hdnmickey

Agreed. I also liked that in the end they only have 2 months to come up with the end product.

Double_Oh_7

Is it just me, or are there more commercials and promos now than actual show?

Mike86

For some reason it always feels that way with this show but as far as I can tell the actual run time isn't less than any other network sitcom (usually about twenty-two minutes without commercials).

Koby

TBBT is actually less than 19 minutes.

This latest episode ran 18:56 without commercials.

So that is a little more than 11 minutes of commercials during it's run.

Mike86

Guess that explains that then. I don't think it was that way in the earlier seasons but I could be wrong.

hdnmickey

It doesn't help that they include "last time on the BBT" segments to start off some episodes. Including that last one. Apparently the small amount of carry over from episode to episode was too much for some viewers.

sportsfan64

They probably need the commercials to pay the actors' salaries.

Coral

The actual episode (not including the recap) was 18:13.

The episode felt really short and it didn't help that between the guys' and Bernies story lines - there wasn't a lot going on.

Shannon Nutt

Anyone know what the running time on the premiere was? Wondering if 18-19 minutes is the new norm this year. What was it before? About 21 I want to say (including opening theme and end credits).

mphtrilogy

100% true.

And It might have to be shrunk even more, I think this is their last season under contract. CBS gonna have to shell out some biiiig bucks next season if they want these primaries to return.

Unclejosh

I thought Jim Parsons said he was done after this contract? Although money talks but he is already making over a million an episode isn't he? And without him the show is done.

Mike86

Honestly I think its about time for the show to call it quits anyways. It seems to have been running on fumes the past few seasons or so. I still somewhat enjoy it but ten seasons is enough.

hdnmickey

Given how many have said they would hate the idea of the couples taking the next steps they it should end it with the birth of Howie's & Bernie's baby, Penny announcing she is pregnant, and Sheldon proposing to Amy. And then let the spin-offs begin (if the rumors are true).

Coral

The show definitely needs to be retired from a non-financial perspective. They're struggling to find relevant story lines and are re-hashing a lot of stuff. The idea of a spin-off is horrible. The show worked all these seasons because of the mix of characters. Concentrating on any one of them (or only a few) would be dull... or very annoying (if Sheldon is flying solo).

Mike86

Is there an actual idea out there for a spinoff? I don't think I've heard anything. The one that would make sense to me would be Howard and Bernadette possibly. It could probably leave the door open to maybe having Raj being a recurring character and occasional appearances from the rest of the cast.

hdnmickey

Howie/Bernie. Leonard/Penny. Just Raj. And combinations of two or more of those. I think the thought (don't know if they are right or not) is that only Parsons is looking move on compared to the others.

Mike86

I'm not really sure how much more can be done with Leonard and Penny. They've basically been the main focus along with Sheldon for most of the series. Howard and Bernadette seems to make the most sense to me. Raj having his own show I could see flopping (like when Joey spun off from Friends). I think the character almost comes off too pathetic the way he's been handled over most of the show.

hdnmickey

If during the end of the series they were to be completely separated from the group (one of the couples has to move far away from the others) I can see it working. Especially if a child or two was involved. YMMV

Koby

I really don't see a spin-off working in any capacity nor do I see myself bothering to check it out if it did somehow actually happen. I use to be one of the biggest TBBT fans in the early days, but I'm ready for this to end. Hopefully the intel about Parsons wanting out is legit and it spurs them to actually end the show... But I bet they'll pull a 2 1/2 Men scenario and bring in a replacement to keep it going another 5 years if that happened.

I started watching this for the scifi references, the geeky stuff, and the brainy stuff. I liked that it was a comedy built around people who were smart, because so many comedies these days are just dumb people doing dumb stuff in some shape or fashion. TTBT kind of lost it's charm to me as they gradually started making it more of a generic comedy and started doing less of the aspects that got me to be a fan of the show in the first place.

dstrauss

The last episode was meh, but anything that puts Melissa Rauch on screen that much is fine by me. God that woman carbonates my hormones.

Jason

It seems to be trying to move to some sort of endgame. I thought the theory Sheldon and Leonard worked on would be the path to the end with a Nobel Prize for them somehow, but now it looks like their success with a big government project may result in the departure of at least one character to greener pastures with Raj surely left behind. Can't imagine how bad a season of nothing but Raj and the young Wolowitz family will be.

Double_Oh_7

No one watches this show anymore?

I thought this was a very cute episode... especially the intercutting between the couples (including Raj and his dog). Penny and Leonard dancing was funny.

hdnmickey

We watched it. Not great, just OK. Clearly the start of the end where the couples (finally) head off in different directions.

Coral

I thought it was a blah episode.

It really is unrealistic how no one on the show has attempted to kill Sheldon yet. If I knew someone like that and for some stupid reason continued to keep him in my life - I'd be up on murder charges pretty quickly.

Joe Schmoe

The 10/10 episode wasn't their best, but it was good for a few laughs.