Why I don't watch The Big Bang Theory

Someone recently asked me whether I watched the TV programme Big Bang Theory. Their surprise at my “no” reply got me thinking. Why don't I watch it? Cos all the ingredients seem to be there. You know, their references to pop culture, video games, technology, superheroes! So I've thought about it & here's why:

Delivery is bland and formulaic.

Despite all these interesting references thrown in, they are usually delivered in a tedious formulaic fashion. Mostly it seems, from their sofa, lines dribbling out of their mouths “blah blah blah” - laughter track. There's no punchy (Do we still say punchy?) editing or camera angles/shots, just static shots of people sitting/standing on their x - spot plodding through their lines, yawn.

Aaaghhh there is a laughter track!!!

I detest laughter tracks with every fibre of my being! Most people with an actual sense of humour realise these exist to disguise the vacuum of real comedy. Even if it's filmed in front of a studio audience the result is the same - a laughter track telling you when to laugh.

The characters are stereotypical geeks All the main characters are bi-dimensional stereotypes: geeks lacking social skills, and frankly pathetic. I'm a geek, and sure I share some of their characteristics. I do however, have more facets than a coin. As do any other geek types I know and so...

I can't help comparing it to Spaced The vastly superior British comedy. A programme that projectile vomited surreal tasting creativity in your face. It threw in relevant up-to-date references - sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle. It credited us with the intelligence to work them out. It respected the interests of the characters. These characters were into comics, video games, quoting Sci-fi films. But they weren't painted as just “geeks” but as complex people who happen to have particular interests. This programme was relevant to the age group it portrayed. This was of course because the programme was written by the two young leads, unlike BBT which was created by two middle- aged men. This was similar for the thankfully forgotten “Game on” (one of the writers was born in 1936!) I still get angry about that offal even now . BBT doesn't seem to like it's main characters, it just appears to be taking the piss out of these people. It's like it's saying “look at these people's unimportant interests, look how foolish they are, they are complete gits for playing LAN games, see intelligent people aren't threatening, they're just sad inadequates” 

 Just think -   Spaced predated BBT by around 7 years and yet it's light years ahead (that's about 6 trillion miles x a lot)

I love you Spaced! and I always will! I'm bored of moaning so will just concentrate on my profound love of Spaced before I retire for the evening