Lawyer up, bitches!
October 5, 2007
Those of you who’ve been with me for a while might remember my posting about The Big Bang Theory on my previous site. How about that photo? Remind you of anything? And the set? Look familiar? Nerds? Pretty girl? Anyone?
Hey, NBC or CBS or whichever the hell one you are, I own the copyright on this shit! Everyone who watches this show owes me 50p!
And guess who’s running it over here? Channel 4! I ask you, where’s the love? Where’s the loyalty? And to top it all, to TOP IT ALL…
Well, to top it all, it looks absolutely brilliant. Funny, sweet, amazing cast, great gags, characters you ‘get’ within ten seconds of their arriving on screen..well, don’t just take my word for it. Watch this…
Who knows, maybe in the end the thing with be a hugging and learning shitfest, but on this evidence…well, I can’t wait.
(UPDATE: they took the clip away. Silly, because I couldn’t find anything from the show of the same quality to post up. Still, I’m curious to see if this one ends up worthy of the actors involved.)
Why, That\'s Delightful! 
Wow. That looks really bad. So bad that I can smell the cancelled off of it all the way over here in Dublin.
Although what’s-her-face from that show with Peggy-Leela and the guy who died is its one redeeming feature but not enough of one to make it watchable.
Oh, and I wouldn’t sue if I were you… people might start thinking you had some hand in its creation if you do.
It does look good fun, but you have absolutely nothing to worry about.. how far can they go with the ‘geeks trying to get laid by the sexy neighbour’ plot?
You guys are crazy. It looks amazing.
Yeah, I think it looks really good but there is definitely room for both sitcoms – they’re different enough.
No one (or twenty writers) can come up with plots that you do so originality is always on your side.
I think it looks promising, although I understand the hate. I think it’s a knee-jerk reaction to sit-coms in general.
I hated the IT Crowd first time I saw it, I missed out on the entire first season and then caught it by accident early in the second season and actually found myself really liking it.
I’ve since gone back and caught up, not only with the IT Crowd but Black Books too.
Plus, in this short format it feels very false and one dimensional. With a full episode the characters would grow on you.
Have to say it looks like a suckfest to me. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over the competition if I were you.
Thanks for giving it another chance, Toilets! (I love these names).
I think Toilets is right. What is this immediate hostility to any new sitcom? Which joke in that clip DOESN’T work?
Nice to see Darlene’s boyfriend back too after his humiliation on the last few seasons of ‘Roseanne’. He was always one of the best things about that show.
I think it looks good. It’s hardly a carbon copy of the IT crowd either is it? I mean nerds wanting to bone the hot chick is hardly a new concept… There is plenty of space for two more good comedies out there!
OK, I give up, what is it a rip-of off?
I’ll prepare myself for the firebombs coming my way for not knowing :)
I liked the look of it. I think in this post 9-Office world people are overly sniffy about three camera, studio sitcoms. Give it a chance, twenty minutes later it’s gone.
yeah, that’s annoyingly funny. i was willing to hate this for you graham! for you! *cuts off own arm*
“well today we tried masturbating for money” is definitely my new playground catchphrase
I watch this… it’s pretty good. The conversation about superman in episode 2 will make all true geeks happy.
It’s equal parts Frasier, Friends and IT Crowd.
]-[unt
I don’t know what you’re all on about – it looks like every other typical American sit-com.
They just take any joke and go so over the top and in your face it loses any possibility of being funny.
And the whole nerds living next door to a hottie – wow real original guys, good going, its really going to run for ages.
RE: hostility. I think people may be over-supportive of IT Crowd here that’s all. I’m always open to new comedy, altho some may be cynical as there has been a fair bit of rubbish broadcast of late.
This series looks great from the trailer. Can’t wait to see it.
Don’t quite understand the sentiment that this is even close to a copy of the IT Crowd. Is it simply because it has nerds in it? If that’s the case, I and most of the people I work with are owned by Linehan Enterprises.
I think people have been too caught up on ‘The Office’ phenomenom recently (can’t spell that word) and have been producing lots of crap recently (there’s nothing wrong with a reasonable laugh track you bastards!).
The Office never made me laugh out loud. It was funny, but it didn’t brighten my day like the IT crowd did. I’ve already laughed on the trailer of Big Bang (and rejoiced at a periodic table shower curtain), so, in my opinion, it’s already ahead of ninety nine percent of the other shitcoms out there at the moment.
If anything it is quite similar to “Stacked”, that sitcom with Pamela Anderson working in the book store. Two nerdy guys, one gorgeous, ditzy girl… Awful muck.
However, this does possess one or two promising jokes. I shall reserve judgement for now :D
Och! It looks shit! They’re just stereotypical geeks and the girl is a stereotypical moronic blonde. Admittedly I was too annoyed to watch the whole clip but most of the jokes involving the girl seem to be no more than “she’s *so* stupid! Geddit! Ha!” She believes in astrology because she’s stupid, bloke gives perfectly clear explanation of why astrology is bullshit, but she doesn’t even understand his explanation, because she’s too stupid, ha ha! Yes I know, you do find people who are more or less stereotypical geeks and every now and again you meet a girl who is more or less that daft but the whole set up just seems lazy and predictable.
That’s one of the things I love about the IT Crowd, Roy is no stereotypical geek and Jen, while she doesn’t understand computers, is intelligent, often witty, has an actual personality, and the audience laughs with her a lot and not just at her.
Like a great many American sitcoms, it trades on Stereotypes.
BUT, there’s some good acting, and I think the characters will flesh out over time.
It has legs, but I think they’re little, withered ones right now. They’ll grow!
Some good jokes. And yes, I see the parallels. They owe you money, Graham!
I think Toilets is right. What is this immediate hostility to any new sitcom? Which joke in that clip DOESN’T work?
I’d consider myself pretty open minded about all or most new programming… the whole premise for this programme is so weak, though, and the jokes are just poorly constructed on top of that.
The plot actually reminds me, to some degree, of Joey – the likeable, attractive but somewhat dim character moves in with or next to the hyper-intelligent but socially inept character with hilarious results.
It’s just the protagonists of this attempt seem to focus on the clever one(s) rather than the nice-but-dim one.
The Big Bang Theory is hilarious.
Sara Gilbert comes on this Monday to play Johnny Galecki’s love interest in a Roseanne reunion.
Also Laurie Metcalf (Jackie on Roseanne) comes on the following week to play Sheldon’s mother.
This show looks really good. I hope it keeps it up.
well done graham on the second series. It will be missed tonight. I think that you really did great work and to write it solo is very commendable. The funeral scenes were my favourite particularly FAAAATHA! and IM here PAA PAA from douglas…but all of it was brilliant.Its great to have a dub making real sitcoms in england and I salute you with a jolly Thumbs up!
I’ll give it a “not bad”, and considering the state of television in the US, that’s pretty good.
I want that periodic table shower curtain. I almost got a periodic table tattoo once…
[…] Bang Theory als kleine Überbrückung empfohlen. Graham Linehan, Erschaffer der IT Crowd himself, sagt dazu grob wie es ist: Those of you who’ve been with me for a while might remember my posting […]
Yesterday’s IT Crowd was rubbish. It had nothing to do with computers or any of the main cast and no clear reasons were given how Nicholas Burns’s character went from musical director to solicitor or why he’d changed his name.
I hate this new direction. :'(
This actually reminded me of Men Behaving Badly.
Thanks for pointing out that it was David from Roseanne in the lead, it was making my head hurt trying to work it out.
Also, I tend to agree with the haters on this one, the show looks too cheesy and American still, like Perfect Strangers meets Revenge of the Nerds.
Yours is way better :)
eg I appreciate that you never wrote in a part for a “hot chick” without some interesting back story, like the “formerly hot chick” from the dinner episode which was a touch of genious.
Thanks to all the people weighing in on my behalf, but I really am looking forward to this show and I don’t see it as a competitor.
The nay-sayers remind me of the anti-Seinfeld lobby. “I didn’t like the music.”. “Kramer annoys me but I’ve only ever seen clips”. Please.
Trailer not available anymore T_T
Am I the only here to think there are more and more “geeks” shows nowadays? The IT Crowd, Chuck (which is brilliant) and now The Big Bang Theory.
I’ve seen the first two episodes of this show. The actors are ok, but the dialouge is often forced and unnatural. I didn’t care much for it, but I watched the second episode just to give it a another chance. Still don’t like it much.
There are a few laughs, but the writers have the “geeks” spewing technical scientific jargon too much to be natural. I think a lot of my fellow Americans will watch it to feel clever. They still won’t be.
I guess it’s a tad better than most U.S. sitcoms, but it’s no Arrested Development.
That’s my 2cents (or pence) as a comedy nerd.
The nay-sayers remind me of the anti-Seinfeld lobby. “I didn’t like the music.”. “Kramer annoys me but I’ve only ever seen clips”. Please.
That’s pretty dismissive – and it’s not taking into account what people are actually saying.
From what I’m seeing in the comments here most of the nay-sayers, including myself, have problems with the premise because it’s the same format that has been used for decades, going back to The Odd Couple.
The lives of two people, or two groups of people, collide and their personality differences lead to hilariousness, shits and giggles.
It’s so formulaic it’s hard to see what makes it worth watching.
I mean, what’s the betting the hot chick invites the geeks over to her house party within the first 2-3 episodes and they all freak out because there are other hot chicks there too?
You see, with The IT Crowd there was the odd joke based on the personality differences of the geeks and the non-geeks but it wasn’t the premise of the entire show. That’s why it worked.
The same can be proven with Friends’ success and Joey’s failure – the whole “stupid guy amongst clever people” worked as a joke here and there, even a few per episode, but when it was the basis of an entire series it was a massive failure.
All that said, I’ll likely try and catch the pilot to see what it’s really like, because trailers don’t always give much away, but I’m not expecting much. If it was a case that they just happened to be geeks and she just happened to be a hot and scientifically ignorant woman I’d have some hope – but it looks like that’s the whole thing and nothing more.
Wait, I’m dismissive? What about the people who are judging it without even watching the whole clip (gone now, I know, but still)?
I have to say, after seeing some more of it, it does have a bit of a standard set-up/response, set-up/response feel, but I still get a good feeling from most of the actors. Their Moss isn’t as good as my one, though.
I kinda’ enjoyed it. Some very funny lines and you absolutely believe in Jim Parsons as Sheldon, and it’s nice to see a throwback like Back To You in these single-camera cringe-fest days.
Is television really so bad that we need to watch stuff that’s so-so? Personally I have trouble finding the time to watch all the good stuff let alone the mediocre… and there is a lot of good stuff coming out of both the US and the UK in recent years. Even here in NZ we are working out how to make TV that isn’t shit :) eg check out the comedy gold that is Flight of the Conchords.
Wait, I’m dismissive? What about the people who are judging it without even watching the whole clip (gone now, I know, but still)?
I have to say, after seeing some more of it, it does have a bit of a standard set-up/response, set-up/response feel, but I still get a good feeling from most of the actors. Their Moss isn’t as good as my one, though.
That’s fair enough – I’m sure some commentators here didn’t watch the clip but I’d say a lot did too.
Obviously you can’t judge a show based on a trailer anyway, but you can get a good feel for it (like when you see a comedy movie’s trailer that doesn’t make you laugh and you think “oh no… and that’s supposed to be the film’s strongest selling point?!!”, or you do laugh but realise that you’ve now seen all the funny bits anyway.)
(As for the Flight of The Conchord’s, markp, was very disappointed with what I saw… had heard nothing but good stuff from US websites prior to its debut on British – and as a result Irish – TV but it just didn’t tickle me at all; can’t even explain why)
For those who missed the trailer there are large numbers of clips on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/thebigbangtheory
There are more geek shows, because there are more geeks around. They’re taking over!
After hearing about Bang from this blog, an episode came on later that night a little after the beginning (the one where his old roseanne girlfriend is in) and I thought it was pretty good, so I downloaded the episodes before it and it has the geek jargon I was expecting from IT Crowd (which I heard about from a Brit online).
That’s not a disappointment in IT I just expected it to have that.
Yes, it’s the same old premise. I don’t have a lot of Brit tv knowledge (but I was allowed to enjoy Benny Hill at a very young age) to compare to American tv; I don’t watch much tv for a reason; most of it sucks (not counting cable here)
There is good stuff out there but not enough to want to keep me tuned in every week because most of it is shit. So if I do really like it, I download it.
There are only a handful of Prime-time hit shows that have different premises. You got you’re CSI’s, Hospital settings, home family sitcoms…you get it.
So I don’t think it’s necessarily the premise, it’s the comic delivery/timing, character arc and of course writing. I’m not sure who’s more impatient for the unfoldment of characters through a season or trial run or whatever; the execs or the viewers?; but it really seems to be on a short leash these days.
So, Big Bang, I watched all that have been shown, and I like it. Will it last? I doubt it.
Anyway, you’ve got your “normal” sufficiently social geek (Rosy’s daughter’s boyfriend), the pessimistic geekier geek (guy from Garden State; I like his schtick), the really socially inept geek (Indian) and the Geek who tries to be a suave ladies man.
Decent enough combo for comedy and I like all the geek references and in this day and age if you live in a city and use the internet daily I think most will get the jokes (but not so much in the midwest, there’s still a lot of dial-up around there if at all)
and one hot neighbor who’s nice enough not to be grossed out or ignore them. I think the guys make a good combination and have good chemistry and timing. Yes, maybe a little overboard on elaborate speaking…
If they try to get success from making the neighbor and Rosy boy as a love interest, that’s retarded, and we really need more envelope pushing and getting away from the stale formulas of that; and of course that’s where Rosy daughter comes in, AND she works with him. Hmmmm. You think they might end up working out? After say the end of the 2nd season that will be the cliffhanger? If it were to last that long? So if anyone who has enough insight into typical tv formulas the writers should please please please work on something less predictable, especially when it will be obvious, which is where I think good comedy is being successful at at this point; making you wonder if they’ll do the same old thing or if they’ll flip it; and how so? The delivery. Seinfeld basically worked off one formula, but look how well it did and was. Kind of the same “premise” as Friends, but not gay (sorry I hate political correctness and I mean no offense, except to Friends)
House can be a good show, great character interaction, decent arcs, but the formula; STALE (Patient comes in; they think it’s simple, they realize it isn’t and go through a bunch of different things to try it out; House needs a buzz, some love triangle mingling, a couple close characters as his conscience; House takes a chance in killing patient to save him because patient will die anyway, patient lives. House was right, he can be a dick but he saves lives)(Hugh Laurie is awesome btw) but the formula? Sure there’s some arc, love interests and the occasional patient dying.
So anyway, what’s the deal with IT then? And only 6 episodes for season 2? Are the execs ruining it? Was there not enough forethought put into enough shows?
I think the best parts of great shows are when they step away from the usual setting and experiment a bit.
Ooh, here’s a good example. MASH.
Well, I’d love to see IT and even Big Bang work out, but maybe it seems they weren’t sure the show was going to take off in the first place so there wasn’t enough planning to have a larger multi-season plot along with smaller ones (per-show and per-season) arcs to keep it fresh and innovative?
Maybe that’s why Lost (meh) and Heroes (yay) do so well, because they had the whole thing planned out, know how many seasons it’s going to be (possibly) so it’s just a matter of getting it hammered out.
(Sorry, I went off a little, just got off a hectic 12 hour grunt work shift but had to chime in)
Well, I wish you success on what you’re working on and any underdog show that seems predictable and lame at first but ends up going another way and doing well. Like….when the writers and producers grow personally and professionally and that’s channeled through to the show so there’s always progression (yet finding a good balance between progression and status quo is nice, like…work)
I dunno. All the best.
Oh and I wasn’t inferring anything about your shows and writing, just in general. I’m not familiar with your work except IT (I should’ve wiki’d beforehand) but I will look up Father Ted and if I dig it I’ll get the DVDs along with IT (iF you’ll get a decent cut from it)
Mm. Watched this on an American Airlines flight recently.. thought it was crap, but I agree with you that it’s more accessible.
I really didn’t like the IT Crowd until episode 1.3.
[…] Siempre había sido algo reticente a verla porque, según el creador de mi adorada The IT Crowd, rozaba el plagio, pero leí (no logro recordar dónde) que uno de los protagonistas sufría el Síndrome de […]