When Chris Morris walked out of a window in 2007, nobody really knew if The IT Crowd would survive. Morris, playing the unhinged Denholm Reynholm, was a comedic heavyweight. His exit felt final. Then came the funeral. The doors of the church swung open, and a man with the most dramatic hair in London bellowed "FATHERRRRR!" at the top of his lungs.
Matt Berry IT Crowd fans know that moment changed everything.
It wasn't just a character replacement. It was a tonal shift. Douglas Reynholm didn't just walk into a scene; he physically occupied it with a voice that sounds like a cello being dragged through a bowl of velvet. Honestly, if you haven't seen his introduction, you've missed out on one of the greatest character debuts in British sitcom history.
The Absolute Chaos of Douglas Reynholm
Douglas is, basically, a disaster in a suit. He’s the "Spaceologist" son who inherited a multi-billion pound empire despite having the attention span of a goldfish and the moral compass of a pirate. Most people remember him for the catchphrases—"Speak, priest!" or the legendary "Damn these electric sex pants!"—but the real genius of the performance is in the weird, specific line deliveries.
Matt Berry doesn't say words like a normal person. He stretches them. He twists them. He finds vowels where they shouldn't exist.
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Take the episode "The Speech." While Moss and Roy are busy convincing Jen that a small black box is "the internet," Douglas is off in his own world, falling in love with a journalist. The way he says "Iran" or describes his "robotic hand" makes it clear that Berry isn't just reading a script. He’s building a caricature so absurd that it shouldn't work. But it does.
Why the Casting Was Actually a Huge Risk
Replacing a lead character is usually a death sentence for a show. Fans of The IT Crowd were already attached to the dynamic between the basement-dwelling geeks and their aloof, corporate overlord. When Matt Berry joined the cast in Series 2, he had a massive task. He had to be even more ridiculous than Chris Morris without breaking the show's reality.
- The Voice: Berry is a trained musician and voice actor. He used that to make Douglas sound constantly surprised by his own existence.
- The Physicality: From the way he sits at his desk with cowboy boots to his dramatic exits, he brought a theatrical energy that Roy and Moss could react against.
- The Unpredictability: You never knew if Douglas was going to try and drug a coworker with "Rohypnol tea" (which he accidentally drank himself) or join a cult.
That One Controversial Episode
We have to talk about "The Speech." Looking back from 2026, it’s the episode that most people point to when they talk about how the show has aged. The plot involving Douglas and a transgender woman, April, is often cited as the reason the show’s legacy is a bit complicated.
In a 2021 interview with Vulture, Berry himself admitted the episode was "dated" and "ridiculous." He’s always been more empathetic than the show’s writing in that specific moment. It’s a rare instance where the character’s buffoonery crossed a line that hasn't sat well with modern audiences. However, Berry’s performance—separated from the script’s choices—still showcased his ability to play a man who is consistently the most confident person in a room, even when he’s completely wrong.
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The Evolution from Reynholm to Laszlo
If you love the Matt Berry IT Crowd era, you can see the direct DNA link to his later work. His role as Steven Toast in Toast of London is basically Douglas Reynholm if he had no money and lived in a basement. And, of course, there’s Laszlo Cravensworth in What We Do in the Shadows.
Laszlo is the ultimate evolution of the Berry persona. The same booming voice, the same obsession with "the sexy," and the same complete lack of shame. It all started in that boardroom at Reynholm Industries.
Little Known Facts About Douglas
There are a few things that even hardcore fans might have missed. For one, Matt Berry didn't want to do the "naked" scenes himself. In Series 2, when you see a subliminal clip of Douglas naked, it’s actually the body of a Production Assistant named Ben. They just photoshopped Berry's head on.
Also, the "robotic hand" storyline wasn't just a throwaway gag. It was a callback to Douglas’s promise that his "Spaceology" beliefs would grant him a mechanical limb. It’s that kind of continuity that made the show more than just a collection of sketches.
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How to Watch Matt Berry at His Best
If you're revisiting the show for the first time in years, don't just watch the clips on YouTube. You need the full episodes to appreciate the build-up. Start with "The Return of the Golden Child" (Series 2, Episode 2). That’s the funeral episode. It’s the definitive entry point.
Follow that with "The Buddy" and "Something Happened." These show the weird, almost sweet friendship that develops between Douglas and Moss. Seeing the most arrogant man in the world take advice from a guy who can't handle a social interaction at a park is comedy gold.
Actionable Next Steps
To truly appreciate the "Berry-verse," you should:
- Watch Series 2, Episode 2 of The IT Crowd: This is the "Father!" episode and sets the bar for everything that follows.
- Look for the "Snuff Box" sketches: Before the IT Crowd, Berry did a dark comedy show called Snuff Box. It’s where he refined the "abruptly leaving a conversation" gag.
- Check out the "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" episodes: Berry plays Todd Rivers, and his "bad acting" on purpose is a masterclass in comedic timing.
- Listen to his music: Many people don't realize he's a serious musician. His albums like Witchazel show a completely different, almost folk-psych side of him.
The Matt Berry IT Crowd era remains a high-water mark for British comedy because it leaned into the surreal. Douglas Reynholm wasn't a boss you'd ever want to work for, but he was exactly the boss the show needed to become a cult classic.