Big Bang Theory taps Nimoy for a voice over

[Relayer1]

Beloved ? Hardly...

Uh yes, beloved. Would make more sense for him to hate Stargate...

I (as opposed to Sheldon) don't hate B5 - it was OK and had some strengths. I watched it all. Same with Stargate - enjoyable but didn't change my world. It was a shame about Universe though - I did like that.

Tastes differ - I don't believe there is any show that is universally beloved. Trek is probably closest, but then again, some Trek fans don't accept that DS9 is better than the other Trek series...taste again.

 

[Captain April]

This show has been on what 5 or 6 years and it took them until this year to make a Red Dwarf reference. Smegheads.

 

[Sector 7]

My brother (the same brother who, during our childhood, teased me for being a "sci-fi nerd" and "egghead bookworm") called me a few years ago with questions about a show he loved, but didn't always understand. Then he proceeded to ask questions about Star Trek. Each week he'd call me about some reference from The Big Bang Theory. I started watching TBBT just to answer his questions, then became a fan, too!

TBBT is the only television show wherein he owns every episode ever made. This spawned an interest in ST09, followed by ENT ("the one where they wear NASA outfits"). My brother also owns the Star Wars collectors set. He has, of late, become a critic of sci-fi entertainment. Many of our conversations are about which movie or TV show is crap or mediocre or good and why. It adds an extra dimension to our usual aches and pains, family, NASCAR and Carolina Panther football talks.

 

[Greg Cox]

Not to mention Sheldon's dislike for Babylon 5 which is clearly a beloved show by most hardcore sci-fi fans. .

You're forgetting how partisan some fans can be. "Star Wars vs. Star Trek," "Marvel vs. DC," etc. And Sheldon is a hardcore Trekkie so it's possible he saw B-5 as the competition. This is not farfetched; I personally know at least one lifelong Trek fan who would rather die than say anything positive about B-5.

Fans never agree on anything, as this message board proves every day. And we all have our quirky personal likes and dislikes. Sheldon not liking B-5 is just a funny character trait; it doesn't prove that the writers don't know anything about science fiction.

 

[TrickyDickie]

I saw a few brief clips of TBBT and thought it was terrible. Then I sat down and watched a full episode and now I am a fan. Just saw the episode with Wil Wheaton. Nothing is perfect, but the show has a lot going for it, just as it is.

I always enjoyed the movie Saturn 3. It includes one of the most unabashedly frank questions you will find in any film:

"You have a beautiful body. May I use it?"

That's not an approach that I respect, but it's a unique and startling moment in the film, particularly due to Harvey Keitel's fine delivery.

 

[Greg Cox]

You know, I can't resist pointing out that, on this very board today, there are threads debating whether "The Inner Light" is over-rated, and another thread arguing that STAR TREK V isn't really so bad. So the idea that Sheldon might not hold with the conventional wisdom regarding B-5 strikes me as extremely plausible.

You know what would be really unbelievable? Putting four opinionated fans in a room and I assuming that they would all agree on Babylon-5.

Just to belabor the point.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Not to mention Sheldon's dislike for Babylon 5 which is clearly a beloved show by most hardcore sci-fi fans. .

You're forgetting how partisan some fans can be. "Star Wars vs. Star Trek," "Marvel vs. DC," etc. And Sheldon is a hardcore Trekkie so it's possible he saw B-5 as the competition. This is not farfetched; I personally know at least one lifelong Trek fan who would rather die than say anything positive about B-5.

Fans never agree on anything, as this message board proves every day. And we all have our quirky personal likes and dislikes. Sheldon not liking B-5 is just a funny character trait; it doesn't prove that the writers don't know anything about science fiction.

I didn't know we'd met.

 

[Greg Cox]

Not to mention Sheldon's dislike for Babylon 5 which is clearly a beloved show by most hardcore sci-fi fans. .

You're forgetting how partisan some fans can be. "Star Wars vs. Star Trek," "Marvel vs. DC," etc. And Sheldon is a hardcore Trekkie so it's possible he saw B-5 as the competition. This is not farfetched; I personally know at least one lifelong Trek fan who would rather die than say anything positive about B-5.

Fans never agree on anything, as this message board proves every day. And we all have our quirky personal likes and dislikes. Sheldon not liking B-5 is just a funny character trait; it doesn't prove that the writers don't know anything about science fiction.

I didn't know we'd met.

Or maybe now I know two . . . .

 

[Miss Lemon]

I'm ashamed to admit, but I have never seen B-5. Am I even allowed to post on this board?

I'm a big fan of the Big Bang Theory though. And I can't wait to see the episode with Nimoy. Too bad I'll have to wait for another year.

 

[T'Girl]

... Babylon 5 which is clearly a beloved show by most hardcore sci-fi fans.

Beloved ? Hardly...

There is a scene in Pirate of the Caribbean, where a British Officer says to the main pirate: "You're the worst pirate I've ever heard of." To which the main pirate responds with:

"Yes, but you have heard of me."

That why references to Babylon Five works among knowledgeable sci-fi fans, love it or hate it, you know what they're talking about.

 

[Relayer1]

... Babylon 5 which is clearly a beloved show by most hardcore sci-fi fans.

Beloved ? Hardly...

There is a scene in Pirate of the Caribbean, where a British Officer says to the main pirate: "You're the worst pirate I've ever heard of." To which the main pirate responds with:

"Yes, but you have heard of me."

That why references to Babylon Five works among knowledgeable sci-fi fans, love it or hate it, you know what they're talking about.

Let's call it 'well known' rather than 'beloved' then

Fans never agree on anything.

Oh yes we do !
Oh no we don't...

 

[The Grim Ghost]

I've seen people referring to BBT as a "nerd minstrel show" on other boards, which gives me a laugh. Talk about overreactions.

I'm not a huge fan of television, especially sit-coms. But I've seen a few episodes and I thought they were kind of funny. I mean it's no MASH or anything of course. Just a pretty lighthearted silly show that pokes a bit of fun at nerd culture, but also kind of embraces it.

People who say it's mocking nerds or whatever..meh.. I mean they all are portrayed as fairly nice people (except Sheldon, and it's more that he's clueless than mean) with good jobs and I believe most or all of them have girlfriends. Doesn't seem to be too negative of a portrayal to me.

I also like that the show isn't so mean spirited as many other comedies have become.

 

[Miss Lemon]

People who say it's mocking nerds or whatever..meh..

I don't understand this either. For me, BBT is a tribute to us nerds. When I laugh at them, I laugh at myself.

One shouldn't take oneself too seriously. It's unhealthy.

 

[Greg Cox]

I think some fans forget that BBT is a sitcom, intended to make people laugh, and not an educational documentary promoting the positive aspects of sci-fi fandom.

 

[sonak]

I think some fans forget that BBT is a sitcom, intended to make people laugh, and not an educational documentary promoting the positive aspects of sci-fi fandom.

Yes, it's just that it's intended to make people laugh at folks who like sci-fi, or think science is cool, etc. As if being educated, a sci-fi fan, or interested in science is somehow worthy of ridicule.

 

[Sindatur]

I think some fans forget that BBT is a sitcom, intended to make people laugh, and not an educational documentary promoting the positive aspects of sci-fi fandom.

Yes, it's just that it's intended to make people laugh at folks who like sci-fi, or think science is cool, etc. As if being educated, a sci-fi fan, or interested in science is somehow worthy of ridicule.

Just like every other Sitcom - Tooltime was intended to make you laugh at "Mr. Fixit" husbands, Jeff Foxworthy or King of the Hill is intended to make you laugh at Rednecks. If there's shows mocking certain black or Hispanic stereotypes, rednecks, poor people, rich people, etc, etc, what's wrong with a single show that mocks SciFi Geeks?

 

[Miss Lemon]

As if being educated, a sci-fi fan, or interested in science is somehow worthy of ridicule.

Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities.

EDIT: I'm being ironic again, BTW.

 

[Captain April]

Skip BBT. Watch The IT Crowd instead. Much funnier and Moss would crush Sheldon in any geekdown.

 

[Greg Cox]

I think some fans forget that BBT is a sitcom, intended to make people laugh, and not an educational documentary promoting the positive aspects of sci-fi fandom.

Yes, it's just that it's intended to make people laugh at folks who like sci-fi, or think science is cool, etc. As if being educated, a sci-fi fan, or interested in science is somehow worthy of ridicule.

Just like every other Sitcom - Tooltime was intended to make you laugh at "Mr. Fixit" husbands, Jeff Foxworthy or King of the Hill is intended to make you laugh at Rednecks. If there's shows mocking certain black or Hispanic stereotypes, rednecks, poor people, rich people, etc, etc, what's wrong with a single show that mocks SciFi Geeks?

Exactly. Comedies are not about positive role models. They're about people behaving foolishly. And BBT isn't mocking science or science fiction; it's just mocking the occasionally absurd behavior of super-fans with stereotypically awkward social skills.

And if you can't see the funny side of grown adults arguing about how exactly Green Lantern's power ring works (which I have been known to do), and the way this sometimes makes the Penny's of the world roll their eyes, you're taking this stuff way too seriously.

(Says the guy who wrote a 300-page non-fiction guide to Xena: Warrior Princess!)

 

[Miss Lemon]

(Says the guy who wrote a 300-page non-fiction guide to Xena: Warrior Princess!)

Now this deserves ridicule.

And awe.