The Big Bang Theory Review

I inadvertently got a preview of the new CBS show, The Big Bang Theory, while flipping channels very early one morning. On Comedy Central, Tivo sponsored the airing at the ungodly hour. I had seen commercials and read about it so I know it is from Chuck Lorre, and it is about a couple of socially inept geniuses named Sheldon(Jim Parsons) and Leonard(Johnny Galecki) who live together, and a pretty blonde( Kaley Cuoco), who is not a genius, moves next door. Lorre contributed to the shows Dharma and Greg and Two and a Half Men. While I can not get into Men(Charlie Sheen has never appealed to me), I loved the quirkiness of D and G, and I find this same quirkiness in BBT.

I've always liked Johnny Galecki who played the much abused David on Roseanne, but Jim Parsons, who I've never heard of, is the standout character. While Galecki plays the misfit nerd well, Parsons' character is hilarious as the more socially inept of the two and has the best lines. It might just be me, but his acting reminds me of David Hyde Pierce's droll delivery in Frasier. Cuoco is serviceable as the blonde, and the friends(played by Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar) are worse misfits than the main characters, if that's possible. Helberg did not do much for me, but Naayar was adorable as he could not talk around women. This is only the first show, and I know it could go downhill as so many sitcoms do, but I hope the show keeps up the good work. We misfit nerds need representation.