TV review: ‘The Big Bang Theory’
“The Big Bang Theory” (Mondays, CBS): Despite being from the creator of “Two and a Half Men,” the pilot episode of this sitcom actually made me laugh quite a bit. It’s about two super-intelligent science nerds, Leonard and Sheldon, who share an L.A. apartment and hang out with like-minded geeks. A pretty blonde moves into the apartment across the hall, and Leonard instantly develops a crush. The first episode overplays some of the stereotypical elements a bit much, with the geeks unrealistically oblivious to the fact that most people aren’t as smart as they are and the blonde a little dumber than normal. But I really like the fact that Sheldon and Leonard play like a nerdy old married couple who argue with each other in highly intelligent geek-speak. TiVo verdict: Provisional season pass (i.e., I’m with you, but I will turn on you in a heartbeat if you betray me).
P.S. The show’s very first joke made me laugh. Here it is:
SHELDON: So if a photon is directed through a plane with two slits in it and either slit is observed, it will not go through both slits. If it’s unobserved, it will — however, if it’s observed after it’s left the plane but before it hits its target, it will not have gone through both slits.
LEONARD: Agreed. What’s your point?
SHELDON: No point, I just think it’s a good idea for a T-shirt.
Comedy!
September 26th, 2007 at 3:10 am
I thought it was decent for a laugh track comedy. The best laugh track comedy on tv is the show right before Big Bang………..How I Met Your Mother. Of corse the best non laugh track comedy is The Office……..now that Arrested Development is off the air.
September 26th, 2007 at 7:12 am
They still make laugh-track comedies? I was hoping networks had phased those out.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Come on, Argus. If they phased out laugh-tracks, then how would we know when to laugh?
September 26th, 2007 at 8:47 am
I didn’t like this one. The over-geekiness of the geeks was just too much. I work for a lab and with some serious ubergeeks (mathematicians, chemists, a couple physicists; also biologists, but they’re a completely different creature), but this was just too heavy handed and it was unpleasant to watch. I did laugh a couple times, so it wasn’t all bad. If it doesn’t get canceled, maybe I’ll give it another chance in a couple months.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:57 am
For non-laugh track comedies, I would also like to put in a good word for ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’ The Office definitely leads the pack right now though, and it seems to have gained a pretty decent following.
September 26th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I agree with Savvy Veteran about “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia”. I only watched season 1 and a few episodes of season 2- but I plan on catching up. It’s good the show is on FX as comedies on Fox usually don’t last.
September 30th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I can’t stand this show. Everything about it is totally forced and overwrought, not to mention that the chemistry (what chemistry?) between cast members is totally lacking. This show is trying (and failing miserably) to replace The Class, which won a People’s Choice Award last year for Best New Comedy. If you’re going up against that kind of competition, then you’d better bring more than a few badly timed laugh tracks (especially since The Class made me laugh out loud, often rolling off the couch, with every episode last year). This show failed to generate even one laugh out of either my wife or me, and the example you cite here is a perfect indication of why–it’s pathetically unfunny non-comedy. For most people, you’d have to explain that one on way too many levels, and that just doesn’t make for good comedy. At this point, NOTHING on CBS amounts to anything, not even the much touted How I Met Your Mother, which was forced to switch timeslots with The Class last year in an effort to increase its audience. It’s obvious to me and to many observers (and obviously to the 9 million plus who voted for The Class at the People’s Choice Awards) that CBS has just completely lost sight of what makes good comedy. I mean, when was the last time CBS had a good comdy? M*A*S*H*? Wasn’t The Bob Newhart Show on CBS? Maybe The Odd Couple? I don’t know, but none of those shows have been on for more than two decades.
October 1st, 2007 at 1:15 pm
I thought this show was great. I am a nerd by trade, though not a physicist (I am a signal processing engineer). I work in a lab where Sheldon’s description of the “mass cultural delusion” would not be out of place. This is what really impressed me: these guys talk like real live nerds. Orange, who posted above, is obviously not working with the right kind of nerds.
What’s more, my wife, who is not nearly as nerdy as me and who is definitely not scientifically or mathematically minded, laughed at the joke cited by Eric (and several more times throughout the show). The humor does not depend on understanding the physics being discussed; the humor is in the absolute geekiness of the thought of putting that on a t-shirt. I actually knew a guy in college who had a t-shirt made that said the following:
And God said
And there was light.
To those who say that the nerdiness is overdone, I say, “That’s how you make it funny.” The genius of Bill Cosby what that he described life accurately, with a few mild exaggerations to really bring it home.
And for what it’s worth, it is refreshing to see a show making references to science that are accurate, even though most of the viewers wouldn’t notice if it were not accurate. I mean, after hearing a Starfleet officer declare that “the phase magnitude of that signal is within a few megahertz of transporter frequencies,” I appreciate the writers doing a little research and/or hiring a decent consultant.
October 1st, 2007 at 10:40 pm
So I just need somewhere to talk about this show/life and this is google’s #1 so yeah… I’m a chemist (in training) so this show is just fantastic. I got really excited over the Born-Oppenheimer approximation mentioned in the first episode. I passed p chem. So anyway, it’s like 2 AM and I have to get up at 5 but I’m doing some calculations (what else is worth staying up this late?) and money for nothing by zz top starts playing and the timing was just so funny. I’m furiously punching numbers into my calculator with the power riff intro playing in perfect timing.
Oh yeah, and the periodic shower curtains are like $30. That is so stupid.
Acids are way better than bases.
That is all.
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I love this show. I found myself pulling for Leonard to get the girl. It’s scientific stuff is way over my head so I wouldn’t know if they were giving correct theories or not. However, I think the jokes are funny and I thoroughly enjoy this show. I hope CBS gives it a decent chance.
October 16th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
I watched the pilot episode twice I thought it was so funny! Jim Parsons (who plays a lead character, Sheldon) is fantastic – his dead-pan delivery is dead on! I’ll watch ’til they cancel!
October 24th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
My husband and I are both geeks, although not science geeks, and this is one of our favorite new shows (tied with Reaper)– the one with Sheldon’s mother was the best so far. I’m hoping it hangs in there and doesn’t get cancelled- it’s the best laugh we get all week.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:43 am
O.K., all you people who don’t think this show is funny, you could’nt be more wrong!!
This show is hysterical. It’s about time we got a funny (laugh track) sitcom that doesnt treat everyone as though they’re stupid. I actually understand most of what they say, and the stuff that goes over my head, is still delivered so well that I am laughing troughout the entire show. Also, I can’t NOT believe that NO ONE has commented on the fact that the show is like a Roseanne reunion. Leonard was David, Darlene works with him and Jackie is Sheldons mom. Just to see these people working together again gives me the warm and fuzzy’s. It’s and added bonus that the show is smart AND hilarious. I HOPE IT’S ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME!!!
November 12th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I REALLY Like Big Bang Theory. I agree the people who don’t think this is probably one of the funnist shows on TV today are examples of why most american TV is such drivel. This is very close to British Humor. In classic British humor, they take an idea and build on it until it reaches near outlandish purportions. This show is a riot because I have known all of those guys , granted somewhat toned down versons of those guys, but still I can recognize aspects of people I know. All you have to do is go to a Scifi Convention, Gaming Convention, Society for Creative Anchronism group , or talk to a 15 year old that’s hooked on computer games and you’ll see them.
Axel
November 28th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
I think this is one of the unsung greats of this season. I’ve written twice about it, most recently here:
http://flamingnose.blogspot.com/2007/11/discover-big-bang-theory.html
Heck, I even think the beautiful girl is hitting most of the laughs. Goodness knows it’s got a great timeslot and I just hope that people start appreciating it.
March 21st, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I love this show. Mainly because I know and am one of those guys. Up higher “Steve” said he was a nerd by trade. POSER! I’m a nerd by birth. I speak nine languages and only two of them are human. Top that! :p~~~ My wife loves the show too. She was on the floor laughing when the guys put their X10 on the internet. My response was, “BTDT, like 8 years ago!” Still the reason for doing it was nerdologically correct. And last Halloween, THE DOPLER EFFECT! It still gets me.