USA Today Review : 'Big Bang Theory' Both Smart, Funny

[Superbowl]

Nice Review From USA Today :

'Big Bang Theory' Both Smart, Funny

By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

Every sitcom doesn't have to be a work of genius.
Obviously, we'd all like to see another Frasier, Seinfeld or Mary Tyler Moore. But until that happy day arrives, most of us would be content with a show that gives us characters and actors we like, some jokes that make us laugh and a premise that promises to keep the supply coming.

At the moment, no producer is better at filling those needs than Chuck Lorre, creator of Two and a Half Men and co-creator of Bang. He may have a habit of letting his jokes skew toward the vulgar, but he also has a habit of creating laugh-out-loud funny shows with great casts and clear premises — all on display here.

The solid if well-worn setup is that of the beauty among the beasts, or in this case, geeks. Math geniuses Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) have been content to spend their days in their apartment working on formulas and playing Klingon Boggle. Then Penny (Kaley Cuoco) moves in next door and Leonard invites her over to lunch — and the equation of their lives changes.

If Bang is going to win you over, it will happen soon after that invitation, when Penny plops onto Sheldon's favorite spot on the couch. Everything that works best in Bang is right there: Cuoco's slightly confused, sweetly bemused response; Galecki's mix of longing and exasperation; and Parsons' fresh, show-stopping take on socially out-of-whack brilliance.

As you'd hope for a show about smart people, Bang makes a host of smart decisions, including the introduction of two other characters (Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar) who make Leonard seem suave in comparison. It's also wise enough to turn much of the half-hour over to Parsons, who gets most of the best lines and makes them even better.

To make characters register quickly, pilots tend to draw them with overly broad strokes. Penny could be a tad less ditzy, and it would be nice if the boys used their intelligence to help her, rather than just confuse her. While Galecki is a fine actor, it doesn't feel like he has quite found his character yet — some of his choices are a bit too creepy to support a long run.

Still, here's another of Lorre's habits: His shows tend to get better after the pilot. This may not be the sitcom breakthrough for which we've all been hoping, but Lorre has produced a first episode that leaves you eager to try the second.

These days, maybe that does count as genius.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...big-bang_N.htm

[Brian Damage]

I have it tivo'd, I am looking forward to it.