Graham Linehan has confirmed that an American verison of the IT Crowd will finally be going ahead.

Show creator Linehan said that despite NBC postponing the project in 2007, it will now go into production within the next year.

Speaking in a web chat with The Guardian, he said: “They’re working on one at the moment. I’m waiting to see the first script. I have encouraged them to do their own thing and not try to slavishly copy the original.”

“As long as there’s no hugging, no learning, and big setpiece moments, I’ll be happy,” he added. “I don’t even care if they don’t do it in front of an audience. Whatever works for them.

“But if the show moves too far away from what I consider to be the IT Crowd ‘brand’, I’ll be asking them to change the title.”

Series four of The It Crowd is currently airing on Channel 4 each Friday night.