Why did I not find this show sooner?
The thing is, I have a lot of problems with anything that is hyped excessively, so I probably put my blinders on for this show. Fortunately, my eyes have been opened and I have seen the first two seasons of The Big Bang Theory on DVD, the third season will soon be released, and the fourth season is under way.
So, what exactly is the appeal with this show? Well, the characters are nerds, but not your classic nerds. They certainly are comic book, science fiction, and fantasy fanatics who frequent the comic shop on Wednesdays (new comic day), attend medieval fairs in costume, play Wii and XBox, and watch Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica … you get the idea. The big difference is that these are not your typical high-school nerds. These are adults, and successful professionals.
Howard, Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, and Rajesh
Leonard – Arguably the main character of the show, Leonard is an experimental physicists who received his PhD at the age of 24. He shares an apartment with Sheldon, and is infatuated with is neighbour across the hall, Penny. Additional note: Enjoy the T-Shirts he wears in the episodes, though perhaps not as closely as Sheldon’s.
Sheldon – A child prodigy who started college at the age of 11, Sheldon earned a PhD in theoretical physics at the age of 16. Sheldon is a creature of habit, who must follow an extremely strict schedule for all of his day-to-day activities or he cannot function. He also has trouble with the normal concepts of sarcasm and irony. He shares his apartment with Leonard. Additional note: Enjoy the wide range T-Shirts he wears in the episodes.
Penny – The ‘norm’ of the group, Penny moved to Pasadena to be an actress but so far has only managed to get a job as a watress at The Cheesecake Factory.
Howard – A jewish aerospace engineer who lives with his regularly screaming mother, Howard engineered designs which have been used on the Space Shuttle and elsewhere for NASA. He must defend himself for not having a PhD but is quick to indicate that his work yields physical results unlike the work of his friends. Howard falsely considers himself a ladies man. Additional note: Enjoy the belt buckles he wears in the episodes.
Rajesh – An astrophysicist, Rajesh is so uncomfortable around women he cannot even speak in their presence unless he is drinking. He is regularly berated by his parents who talk to him via webcam from India.
The show is well written and funny, and it has just enough comic books, science fiction, and fantasy references to warrant repeated watches just to catch it all. The sets are also generously decorated with such materials to pick out for fun, and of course there are Sheldon’s T-shirts. It could be considered a “nothing show” as Seinfeld was, or a “relationship show” as Friends was, but it is like these and so much more. If you have not given it a try, do so. If you already enjoy it… continued to do so. Either way, let me know what you think.
Posted in TV
Tags: Big Bang Theory