The Big Bang Theory, Season 1, CBS Television

With the writer's strike halting production of TV shows for the majority of the TV season, I've not had too many shows to review lately. I also prefer dramas over comedies, as they're often just not that funny IMHO. At any rate, even given the above, and the abbreviated season, there was one show that I really enjoyed. A good comedy should mirror life, and this one hit the nail on the head.

The show I'm talking about is The Big Bang Theory. Here we have a group of four Cal-Tech post doctoral physicists that personify the nerd lifestyle. These guys have whiteboards with equations on them in their apartment's living room. Much of the plot focuses on roommates Leonard and Sheldon. They entertain themselves with Klingon Boggle, have their cereal organized by fiber content, and play Halo 3 every Wednesday. As much as they are alike, the tension develops because Sheldon is the child prodigy who truly doesn't fit into the real world outside the protective bubble of the college campus. Leonard, on the other hand, is not quite his intellectual equal, but wants to get romantically involved with their neighbor, Penny. She is far simpler, no intellectual giant, and rather pretty. While Sheldon is just about oblivious to her beauty, Leonard obsesses with asking her out, but never seems to be able to accomplish this.

Joining this love triangle of a physics sort are co-scientists Howard and Raj. Howard is socially inept and equates sex with love. Raj is foreign born, and I chuckle every time he talks about not liking Indian food.

There were eight episodes made this season, so we definitely got shortchanged. Still, reportedly it got picked up for next year, assuming that the writers will be producing scripts, which seems likely, and with some luck, we'll see a few more episodes this season. The Big Bang Theory makes me laugh, and think, which is quite rare these days (and I see a little piece of Sheldon in many of us).

Overall Grade: A

Reviewed by Jonas

See full episodes here.



More video clips here.

PS: I've never played Klingon Boggle.