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54-555: The IT Crowd is a British television sitcom originally broadcast by Channel 4 , created, written and directed by Graham Linehan , produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd , Richard Ayoade , Katherine Parkinson , and Matt Berry . Set in the offices of the fictional Reynholm Industries in London, the series revolves around the staff of its IT (Information Technology) department: technical genius Maurice Moss (Ayoade); work-shy Roy Trenneman (O'Dowd); and Jen Barber (Parkinson),

108-514: A 2014 interview, Linehan said he had a half-formed idea about expanding on the Douglas character but that with Matt Berry busy with his series Toast of London , Linehan would need to "pounce when he's taking a rest". Linehan has also discussed reprising Benedict Wong 's character Prime from the episode " Final Countdown ". Wong has said he would be "thrilled" if Prime got his own series, joking that it could be called Prime Time . The first series

162-540: A 30-minute time slot. Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows like All in the Family , Three's Company , and Sanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently, The Office achieved significant popularity in the United States , following the success of its British counterpart. Numerous television networks in

216-544: A core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team. The majority of British sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For example, Blackadder and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister shifted

270-489: A dingy, cluttered basement — a great contrast to the shining modern architecture and stunning London views enjoyed by the rest of the organisation. The obscurity surrounding the company's business is a running gag ; it is stated that the company has bought and sold ITV , has a chemicals laboratory, and makes an unnamed product. In one episode, Denholm Reynholm claims the company has bought mobile phone carriers and television stations, creating "the largest communications empire in

324-419: A disadvantage, calling it "a stuffy, businesslike service that I think it actually ended up making everyone self-conscious", but there was no suitable alternative. Nonetheless, the writers did formulate some story ideas (one was reportedly a Die Hard – based episode), but ultimately Linehan did not consider the arrangement practical. Due to this, Linehan's conflicting schedule, and the show's budget requirements,

378-622: A documentary feature on computer games, which inspired the menus on each of the series' DVDs, culminating in the game Windosill , the basis for the series 4 DVD. The Internet Is Coming was released in Australia on 18 December 2013, but had yet to be released elsewhere until it was announced in November 2015 that a Region 2 DVD version would be released in the United Kingdom and throughout Region 2 on 23 November 2015. All episodes of

432-516: A fifth series was commissioned, it was not produced. The series episode finale aired on 27 September 2013. The IT Crowd was critically acclaimed and has a cult following . The IT Crowd is set in the offices of Reynholm Industries, a fictional British corporation based at 123 Carenden Road in Central London . It focuses on the shenanigans of the three members of the IT support team, who work in

486-564: Is one of the leading channels in India, dedicated entirely to Sitcoms. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running sitcom of Indian television and is also known as the flagship show of SAB TV . On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim. El Chavo del Ocho , which ran from 1971 to 1980,

540-478: The 2006 Comedy.co.uk Awards , out of 17 nominees. In 2007, it was voted Comedy of The Year at the 2007 Comedy.co.uk Awards , out of 100 nominees. Nominated in the 2007 BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy, alongside Green Wing and Pulling , it lost to The Royle Family . In 2008, the series won the International Emmy Award for Comedy and the 2008 Rose d'Or for Best Sitcom. Nominated in

594-532: The 2008 BAFTAs for Best Situation Comedy alongside The Thick of It and Benidorm , it lost to Peep Show . In 2009, it won Best Situation Comedy at the 2009 BAFTAs . Also in 2009, Graham Linehan won Best Television Script at the 6th Irish Film and Television Awards , and Katherine Parkinson won Best Comedy Actress at the 2009 British Comedy Awards . At the 2014 British Academy Television Awards , Parkinson won Best Female Comedy Performance ; Richard Ayoade won Best Male Comedy Performance ; and Chris O'Dowd

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648-751: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs), the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the International Emmys), the Rose d'Or television entertainment awards, and from the fan voted Comedy.co.uk Awards organised by the British Comedy Guide . It also received a British Comedy Awards and an Irish Film and Television Award . In 2006, the series was voted Best New British Sitcom at

702-725: The Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series . In 2020, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards . This broke the record for the most Emmy nominations given to a comedy series in its final season. During the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards , the show became the first ever comedy or drama series to sweep the four acting categories ( Outstanding Lead Actor , Outstanding Lead Actress , Outstanding Supporting Actor , Outstanding Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara , Dan Levy , and Annie Murphy respectively) and one of only four live action shows, along with All in

756-753: The RTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, the STS started the highly successful sitcom " My Fair Nanny " (an adaptation of the American sitcom " The Nanny "). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country — STS and TNT . In 2007, the STS released the first original domestic sitcom — " Daddy's Daughters " (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010, TNT released " Interns " —

810-838: The RTÉ Player . In the United States, episodes have been shown on IFC ; all four series and the special are also available on Tubi TV , Pluto TV , and Hulu , and for purchase in the iTunes Store . Canadian channel G4 ran the programme during their Adult Digital Distraction block in July 2007. Reruns also aired on BiteTV in Canada until it relaunched as "Makeful" in August 2015. It was broadcast in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile on I.Sat . In Mexico, it has aired on Canal 11 since 2010. It

864-421: The United States feature sitcoms in their programming. CBS , TBS, Nickelodeon , and Disney Channel are just a few examples of networks that air sitcoms. Shynola Shynola are a London-based directing team who have worked across live-action and animation for over twenty years. Chris Harding, Richard Kenworthy, Jason Groves and the late Gideon Baws formed Shynola while they were at art college in

918-607: The comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s. Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered a staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network . By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television ; they were then acquired and screened by

972-400: The " All your base are belong to us " meme popularised by Zero Wing , Mortal Kombat , Tetris and Lemmings . There are also several "hidden" extras encoded into the subtitles. These are done in much the same way as the base64 subtitles from Series 1 and include three JPG images and a text adventure game file . Episode 4 has a BBC BASIC listing, and Episode 6 has light bars in the corner of

1026-431: The 1990s these included: Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), Zabaan Sambhalke (1993), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Office Office (2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001), Amrutham (Telugu 2001–2007), Khichdi (2002), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2005) F.I.R. (2006–2015), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008–present), Uppum Mulakum (Malayalam 2015–present), and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain (2015–present). SAB TV

1080-482: The 1990s, sitcoms have since expanded to animated sitcoms , with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons , King of the Hill , and Family Guy . Critics have debated the exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or

1134-482: The 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance, Netflix released So Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms. Popular South Korean sitcoms include the High Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs. British sitcoms , like their American counterparts, often revolve around

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1188-417: The Family , The Golden Girls , and Will & Grace where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy Award. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Nukkad (1986), and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988) on the state-run Doordarshan channel. Gradually, as private channels were permitted to operate, many more sitcoms followed. In

1242-728: The Seven Network. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie). In 1987, Mother and Son won the Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission . In 2007, Kath & Kim ' s first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally. This

1296-625: The UK", but it is unclear whether this is true. Although 123 Carenden Road is a fictitious address, one episode sees the trio visiting the New Wimbledon Theatre in London, which is said to be a ten-minute walk from the office. Roy and Moss, the two technicians, are socially inept geeks or, in Denholm Reynholm's words, "standard nerds". Despite the company's dependence on them, they are generally ignored and considered losers by

1350-525: The United States in 1926 with the radio show Sam 'n' Henry . The subsequent success of Amos 'n' Andy , also created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll , solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming. The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format. Mary Kay and Johnny , which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within

1404-440: The department head/ relationship manager who knows nothing about IT. The show also focuses on the bosses of Reynholm Industries: Denholm Reynholm ( Chris Morris ) and, later, his son Douglas ( Matt Berry ). Goth IT technician Richmond Avenal ( Noel Fielding ), who resides in the server room, also appears in several episodes. The comedy premiered on Channel 4 on 3 February 2006 and ran for four series of six episodes each. Although

1458-556: The fifth series was shelved. However, Linehan felt a special "farewell" episode could be produced. He was already busy with his TV adaptation of Count Arthur Strong and his work on The Walshes , and the IT Crowd actors had also taken on other commitments. Thus, it was not until June 2013 that the show's final episode was filmed. Linehan said he would like to explore particular IT Crowd characters in future spin-off-style specials, particularly Matt Berry 's character, Douglas. In

1512-401: The first gag did not work because it was viewed from the wrong angle. The programme was cancelled after only two episodes due to low ratings. All episodes were later screened on Sat.1 Comedy . Sitcom The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners . These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but

1566-897: The first series in September 2009. ETV has aired the programme in Estonia. In Poland it has been shown on Comedy Central Poland , TVP2 , and Fox Comedy . In the Czech Republic, it was broadcast on Česká televize and HBO . TV 2 Zulu has aired it in Denmark, as has Comedy Central in the Netherlands. Canal+ runs it in Spain. It aired in New Zealand on TV One . It airs sporadically in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ2 and on

1620-647: The first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms). Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows like Dr. Oh's People , LA Arirang , and Men and Women . The use of computer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms. However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in

1674-496: The focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics. A more recent development in British comedy is the mockumentary , a style that blends documentary and comedic elements. Shows like The Office , Come Fly with Me , W1A , People Just Do Nothing , and This Country have successfully employed this format to explore a variety of topics and characters. Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in

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1728-446: The gap between the technicians and the company's other employees generally have the opposite effect, landing her and her teammates in ludicrous situations. Creator Graham Linehan wrote the series after a PC Tech with poor people skills made a house call. The show was video-recorded with a live studio audience. Of this choice, Linehan said, "I trust my instincts, so I'm going to do it my way and hope people come to me." The first series

1782-474: The late 1990s, and immediately earned recognition for their inventive work. Their music video work includes all artists like Junior Senior , Radiohead , Beck , Blur , Coldplay , ABBA and Queens of the Stone Age , along advertisements for brands like Nike , Audi , PlayStation and Maserati . They also created notable title sequences for series and films: The IT Crowd , The Hitchhiker’s Guide to

1836-467: The pilot was leaked online. In October 2014, it was announced that NBC would produce another pilot, produced by Bill Lawrence . It, too, did not make it to air. A third attempt at an NBC remake was confirmed in January 2018. Unlike the two previous versions, Graham Linehan was to be involved as a writer and executive producer. However, no further developments have been announced. A German version of

1890-415: The programme are available to stream in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland on All 4 , except the fourth episode of series three, "The Speech", which was removed from Channels 4's streaming service on the 4 October 2020 for perceived transphobic themes. Series 1 of The IT Crowd holds an average Metacritic critic score of 67/100 from eight reviews. The premiere of the programme on Channel 4

1944-493: The programme was in production from June 2007, starring Sky du Mont , Sebastian Münster, Stefan Puntigam and Britta Horn. Originally titled Das iTeam – Die Jungs mit der Maus ( The iTeam – The Boys with the Mouse ), the title was changed to Das iTeam – Die Jungs an der Maus ( The iTeam – The Boys at the Mouse ) at the last minute. The first episode was aired on 4 January 2008 on Sat.1 and received mainly negative receptions . It

1998-735: The rest of the staff. Roy's support techniques include ignoring the phone, hoping it will stop ringing, and using reel-to-reel tape recordings of stock IT suggestions such as, " Have you tried turning it off and on again? " and "Is it definitely plugged in?". He wears a different geek-related T-shirt in most episodes. Moss' deep knowledge of technical topics is reflected in his extended, overly detailed suggestions, while he cannot deal with practical problems such as extinguishing fires and removing spiders. His shyness makes it difficult for him to relate to others, often leading him to cite bizarre facts or dwell on himself and/or technology. When someone shows their ignorance about computers, he can be arrogant. Jen,

2052-473: The screen, which can be decoded using a barcode reader . Series 3 was released on 16 March 2009, the DVD menus are based on such internet games as GROW CUBE, Doeo and flow. The DVD for series four was released in the UK on 26 September 2010, also under the 2|entertain label. A boxset containing all four series was also released on the same day, which includes an IT Crowd -themed board game. The series 4 DVD includes

2106-408: The screen. The look is strongly reminiscent of cheap crime documentaries airing in the afternoon and the actors are reminiscent of lousy daytime formats. The climax of these catastrophes is [...] Stefan Puntigam, who embodies the role of the computer geek Gabriel. [...] his role seems artificial, exaggerated and in any case badly acted." The IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan noted in his blog that even

2160-472: The show has earned an estimated $ 1 billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa . Gliding On , a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the Feltex Awards . The first Russian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on

2214-421: The team's newest member, is hopelessly non-technical, despite claiming on her CV that she has "a lot of experience with computers" (often pronouncing the word as "comp-you-ters"). As Denholm is equally technologically illiterate, Jen's interview bluffing convinces him she should be the head of the IT department. After meeting Roy and Moss, Jen redefines her role as "Relationship Manager", yet her attempts to bridge

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2268-434: The term "sitcom" emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of a live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup , the latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House . Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter". Since

2322-415: Was also broadcast in Spain on Canal 3xl in 2011. A fifth series was commissioned by Channel 4 for release in 2011. Series creator Graham Linehan began pre-production on it, stating it would be the programme's last series, as a "goodbye to the characters". The writing team were unable to meet regularly, so they created a virtual writers room using the online project-management tool Basecamp . Linehan found it

2376-514: Was criticised for the poor translation of the original stories and jokes, poor direction, poor timing, and the poor performance of the actors, mainly Stefan Puntigam as Gabriel (the German version of Moss). Quotenmeter  [ de ] 's Manuel Weis panned the programme, commenting: "It could indeed be possible that the boys of class 10a from secondary school Brunsbüttel made the series. In short: In this form 'The iTeam' should never have come onto

2430-874: Was criticized by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011. It was nominated at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally. Canadian television has had much greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly. The 1999 movie Trailer Park Boys

2484-530: Was followed up by a television series of the same name that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Corner Gas , which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging one million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards. Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included: Call Me Fitz , Schitt's Creek , Letterkenny , and Kim's Convenience , all of which have been winners of

2538-428: Was nominated in the same category. An American version of The IT Crowd was almost aired by NBC in 2007–08, starring Richard Ayoade reprising his role as Moss, with Joel McHale as Roy, Jessica St. Clair as Jen, and Rocky Carroll as Denholm. It was produced by FremantleMedia for NBC Universal Television Studio with Steve Tao as executive producer. Linehan was also credited as executive producer but stated he

2592-511: Was not involved. The writing staff was David Guarascio, Moses Port, Joe Port, and Joe Wiseman. A pilot was filmed in January 2007, and a full series was ordered and advertised by NBC to be aired in 2007–08. However, a September 2007 report in The Hollywood Reporter said that the show would not reach production, despite the development of several scripts, as it "didn't quite spark" with new NBC chairman Ben Silverman . In 2012,

2646-433: Was recorded at Teddington Studios , and subsequent series at Pinewood Studios , with intermittent location footage. Cinematic-style footage was also recorded before live tapings. The show's title sequence was produced by Shynola . The programme is broadcast internationally. In Australia, it has been broadcast on ABC1 and UKTV . In Bulgaria, GTV began airing it in July 2008, while Comedy Central Germany started airing

2700-555: Was released in the UK as The IT Crowd – Version 1.0 on 13 November 2006 by 2 Entertain Video Ltd. The DVD start-up sequence and subsequent menus are designed to resemble a ZX Spectrum . The DVD also included a short film written and directed by Linehan called Hello Friend , his directorial debut, and a tongue-in-cheek behind-the-scenes documentary presented by Ken Korda, a filmmaker created and portrayed by comedian Adam Buxton (of Adam and Joe ). The IT Crowd – Version 2.0 DVD

2754-509: Was released in the UK on 1 October 2007, with a box set containing both the first and second series. Retail chain HMV sold an exclusive limited-edition version featuring a set of four postcards in the style of popular viral photos such as Ceiling Cat — here replicated as Ceiling Goth . While the first series DVD menus parodied 8-bit games , the Series 2 DVD menus parody 16-bit games and refer to

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2808-559: Was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television, until the series premiere of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers. In 2013, Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, was praised by critics, and earned numerous awards and nominations. Also in 2013, At Home with Julia

2862-546: Was the most-watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin-American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its popularity peak during the mid-1970s. The show continues to be popular in Central America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries. Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,

2916-434: Was watched by 1.8m viewers, described as "disappointing" by BBC News ; however, Linehan stated he was "playing the long game" and reflected how the first series of Father Ted also "went pretty unnoticed" but went on to gain viewers and awards. The series four finale on 30 July 2010 saw the programme reach its current ratings peak of 2.17 million and was highly successful in its time slot. The IT Crowd has won awards from

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