No attempt to clone The Big Bang Theory yet?

[tighr]

billcosby wrote:

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Frasier was great, riddled with esoteric references and yet wasn't beneath itself to do fart jokes and the like. They had Fraiser's dad balance out all of the academic references with his rough around the edges character.

Haha, true, and reminds me of my favorite joke from Archer, which takes most of the episode to set up and pay off.

Archer gives Cyril an inkpen filled with poison, and warns him that the cap slips off for no reason sometimes. He then also gives Cyril a Russian pistol (a literal Chekhov gun), and tells him it has no safety, and that he should keep it in his underwear. Later, when a hooker is digging in Cyril's pants she accidentally gets stabbed with the poison pen and apparently dies.

Archer: I said the cap slips off the poison pen for like no reason, didn't I?
Cyril: I know, but I assumed that if anything bad happened...
Archer: Do NOT say the Chekhov gun, Cyril. That sir, is a facile argument.
Woodhouse: And also woefully esoteric.

Takes some background knowledge to get the joke, even if you were paying attention to the set-up.

[Nerys Myk]

tighr wrote:

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I watched the Jackass movies, too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to nominate them for the Best Picture Oscar. I'll freely admit to having watched stupid crap on TV.

As I said, the reason they are ratings juggernauts is because they are bland and formulaic and easy to digest by the greatest numbers of people. They don't upset any demographics, and they don't make any waves. They don't put forth any sort of thoughtful dialog, they just try to cram as many fart jokes into 22 minutes as possible, surrounded by laugh tracks.

I'm a fan of shows like Community (which aired in the same timeslot as TBBT), but those shows get canceled because they don't appeal to a broad audience. And rightfully so, the networks have to make money, but its still disappointing.

If it's shit I don't watch it. Yeah, I watch Community, too. Great show. Troy and Abed are "nerds in blackface",too. But being on a "quirky intellectual" show makes it okay.

[Samaritan]

TBBT is awesome! You can take anything as far as the situation but you need to cast the right mix of actors to make it work.

[gblews]

The Mirrorball Man wrote:

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Comedy that laughs "with us" is for my grandma.

Um, I think what DalekJim was referring to was that BBT gets laughs strictly from mainstream ideas of what "nerds" are. There is not much insight into what real nerd culture is about.

With Community it is more than just laughing "with" us. It appears to be a sit-com made by nerds, acted by nerds, for nerds and if you don't get it, well, oyou better ask somebody. Where BBT is a show about what mainstream adults "think" nerd culture is all about. Thus the very superficial approach.

I'll bet Grandma would be scratching her head trying to figure out Community, but would have no trouble "getting" BBT.

[tighr]

gblews wrote:

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With Community it is more than just laughing "with" us. It appears to be a sit-com made by nerds, acted by nerds, for nerds and if you don't get it, well, oyou better ask somebody.

Well, it used to be. Not anymore!!! Last night's episode sold that idea down the river.

[Nerys Myk]

gblews wrote:

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Um, I think what DalekJim was referring to was that BBT gets laughs strictly from mainstream ideas of what "nerds" are. There is not much insight into what real nerd culture is about.

With Community it is more than just laughing "with" us. It appears to be a sit-com made by nerds, acted by nerds, for nerds and if you don't get it, well, oyou better ask somebody. Where BBT is a show about what mainstream adults "think" nerd culture is all about. Thus the very superficial approach.

I'll bet Grandma would be scratching her head trying to figure out Community, but would have no trouble "getting" BBT.

Being a nerd and having lived in nerd culture for oh, 40 plus years, I'd say TBBT gets it right 95% of the time. It veers towards the extreme at times for comedic effect, but it is a comedy. Just as Home Improvement played "macho" guys into do-it-your-self projects for laughs. If TBBT is how "mainstream adults" see us, Community is how we'd like to see our selves: Quirky eccentrics.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Robert Maxwell wrote:

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Indeed. The smarter you are, the less sure you are of anything.

You sound pretty sure of that.

[sidious618]

I've not found the show to be particularly offensive towards nerds. I have found it to be lazy, cliched, dull, and formulaic. I'd also add that just because there are people really like these characters isn't an excuse for shoddy writing. It's the age old "but this really did happen" excuse that gets thrown out when an outlandish plot is shown. Just because something is real doesn't mean it'll make for good fiction.

[Yoda]

If this show isn't getting physics nerds wrong, then physics nerds are insufferable. Either way computer science nerds are the nerd master race anyhow.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Rule 62.

[billcosby]

The show certainly is offensive to nerds who are not secure in their "nerdliness." I love being a nerd but I realize not everyone wants to be stereotyped.

I can't say that I agree at all at the comparisons made between TBBT and Two and Half Men. I know that they have the same creator and new episodes are broadcast together... but I've been exposed to several episodes of Two and Half Men unwillingly (either working with the TV on and couldn't reach the remote or at someone else's house who insist on watching it and I can't bring myself to speak of how uncreative it is) and I must say there are no similarities beyond lame sex jokes and a laugh track. I don't mind the lowbrow humor, I just don't find it funny or entertaining. And that goes for every other shitcom on TV today. But I don't feel that way about TBBT.

TBBT often uses plot devices and themes that are entrenched in science fiction, real science or otherwise situations that revel in the joy of nerdiness (new comic books, the release of a classic film with several seconds of new footage, blowing a shitload of cash on a movie prop, etc). Even if the nerd references are lame, I can relate to the scenarios as a willing member of the nerd subculture and it thrills me that any sort of representation in mass media even exists. Whether or not it is of value or it is commendable is certainly open to debate.

Playing a D&D game to get Sheldon into the Christmas spirit was very amusing. What else happened recently... I loved the one where they got standed on the way to a Trek convention... although it was mighty predictable (as soon as they drove off I knew they would never make it ) but damn entertaining... Sheldon as Data was borderline creepy at how well he sort of resembled Spiner!

All I've ever been exposed to on Two and Half Men is the same lame ass dating scenario where Charlie Sheen gets lots of sex and Joy Cryer gets none. It borders on Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner in terms of how repetitive it is, and with all the fun taken out of it to boot! I recently sat through a (new?) episode where Cryer was trying to have a threesome. It was some tired ass bullshit television. Lame sex joke after lame sex joke after lame ass sex joke. Hahaha, women and men are wired differently. Roll credits. Of course TBBT does this but they do it in a way that makes it interesting... for example, Katie Sackoff shows up in Howard's fantasy to remind him that he has the affections of a real woman.

[Greg Cox]

Robert Maxwell wrote:

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No one can credibly claim to be an "intellectual" and be a fan of this garbage.

Okay, I have to ask: Since when do we watch TV to prove that we're intellectuals?

I don't know about anybody else, but I don't base my TV viewing habits on whether they polish my credentials as an intellectual--or will look good on a grant application!

Then again, I love "Sharktopus," too.

[tighr]

billcosby wrote:

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TBBT often uses plot devices and themes that are entrenched in science fiction, real science or otherwise situations that revel in the joy of nerdiness (new comic books, the release of a classic film with several seconds of new footage, blowing a shitload of cash on a movie prop, etc).

The most recent episode of TBBT did not invoke a single plot device or theme related to nerd culture beyond the simple relationship cluelessness of nerds. I could easily see the episode being reworked into a 2.5 Men episode simply by changing the names of the characters.

The plot revolved around [Leonard] being spoiled by [Sheldon] regarding a plot point in a Harry Potter book (not nerdy in the slightest). In response, he decides to move out, into [Penny]'s apartment. This opens up the door for [Amy] to move in to [Sheldon's apartment]. Ultimately, the issue is resolved by [Penny] and [Sheldon]'s mutual desire to not live with their S.O., and status quo being returned. A subplot involves [Raj] being forced to spend the weekend with [Howard's mother], who smothers him much to his discontent. [Howard and Bernadette] attend a retreat for [Bernadette's] company and attempt to have Cirque Du Soleil sex.

There were some tangential references to props in the apartment (action figure, Game of Thrones sword), but those wouldn't necessarily be out of place in a 2.5 Men episode anyway.

Let's 2.5 Men this:
The plot revolved around [Alan] being spoiled by [Charlie/Ashton] regarding a plot point in a Harry Potter book (not nerdy in the slightest). In response, he decides to move out, into [current whats-her-face]'s apartment. This opens up the door for [current slut] to move in to [Charlie/Ashton's house]. Ultimately, the issue is resolved by [what's-her-face] and [Charlie/Ashton]'s mutual desire to not live with their S.O., and status quo being returned. A subplot involves [Jake] being forced to spend the weekend with [Charlie's mother], who smothers him much to his discontent. [I dunno, some minor characters, maybe Judith and Herb] attend a retreat for [Judith/Herb's] company and attempt to have Cirque Du Soleil sex.


Wow, that was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. I could probably sell that script to any number of sitcom shows...

[Nerys Myk]

So, Harry Potter and spoilers aren't nerdy???????? Really?????

Yeah sometimes the show is mostly about the characters and the nerd and science stuff takes a backseat. billcosby said often not always.

[tighr]

Nerys Myk wrote:

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So, Harry Potter and spoilers aren't nerdy???????? Really?????

Yeah. I'd go out on a limb and say this is definitely not nerd territory anymore.