CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (Season 12)

[amoergosum]

S08E17 ("The Colonization Application") was really funny...best episode in a long time.

[MrHT]

This season is a bit of a let down mainly because it's the most dramatic season yet, especially when

[Show spoiler]Howard's mom died. I honestly don't understand why they had to write her off anyway. She's off-camera. They can easily replace her voice with someone else that can do it or just simply stop using her character. Howard is moved out of the house so viewers probably won't notice her missing

. And it seems like they're changing Sheldon's character. He's starting to become a more sentimental person rather than the emotionless physicist geek we all know from the early seasons.

I don't like the direction the show is headed. I may get shot here for saying it, but that's just my opinion.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by MrHT

especially when

[Show spoiler]Howard's mom died. I honestly don't understand why they had to write her off anyway. She's off-camera. They can easily replace her voice with someone else that can do it or just simply stop using her character. Howard is moved out of the house so viewers probably won't notice her missing

.

Because it's disrespectful to the actress and her family that's why they couldn't just replace her. The producers made the right decision.

[Batman1980]

Sheldon was going to change naturally, it's part of life. That said, the show peaked in season 5, it hasn't been at the same level since. Still the best comedy on TV right now.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Because it's disrespectful to the actress and her family that's why they couldn't just replace her. The producers made the right decision.

Disrespectful?? How is that so?

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Sheldon was going to change naturally, it's part of life. That said, the show peaked in season 5, it hasn't been at the same level since. Still the best comedy on TV right now.

Not really. Maybe some people change, but most people don't. If people did, the world would be a much better place.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Not really. Maybe some people change, but most people don't. If people did, the world would be a much better place.

Sheldon developed brilliance in childhood but due to that and arrogance, he never developed proper social skills or emotional maturity. This show has mainly been about him and how he interacts with those around him, he's growing more and more as the show goes on.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Disrespectful?? How is that so?

How would you feel if you died and your family replaced you "well this is the new MrHT" — would you be happy if they pretended you never died?

I'm sure that's how her family would have felt if the show did that to her memory. But instead they chose to honor her memory by not replacing her.

It also helped the other actors too, the dialogue at the end of that episode were their own words, they did feel like she was a mother figure to them.

So not only did it help the real family have closure, it helped the on-screen "family" have closure too.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

How would you feel if you died and your family replaced you "well this is the new MrHT" — would you be happy if they pretended you never died?

But this is a TV show!! Why would you change a TV show just because an actor/actress died? I see no disrespect here.

One of the things I used to like about The Big Bang Theory compared to other comedy TV shows is that it used to be 100% comedy with no drama. But this season has quite a bit of drama to it and frankly, I hate it. The show is changing drastically.

And by the way, if you ever watched BEWITCHED, the nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz was played by Alice Pearce who died after two season. The character was recast with Sandra Gould and the show went on. No disrespect. Just a good example of "the show must go on..."

[djgeneral]

The Big Bang Theory strives because it allows its characters to deal with real life. Sadly, parents die. Seeing a comedy deal with this can be very rewarding if done correctly.

Also, there are certain roles that are easy to recast in sitcoms. Howard's mom did not needed to be recast as her death in the show allowed the character to go in a realistic and interesting dynamic.

[JamesKurtovich]

I'm fine with Sheldon becoming less cold. It's been eight years. Most characters in sitcoms change, although not for the better in a lot of cases. Sheldon is unique in that they didn't make him even more eccentric and neurotic and instead have made him more relatable.

[ShellOilJunior]

Sheldon and Mrs. W. are the very least of BBT's problems. Season 8 has been a disaster. Seasons 1-5 were golden. I still watch every episode hoping to see quality but finding myself cringing more than ever at some of the jokes and story lines. For example, Howard and Bernadette's relationship is painful to watch while Leonard and Penny are boring.

Every once in a while the show is good (Thanks to guests like Billy Bob or Bob Newhart).

[amoergosum]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Season 8 has been a disaster.

Not according to the ratings though >>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of....E2.80.9315.29

...and that's what the studio cares about.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Sheldon and Mrs. W. are the very least of BBT's problems. Season 8 has been a disaster. Seasons 1-5 were golden. I still watch every episode hoping to see quality but finding myself cringing more than ever at some of the jokes and story lines. For example, Howard and Bernadette's relationship is painful to watch while Leonard and Penny are boring.

Every once in a while the show is good (Thanks to guests like Billy Bob or Bob Newhart).

Ratings may say otherwise but you're right. At this point you wonder how Bernadette and Howard are still married considering they do nothing really together at all any more. At least Penny and Leonard tried the whole sheet painting thing. Funny how the first try at that was pretty indicative of what most of the relationships had become on the show.

[refnulf]

I couldn't stand the episodes after Season 5, I tried a while back but it wasn't doing much for me so I stopped watching. I'm giving it another chance but so far the first few episodes from Season 6 isn't that great. The jokes, the plot, just seems a little boring now.

[djgeneral]

Originally Posted by amoergosum

Not according to the ratings though >>>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of....E2.80.9315.29

...and that's what the studio cares about.

It is still the biggest on TV but the ratings have dropped. They are down roughly 2.5 million viewers from the same time as last year.

[ilovenola2]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Because it's disrespectful to the actress and her family that's why they couldn't just replace her. The producers made the right decision.

Nonsense!!!

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Because it's disrespectful to the actress and her family that's why they couldn't just replace her. The producers made the right decision.

agree, and even though MrHT does have a point and Howard moving means they could have just "dropped" the character, he is missing the Stewart, Howard/ mom triangle that was developed. It would make no sense for it to just disappear.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by MrHT

But this is a TV show!! Why would you change a TV show just because an actor/actress died? I see no disrespect here.

they did not change the show. The show was about the life of some guys that work at Caltech and Peggy and it still is. Sometimes in life things change (like someone passing away).

And by the way, if you ever watched BEWITCHED, the nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz was played by Alice Pearce who died after two season. The character was recast with Sandra Gould and the show went on. No disrespect. Just a good example of "the show must go on..."

But the show is going on. You just don't like how it is doing it.

[Starpower67]

Say what you will about the characters needing to evolve to make the show realistic. The characters simply aren't going in a direction I like. What they did to Leonard was out of character, and I loathe what their doing with Sheldon. Say what you will about his evolution being necessary, he is simply a less funny character to me which is pretty important in a comedy. The bottom line for me is the show used to make me laugh, and it doesn't now and that's disappointing. I may stick with it, out of my annoying need to see how shows end, but I definitely don't enjoy the show like I once did. I don't really care how any of the cliffhangers get resolved, and I'm almost positive the wedding didn't happened in Vegas and will be postponed or called off.