The Big Bomb

The Big Bang doesn't do it for me.
The Red Sox are on the road and they have a night off. In Detroit, no less. What could be more fun than that? There's no game to watch, the game on the Cape that I was supposed to umpire was rained out, so I was sitting here watching "Jeopardy" and surprising myself at how many answers I knew. Including Final Jeopardy, where I would have bet it all and won. No, I didn't remember to say, "What is..." before yelling out the answers. But no one is paying me for correct answers, so I don't have to follow the format.

What's next?
Next on CBS is "The Big Bang." I know a number of people who are very intelligent and who's opinion I respect who have raved about this show. This was my third attempt at understanding their appreciation.

I don't get it.
Actually, I do get it, but just don't think it's funny. Or clever.

Perhaps I'm spoiled. I rarely watch network series on ABC (sometimes "The Middle" or "Modern Family"), NBC or CBS. No, even though I live in Wellesley, Massachusetts, I'm not a PBS snob. "Downton Abbey" is as far as I go on PBS. I enjoy HBO series like "Silicon Valley, "Veep" and "True Detective" and of course, "Game of Thrones." (Have you seen the bar crowd reaction videos to last week's Trial by Combat scene? They're great.) Loved "The Sopranos" and "Entourage" and enjoyed "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Showtime initially hooked me with "Dexter" and then "Homeland" (but I didn't like it when Brody was hanged) and I like "House of Lies," "Nurse Jackie" and even "Shameless." Both "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix are binge-worthy. AMC's "Breaking Bad" was as good as any series I've ever watched. Ever. On F/X I'm a big fan of "Justified." (Every time I see a black Lincoln limo I think to myself, "That's a Raylan Givens car.")

But what about the Big Bang?
It's just too stupid. Nothing's funny. The writers are trying way too hard and failing. I hate the laugh track. Every time anyone says anything they pot up the laugh track and it's just plain annoying. I reminds me of a neighborhood fireworks display on the 4th of July (my favorite day of the year) when you're waiting for a grand finale that never happens.

But at least I tried.
As I said, people who's opinion I respect rave about the show, but I find it painful to sit through an episode.