The IT Crowd
Imagine my surprise, wandering into Target, admiring the boxes of ‘ON SALE’ DVD’s when I happened upon this:
Usually TV series’ are expensive, especially the complete season DVD’s. Not this one however. Target came through for me and allowed me to walk out of the shop only $16.99 lighter. Awesome.
Especially awesome since I missed the first two episodes on the television and it was only because Matt told me to watch it that I even got viewing in the first place.
I’m not a big TV watcher, in fact, these days the only time I turn on the television is to put on a DVD - so I rely on people that still watch mainstream, free-to-air TV to introduce me to these little gems.
The IT Crowd is set in the offices of Reynholm Industries, a fictitious British corporation in central London. It focuses on the shenanigans of the three-strong IT support team located in a dingy, untidy and unkempt basement - a stark contrast to the shining modern architecture and stunning London views enjoyed by the rest of the organisation.
Moss and Roy, the two technicians, are portrayed as socially inept geeks. Despite the company’s utter dependence on their services, they are despised by the rest of the staff. Roy’s exasperation is reflected in his support techniques of ignoring the phone in the hope it will stop ringing, and using reel-to-reel tape recordings of stock IT suggestions (”Have you tried turning it off and on again?” and “Is it definitely plugged in?”). Moss’s wide and intricate knowledge of all things technical is reflected in his extremely accurate yet utterly indecipherable suggestions, while demonstrating a complete inability to deal with practical problems like extinguishing fires and removing spiders.
Jen, the newest member of the team, is hopelessly non-technical, despite claiming on her CV that she has “a lot of experience with computers”. As Denholm, the company boss, is equally tech-illiterate, he’s convinced by Jen’s interview bluffing and appoints her head of the I.T. department. Her official title is “relationship manager”, yet her attempts at bridging the gulf between the technicians and the business generally have the opposite effect, landing Jen in situations just as ludicrous as those of her team-mates.
Moss: I’ll just put this over here with the rest of the fire.
Roy: I’m a lonely loner. On a lonely road. Alone.
Even the DVD menu is fun.. showing a parody of isometric adventure games of old.
[Moss and Roy downloading a picture of the woman who replied to Roy's fake classified ad at "pre-broadband-speed"]
Roy: Nice hair so far.
Roy: Eyebrows seem normal.
Moss: Two eyes. The best amount of eyes.
Roy: Nice eyes too. It has to go around. She must have a shite nose.
Roy: Oh, do you remember the internet at this speed? Up all night and you’d see 8 women.
Great find.
