# The Big Bang Theory: worth continuing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 4, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595 "2024-01-04T15:44:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/81 "2024-01-06T00:37:49Z")
Ok. But it started randomly. I never watched these shows before hand. Certainly not when they were new. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/82 "2024-01-11T05:12:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I never thought that, because I saw myself and my friends in their portrayal; to me it felt authentic, allowing for exaggeration for sitcom purposes. Actions: ridiculous, but character portrayal: reasonably accurate. This. And Sheldon was the uber-nerd, making the others look a lot more normal by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/83 "2024-01-11T05:39:35Z")
[quote] AFAICT, there was never a satisfactory explanation for why the Penny character would ever actually love somebody like the Leonard character, weak, whiny, and insecure as he was.[/quote] My wife is infinitely more attractive than I am. I’m sure anyone who knew both of us questioned why she would love me. Love is an odd thing. (After many years I started saying that that it could only be one of three things. “I am either rich, in possession of a big dick, or am a really nice guy. Everyone knows I am not rich, and frankly I am happy for people to believe either of the other two.” 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/84 "2024-01-11T12:08:27Z")
Since some of you have mentioned _The Dick Van Dyke Show_, let me mention one of the things in it that was most surprising at the time. In one episode, Laura confesses to Rob that she was only 17 when they got married, although she told him at the time that she was 18. It wasn’t legal to get married at the place where they got married if one of the couple was under 18. That means that technically they weren’t legally married at that point and that technically Richie was illegitimate. They decided to quickly get married (at a courthouse or some such). ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/85 "2024-01-11T17:30:06Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > AFAICT, there was never a satisfactory explanation for why the Penny character would ever actually love somebody like the Leonard character, weak, whiny, and insecure as he was. That seemed like one of the more realistic relationships on the show. In my 20s I saw a lot of attractive female friends gradually come to the realization that while a lot of guys wanted to sleep with them, someone that liked them/love them was more difficult to find. Leonard for all his flaws, was crazy about her. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2024, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/86 "2024-01-11T17:42:49Z")
There was one episode where Penny had been interacting with her ex Leonard and her current BF Zack at the same time, and the differences in their intellects seemed to really be driven home to her. I think it was the turning point in realizing her feelings for Leonard. Smart _isn’t_ the “new sexy”; it has always been sexy, at least IMO. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/87 "2024-01-12T16:23:40Z")
I have only seen the show in occasionally, mostly as something on in the background at my in-law’s. I agree with what was said early in the thread about the characters seeming like nerds written as what the popular crowd thinks nerds are like. However, I do have to give credit to the writing and cast. The show is well performed, and many of the jokes are funny. To me, the biggest criticism of any sitcom is that it’s not funny, and this one, to me and obviously many others, is funny much of the time. I’ll never get into it, because I find the characters a parody that is too far from the mark, but at least it makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/88 "2024-01-12T16:50:23Z")
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Penny having Leonard as her boyfriend, then fiancé, and finally husband. It’s made clear that her previous boyfriends were jerks or a little stupid. A real problem is that the show’s writers apparently didn’t understand what intelligent nerds would be interested in. The four guys never discuss written science fiction and fantasy novels, short stories, and authors. They only talk about movies, comic books, and animation. Nerds as smart as the four guys would have read a lot of books in the science fiction and fantasy genres. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/89 "2024-01-12T18:24:51Z")
They had to for the jokes to work. Any reference to “Stand On Zanzibar” or “Dhalgren”, for example, would go over everyone’s heads. Hell, most people don’t even get Shakespeare references! “Read a book, people!” - Wayne Brady ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/90 "2024-01-12T18:48:49Z")
If you want Shakespeare references, watch “Slings and Arrows.” Or “The Chair”…. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/91 "2024-01-12T18:58:19Z")
One of the biggest fights between Leonard and Sheldon was about spoiling the Harry Potter books. Leonard and Priya bonded over “The Taming of the Shrew.” Overall, there’s too much to reference, so I didn’t mind it. I never got any of the gaming references (tabletop, card or video) and that was fine. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/92 "2024-01-12T19:02:23Z")
And Penny once acted in a production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/93 "2024-01-12T19:11:41Z")
Was that the one over the bowling alley? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/94 "2024-01-12T19:14:23Z")
Close - that was a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.” (At least it wasn’t under another bowling alley…) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595/95 "2024-01-12T19:21:41Z")
Ive watched most of _The Big Bang Theory_ and I’ve enjoyed it - and I’m generally a jaded guy. I didn’t watch it when it aired and I never really binged it but I’ve caught most of the episodes in random syndication. But here’s the thing - it’s a theory that holds with most sit-coms: - the first season is mostly set-up - the second season they figure out what works and it gets good - the third season, they fine tune it and they’re cruising and it’s great - the fourth season they start to run out of ideas - the fifth season sucks. I like the British model where series are basically set up to run for 4 seasons (or series, as they put it across the pond) and they’re out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-worth-continuing/995595.md?page=4)