related humour'. People aren't asking for more, they're asking for some.
Just want to quickly chip in to say that the idea that IT workers are socially inept, even in a general sense, is 100% horseshit. Most of the IT guys I know have to fight off the pussy with a shitty stick.
Well I've tried but I can't get into this sitcom at all, I often come late to sitcoms if the theme or the little trailers don't immediately appeal to me, but after all the awards and adulation I thought I'd give this a go now...hmm, it's trying hard to be off centre and sort of cool-naff in that Linehan/Channel 4 way and it just seems like a formula more than a genuine sitcom, to me.
A couple of cooky characters and some nerdy habits and some other stuff which could be plucked out of any twenty something flat share sitcom isn't my idea of fun. And is there any real sitcomy rivalry between the characters, I couldn't see any. And I can't even look at the main character without thinking he just wants to be Dylan Moran. This could easily end up being one of those shows I switch on just to despise, it is that much not my cup of tea, and I do I not like that!
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ July 5 2010, 7:51 AM BSTJust want to quickly chip in to say that the idea that IT workers are socially inept, even in a general sense, is 100% horseshit.
Well, it's only really Moss that is properly socially inept, Roy and Jen aren't that bad.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 5 2010, 8:57 AM BSTWell, it's only really Moss that is properly socially inept, Roy and Jen aren't that bad.
Except he doesn't seem to care about. He exists in his own little world. Whereas Roy seems far more aware of his own shortcomings socially, which is why he's angrier and far more frustrated.
Quote: chipolata @ July 5 2010, 10:02 AM BSTExcept he doesn't seem to care about. He exists in his own little world. Whereas Roy seems far more aware of his own shortcomings socially, which is why he's angrier and far more frustrated.
Yes.
chipolata = Roy
Okay I've just watched another episode and while I still don't like it I can see why it has a lot of fans. It has some merit, I think the nerd com was very much waiting to be made, and Linehan obviously saw this opportunity and jumped at it. I just don't like the style of this partcular one, from the little I've seen of it. It seems to lean too heavily on the C4 target audience who will laugh at anything that's vaguely connected to their modern, 20/30 something lifesytles, so it's made too much to a sort of trendy formula. When the studio audience roar with laughter at some social refernce kind of thing rather than a funny line or gag, I'm wondering what the racket will be like if we actually hear something funny.
Again I have to say the dynamics between the characters are not strong at all, most sitcoms have always tended to be based around this, the differing personalities and their little clashes and rivalries thrown up by situations and storylines - there is virtually no difference between the three IT characters, only between them and their cartoon boss. So I don't have to watch anymore episodes to know I'm going to get little more than a hashed up storyline with some funny character traits and stupid lines but with no real relationship depth or movement, there is no involvement between the characters. Another untypical sitcom by Linehan with his never ending catalogue of one dimensional cartoon like characters. But it's on Channel 4, it's about twenty somethings (yet again), it's trendy...
I wouldn't say it's trendy. And there's certainly quite a difference between Moss and Roy, surely?
...... 
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ July 5 2010, 10:33 AM BSTOkay I've just watched another episode and while I still don't like it I can see why it has a lot of fans. It has some merit, I think the nerd com was very much waiting to be made, and Linehan obviously saw this opportunity and jumped at it. I just don't like the style of this partcular one, from the little I've seen of it. It seems to lean too heavily on the C4 target audience who will laugh at anything that's vaguely connected to their modern, 20/30 something lifesytles, so it's made too much to a sort of trendy formula.
Considering C4's obsession with youth I'd say the characters in The IT Crowd are, if anything, knocking on a bit now.
Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 5 2010, 10:36 AM BSTI wouldn't say it's trendy. And there's certainly quite a difference between Moss and Roy, surely?
Well, superficially yes, with the silly hair and cartoon personality of Moss, but they share many character traits, Moss is a tad more anal maybe.
But where is the rivalry? To me they just both seem to work happily togeher and get on quite well, or have I missed all this in other episodes?
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ July 5 2010, 10:44 AM BSTWell, superficially yes, with the silly hair and cartoon personality of Moss, but they share many character traits, Moss is a tad more anal maybe.
But where is the rivalry? To me they just both seem to work happily togeher and get on quite well, or have I missed all this in other episodes?
What's the obsession with rivalry? Not sure I get this - there are loads of comedies where the characters get on.
Of course there has to be conflict in comedy but rivalry is a different thing altogether isn't it? 