NBC is remaking The IT Crowd with original creator Graham Linehan
NBC is developing a remake of the British sitcom The IT Crowd, according to Variety. The British series ran for four seasons on Channel 4 and stars Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, and Matt Berry. The show was written and created by Graham Linehan, who is on board to write and executive produce the American version of the show. Patrick Daly and John Rolph will executive produce with Universal Television producing the series.
The IT Crowd followed the IT department employees of the fictional Reynholm Industries, as well as the bosses. The series premiered on Channel 4 on February 3, 2006 and ran for four, six-episode seasons. A fifth season was in the works, but didn’t happen. A special single episode aired on September 27, 2013 to conclude the series. It has since become a cult hit.
This isn’t the first time NBC has worked on an American version of The IT Crowd. A pilot starring Joel McHale, Jessica St. Clair, Rock Carroll and Richard Ayoade from the original British series was produced. A full series was ordered, but it was never produced. In October 2014, a new version was reportedly in the works, produced by Bill Lawrence, but that never went anywhere either. There was a German version of the show as well, called Das iTeam – Die Jungs an der Maus (The iTeam – The Boys at the Mouse), though it was canceled after the second episode.
In addition to The IT Crowd, Linehan is known for creating series like Motherland, Father Ted, Count Arthur Strong, and Big Train.
What do you guys think of the idea of an American version of The IT Crowd? Did you watch the original series? Who would you like to see cast in the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
