Imagine "Mash" but with Frank Burns elevated from supporting character/villain to co-lead, but with all his nastiness and irritating qualities intact. That's what we have with Big Bang Theory. Sheldon is such a grating, irritating person, and that would be fine if he were, like Burns, a minor player. But Sheldon is a lead, and his negativity brings down the whole show, and not in a fun way. In one episode, he said if he could afford to live alone, he'd kick his friend out. "I value our friendship too," Leonard said sarcastically, although the comment was interesting in that it drew attention to an obvious flaw in the show. Why are these two guys friends at all? Also the show must work hard to invent reasons to pair up the guys with the cute girl across the hall. There's no reason for interaction, so the show must do some narrative gymnastics to bring them together, and it strains credibility.
Review of The Big Bang Theory
