It was a different time and it was a different crowd when Katherine Parkinson starred in the 2006 British sitcom, The IT Crowd. Starring in the upcoming Harry Potter TV show, Parkinson sat down to talk about the career that she had back when television was everything.
Although movies were still making box office runs in theaters, the early 2000s were a time for sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and The IT Crowd. Parkinson was fortunate enough to be the lead woman in the British TV show, but she still cringes about the whole ordeal to this day.
Katherine Parkinson still cringes while talking about The IT Crowd
The premise of The IT Crowd followed two tech guys who work in a basement at Reynholm Industries. However, when their new supervisor, who is tech illiterate, comes to manage them, they end up in hilarious situations and problems of all kinds.
The actress was recently announced as the newest cast member to join the upcoming Harry Potter TV show, in which she will be portraying the role of Molly Weasley (which will be released in 2026).
Parkinson recently sat down for a chat with The Times, wherein she talked about her career until now and about the time she had while working on the British TV show, The IT Crowd. The actress reveals that it wasn’t a very delightful experience for her.
I felt Graham wanted an Ally McBeal type — an American sitcom archetype, the f***able girl with comic timing — and I was nervous he’d cast the wrong person. There are early episodes when I just look back and cringe.
She continued,
Graham had me wearing heels, in a pencil skirt, and my hair was being straightened. I remember saying, ‘I’m not funny when you straighten my hair.’
However, it wasn’t all too bad for Katherine Parkinson, since the actress also revealed that Graham Linehan (who was the director, creator, and writer of the show) was quite open to things.
Katherine Parkinson thinks she should have relaxed more
Being a lead actress in a show that was about guys working in IT, it wasn’t exactly the best setting for Katherine Parkinson. Although she was made to wear heels by director Graham Linehan, she also had the creativity to explore her character.
As the interview continued, Parkinson revealed that The IT Crowd was mainly based on the two existing parts of Graham Linehan’s life. The actress also revealed that he’d go out of his way to give her comics and stuff.
Graham was quite open — he was basing the two men on himself at different times in his life, and asked me to please help him with my character.
She continued,
He’d go out of his way to give me my comic stuff. So maybe I was being too sensitive. I should have relaxed and embraced it more.
She ended the statements by saying, “I hope things are better for younger actresses.” Well, things are certainly better for the younger actresses out there since we have come a long way in terms of equality compared to 2004.
Since it was a different time, The IT Crowd became one of the most recognizable British sitcoms of all time. The show currently stands at a rating of 8.5/10 on IMDb and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The IT Crowd is currently available for buying on Apple TV (USA). The Harry Potter series is set to be released in 2026.
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