dex14

Renewed through Season 12.

starseed1981

I'm down. The show is still hysterical and one of the most enjoyable things on TV. But season 12 needs to be the end.

Feneant

Big Bang without laugh track- 8/10
Big Bang with laugh track- 3/10

I mostly stopped watching although I see it when my wife is watching it. The show was amazing when it started, so much nerd humor. Then as it progressed it turned into Friend 2.0, it's basically all about relationship misadventures now.

But what ruins the show for me is the laugh track, the actual episode is basically about 16-17 minutes long with 6 minutes of laugh track and 7 minutes of commercials. In terms of funny I compare it to Brooklyn 99 which has no laugh track but yet somehow, maybe it's because I'm some sort of super genius, I couldn't tell you, I can still tell when something is funny- go figure!

fumanstan

Looking forward to it.

I still don't get the laugh track (or basically studio audience) complaints, are old shows suddenly ruined now for everyone too?

hdnmickey

And again, it's more like people didn't realize how great it would be to comedy shows without a laugh track (of any kind) until they were able to watch multiple shows without it. The point isn't that it ruins current or old shows, it's that it makes it clear how much better each show would be without it.

As for the show, I personally hope they just go forward with letting Amy and Sheldon move forward with the marriage rather than play the same game they did with Penny and Leonard for multiple seasons.

fumanstan

In any event, we're 12 seasons in. Still actively complaining about the laugh track in this show seems pretty silly to me.

hdnmickey

The point was the show would be better off without the track.

Mike86

I didn't even realize it was back for the season yet. I have my DVR set. I'll probably also try Young Sheldon even though it's looking pretty meh.

fumanstan

Right, because some people think the laugh track ruins the show. We can circle around again, but I don't think your nitpicking of the wording changes anything either or my original comment. Does Seinfeld drop from a 9/10 or 10/10 in people's books to a 5/10 too when watching it again?

hdnmickey

Certainly down a peg or two, but not down to 5/10.

I'm not the one focusing on one word rather than the actual point. Not sure what point YOU are trying to make, but my point is that even great shows like Seinfeld would be at least a little better without the track. Not trying to nitpick or even argue in a negative way. Just trying to make sure the point is clear.

fumanstan

Eh, i'm focusing on one word because that's what I was addressing originally and a direct quote from Feneant, hence me reiterating and quoting it again back to you. Maybe that wasn't what your point is, but I wasn't addressing you I personally don't think a laugh track has that kind of impact on a show, old or new, to the extent that was being originally brought up.

hdnmickey

Maybe you were not involved, but the discussion on that topic goes much farther back than just the recent comment by Feneant.

I didn't used to think of the tracks either until I watched multiple comedy shows without them. Now when I go back to watching these shows with the tracks, I notice them FAR more than I ever did before. Not to the extent that it would prevent me from enjoying the show overall, but enough to that recognize the potential improvement if they were gone or never existed.

Decker

Requisite video :

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jKS3MGriZcs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Jason

I've seen a few of these and they all suffer from the same problem. In a comedy without a studio audience, the pacing is completely different, as there is no reason for the actors to avoid talking over the studio laughter. These pauses also mean the writers gravitate to simpler (or perhaps more straightforward) jokes to keep the whole thing moving. If this were reedited or shot as a single camera show as opposed to just muting the studio audience so the cast looks bored, it would work a lot better.

MrX

Loved Howard and Bernadette's reaction to the pregnancy.

Mike86

It was an alright premiere. I half expected that Amy might break off the engagement after how Sheldon acted at dinner with her and her colleagues. Kind of surprising to me that they're already recycling the pregnancy storyline and with the same couple.

Coral

They can't think of any new story lines. So basically Howard/Bernie are preggers again, another couple gets engaged and Raj is back to feeling romantically alone as the odd man out.

I expect some more repetitive story lines this year with slight adjustments to try and make it seem different, and some story lines based on the smallest and most inconsequential of things.

hdnmickey

I liked that as well. I don't mind that story line as long as they do it well. And Amy taking the kissing thing far differently than the norm was awesome. "Thank-you!"

Now if they would just find a way to have even less of Raj in every episode. They could have had just the comic book "gift" scene with Stuart in this one and it would have been perfect.

starseed1981

Great opening episode. I loved Sheldon calling Stephen Hawking for permission and Howard's reaction to the additional pregnancy.

Sonny Corinthos

The Big Bang Theory returned for its 11th season on Monday (Sept. 25) with a premiere episode packed with a surprise development no one saw coming. Warning: If you haven’t watched Monday night’s episode, stop reading!

In addition to resolving the season 10 cliffhanger regarding Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy’s (Mayim Bialik) future as a couple, TBBT threw a curveball at Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), by revealing that the duo are expecting baby number 2.

In an interview with TVLine, showrunner Steve Holland explained that the baby storyline was written in to incorporate Rauch’s real-life pregnancy.

“When Melissa told us she was expecting, which we were obviously so excited about, we started talking about the best way to handle it on the show. We could obviously hide it by putting her behind couches and counters and laundry baskets,” Holland told TVLine.

“But then we thought [a surprise second baby] could be a really interesting curveball to throw at Howard and Bernadette.”

The storyline is definitely unexpected for the characters, but Bernadette being MIA on the series for a few episodes is a little more wild, but understandable.

In fact, Holland confirmed that Rauch will take her maternity leave during the series, so fans should be prepared for her absence.

“We have fun ways to keep her included as much as we can. But, yes, she’ll be out for a few episodes,” he revealed.

http://peopleschoice.com/2017/09/26/...rnadette-baby/

fumanstan

Baby #2 seems fine with me story wise, I thought it resulted in some good laughs. For some reason Penny's face full of cake really cracked me up.

hdnmickey

This explains what looked like some weight gain since the finale last season.

Just have her yelling from some place off screen just like Howard's mom. If they planned ahead they could have her record the lines now.

Mike86

The reactions to it were good for a laugh in this episode but ultimately it feels lazy to me. They just did it a couple seasons ago and I can't see it being a lot different. It seems like they didn't know what else to do with those characters so baby number two is coming. They could have done more with baby number one maybe being on screen instead of never showing her.

Also agree with criticisms about Raj. He's felt like useless baggage for the last however many seasons. If it weren't for him being a series original I'd see no reason for him to stick around. He's such a stagnant character.

hdnmickey

Lazy in not trying cover up the real pregnancy all season? Seems like writing in a pregnancy is the norm for TV shows given the alternative rarely works well.

Mike86

I guess I didn't read the article about her being pregnant in real life. I was just reading reactions and skipped over that post. I suppose in that case it makes more sense.