johnny galecki

(S03E15) I'm pinch-hitting for Kona this week due to technical difficulties at the Gallagher homestead. Not sure if I can be the quote machine she is, but you can always add your favorite quotes from the episode into the comments.

You know, I've never been one to take Sheldon's side a lot of the time. As much as I love the character and how Jim Parsons plays him, the fact that a guy who's such a pill can have four people in his life who like him and tolerate his weird, Aspberger-like selfishness should be enough for me to connect to as a viewer. Most of the time, when Sheldon is wreaking havoc over his friends' lives, I'm usually feeling bad for whoever it is -- usually Leonard -- that's getting the brunt of Sheldon's utter Sheldonness.

But this week, I was on Team Sheldon. Why? Because Leonard knows Sheldon would appreciate a trip to the CERN super collider a whole lot more than Penny would, even if the lure of Penny in a snow bunny outfit is a strong one to resist.

Sheldon is soooo excited! Turns out the University is sending Leonard to Switzerland to see the CERN Super-Collider – and he can bring a guest! Well, Sheldon automatically thinks HE will be Leonard's plus-one at the event. "This is incredible!" says Sheldon. "I'm so happy, I'm not even going to question their judgment in picking you!"

Not so fast! Of course, Leonard will want to take Penny, especially since the trip happens on Valentine's Day. But will she be all that geeked about subatomic particle research? Either way, it's just awkward all the way around. Watch 'The Big Bang Theory' on Mon., 9:30PM on CBS.

Watch the video after the jump.

I love seeing TV shows and movies with something taken away from them. Even comic strips, as 'Garfield Minus Garfield' shows, can become completely different when seen in a different context.

This video is a scene from 'The Big Bang Theory' with the laugh track taken out. It gives you a little hint as to what a show with a big laugh track is like with the laughs taken out. Without the laughs (and the build up to them), the lines suddenly seem more...intense and weighty (I guess it doesn't help that you don't know what came before this scene if you haven't seen it before).

[via Pop Candy]

(S03E14) Look, I'm just going to put this out there. It may be weird, but confused, bedraggled Sheldon is a little bit hot. I've been watching this show for three seasons, and this is the first episode where I was all, "well helloooo, Jim Parsons." It's amazing what a little stubble will do for a dude. Anyhoo, I love the fact that Sheldon got a job this episode. Putting Sheldon in any situation is fantastic, but finding a fairly legitimate reason to make Sheldon a busboy is absolutely golden.

Here's my main problem: Raj. I love Bernadette, and the fact that she and Wolowitz have had a multi-episode relationship, but it kind of leaves Raj out in the cold -- much as he was when his idea to go roller skating turned into a double-date that did not include him. He doesn't necessarily need a girlfriend (although I would like to see that), but they really need to find something to do with him, so he can do more than just show up at the beginning and the end of any given episode.

CBS has given renewals to both The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. Anybody tracking the ratings of either show shouldn't be surprised at this news. In fact, Two and a Half Men was picked up for three more years and The Big Bang Theory for two. I guess CBS' Monday nights are taken care of for the next couple of years.

While I haven't been following Two and a Half Men (I don't think I'm the target demographic), I do catch an episode of The Big Bang Theory time to time and get a good chuckle out of it. A recent favorite of the show involved the guest appearance of the delicious and shiny Summer Glau as herself (video follows after the jump).

(S02E10) I'm really interested to see what you guys thought of this episode, because I have to say: it didn't do it for me. I thought the last episode, although a little too Sheldon-centric for my tastes, was good. This one, however, was just sort of blah.They basically had one joke--that every time Leonard tries to talk to Stephanie about their relationship, they end up having sex--that is just repeated throughout the episode.

I really like Sara Rue in general, but she and Johnny Galecki have zero chemistry. Because of this, I found all of their scenes together really boring, and unfortunately, they made up most of the show.

What makes this multi-episode relationship between her and Leonard worse, is that her scenes with Sheldon are a lot more amusing. Big Bang Theory gets a lot of comedy out of how people deal with Sheldon, and I like her take: Be super-sweet and manipulate him for your needs.

When Johnny Galecki joined the cast of Roseanne to be the love interest for the dour Darlene (Sara Gilbert), I thought they had a wonderful chemistry together. In fact, it was his turn on that show that lead to me ever even tuning into his new hit show The Big Bang Theory. Well, that and the fact that it was populated with people who reminded me more of myself and many of my college friends than I should probably admit.

It was quite a treat when Gilbert appeared in three episodes throughout the last season as acerbic Leslie Winkle, intellectual equal to Galecki's Leonard, and just as socially out there. The chemistry between the two was immediate, and I found the dominance she established in their relationship to be a blast. The fact that this nerdy chick was more alpha male than any of the four male leads in the series is brilliant. So Sara Gilbert joining the cast of The Big Bang Theory as a series regular is a great move for the show.

Day two at Comic-Con began with a panel featuring the stars of the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. A logical choice for a comic book and science fiction convention since the show focuses on a group of, um, nerds. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course!

Actually, according to creator Chuck Lorre, he never intended to make a show about nerds and geeks. His main intention was to air a show about remarkable people. So he said during the very entertaining panel featuring Lorre, co-creator Bill Prady, and the entire cast of the show. A summary of what went down can be seen after the jump.

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In an age where Josh Schwartz, Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams, and Judd Apatow are writing true-to-life examples of what being a nerd or a geek is like, you'd think that the whiny, sniveling, tape-on-the-glasses, Urkel version of geekdom would be out of favor in TV land.

Big Bang Theory, which premieres Monday at 8:30 PM ET on CBS, proves otherwise. And, while it's not a complete disaster, it's too weighed down by its geek stereotypes to work on a weekly basis.

CBS probably has one of the more interesting schedules of the fall, just for the fact that they are making a concerted effort to try something different. They could have rolled out yet another procedural (CSI: LA?), and who could really blame them. Those shows have performed extremely well for the network over the past few years.

Instead, in what is a definite gamble, the network will be bringing out some decidedly alternative programming. There is a musical drama about the casino business in Laughlin, a vampire detective, a drama about a Cuban family and their rum making business, and some swinging couples getting their freak on in the 70's. The kind of fare that would probably cause Horatio to tilt his head to the side and remove his sunglasses. Will it work? Time will tell, but we've seen three of them and have a rundown after the jump.

CBS is on a good run, being the most watched network for the last five years, but they have taken a bit of heat for the formulaic way they have gone about doing it. Not arguing with success, the whole family of CSIs, and their crime based cousins, will be back, but the network is trying to branch out with some edgier programming. Most notably, Swingtown, Viva Laughlin, and Moonlight.

Returning: The Amazing Race, Cold Case, 60 Minutes, How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Unit, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI, Shark, Without A Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, 48 Hours Mystery.

New: Viva Laughlin, Swingtown, Moonlight, Cane, Big Bang Theory, Power of 10, Kid Nation

Out: King of Queens, Jericho, The Class, Close To Home

Moving: Without A Trace moves back to Thursday at 10. Shark heads to Sunday at 10.