 | ON: Content is age-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. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The IT Crowd
Common Sense Media says
Geeks rule in silly British sitcom about corporate culture.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
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.
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?
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.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
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?
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Parent of 3, 7, 13, and 15 year old
March 30, 2011
AGE
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.
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Kid, 12 years old
September 14, 2010
AGE
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.
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Kid, 12 years old
February 2, 2011
AGE
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.
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Teen, 13 years old
January 21, 2012
AGE
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!
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Teen, 16 years old
April 5, 2012
AGE
Definitely recommend!
This is one of my favourite shows, a real gem amongst the modern movement of rubbishy brain-dead comedy. There's a bit of swearing and sexual references, but really nothing a mature teenager can't handle. I watch it with my 13-year-old sister all the time, and she adores it.
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Teen, 17 years old
March 24, 2012
AGE
Awesome show!
The IT Crowd is clever and funny, without being vulgar. It's hilarious and it's fun at the same time. The only problem could be that the language can go up sometimes.
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Teen, 13 years old
June 28, 2012
AGE
Brilliant comedy has sexual themes, language.
My all time favorite show. So funny, defiantly with watching. The sexual stuff can b a bit much, but a mature teen can handle it. 5 stars.
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| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | IFC |
| Cast: | Chris O'Dowd, Katherine Parkinson, Richard Ayoade |
| Genre: | Comedy |
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