The Top 15 Honorary SFX Shows

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TV shows that aren’t strictly speaking SFX shows, but that you think we should cover anyway, for the hell of it

Boundaries? Who needs ’em? On SFX we’re often asked how we decide whether we should cover something or not, and although there is a rough rule of thumb (there has to be some kind of fantasy or sci-fi element) rules are made to be broken, and some films, TV shows, books and comics are undeniably difficult to impose definitions on.

So for once we’re ignoring the rules and going on good old gut feeling.

We asked you on Facebook , Google + and Twitter to nominate your favourite non- SFX shows that you think deserve to be made honorary SFX shows. We didn’t give any guidance for your reasoning; the reasoning was entirely up to you (though mentioning in the blurb that we wanted you to stop Dave Golder getting Sharpe into the list seems to have Derren Browned you into acting in the exact opposite way somewhat). And here are the most popular results:

15 The IT Crowd

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2006-present
Channel 4 (UK)
Created by: Graham Linehan
Starring: Richard Ayoade, Chris O’Dowd, Katherine Parkinson

What is it? A sit-com about the IT department at Reynholm Industries: geeky genius Moss, work-shy geek Roy and their manager Jen who knows so little about IT she thinks you can destroy the internet by typing “Google” into Google.

Why should it be an honorary SFX show? Like many other shows in this list, it has solid geek credentials, with a set dressed like a museum of computer history, Roy’s sci-fi T-shirts and random props such as a V For Vendetta mask in the team’s office. But it’s more than juts the references that make The IT Crowd SFXy. It can be surreal bordering on fantasy with software that can predict when you’ll die and a Goth living in isolation in the cupboard (Richmond) like a shy vampire. In fact, the whole of Reynholm Industries feels like an alternate universe (Roy even refers to floor five as the Land Of Beautiful People) but that should be no surprise from the man who created the zombie-priest-infested Craggy Island for Father Ted (which almost made his countdown too).

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