As a mathematician, there are two is one question I’m frequently asked: “What do you think of the show, The Big Bang Theory?” (I used to be asked what I thought about Numbers, but apparently the show has ended).
I’m starting a new feature here on An Orthogonal Universe Blog: Ry Recommends. While I would prefer to review books, I thought a review of TBBT would be a good way to kick off the feature. It addresses what seems to be the biggest thing people want to know about me.
For the record, I’m only addressing season 1. This would probably be the most useful for people who haven’t seen the show, since the box sets are available. Also, I live in a TV black hole, so I only watch shows when I buy the sets.
At its core, TBBT feels like “Friends, with physics.” The show revolves around two physicists: Leonard and Sheldon, their friends, and their neighbor, Penny.
Leonard is portrayed as a very bright intellectual who wants to “fit in,” but often struggles to. Sheldon is portrayed as eccentric, a former child prodigy with peculiar habits and a lack of social skills. Penny seems to function as the everyman. She aspires to acting, and works a day job as a waitress. Most of the episodes focus on the implied romance between Leonard and Penny, Sheldon’s eccentricities, or “geek culture.”
There are two things I feel the writers really nailed. The problem with targeting the “science and math crowd” is that you have to make sure you get your science and math right. You’re targeting a group of people who would pounce on a mistake like a cat on a laser pointer dot. It’s a challenge on the level of taking up “Grammar Nazi” as a hobby – one which requires impeccable grammar. So kudos for TBBT for staying on top of things.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well the writers were able to work in jokes about mathematics and physics that didn’t rely on being an expert in either. Much of the humor comes from the Leonard and Sheldon’s attempts to fit into the “normal world,” and find connections to people outside of their realm of physicists.
Such humor can be great if done right, and for the most part I think it is. Where I feel the show falls flat is when jokes are derived from stereotypes. There are a few instances where this appears to be the case.
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In the first season, there seems to be a very clear line drawn between “geeks” and “regular people,” which hardly reflects the experiences I had in 5 1/2 years of graduate school, and 3 years as a professor.
What worries me a bit is the message, “if you want to study advanced, theoretical level science, you will have to deal with the realities of being an outcast from ‘normal’ society.”
While I never felt this message was purposefully broadcast, I think, at times, the show could do a better job showing that the division between “people who think like Sheldon” and “people who think like Penny” is not so black-and-white, that there are plenty of people in between.
Perhaps the inclusion of new characters would help fill in those gaps. As I stated before, I’m only addressing the first season. I’m aware new characters were introduced later.
The final verdict: I am planning to purchase the next few seasons. I’m fairly picky when it comes to TV, because I don’t watch a lot of it. This is a pretty solid show, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops.
