Top 10 Facepalm TBBT Moments We'd Love to Unsee in a Remake
There were some great comic moments – but some real cringey ones too.
Nothing is ever perfect. And for all its comic greatness, there are some parts of The Big Bang Theory that we'd all love to see scrapped in a remake.
Here are the top 10:
10. The laugh track
This is not specific to TBBT. The laugh track has been a staple of sitcoms for many years – and for a long time, TV fans complained about how annoying it was. You could argue that The Big Bang Theory was one of those shows that didn't really suit a laugh track, which made it all the more irritating – particularly when it interrupted the timing of a decent punchline.
A remake with no laugh track would be better straight away.
9. Penny's lifestyle made no sense
The show needed a spacious apartment for its set. But the size (and cost) of Penny's rented accommodation in the city centre didn't seem to fit with her low-paid job.
Rather than simply ignoring this fact, the writers could have suggested that Penny was struggling financially, occasionally missing rent payments or having to work extra shifts. Anything that added an element of explanation would help to flesh out this small but noticeable detail.
8. Waiting too long for Amy and Bernadette
Don't get me wrong, Leslie Winkle was amazing and it was really sad when she disappeared from the show in season 3. But introducing Amy and Bernadette was also a good move that added a new dimension to the show and its core characters. But if they were remaking the show, the writers would probably introduce them a bit earlier.
Before Amy and Bernadette were introduced, the show was in danger of becoming a bit 'samey' and they could just as easily have been there from the start.
7. Bible-bashing Mary Cooper caricature
Even for a show that, let's face it, was built on stereotypes, Sheldon's mother was a bit much. The way Mary Copper was characterised created an unnecessary conflict between science and religion that added nothing to the show.
It felt like cheap writing based on a stereotype that just isn't true.
6. Leonard was too needy
Leonard's insecurities were an important part of his character. But at times, the writers seemed to exaggerate this side of his personality – to the point where he became an annoying character to watch.
It was one of the reasons why his romance with Penny took so long to blossom. So making Leonard a little less needy would fix that problem too.
5. Penny's stereotypical blondness
When the show was written, this was still seen as an accepted comic trope. Although, to be fair, it probably shouldn't have been. In the post-Barbie movie world we now live in, you'd have to assume it was a 'joke' that had outlived its day and wouldn't even be considered for a TBBT remake.
The writers have made efforts to remedy this issue, but in the early days they seem to have taken the easy option to get the show noticed.
4. Fat-shaming Mrs Wolowitz
While we never saw Mrs Wolowitz, she was very much a character in the show. And she had plenty of characteristics worthy of being satirised. So to add in jokes about her size always felt unnecessary and overly cruel.
It was another of those cheap comic devices that the show should have been better than.
3. Sheldon's eccentricities
Many fans believed that Sheldon was on the ASD spectrum and that this was the reason for his brilliant mind, hyperfocus and social awkwardness. The show's creators have since said they didn't have this in mind when they wrote the role, which leaves the basis for these traits up in the air.
It seems unlikely that they didn't consider that viewers would assume he was autistic, so some clarity would have been useful. Presumably a remake would include a more thoughtfully written Sheldon.
2. It went on too long
The show started as a sitcom about a bunch of geeks in early adulthood. Once we got to know the characters, we pretty much always rooted for them. They developed as characters (mostly) the ways we wanted them to.
And then they just kept churning out new episodes. Sure, they all made plenty of money. But often the secret to lasting success is knowing when to call it a day. TBBT seems to have gotten away with it, but they should have ended things sooner.
1. Transphobic jokes
The early episodes of the show contained some genuinely cringe-worthy transphobic comments that were over the top at the time they first aired.
Even if the jokes had been about Sheldon and Leonard's narrow views of other people, they would have been dubious. As it was, the lines were very much targeted at the trans community and, looking back, are something of an embarrassment for the show.
Of course, we know they're not doing a remake of the show. But if they theoretically did, these simple changes would make it even better.