TBBT sucked. I watched the first season, but it was clear it was a show that was aimed at nerds, but tremendously missed the mark. It was lowest common denominator humour. Watch an episode on youtube without the laugh track. it’s painful.
I don’t think it was ever aimed at nerds. I think it was always aimed at nerd-adjacent audiences that liked nerds (or maybe a stereotypical idea of nerds) but weren’t nerds themselves.
The nerds in the show were the spectacle, not the heroes. I always got the impression they were laughing at them rather than with them, though not really in a malicious way, but in a way that still involves contempt.
Contrast it with The IT Crowd, which was absolutely aimed at nerds. Or the Office, which is an example of a show that was able to laugh both at and with its office worker audience.
I maintain that Big Bang could have been 6 seasons of a great show but it was 12 of mediocrity.
Its on my lotto list to hire someone to go through and cut out every story arc and joke that doesnt add to the character progression.
TBBT sucked. I watched the first season, but it was clear it was a show that was aimed at nerds, but tremendously missed the mark. It was lowest common denominator humour. Watch an episode on youtube without the laugh track. it’s painful.
I don’t think it was ever aimed at nerds. I think it was always aimed at nerd-adjacent audiences that liked nerds (or maybe a stereotypical idea of nerds) but weren’t nerds themselves.
The nerds in the show were the spectacle, not the heroes. I always got the impression they were laughing at them rather than with them, though not really in a malicious way, but in a way that still involves contempt.
Contrast it with The IT Crowd, which was absolutely aimed at nerds. Or the Office, which is an example of a show that was able to laugh both at and with its office worker audience.