Oh my. It’s a real slap in the face that Denholm ignores the IT team. Jen is a shouty cat, and the boys need some help understanding the mysterious ways of women. Moss’s therapist is extremely interested. The communists take over, and the boys feel delicate. Riots ensue as the entire IT community latches onto breast tenderness. A website is created. Big girls night out! So drunk at the thank you party they don’t know what’s going on — good morning.

Next Episode: The Work Outing
Previous Episode: The Haunting Of Bill Crouse

iTunes Store Link: Aunt Irma Visiting — The IT Crowd, Season 1

Jen goes on a disaster date with Bill “The News” Crouse. Tiny food from Spain. Kathy Morganforman. Moss lies: “Jen is dead” to discourage Bill. Woman with hair on her eyes. Jen on a mail cart. Employee funeral for Jen starring featuring Elton John. The lie is revealed and everyone is angry that Jen (the “Lying Cow”) isn’t actually dead. Jen flips out in the rain and flips off Bill. Elton sings about death.

No, it’s not really Elton John.

Next Episode: Aunt Irma Visits
Previous Episode: The Red Door

iTunes Store Link: The Haunting of Bill Crouse — The IT Crowd, Season 1

Jen had a nice weekend. Roy stole a monitor. Don’t Google the question, Moss (how can you two live like this?). Roy doesn’t like goats and food. The red door hides the snippet storeroom.

Roy is stuck under a desk between a pair of legs. Jen opens the door to reveal Richmond, a goth who used to be a hot shot executive. There’s a builder outside, taking off his shirt. Goths are people too, but what is he looking at? Moss still can’t find his cup.

What is he looking at? The world may never know.

Next Episode: The Haunting Of Bill Crouse
Previous Episode: Fifty Fifty

iTunes Store Link: The Red Door — The IT Crowd, Season 1

Socially challenged Roy goes on a date with shit on his head. Jen laughs. Spider. Co-worker Daniel is going to be on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Nerds aren’t interested in sports. Roy decides women only want bastards. He puts a psychotic personal ad online. Jen does a funny impression. Moss thinks she’s Ghandi or Bono. It’s not what you think. Daniel says be home between 8 and 9 tonight. Slow download speed results in suspense with the online dating. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire calls Jen as a friend help. Dancing with the phone. Who Composed the wooden prince? Jen is wrong. Moss recommends a terrible restaurant. Roy is a lonely loner on a lonely road, alone. The clown points a finger and laughs. Beaten with shoes. Moss’s online profile.

Next Episode: The Red Door
Previous Episode: Calamity Jen

iTunes Store Link: Fifty Fifty — The IT Crowd, Season 1

Jen sees and wants red shoes so bad. An old woman falls down the stairs. Denholm calls a meeting and declares war on stress — in a freaking bicycle outfit. Jen’s shoes barely fit. The IT guys make stress class stressful. Jen shows off her new shoes. One gratuitous mangled toe shot. Moss stars a fire. Altercation at the elevator. Bad international relations. Stress machine, fire, shoes, screaming. Denholm uses the stress machine on Jen. Are You Sure? Are You Sure? Jen? Jen? Jen?

Next Episode: Fifty Fifty
Previous Episode: Yesterday’s Jam

iTunes Store Link: Calamity Jen — The IT Crowd, Season 1

The first episode of The IT Crowd had me hooked from the start, with the pixel art, computer-blippy theme song, and the introduction of Jen, the IT manager (who knows nothing about computers) on first day of work at Reynholm industries, where beautiful people do absolutely nothing. Jen faces off with Denholm Reynholm, a very odd boss, and slowly comes to the realization that she’ll be stuck in a basement managing two socially challenged nerd’s nerds.

Meet Roy, who’s answer to everything is “have you tried turning it on and off again?” while wearing a RTFM t-shirt, and Moss, who is a bit less socially oblivious and catches Jen with her appliances unplugged.

There’s a balancing act of cynical humor (such as Denholm laying off an entire floor), gross parts (a gratuitous bathroom shot and a prostitute anecdote), and cheesy feel good moments (the A-Team!). But the bottom line is the IT guys just want to be liked — and can’t be to save their lives. Jokes abound, even over (and after) the credits.

Next Episode: Calamity Jen

iTunes Store Link: Yesterday’s Jam — The IT Crowd, Season 1

Is it worth getting a big pay raise to become personal assistant to the smarmiest boss in the world? Many sitcom episodes have contemplated this, but not while lampooning Roman Holiday, and the boss later pleads, “Please dress like my sexy dead wife!” There’s also a gigantic hand-stool (well, I don’t want one of those) and a corporate promotional video with a subliminal message.

Meanwhile the IT department collapses into anarchy in Jen’s absence, with wandering around in underpants, open mouth golfing, and prank phone calls.

The ending — is one of those things. Yeah, this is dumb fun. Help me, I’m addicted to this stupid show.

Previous Episode: Smoke And Mirrors

iTunes Store Link: Men Without Women — The IT Crowd, Season 2

“If you type Google into Google, you might break the Internet,” says Jen. Bad bra, new bra, public humiliation by way of television appearance, hot tits.

I think unfortunately this show requires a bit of knowledge of a British television show called Dragon’s Den which is based on a Japanese game show. I know nothing about either so the ending was a surreal, but not as funny as it could have been.

This episode wasn’t so great in the beginning, but the ending had enough of a payoff for me. This is one of the weaker episodes of the season, losing its novel edge, but I’m still sticking with it.

Next Episode: Men Without Women
Previous Episode: The Dinner Party

iTunes Store Link: Smoke and Mirrors — The IT Crowd, Season 2

Let’s make fun of: new, lovey-dovey couples, the awkwardness of inviting co-workers to your home, the disfigured, the recently divorced, peter-files, and — well — the differences between men and women.

There’s one girl who uses quotes for everything to air in a sarcastic manner that catches the eye of the goth weirdo that I found really hilarious. The episode also the underlying theme of IT geeks being completely socially inept. While true, this episode also doesn’t limit that umbrella to just IT geeks.

The one flaw is it ends too soon without any wrap-up of the plot threads in some hilarious manner as previous episodes.

Still, I’ve decided this show considers nothing sacred and therefore I shall continue watching it to shake my head in amused wonder.

Next Episode: Smoke And Mirrors
Previous Episode: Moss And The German

iTunes Store Link: The Dinner Party — The IT Crowd, Season 2

More blunt skewering of social conventions as this episode deals with movie piracy and the anti smoking brigade, with some digs at homosexuals, Russians, Germans, gigantic home entertainment systems, and cannibals. Yeah, I’m not exactly sure how they crammed all that into one show either.

Roy’s friend “The Dominator” sees movies as soon as they come out and Roy is determined to not let knowledge of the “twist” ruin his film enjoyment. Meanwhile, Jen has problems finding a place to smoke outside. Ross gets involved with a hungry German.

We also learn a bit more about the boss from hell who is totally sleazy and slimy with his own sense of drama — a mutant combination of Oliver Platt, Ricky Gervais, and Faye Dunaway.

All in all, this episode wasn’t as funny as ones previous, but I still enjoyed it. I now want a “meh.” T-shirt.

Next Episode: The Dinner Party
Previous Episode: Return Of The Golden Child

iTunes Store Link: Moss and the German — The IT Crowd, Season 2

Denholm, the boss from the previous season says he’s the greatest man in the world… and that’s a wrap. In addition, the show skewers cellphones, funerals, nepotism, fear of death, pension-fund problems, and smoking.

The best part of this episode is the appearance of the new boss Denholm’s son Douglas. His bad-taste appearance is one to remember, especially the sissy, limp wrist slap fest that goes on a touch too long — and then breaks into a Braveheart style monologue — until the libido kicks in. This show will unfortunately, will never be the same. Thank you computer man!

Next Episode: Moss And The German
Previous Episode: The Work Outing

iTunes Store Link: Return of the Golden Child — The IT Crowd, Season 2

This British television series The IT Crowd is pretty darned hilarious — I’ve watched season one and they just started season two.

The writer was responsible for Father Ted which was really funny, but The IT Crowd has the added layer of nerds in an IT department (Moss, Roy, and their boss Jen), and the humor has a rougher edge. However this first episode was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while.

Basically the three IT coworkers somehow end up going to a musical that manages to be very — well — there’s a pun in the title “outing”. Eventually things breaks down into the two IT folks unable to use the bathroom and Roy having to pretend that he’s handicapped. A few running jokes created some laugh-out-loud moments for me.

It follows that old pattern of a white lie getting progressively worse until nothing can be helped, Fawlty Towers style. What’s really terrible is when the situation involves lying to your boss — who looks a bit like a man — ah, you’ll have to watch it. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a fan of British humor.

Next Episode: Return Of The Golden Child
Previous Episode: Aunt Irma Visits

iTunes Store Link: The Work Outing — The IT Crowd, Season 2