Nathan Barley

[KimyReizeger]

I have to say I thought Nathan Barley was the poorest thing Chris Morris has been involved in. I just found it annoying more than anything else.

The IT Crowd..

[Edgar Graham]

The IT Crowd..

Yeah, I agree with that. The IT Crowd is hard to watch, although I don't think Chris Morris had any part in the writing.

Lester Burnham, check out amazon marketplace.

[medichi]

I liked the IT Crowd.

"Track 4, Coffin Fodder. Sound horrid, but it isn't!"

[Shaki]

Just watched episodes 5 & 6 and didn't really like them as much as the first 4, not quite as funny and a little too depraved! Still laughed out loud on a few occasions, well worth a watch if you haven't seen it.

[Guest]

The IT Crowd..

I actually like The IT crowd maybe its because I work in I.T though. Id love to have an answer machine like they have.

Have you tried switching it off and on again?

In all seriousness I must say that at least 10 times a day.

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

I actually like The IT crowd maybe its because I work in I.T though. Id love to have an answer machine like they have.

Have you tried switching it off and on again?

In all seriousness I must say that at least 10 times a day.

Christ....I never realised that tech support were just doing that to mes with our minds.

Picture the scene, a live radio broadcast, the connection to our Enniskillen studio isn't working, I phone tech support, and they tell me, "Just switch the desk off and on again. Nine times out of ten, that solves the problem."

Try explaining to them that its a LIVE radio broadcast, and turning everything off and on again would cause a big problem, but they don't really understand.

In the end, for anyone who cares, we had to interview three different people on the phone, with them passing the phone to person to person.

[Neil]

The IT Crowd..

As has already been said, he had no part in writing or producing the IT Crowd. As it happens though, I find the IT Crowd much funnier than Nathan Barley.

[KimyReizeger]

As has already been said, he had no part in writing or producing the IT Crowd. As it happens though, I find the IT Crowd much funnier than Nathan Barley.

...ah, but you said:

I have to say I thought Nathan Barley was the poorest thing Chris Morris has been involved in

A rather broad phrase.

[Guest]

Christ....I never realised that tech support were just doing that to mes with our minds.

Picture the scene, a live radio broadcast, the connection to our Enniskillen studio isn't working, I phone tech support, and they tell me, "Just switch the desk off and on again. Nine times out of ten, that solves the problem."

Try explaining to them that its a LIVE radio broadcast, and turning everything off and on again would cause a big problem, but they don't really understand.

In the end, for anyone who cares, we had to interview three different people on the phone, with them passing the phone to person to person.

Quite frequently it’s the easiest option. It magically solves a multitude of sins! For the rest… there are your quick fix manuals plus data fairies and the other 5% get thrown to the abyss of the 3rd line support (probably part of a massive problem involving a satellite somewhere or a digger chomping through a cable… in which case you’ll be waiting a long time). There is of course google too

The joys of IT.

[Camie]

I actually like The IT crowd maybe its because I work in I.T though. Id love to have an answer machine like they have.

Have you tried switching it off and on again?

In all seriousness I must say that at least 10 times a day.

I agree that it is funny as well.

I admit that there is some cheesy moments to IT crowd but it's got some great one liners.

IT Crowd was written by same guys that did Garth Marenghi's Dark Place was it not?

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

I agree that it is funny as well.

I admit that there is some cheesy moments to IT crowd but it's got some great one liners.

IT Crowd was written by same guys that did Garth Marenghi's Dark Place was it not?

Actually, I think it might have been Graham Linehan of Father Ted fame.

[Pierre Von Mondragon]

Like most things in life, it takes a bit of distance to get a proper perspective on things. Two-ish years on it is clear to me that Nathan Barley is one of the sharpest things Channel 4 has broadcast in ages. Why? Oh so many reasons, but at random; The Bikes (Terrrorists are Gaayy, repeat to fade) The Sugar Ape office trendmeistermorons, Ivan Plapp (say it out loud, its funnier), Labour Party Conference: The Game, Barley's Phone. I could go on. But to lay it all at Chris Morris' feet does a grave misservice to the real twisted genius behind much of it, Charlie Brooker. The sheer invention and vituperative nature of the misanthropy screams Brooker, certainly to anyone who has kept tabs on his career. I once spent a whole day at BT reading his TV Go Home website, no wonder my stats were shite, but it was time better spent than what I was meant to be doing.

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

Like most things in life, it takes a bit of distance to get a proper perspective on things. Two-ish years on it is clear to me that Nathan Barley is one of the sharpest things Channel 4 has broadcast in ages. Why? Oh so many reasons, but at random; The Bikes (Terrrorists are Gaayy, repeat to fade) The Sugar Ape office trendmeistermorons, Ivan Plapp (say it out loud, its funnier), Labour Party Conference: The Game, Barley's Phone. I could go on. But to lay it all at Chris Morris' feet does a grave misservice to the real twisted genius behind much of it, Charlie Brooker. The sheer invention and vituperative nature of the misanthropy screams Brooker, certainly to anyone who has kept tabs on his career. I once spent a whole day at BT reading his TV Go Home website, no wonder my stats were shite, but it was time better spent than what I was meant to be doing.

I think you're completely right. When it first appeared, I think part of the problem was that if you weren't aware of what Shoreditch was like, it was all a bit bewildering. Now that we're all more savvy, we can see exactly how sharp it was. I had a friend who was actually living there when this was filmed, and she said that she actually moved out, because what they were doing a parody of had become real life there.

With regards to the Chris Morris thing, I think it's up there with his best work. Yes, it lack the bite and venom of Brass Eye, but it worked better than Jam, simply because there is a degree of humanity to Nathan Barley that he normally lacks. All the characters are fundamentally flawed, and they all experience highs and lows, and in that sense, it's one of ther most realistic 'sit-coms' that has ever been made. Its a mark of it's brilliance that there are times when we actually feel a bit sorry for Nathan, and to make us feel sorry for a person that hateable, is a bit of an achievment in my book.

But also, you are right in saying that the real credit must go to Charlie Brooker. I know Morris and Brooker wrote it together, but I really feel that Morris' main contribution is the look and feel of the show, and the actual content is all Brooker. The writing is sharp and nasty and it rings true. Echoing a comment I made earlier, and the comments of several others, it really is a biting satire of the media industry. I work in Belfast, and even though that's not the most sophisticated part of the world, it's going very Nathan Barley these days. I keep getting invited to, and I quote, "Networking Events" where all of these 20-something media types (like myself) are supposed to chat and exchange contact details, whilst some poor saps are feeding us nibbles and wine. And the reality of it is that most of us still go, even though we know how stupid it is, becuase we're poor and want the free things. And to llisten to the level of chat, which I have indulged in myself, is simply nauseating.

"Oh, have you checked out this website? It's a fantastic example of newmedia techniques."

"yes, I read Blahblahblah's recent article on tramp fighting. Superb, and the flash content is so extreme. it's bleeding edge."

Pass the free booze please.

Especially if one more person describes something as "wicked" I may have to die.

But it's a great business really.

[Pierre Von Mondragon]

Yeah, working in the London media must be whats driving Brooker mental, but also what gives him his 'bleeding' edge. Just reading about all that wankery is enough to drive me to a ranting frenzy, it must be hellish for any sane cynic to be amongst it all.

PS I think you were in one of my classes at uni, respec' (typed with eyebrow raised)