The IT Crowd: Series 3 [DVD]

This third series of Graham Linehan's SitCom may lack some of the edge of the first couple of series as the humour becomes slightly less surreal, but it's still madcap and it's clear that the core characters have been developed.

The IT Crowd feels as though it keeps up with current times (essential I suppose for a series where technology features highly) and it reflects on modern life by including such things as social networking websites and the recent trend for nude charity calendars. It might feel a bit naff at times but it is peppered with moments of pure brilliance, for example; Moss pinning Roy to a garage door as he kisses him (twice!), the prank on Jen involving the entire internet in a box, and of course Douglas' two-word outburst to a group of religious figures (currently my text message alert tone).

Noel Fielding is absent from this series so unfortunately there's no Richmond, but Matt Berry gets more screentime as Douglas becomes a bigger role. Berry's delivery has been utilised for comedy in the past and it's used well here, throwaway phrases become laugh-out-loud moments as he powers out an obscenity or strangely pronounced syllable - all adding to a strange yet weirdly likable character.

By now the IT Crowd is well aware that Moss and his `Moss-isms' provided some of the golden moments of the last few series and we are treated to more to add to the collection. Not only is the series aware of this but it actually acknowledges it when Roy makes a comment about "another classic" Moss line - the creators of the IT Crowd know that there's a fan base out there and it's great that they play to it. Despite this though, the series is accesable to anyone, you don't have to have watched the previous two series to enjoy this, but if you already like the characters then it does add to the experience.

This DVD follows the trend of the previous series and the menus are presented in a `techie' way - in this case a Facebook (or should be 'FriendFace'?) style web page. And if you leave the main menu on for a few minutes you're treated to an Easter Egg (a hidden DVD feature for the less geeky out there!).

In a nutshell: The basic premise remains the same; Roy and Moss are IT support guys in the basement along with their technophobic boss Jen, and between them they find themselves in a variety of outlandish situations. This time round there's more of a focus on the actual characters rather than visual gags, but this is the third series and you expect to see more depth to the characters. This is a quirky series with genuinely laugh-out-loud moments which don't depreciate; the re-watch value of the IT Crowd means that it keeps making you laugh no matter how many times you view it, if anything - it gets better the more you play it.

This was definitely the best season so far of series. The first season was terrifically silly, but finding its feet, the second had some absolutely brilliant over-the-top moments, but was uneven, I don't think this season had a bad moment. They took the nerds out into the world more, to great effect, and Moss' character (Richard Ayoade), in particular, really settled into a great foil for Roy (Chris O'Dowd), continually bringing up the most inconvenient details out at the most inconvenient times. Douglas Berry as Douglas was actually funny this season (not so much Season 2). The ensemble sparkled.

Over here across the Atlantic, there was a thankfully aborted attempt to transplant the show, dropping at least Pansy Parkinson, who, I think, is a consistently brilliant comedienne. Her deadpan and timing are flawless. British comedy is best done by Brits. And Irish. And Scots. Ok, and anybody who was brought up with British weather and boiled food. Or whatever the secret is.

The standout episodes, if there had to be any, were "Friendface", "The Speech" (In which the guys convince Jen that a black box with a red light they've thrown together IS The Internet) and "Calendar Geeks", but, again, it was solid season all around. Thanks Graham Linehan.

Having been a fan of the IT Crowd since its very beginning I was looking forward to the next series - in this case No 3 - and I certainly wasn't disappointed. There are far too many comedies that simply aren't that funny but this series continues in the same vein of quality of Series 1 and 2 - which to me were brilliantly written and performed. Talking of which the IT Crowd is written by Graham Lineham who was involved in the Father Ted series and the humour is a little along the same lines - although completely different!! By that I mean similar in that there is very little bad language or anything to offend but different as the setting and characters are so very far from those in Father Ted. All three Series stand up on their own but to truly appreciate them and the odd remark with reference to something in an earlier episode, watching them in order is recommended. So what are you waiting for? Purchase the DVD now and if it doesn't work straight away "have you tried turning it off and on again"?!!!