Plot: What’s it about?
The IT department of Reynholm Industries is as busy as ever, asking all who call if they’ve tried turning their computers off and back on again. Jen (Katherine Parkinson) still oversees the department and knows nothing about it does, while Moss (Richard Ayoade) and Roy (Chris O’Dowd) are as eclectic as ever. Not to mention the man who runs the entire show, the ever oblivious Reynholm (Matt Berry), with his erotic artwork and iPod parties. As Jen struggles with romance and Reynholm battles insanity, Moss and Roy find themselves in countless mishaps. The two pretend to be football fans in order to make friends, get involved with the Friendface site, and Roy even faces off with a vicious ex-girlfriend. As wild as things can become, life in the IT is still about answering phones, counting staples, and well, not much else.
The IT Crowd isn’t as high profile or groundbreaking as some of the British shows out there, but it is hilarious and never fails to entertain. The premise is simple, just a few characters populate the world, and this is a basic sitcom at heart, but it all works and all three seasons have been a treat. The cast is small, but works to perfection, with Richard Ayoade, Chris O’Dowd, and Katherine Parkinson in the leads, while Matt Berry provides superb supporting work. I could never tire of Berry’s madcap moments, he plays his off kilter to the hilt and never misses the mark. The leads are great also, with great chemistry between all three. This allows even the simplest of moments between them to spark big laughs, which happens often. This third season does lack the great Noel Fielding as the goth in the basement, but aside from that, these episodes shine. If you’re a fan of British television or great shows in general, The IT Crowd is well worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. These look good, with no serious concerns. The image is clean and clear, with minimal softness to contend with. No issues in terms of contrast, which performs well, while colors look good also, if not all that bright. All in all, these episodes look quite good.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to discuss here, this is a basic sitcom style soundtrack. No real presence to mention, aside from the odd gunshot, bank robbery escape, or what not. Ok, so there is a little spike at times, but this is stereo, not DTS, so it all sounds rather contained. The dialogue is what matters and since it sounds great, that’s all we need to know.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The show’s creator Graham Linehan provides audio comments, but he seems a little too critical here. I expected light hearted stuff, but instead Linehan focuses on what he would like to change or remove. Not the best kind of track for this kind of material, but it is quite interesting. The extras also includes an interview with Linehan, a tour of the set, some deleted scenes, and the original title sequence animation.
