Graham Linehan

Bin Laden and The IT Crowd: Anatomy of a Twitter hoax

Rumours that circulated on Twitter that there was evidence that Osama Bin Laden was a fan of The IT Crowd sitcom were an elaborate new media hoax. Here comedian Graham Linehan explains how he organised the ruse.

'The IT Crowd' shutting down?

Speaking to Chortle, writer Graham Linehan has said his Channel 4 "geek-com" The IT Crowd will probably end after its fifth series, due later this year.

Me and Osama: How to start a rumour on Twitter

Last week, I spread a story on Twitter that in some of the videos seized from his compound during the Navy SEALS raid, Osama Bin Laden was watching my sitcom 'The IT Crowd'. I did it to illustrate the lightning speed at which a rumour can circulate and mutate on Twitter

The Armstrong & Miller Show felt more consistently funny than before. Maybe their 300 writers, including Graham Linehan and The League of Gentlemen's Jeremy Dyson, are exerting more quality control this year.

Sadly, they're still peddling those grunting cavemen and youth-speak RAF officers, in strict adherence to the post-Little Britain law that every sketch show must contain recurring characters well beyond their natural use.

Otherwise, it was an agreeable mix of more-hit-than-miss sketches, bolstered as always by having two confident comic performers at the helm. Despite a lack of truly inspired material, it's usually good for a chuckle or three.

The IT Crowd - Series 4, Episodes 5 and 6 review

While perhaps not as good as Graham Linehan's other comedy Father Ted, the programme has usually been amusing and entertaining, with interesting characters and good stories. The last two episodes of the fourth season, however, weren't really anything special.

The IT Crowd 4.6 review

A limp end to what's been a disappointing fourth series. One big problem I had with this episode (which extends to this show in general these days), is how predictable Graham Linehan's joke-writing has become. It's sad, but I really want to 'Ctrl Alt Delete' this episode, and the majority of this series, from my memory.

The fourth series of Graham Linehan's sitcom about the otherworldly technical support team at Reynholm Industries comes to an end with a divorce fight between sleazy Denholm Reynholm (Matt Berry) and the wife he hasn't seen since she disappeared while washing the car. The ensuing courtroom battle features an appearance in the witness box from former employee Richmond (Noel Fielding) - now the founder of the business training enterprise "Goth 2 Boss".

The IT Crowd - Graham Linehan answers your questions

Sitcom writer and director Graham Linehan talks about his hilarious Channel 4 show from 10.35pm.

Moss loses his gigantic mind and bunks off work for the afternoon. With Roy standing dumbly by, he thrills to his newfound freedom. Meanwhile, Jen has bet Roy £100 that he can't ditch the phrase, "Have you tried turning it off and back on again?" for a whole day. As usual, Graham Linehan's magnificent mind draws all the strands together in a barkingly funny denouement. And the whole episode is in flashback. And there's an awesome cameo by Kevin Eldon as an unintelligible customer support telephonist. Beat that, other comedy writers.

This witty sitcom romps on as Jen surpasses herself in the blagging stakes by pretending she can speak Italian. This gives her the edge on rival Linda but when sleazy boss Douglas wants her to translate at a meeting, she realises it may be a bluff too far.

Back in the basement, Roy's love life turns puzzling. Is new girlfriend Julia tragic or psychopathic? His need to know the truth becomes as obsessive as Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

Moss, unbothered by love or office politics, reserves his obsession for the latest gadget - but comes unstuck when old technology fails him.

The writing is as sharp as one would expect from writer/director Graham Linehan (Father Ted, Black Books), but Roy's transformation from head-over-heels in love to pathologically suspicious is beautifully and hilariously portrayed without a word being uttered.