The Big Bang Theory pilot had been floating around YouTube for months before its official premiere on September 24, 2007, on CBS. Here’s how the network describes it:
“Meet two brainiacs with a lot to learn. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) can tell their quarks from their quantum physics, but have no clue how women add up. Leave it to their pretty new neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco), just off a messy breakup, to teach them a thing or two.”
At first glance, it may not sound all that funny—but trust me, it is.
Created by Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady, the show has been getting glowing reviews, and deservedly so. I was laughing constantly. The Big Bang Theory thrives on “nerd humor,” which, admittedly, doesn’t land for everyone. Some friends who watched the pilot didn’t find it funny at all. Sure, it leans into clichés—the “girl next door” is once again a hot, somewhat ditzy blonde—but what show doesn’t rely on stereotypes? (Remember the debate over The Shield and its portrayal of police corruption? I touched on that in Dexter and The Shield: Bad Is Good.)
It took me a while to embrace my geeky tendencies, so hearing them reflected in a TV show is both surprising and oddly validating. And since we’re being honest… yes, I watch Battlestar Galactica (impatiently waiting for the fourth and final season), I once played Klingon Boggle, I owned a lightsaber (but never went as far as Darth Vader shampoo), I play World of Warcraft (Alliance, with a tiger pet—reroll, because my first was a dark priest), and I genuinely laughed at the “212 friends on MySpace” and “Save it for your blog” lines. Oh, and that periodic table shower curtain? Where can I get one?!
As for the characters, I really like Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), self-proclaimed “Casanova of Caltech.” He’s a total caricature, but a hilarious one (“Bonne douche!”). My hope is that the show stays fresh and doesn’t run out of clever material. There’s a fine line between sharp humor and over-the-top caricature, and if the writers start relying too heavily on slapstick or cheap jokes, they risk losing their audience. Time will tell.
And to answer the question in the title of this post? No, I’m definitely more of a geek than a nerd. Or… a dork? (How NERDY are you?)