Though my preference in television has long evolved away from the traditional sitcoms of my youth to hour-long dramas and half-hour comedies with high concepts and no laugh tracks, one throwback show has managed to be one of the few new series this year to keep its grasp on me: The Big Bang Theory. Yes, I know, it follows a lot of the predictable setups and punch lines — hot waitress moves in across the hall from twenty-something physicists, laughs ensue — that dozens of other cookie-cutter sitcoms rely on, but the writers and actors provide interesting variables to the typical equation.
Kaley Cuoco (Penny), last seen on 8 Simple Rules, is more than just a body, bringing a good deal of sass and normalcy to the party. Johnny Galecki (Leonard), he of Rosanne fame, and relative newcomer Jim Parsons (Sheldon) have great chemistry and almost dead-on comic timing. The resultant stew, which boils over when Leonard tries to score with Penny and Sheldon points out the improbability of said hookup, is more entertaining than most of the items on a similar menu. Add in a few of Leonard and Sheldon’s geek friends and a theme song by the Barenaked Ladies and it’s an unequivocal success.
Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5
What BNL song is the theme song?