The Big Bang Theory is a made-for-TV sitcom about four geniuses and the people they meet throughout life. The show ran for 12 years and began with almost a completely unknown cast. However, throughout its run it had a shocking amount of celebrity guest appearances, many of which were recurring.
One of the best parts of The Big Bang Theory is that it doesn’t act everything out as picture perfect, even though the writers easily could’ve. It doesn’t show the often used route of couples who don’t argue and move from relationship to marriage to kids in a couple of years. The show represents imperfect relationships, in fact these relationships are often some of the biggest plot lines. Leonard and Penny’s relationship represents how men aren’t always the head of the relationship and how sometimes couples don’t get married immediately. Their relationship also shows how not all women dream of being mothers and having children. Sheldon and Amy’s relationship shows how having trouble adjusting to being in a relationship is perfectly normal and how couples don’t always have perfect communication. Their relationship does an amazing job of helping to represent ‘abnormal’ relationships. The show can help people see that their relationships don’t have to be perfect to be happy.
As previously mentioned, the show is 12 seasons long and averages about 25 minutes per episode. If you look at most shows now, especially on Netflix, the seasons are short and the episodes can get so long they seem more like movies. With the show ending right before this era of TV began, it is one of the last current shows to have this style of episodes. One big part about the show that many people do not miss, is the laugh track. It could be argued that the laugh track is cheesy and overdone, but it has been a key part of comedy for decades. Think about those light up ‘applause’ signs that queue real life audiences to cheer, it is essentially the same concept and it really marks the show as a comedy series. Although it can definitely get irritating and shows can absolutely be funny without them, the laugh track is a classic aspect of comedy that is dying out in more modern shows.
The Big Bang Theory plot lines generally revolve around scenarios that could actually happen to real people, while also exaggerating them to make the situations more funny and entertaining. Many shows now put the characters in unrealistic situations that audiences find hard to relate to. The actors also portray the characters really well, with their acting seeming natural and the cast chemistry being undeniable. Most of the characters are portrayed as geniuses, but their jobs show more realistic workplaces and it is a good representation of how anyone can achieve greatness with the right amount of effort. The characters are relatable, but each very different so everyone can find parts of themselves in each and every character.
