“I had heard of this show for what seems like ages. After an acquaintance recently recommended the show, describing it as similar to the UK Office, I gave it a shot.
As it turns out, The IT Crowd resembles not so much The Office as the -- you know in Ricky Gervais' other show, Extras, he spends the first season trying to get his sitcom, When the Whistle Blows, on the air, and then spends the second season regretting it? This is almost identical to Gervais' show-within-a-show. The same broad comedy, the same poofy hair and glasses gags.
The writing, format, and performance are all bafflingly on-the-nose, but not objectionable on their own. What riles me is -- well, maybe I've been spoiled. After so many excellent TV comedies of the last decade -- both versions of The Office, 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny, Peep Show -- I can no longer countenance laugh tracks. I now even have trouble watching Fawlty Towers, as I find the constant audience intrusion so disruptive. Yet this show not only contains a laugh track; it is written and performed to milk the laughter at every beat.
When the second episode rolled around, my wife observed, with no little wonder, how much better the intro sequence was than the actual show. And indeed, if the intro were representative then this might be one of the best shows around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJY4N5Csd1wIt's not at all representative. Don't get your hopes up.”
It's really weird to see. I tried to figure out if it was being ironic, maybe sending up the format. I don't think so, though.