The IT Crowd (IFC)

common sense media says

Geeks rule in silly British sitcom about corporate culture.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this British sitcom trades heavily on stereotypes, focusing on the tech department of a generic corporation. The top executives are womanizing lechers, the tech workers are socially inept geeks, and the comedy comes from watching these two incompatible tribes try to communicate. There's some drinking and language and plenty of sexual references, so it's probably not appropriate for kids and tweens -- and it may give older teens a distorted view of the corporate world.

Positive messages: The show is based on a stereotypical portrayal of computer experts as socially inept geeks who understand machines but not people. Some of the top executives at the fictional company are also quite sexist, and sexual harassment seems to be common at the office.
Violence: Some occasional cartoony violence; for example, in one episode, the boss wears special pants that shock him when he starts to get aroused to
combat his sexual harassment.
Sex: No nudity or sex, but plenty of sexual references. Many of the plotlines revolve around dating, romance, and sex.
Language: "S--t" occasionally.
Consumerism: Some references to well-known pop culture touchstones, such as the video game Guitar Hero.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Some references to drinking and controlled substances like the date-rape drug Rohypnol.

More on The IT Crowd

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about stereotypes. Why do so many TV shows and films portray people who work with computers as having poor social skills? Do you think that's accurate? Do you think it’s acceptable to make fun of “geeks”? Why or why not? Do you think the British geek cliches are any different from the standard-issue techies seen on U.S. shows?

What's the story?

What's the story?
The top executives at Reynholm Industries have bright, spacious offices with amazing views of London; the three-person technical support team works from a dingy, cluttered basement warren. And that really explains the social divide between THE IT CROWD and the people they both help and mock. Maurice (Richard Ayoade) is the standard nerd, a wizard with machines and few social skills. His colleague, Roy (Chris O'Dowd), is equally geeky, while Jen (Katherine Parkinson) is a bit out of place as a non-techie who's bluffed her way into a job managing the IT department. That makes her the conduit between the geeks and the non-geeks, responsible for supervising the barely controlled chaos of the tech team and serving as translator for people who rarely seem to speak the same language.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Misunderstanding and condescension are the heart of The IT Crowd, and though the show manages tto mock everyone almost equally, the series is clearly on the side of the techies. The executives come off as incompetent, sexist idiots, while the lads in the basement seem like fun-loving savants who can repair almost anything but can't land a date. Both groups look down on each other's very obvious flaws.

It's fertile ground for comedy, and some of the situations are quite funny, though other conflicts are somewhat predictable and the focus on stereotypical geeks might seem offensive to some people. And don't expect all the jokes to be about computers; many are about sex and the lengths to which people will go while pursuing a romantic connection. Not surprisingly, few of those efforts succeed, giving the characters more fodder for their entertaining tales of social ineptitude.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-14
Network: IFC
Cast: Chris O'Dowd, Katherine Parkinson, Richard Ayoade
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: IFC

This review was written by Will Wade
 
 

Review It

 

Review The IT Crowd





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

Most useful reviews by all members

Aleksei Krushnic
parent of 4 , 7 , 13 , and 15 year old
 
I absolutely love this show, its hilarious. I don't let my two youngest (Dawn and Liev, ages 3 and 7 respectively) watch it however.

Novalita
kid, 13 years old
 
hilarious show!!!!!
It's a really funny show, but it is quite inappropriate. They often use bad words, but they always bleep out the f word. In the first series, Roy really does get beaten up quite a lot. Their boss is a festival of inappropriate comments. It is a british show, so if you live in USA, your kids might not understand some bad references.

G2B
kid, 13 years old
 
Geekastic Comedy, for anyone over 12.
Although some people dont like/get it, i think its bare funny, not that bad for alot of things though, i mean it may swear but you dont really pay attention to it, cause they dont say it offensivly to people, if you understand it like me, its bare funny.

booklover27
teen, 13 years old
 
Fabulous Show!
I watched every season with my brother (16) and we are hoping for another season to come out! it is a hilarious show and perfect for lovers of English humor!

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you see The IT Crowd?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age