Heard of IT Crowd?

[aiotech]

Has anyone heard of this show or watched it?
It's a great show. It's only shown in the UK right now.

http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/I/itcrowd/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_IT_Crowd

It is coming to the US soon:

http://www.nbc.com/Fall_Preview/The_IT_Crowd/

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. Quote by "Ben Stein

 

[kmcferrin]

I saw a couple episodes that they put online when the show first launched, but didn't find them that funny. I do enjoy British humor, but I felt like the characters went beyond stereotyping into gross caricatures, which made it a lot less funny to me. I don't know if it was because it was making fun of IT people or not, though I always found the "Nick Burns, your company computer guy" sketches on SNL funny.

Of course, most shows suck a bit for the first few episodes because the characters aren't as well developed and the actors/actresses haven't quite hit the stride with them usually.

 

[Grenage]

It's a bit hit and miss. There are plenty of episodes that I found hilarious, but also plenty which I thought just 'scraped through'.

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area" - Major Mike Shearer

 

[Sympology]

The second series is better than the first....

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[jrbarnett]

I've seen some of the UK episodes and have not been impressed one bit. Waste of air space.

Its not what I'd expect as a model example of working in IT to those who don't at present, the characters in it are anything but professional in their work attitude.
Most of the jokes don't come from IT related items either, but I guess is so that non IT types will get them.

Maybe I'm taking it too literally as its meant to be entertainment, but I can see some people using this as an example of working in IT, when its nothing like the real thing.

John

 

[Grenage]

Just as well, it would make for some uninteresting telly if it were.

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area" - Major Mike Shearer

 

[aiotech]

Wow, From the responses it seems like most of you don't like the show. I do not look at the show as being "this is what it is really like to work in IT". To me it is just entertainment. I bet the people that created the show and act on the show have never even worked an IT job. Do you guys think the US version will be any better?

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. Quote by "Ben Stein

 

[kmcferrin]

You're right, I doubt that they have worked in IT. I think that it's more likely that it was a show that was made to entertain non-IT people with a group of people who represent to them what IT "must be like". Of course, since it's written by non-IT people for non-IT people it doesn't get a lot of things right, and of course most of their viewership probably doesn't know or care.

That's part of the downside of IT-based entertainment though. I think that there is definitely a very well-defined "IT Culture" that probably is done a disservice in the name of good entertainment. For example, one could certainly make a show about people who were civil engineers, or accountants, or something like that without having to try to go so deep into the "culture" of those professions.

But then again, I also have issues with hospital shows, as they are rarely realistic. My biggest gripe is with House (as much as a love it), because all of these M.D.'s can do the jobs of 5-7 different professions. Not only do they know all of these different diagnostic techniques (which is believable), but they also perform surgeries, know how to work MRI and CT scanners (which is an entirely different profession - Radiological Tech), and know how to interpret images from these machines (which is another entirely different profession - Radiologist), run laboratory equipment (another profession - Lab Tech).

 

[strongm]

>most of you don't like the show

Au contraire. There are a fair few of us that do.

One problem with (a fairly select part of) the audience (those of us in IT) is that they seemed to think that a comedy about IT people would somehow be both realistic (but funny), only IT-based but funny,only based in the office but funny, and at the same time sympathetic (but funny). Ans sureal isn't realistic.

However, the main writer is the guy that did Father Ted. Which is far from realistic. Far from only about religion. far from being only set in the house. And far from sympathetic. And most of the time is pretty surreal. Just like The IT Crowd.

There may well be a better sitcoms that have an IT element to them to be written - but if they aim only at IT professionals as their audience (as many of the IT Crowd critics seem to want) then it will fail.

 

[Sympology]

Lets face it, it would be really exciting if it was bunch of people, sat there typing away all day, some wandering off and changing a card in a pc and someone patching a cabinet...Or maybe not

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[pinkgecko]

Its not what I'd expect as a model example of working in IT to those who don't at present, the characters in it are anything but professional in their work attitude.

Now, don't stereotype IT workers as being always professional - that's not true either. I have never watched the show, so I might be misunderstanding your complaint. I have worked in several laid back IT workplaces. We even had games such as magnetic dartboards in a previous workplace. That was an extremely high-stress position, and our manager recognized the need to step away from coding on occasion. I can honestly say that I often solved a problem that I had been pounding my head against for hours while throwing darts or taking a walk.

For evidence of the "professional" nature of one of the world's top IT companies, look up the Googleplex, the Google headquarters, or check out this photo essay:

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2006/inside_google/index.html

[blue]If you're not part of the solution, there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem.[/blue]

 

[aarenot]

Come on, the show would have to let the tek-tips posting/reading for hours a day cat out of the bag if it were realistic.

 

[aiotech]

LOL at aarenot 's response.

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. Quote by "Ben Stein

 

[DPlank]

I reckon they should make a weekly tv show out of the BOFH...

Cheers,
Dave

"Yes, I'll stop finding bugs in the software - as soon as you stop writing bugs into the software." <-- Me

For all your testing needs: Forum1393

 

[Opieo]

Now that, would be awesome.
The stuff he did, whoa.
Show might be a little violent ....

~
Give a man some fire, he will be warm for a day, Set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life.

 

[Sympology]

Ooh for the unenlightedn BOFH is a weekly story on The Register

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[Knackster]

Here, let me pass around this CAT5 jumper with the 110v plug on the end......

For those new to BOFH

http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/

and PFY= pimple faced youth, the BOFH's assistant.

Chris
IT Manager
Houston, Texas

 

[AlexCuse]

Has anyone caught 'Code Monkeys' on G4? That is very realistic

[small]----signature below----[/small]
Now you can go where the people are one!
Now you can go where they get things done!

 

[lespaul]

I saw my first episode of Code Monkeys the other day....about par on the realistic aspect, but there were some funny parts...the episode was about the company being nominated for a gaming programming award and right before winning the company was lost in a bet to "Gill Bates"....the pixelated animation is amusing from a long time gamer fan!

I have season 1 & 2 of the IT Crowd that one of my coworkers burned for me, but I haven't sat down to watch them yet....I may have to break down and check them out....

Leslie