I think they probably realized that the success of the series were due to the characters, and not so much the writing. So if its going to live/die based on the audiences response to the characters then why spend time working on the script?

And I have to say, this episode of the US IT Crowd just wasn't the same for me. This version is quirky and forgettable. The cast of the UK version is _so_ good that it elevates it to a hilarious classic.