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I've just seen the 100th episode of TBBT on E4+1 here in the UK. I've not watched the show before. I liked what I saw.
I'm hopeing that theres a box set available or a rerun of the episodes from the beginning. Does anyone know where I could watch the series from the beginning?
David. -
i have all 5 series
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In the UK, E4 seem to be running series 1-4 on a continuous loop with 2 eps per day, 6 days a week at around 6PM and again at variable times around midnight.
'Series record' is your friend!
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SNAP!!!
E4 and E4+1 have been showing Seasons 1 through 4 in a loop.
2 episodes per night 6 days a week starting 6pm E4 (7pmE4+1).
So keep watching and eventually see the first one.
Season 5 is showing 8pm Thursdays E4
I got seasons 1-4 on DVD but I still watch the reruns on E4 when I've got nowt better to do. 8^) -
That show is the worst.
http://youtu.be/vfFd_wOQsGQ
If you don't like it, maybe you should just keep your mouth shut. The OP said he liked it. I don't think he was looking for your opinion. -
That show is the worst.
http://youtu.be/vfFd_wOQsGQ
If you don't like it, maybe you should just keep your mouth shut. The OP said he liked it. I don't think he was looking for your opinion.
If you don't like my comment, maybe you should just keep your mouth shut. I said i didn't like it. I don't think i was looking for your opinion. -
That show is the worst.
http://youtu.be/vfFd_wOQsGQ
If you don't like it, maybe you should just keep your mouth shut. The OP said he liked it. I don't think he was looking for your opinion.
If you don't like my comment, maybe you should just keep your mouth shut. I said i didn't like it. I don't think i was looking for your opinion.
Actually what you said wasn't a simple comment about you not liking the show.
Which would have been fine, as everyone is welcome to have their opinion
What you in-fact said was a general statement "That show is the worst".
A false statement intended to start an argument because it's common knowledge that the show is generally quite popular.
Further more you failed to backup your statement because the posted clip was funny.
Why anyone would pick this subject to start an argument is beyond me.
Since Dave likes the show bashing it seems like a bad idea. -
Anyway...
To djsb, You can watch free episodes of TBBT here:
http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/the_big_bang_theory/ -
Actually what you said wasn't a simple comment about you not liking the show.
Well it was an opinion maybe it was phrased wrong.
Which would have been fine, as everyone is welcome to have their opinionWhat you in-fact said was a general statement "That show is the worst".
Calling it a false statement doesn't make it so, it's an opinion. Saying something is the worst is just an expression.
A false statement intended to start an argument because it's common knowledge that the show is generally quite popular.
The show is aimed at geeks, nerds and whatever buzzword they have this week, it does so by referencing certain stuff from popular culture without actual jokes. It also does this by aiming it at dumb people, so they can basically say "see I'm smart I watch a show about science".
It also gets a lot of stuff wrong in general. Then there is the horrible horrible laugh track, never mind that the laugh track basically says "the audience is too dumb to know when to laugh", if you took out all the laugh track (and the pauses they do waiting for the audience to stop laughing) the show would be a third shorter.
Something being popular doesn't make it automatically good.Further more you failed to backup your statement because the posted clip was funny.
I see we didn't watch the same clip.Why anyone would pick this subject to start an argument is beyond me.
I do not care if dave likes it or not, this is irrelevant, dave doesn't like a lot of things, that doesn't mean I am not allowed to talk about it.
Since Dave likes the show bashing it seems like a bad idea. -
Allow me to add fuel to the fire. Indeed, the show sucks ass. It's not even funny, it desperately clings on the overused laugh-track to tell dumb viewers when to think it's funny. But tits lessens the pain.
Popularity is not a good indicator of quality, Jersey Shore is popular..In fact a great portion of TOTAL internet traffic chatter is about JS. So what does that tell you? -
I'm not offended if someone doesn't like a TV show that I like. When I watched an episode for the first time I didn't get what the fuss was about. But last night something clicked, probably helped by some of the behind the scenes interviews. It also depends on WHEN you watch a show. Some days nothing can make me laugh, other times laughter comes easily same as everyone else.
Compared to some of the crap BBC situation comedies with canned laughter that have been imposed on us over the last few years this show is great. There is a semi improvised script writing going on as well which helps.
My favourite BBC comedy series of the last year or so has to be Outnumbered. There is no canned laughter involved and the cast improvise all the way through.
Anyway I'm going to stick with this for a while. Everyone needs some comedy and humour to lighten things up.
David. -
The show is aimed at geeks, nerds and whatever buzzword they have this week, it does so by referencing certain stuff from popular culture without actual jokes. It also does this by aiming it at dumb people, so they can basically say "see I'm smart I watch a show about science".
It also gets a lot of stuff wrong in general.
What stuff are you saying is incorrect? The science stuff?
If so, you are wrong, the science is accurate. They have a real science professor consult on the show, and they go to a bit of trouble to ensure it is correct.
And considering it's show generally about science and scientists/engineering, anythign else that's "wrong" generally ain't going to matter much.QuoteThen there is the horrible horrible laugh track, never mind that the laugh track basically says "the audience is too dumb to know when to laugh"
Really?
Well, I have been in the audience for the show, and can confirm that you are wrong.
The audience genuinely laughs at those moments because they are actually funny.
There is no "laugh now" sign that flashes up.
You think the laugh track is horrible, because you don't find the show it funny. But those who do find the show funny, laugh in unison with the audience - funny that.
FYI, each major scene is recorded in one continuous shot with a half dozen cameras, so the laugh breaks and timing are genuine and are driven by the live audience. If the audience laugh their arse off longer than expected, or cheer/clap etc then the cast have to improvise and delay their next line.QuoteSomething being popular doesn't make it automatically good.
Sorry, but it basically does, as that's how the system generally works.
As "good" is defined by the general populace, popular shows are popular because people like them and think they are good.
Rarely does a show become successful when it's generally considered to be bad by the populace.
So sorry to tell you, but you get a very small say in what the general populace think is good and not good.
Jim Parson would have been struggling to win an Emmy is the show was crap.
And the show itself has also been nominated for many Emmy awards, which I doubt it would have got if it wasn't good.
Dave. -
Quote
If so, you are wrong, the science is accurate. They have a real science professor consult on the show, and they go to a bit of trouble to ensure it is correct.
Mostly... can't comment on the theoretical physics but there have been some shaky laser references, ISTR "helium argon laser" once.
However I'll forgive them as they used my Big scary laser sign on set once.
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There's only one thing in The Big Bang Theory that i find a bit inaccurate. The whole 'Sheldon hates Babylon 5 and loves StarTrek' issue.
While sci-fi fans often argue over which is better it's very unusual for anyone to hate Babylon 5.
And considering Babylon5 is far more grounded in real science than StarTrek it makes little sense that Sheldon (being a physicist) would hate B5 while loving Startrek.
I suspect it's some sort of in-joke, probably someone in the big bang theory crew has a friendly rivalry with J. Michael Straczynski -
And considering it's show generally about science and scientists/engineering, anythign else that's "wrong" generally ain't going to matter much.
No, the show is aimed at geeks and nerds for the biggest part, the science is really a sideline thing, the show is not at all mainly about science and they get a lot of geek/nerd stuff wrong.Really?
Well, I have been in the audience for the show, and can confirm that you are wrong.
The audience genuinely laughs at those moments because they are actually funny.
There is no "laugh now" sign that flashes up.
You think the laugh track is horrible, because you don't find the show it funny. But those who do find the show funny, laugh in unison with the audience - funny that.
FYI, each major scene is recorded in one continuous shot with a half dozen cameras, so the laugh breaks and timing are genuine and are driven by the live audience. If the audience laugh their arse off longer than expected, or cheer/clap etc then the cast have to improvise and delay their next line.
The laughter might be genuine but that doesn't mean what was said was funny.
http://youtu.be/QKZUg-bTOak
Now I can sort of see the 3rd line being somewhat funny, i don't know what the backstory is with the guy but i'll give him that, but the first 2 lines were not at all funny, so why are they laughing, it boggles my mindSorry, but it basically does, as that's how the system generally works.
As "good" is defined by the general populace, popular shows are popular because people like them and think they are good.
Rarely does a show become successful when it's generally considered to be bad by the populace.
I shall list a number of shows that are generally popular: big brother, dancing programs, singing programs, celebrity dancing programs, Jersey Shore, those child pageant shows, "reality" shows, there are probably more I missed but you get the point. -
There's only one thing in The Big Bang Theory that i find a bit inaccurate. The whole 'Sheldon hates Babylon 5 and loves StarTrek' issue.
While sci-fi fans often argue over which is better it's very unusual for anyone to hate Babylon 5.
And considering Babylon5 is far more grounded in real science than StarTrek it makes little sense that Sheldon (being a physicist) would hate B5 while loving Startrek.
I suspect it's some sort of in-joke, probably someone in the big bang theory crew has a friendly rivalry with J. Michael Straczynski
Well, in the real world there was/is some arguing going on between the Babylon 5 and the StarTrek crowd. The B5 crowd thinks/thought StarTrek DS9 is a ripoff. Straczynski originally offered his idea to Paramount, they refused to buy, but developed their *cough* own *cough* space station series, DS9.
Straczynski went on with his idea, developed it into B5 and managed to sell it.
imdb has a summary http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105946/faq#.2.1.2 -
No, the show is aimed at geeks and nerds for the biggest part, the science is really a sideline thing, the show is not at all mainly about science and they get a lot of geek/nerd stuff wrong.
Like?
I'd be willing to be they get a lot more right than they get wrong.QuoteThe laughter might be genuine but that doesn't mean what was said was funny.
http://youtu.be/QKZUg-bTOak
Now I can sort of see the 3rd line being somewhat funny, i don't know what the backstory is with the guy but i'll give him that, but the first 2 lines were not at all funny, so why are they laughing, it boggles my mind
It's funny when you like the character, know the personality of character, and can anticipate what joke they are about to set up...
Jim Parson also happens to be a brilliant comedic actor with impeccable timing, adding deliberate pauses to enable the audience to buy into the joke at various stages as this is an example of. And most people don't even realise they are being comically manipulated.
And often it's not necessarily what's said that's funny, but the way it's delivered, and the mannerisms etc, or a combination of things. And that generally comes from knowing and liking a character.
And your interpretation of that clip is precisely what the average person would think who watched that clip that either didn't have any background on the character, and/or didn't like the character and think they were funny. But that doesn't mean it's not funny to those who have bought into it. I laugh at those exact same points in the scene, because I understand and have bought into the character. You don't find it funny, because you obviously haven't.
I could no doubt say the exact same about about a clip of a show/character you thought was funny, but I have no previous buy-in into.
And it's like any stand-up comedy. You could have a dozen comedians deliver the same joke, but not all of them are going to make it funny. And you could have your favourite comedian deliver the joke poorly, yet still find it funny, because you aren't laughing at the joke, you are laughing the comedian you know and love.
Take for example one of my favourite comedians, Ross Noble, who is a master of the very difficult art of stream-of-conciousness comedy. If you know the character and love him, then you are laughing your arse off at every second word he delivers, yet he might only tell maybe one or two actual jokes per show.
How about you give us an example of a TV sitcom sketch that you do find funny?QuoteI shall list a number of shows that are generally popular: big brother, dancing programs, singing programs, celebrity dancing programs, Jersey Shore, those child pageant shows, "reality" shows, there are probably more I missed but you get the point.
I do, and knew you would mention those types of shows.
But my point still stands, a lot of people liked them and thought they were good at the time, otherwise they would not have been successful, and that's the point. You and I get a very small say in it.
You can't make a general call about a show being good or bad based on your own personal observational bias, it's the community as whole that dictates it.
FWIT, I agree with you about some of those shows, I personally don't like many of them either.
And there has been much talk about such shows that now have a bad stigma (like Big Brother for example), that with retrospect, seemingly few people will admit to having liked. But the numbers don't lie at the time.
Dave. -
@Chrome
What you need to keep in mind is that this is recorded in front of a live audience. What you see on TV is possibly the third or fourth (or more) take and the audience can (and do) respond to what they know is coming NEXT or the character may have had trouble with a word or line and changed it or what ever, causing (to the TV viewer) an 'inappropriate' response from the live audience.Just watch some of the out takes on youtube and you will get the idea. A half hour show is much longer than that in reality and you only see a fraction of the whole scene. -
I like BBT. Its the only sitcom I can recall that's made science, particularly theortical physics, and being a nerd, 'cool'. I do watch it when its on, but I don't look for it as I haven't the time.
One thing you should know about US or even UK comedies, is laughter, real or not, is a formula.
"For successful situation comedy the laughter frequency needs to be much higher, at between three or four per minute. Analysis of a 30 minute episode of a well known series revealed 90 points of humour comprising 56 chuckles and 34 extended laughs. 45 of the humour points occurred in each of the fifteen minute halves, an even distribution. Each fifteen minutes ended on an extended laugh. The least humorous (although still funny) part of the episode occurred between minutes 22 and 27."
http://www.sitcom.co.uk/writers/why_audiences_laugh.shtml
The 'laughter' machine, where canned laughs were injected in sitcoms of the 1950-70s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track#Controversy_and_bucking_the_trend_in_the_U.S.
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http://www.sitcom.co.uk/writers/why_audiences_laugh.shtml
Very interesting, and pretty much exactly what I was trying to explain previously.
Chrome doesn't think it's funny because a) he wasn't there in the audience, and b) Has not bought into the story and characters.
Dave. -
Was watching some YT shorts of Red Dwarf, and found it very interesting. I may shell out and buy the DVD set.
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@Chrome
What you need to keep in mind is that this is recorded in front of a live audience. What you see on TV is possibly the third or fourth (or more) take and the audience can (and do) respond to what they know is coming NEXT or the character may have had trouble with a word or line and changed it or what ever, causing (to the TV viewer) an 'inappropriate' response from the live audience.Just watch some of the out takes on youtube and you will get the idea. A half hour show is much longer than that in reality and you only see a fraction of the whole scene.
There is some of that with TBBT, but mostly they get it right in the first take, and they rehearse all week in order to do so "on the night".
The laughter is of course recorded as a separate track and mixed in later (from memory, 5 or so overhead mics across 200+ people), and on TBBT I think they are rather harsh with the laughter editing. Potentially making it sound more 60's "laugh button" than it really is. But having been in the audience, I can confirm that every laughter "insert" is real and in real-time, and the characters respond and adapt to the audience laughter, and the pace of the scene is set by that. There is little editing on the show, as each major scene (maybe 2-4 minutes each?) is shot in real time from various angles, and they simply switch cameras in the final edit. If someone goofs the lines, the director plays back the scene and then makes a call on the spot on whether to retake the entire scene, or if it's possible to to just continue the scene from that point and insert an edit point they didn't expect.
Dave. -
I remember that from radio drama, where it was recorded in studio ( Men from the Ministry) with a live audience, and a few studio props - a door, a set of shoes, a bell, a cup and saucer, and a few other items on a table. Studio mic was a ribbon microphone suspended above the audience by 4 cables, and the actors were taking turns talking into a microphone by them. Free evening entertainment, in the days before television, and later more choice than the 1 channel ( I wondered why TV sets had 8 channel presets for years, then the second channel and VCR's came into the market).
Tannie SAUK closed down the studios years ago and sold them off as offices ( costs money to have a decent studio for live audience) and now the actors use a broom closet, or they buy in cheap junk ad filler. -
TBBT is the only sitcom Stephen Hawkings made an appearance, critiquing Sheldon's paper. I presume Hawking's thinks the show worth appearing on, aka, cool too. Not sure where it was shot [ in the UK or the US], as given his health, doing such things can be very taxing, if not risky.
