That’s the question one really has to ask of “The Big Bang Theory,” the latest production from Chuck Lorre, the man responsible for CBS’s most popular sitcom at the moment, “Two and a Half Men.” The premise involves two complete nerds named Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) who have a new sexy neighbor named Penny (Kaley Cuoco) move in across the hall; Leonard is instantly smitten and tries to work out if it’s even remotely possible that he can get together with Penny, while Penny, perhaps inevitably in a sitcom like this, is completely oblivious to both her incredible beauty and the way it affects these two geeks.
Don’t get me wrong: I liked it a lot, and I laughed repeatedly. But I also found my head spinning at the sheer complexity of the punchlines on occasion…and, to be fair, I also felt a little outed as a geek when I saw Sheldon wearing a t-shirt bearing the image of DC Comics hero The Flash and realized that I had the same shirt.
Parsons acknowledged the major mouthfuls he gets saddled with in the pilot. “It was a lot of memorization (and) a lot of writing down lines,” he admitted. “But it was a pleasure. It was…”
“…a lot of takes,” interjected Galecki.
“…a lot of takes,” repeated Parsons. “No, it wasn’t. I did very well. It’s a wonderful thing, actually, that many words, because it’s something good to rely on when you get out there. You got that behind you. You don’t have to think as much. You have to concentrate on getting that damn line out, and then everything else is taking care of itself.”
At the end of the pilot, we’re left wondering if Leonard really has a shot with Penny…and, surprisingly, it doesn’t seem as far-fetched as you’d think. Penny’s a sweetheart, and Leonard clearly really likes her, so you do find yourself rooting for the two to get together. Don’t hold your breath on it happening any time soon, though; Lorre hopes you’ll keep wondering about it for quite some time. “It’s a question that we ask ourselves all the time as we’re writing the series,” he says. “How to develop this long, and if there’s sexual tension, you know, how to take it in ways that it hasn’t been taken before. Are there new paths to take with this kind of a relationship? Can it be consummated? I mean, those are the questions we sit around and ask ourselves all day long when we’re writing the show.”
Adds co-producer Bill Prady, “It’s important to try to listen to the characters, to be true to what Leonard would do next and then to ask the question of, given that he’s done that, does that move him closer to his goal.”
Honestly, I hope they don’t move too fast on moving the pair together. The heart of the series seems to be the relationship between Sheldon and Leonard – and, yes, TV geeks, those names are a very intentional tribute to the famous comedy writer, Sheldon Leonard – as well as the one between the duo and their other two geek buddies, Howard (Simon Helberg, late of “Studio 60”) and Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar). Obviously, watching all four of them react to Penny is hilarious, but, in general, the mere concept of watching these guys attempt to function in normal society is where the comedy really lies for me.
I can’t imagine why I relate to it so much.
