Why is the Big Bang Theory so reviled, yet the IT Crowd is considered good?

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RiggenBlaque

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I've always wondered why lots of people hate the Big Bang Theory for its terrible, pandering, unfunny, multi-camera format while the same people praise the IT Crowd, which, largely, has the same elements. Oh, look, that character said something really nerdy! Hey look, that character is clearly autistic! This is such quality television!

What is it that sets The IT Crowd apart from The Big Bang Theory in people's minds? Is it the British/Irish accents? They both have terrible laugh tracks, they're both pandering to the same crowd, they both have terrible, obvious jokes.

Just watch this scene from the IT Crowd and tell me how this show is any different.

The IT Crowd is the Big Bang Theory of British television.
 
Because the IT Crowd makes fun of itself. (its not great imo, but its the only laugh track show I can handle other than Seinfeld so that says something.)

Big Bang tries to be smart while falling flat with poorly executed common knowledge and off the chest cheese science.
 
RiggenBlaque said:
The IT Crowd is the Big Bang Theory of British television.
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I think people who don't like Big Bang Theory and like IT Crowd feel like Big Bang Theory is making fun of geeks/nerds (thus laughing at them) while the IT Crowd is more of a laughing with them, kinda thing.
 
Big Bang vs IT crowd?

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RiggenBlaque said:
I should mention that I really like the people in The IT Crowd, Matt Berry is really hilarious in everything he's in, Chris O'Dowd is usually pretty funny, and Richard Ayoade was fucking awesome in Darkplace
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Everyone in this thread who has not seen this show. Watch it now!
 
The three actors in the IT Crowd are actually independently awesome, not human beings that you feel compelled to beat up if you were to actually meet them.
 
I don't understand either. I enjoy both shows. And Community, and Parks & Rec, and The Office, and 30 Rock, and Two and a Half Men, and Raising Hope, and Modern Family.
 
Because The Big Bang theory is the modern day equivalent of a minstrel show about (EMPHASIS ON THE QUOTES) "Nerd Culture". The when the IT crowd makes jokes about "Nerd Culture" they aren't just saying big words about things that sound smart, usually they provide some insight into the concept itself. The video you linked is actually a perfect example of how the IT crowd is different. BBT would have made a joke about a real concept that is less complicated than they make it sound for lowest common denominator entertainment while this scene in the IT crowd is both ridiculous and inclusive.
 
Because The Big Bang theory is the modern day equivalent of a minstrel show about (EMPHASIS ON THE QUOTES) "Nerd Culture". The when the IT crowd makes jokes about "Nerd Culture" they aren't just saying big words about things that sound smart, usually they provide some insight into the concept itself. The video you linked is actually a perfect example of how the IT crowd is different. BBT would have made a joke about a real concept that is less complicated than they make it sound for lowest common denominator entertainment while this scene in the IT crowd is both ridiculous and "inclusive".

Bascially ITT thread nerds are upset that you dont understand our feels or some shit.
 
IT Crowd's writing is sooo much better and far more absurdist than BBT. Aside from the fact that they're both about nerds, there isn't really much of a similarity in my opinion.
 
Many episodes of IT Crowd are memorable (the Gay Musical, the footbal hooligan/robbers episodes come to mind).

Then there's Big Bang. Even after being subjected to syndicated episodes, they were so boring I can't even recall what one particular episode was about (and I just watched an episode today). It's that bland and forgettable.
 
Because it's mocking / satirical comedy vs situational comedy.

Just look to the famous "I broke the internet" scene in IT Crowd for the difference between the two.

*EDIT - Not judging either. Just totally different comedy but related themes... well actually the themes are totally different too, TBBT is about "nerds interacting with the real world" and the IT Crowd is mocking people's perceptions of IT departments in companies.
 
Having observed that the recent threads on BBT on GAF have been of the form, "Why does everyone hate Big Bang Theory?" I've concluded that fans of the show are feeling a little defensive.
 
I stopped watching the IT Crowd after the scene with the girl walking down the street in shoes that completely didn't fit (Because, getit, women looooooooove shoes) while the laugh track went absolutely apeshit.

I think I initially gave up on TBBT during the opening of the pilot, when they went home from a sperm bank to watch Battlestar Galactica Commentaries (because, getit, nerds loooooooooove their nerd bonus features about nerdy shows!) I did later go back and give it a few more shots, since it's so popular, but meh.

So I guess IT Crowd is better to me because it took me longer to give up?
 
i_am_ben said:
Some Gaffers think the Big Bang Theory is nerd blackface.
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I've heard this opinion from several other places as well. Remember seeing an article on it, but sadly don't have it on hand.

I've never watched BBT beyond a linked YouTube clip or two, but from the way I've heard it described, it sounds like it's more about laughing at the nerds for being nerds, with the "normal" character there to serve as an anchor for the audience to identify with.

With IT Crowd, it's more from the nerds' perspective laughing at themselves (not the same thing), and even the "normal" characters are strange in their own ways. For example, the internet clip isn't just them mocking a "norm," it's revenge because Jen won Employee of the Month and let it go to her head (personality shift), then looked for any excuse to pawn her required speech off on them. They think she's going to reveal her ignorance, only to find out that all of the stockholders are absolutely clueless as well, buying the crazy lies they wrote for her, and then flipping out when "the internet" is destroyed.
 
The IT Crowd is funny because it has well written humour, which happens to revolve around characters in IT. TBBT is "funny" because "lol these nerds sure are nerdy, look at those nerd things they do!".
 
the IT crowd does a much better line in surreal/absurdist humour. it's funnier, better written, better acted, and I don't even really like it a great deal either. it's also not a sit-com, so pretty much wins on that count alone.
 
It blows my fucking mind that anyone would put IT Crowd and TBBT together. Sure, they're both about nerds, but they handle it so much differently.

TBBT relies on the classic american comedy styling of one liners and smart arse comments, whereas the IT Crowd is much more British (obv), with wacky characters doing absurd things combined with clever writing.

IT Crowd stands with shows like Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh, not TBBT.


You'd never see anything at all like this on TBBT
 
i think a lot of people are mad at TBBT because its obvious something is mentally wrong with Sheldon but they will never admit it.

his character is a complete asshole, its funny to laugh at but damn, i would never be his friend.
 
The Big Bang Theory is a bog standard sitcom wallpapered with nerd pop culture references.

The IT Crowd barely references nerd pop culture, and instead focuses on how excruciatingly awkward the characters actually are, and spares them no humiliation.
 
Ithil said:
The IT Crowd is funny because it has well written humour, which happens to revolve around characters in IT. TBBT is "funny" because "lol these nerds sure are nerdy, look at those nerd things they do!".
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The IT Crowd has the exact same sort of "haha these nerds, look how nerdy they are" sort of jokes. Every joke that involves Moss or Roy either plays off their inability to handle things like normal adults, their complete supremacy over normal peoples' intellects or their general sperginess
 
Another thing is the way the humour about nerds works in each show.

One famous example is when they guys in TBBT are playing Halo and Penny comes over with some of her friends and says that they're going to take their clothes off. All of the guys just keep playing without even looking. Then when the girls leave the guys say something about hearing a noise.

IT Crowd on the other hand handles it properly. In one episode Roy and Moss go out to the park to have some lunch on a lovely day. It then cuts to a shot of Moss with a giant laptop, pedals and headphone setup playing a jetfighter sim whilst Roy eats some hot chips. It's an absurd spin on a real situation. Most people walking around on lunch breaks from work are doing something on their phone constantly.


RiggenBlaque said:
The IT Crowd has the exact same sort of "haha these nerds, look how nerdy they are" sort of jokes. Every joke that involves Moss or Roy either plays off their inability to handle things like normal adults, their complete supremacy over normal peoples' intellects or their general sperginess
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Are you really not seeing the difference? It's the absurdity of it that makes the jokes in IT Crowd work. When Jen gives the presentation about the Internet, the fact that all of the corporate big wigs lap it up is pointing fun at the disconnect between the IT Dept and upper management in a lot of companies all over the world.
 
Though the comparison in this opinion piece is between BBT and Community, I think Community and IT Crowd are similar enough in the way they handle nerd humor to where it explains pretty clearly what's wrong with the way BBT does shit vs the other two shows.

But this specifically is not my main problem, lazy humour is one thing but cruel humour is quite another. If you watch, really watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory and pay attention to when the audience laughs it soon becomes clear that what they’re laughing at. What Chuck Lorre wants us to find funny is not the jokes which the characters are making, it’s the characters themselves. At one point Howard mentions playing Dungeons and Dragons. There is no joke attached to this, it’s not the punchline to any set up, however it is treated as one. Howard says the words “Dungeons and Dragons” and the audience laughs. They’re not laughing at a joke, they’re laughing at the fact that Howard plays D&D. And this kind of thing happens all the time throughout the show. How many times has a joke been made out of Leonard owning action figures or Sheldon collecting comics? When, in season one, Penny invites the guys to her Halloween party and they are excited about making costumes, we’re supposed to laugh at them, to think they are silly for dressing as a Hobbit or Thor when everyone else is trying to look sexy. The reason I feel uncomfortable watching The Big Bang Theory is because it’s laughing at me, at people like me.
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There’s a saying which made its rounds in geekdom recently – “Real nerds watch Community”. Now I take issue with the idea of “real nerds” but the sentiment still stands. Whereas The Big Bang Theory sees nerd culture as an object of ridicule, Community celebrates it. Community’s laughing with you whereas Big Bang is giving you a wedgie and laughing at you. When TBBT makes a pop culture reference it uses it as a punchline, it names a show like Firefly and asks you to laugh at it. When Community makes a pop culture reference it commits. Community makes a whole episode based on a trope or a genre, it doesn’t just use paintball as a plot device it takes paintball seriously and bases two season finales around epic battles of paint. Community doesn’t laugh at the idea of playing D&D. It bases an episode on it.
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