TCA: "Big Bang Theory" not that '70s show
POSTED BY JON WEISMAN
Chuck Lorre didn't even own a TV in the 1970s, so any similarities between his new CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" and the swinging late '70s icon "Three's Company" are completely coincidental. Really, Lorre insists.
Lorre, co-executive producer Bill Prady and the cast of "Big Bang" seemed a little taken aback to find themselves in the unexpected position of being asked to compare and contrast their program to that of Jack, Janet and Chrissy during the "Big Bang" TCA sesh on Wednesday.
Tops on the list: Three decades after Suzanne Somers redefined the role of the dumb blonde on "Three's," is it possible that Kaley Cuoco's Penny (pretty small-town gal befriended by two neighbors who are Caltech physicists) is ... dumberer? (Pictured from left, "Big Bang" stars Jim Parsons, Cuoco, Johnny Galecki)
No way, said Lorre.
"As we get more into developing the series and characters, we're going to learn that her character is extremely capable," said Lorre, who will be juggling this 8:30 p.m. Monday show with "Two and a Half Men," his 9 p.m. CBS hit.
"She grew up on a farm: She can fix a tractor, she can birth a cow.... She's capable in different ways," 
Lorre (pictured far right) assured.
Cuoco, a graduate of the ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules" that starred the late "Three's" lead John Ritter, seemed even more uneasy with the Chrissy analogy.
"She's not a blonde bimbo, who can't live on her own and can't take care of herself," said Cuoco, who raved about what she learned from Ritter. "I don't really want to compare her with Chrissy Snow."
Maybe everyone's just selling Chrissy short, though. After all, it's not as if she couldn't navigate the untamed wilds of Larry and Mr. Roper.
In any case, Lorre and Prady emphasized that no character on the show has unassailable smarts - not even the brilliant Sheldon and Leonard (yes, the names are an homage to the legendary TV producer, who would have been 100 this year), played by Jim Parsons ("Garden State") and Johnny Galecki
("Roseanne," "My Boys").
"The comedy is in their inability to deal with everything we might take for granted," Lorre said. "People who can calculate pi to the 80th decimal but can't figure out the tip on a check because the quality of service has too many intangibles."
- Jon Weisman
Cynthia Littleton is deputy editor, news development at Variety and a veteran television reporter.
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The thing that I don't understand is what is wrong with a "dumb" character in a sitcom. It is funny it is funny. No one watches a sitcom because the characters are smart. They watch it if it is funny. I have heard that everyone who has seen the pilot thinks it is funny. I am looking forward to this show and will watch it. The media has to understand people do not watch sitcoms because the characters are smart or dumb. They watch them if they are funny, and this show is funny.
Posted by: James | July 19, 2007 at 07:17 AM
See Kaley Cuoco's new show called The Big Bang Theory this Fall Monday's on CBS starting September 24. The critics love it and think it is very, very funny. This could be the next hit show. See clips from the show here :
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/
or see clips here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpdDG6BTQdw
Posted by: Jimmy | July 22, 2007 at 08:55 PM
You might enjoy this entertaining audio interview with Bill Prady, co-creator of "The Big Bang Theory": http://www.mrmedia.com/2008/04/bill-prady-big-bang-theory-cbs-tv.html . Prady's other writing and producing credits include "Gilmore Girls," "Muppets in Space," "Dream On," and even an episode of "Star Trek Voyager." You could also subscribe to Mr. Media's RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MrMedia .
Posted by: Bob Andelman | April 15, 2008 at 06:19 AM