SPOILERS: What fresh hell is this? - S10

[Idle Miscreant]

They haven't EXACTLY maintained their high. Ratings have been dropping since mid-way through Season 7 (er...around the time they romanticised Sheldon...). They're good for television, but dire for the show itself, at the moment. The Demo was 5 point something in Season 3. Now it's, what, 3.0?

There's a constant influx from new syndication watchers, which offsets those who leave in disgust, and romcom viewers have replaced the early sci-fi/comedy crowd, so that balances out as well.

I think most people watch out of habit. There's naught but grumblings in the comment sections, but people persist because of emotional attachments...I don't think casual viewers are even aware they've dropped the Sheldon/Penny scenes, they only know the show lacks its early vim and verve. And soul. And originality.

They certainly appreciate when Sheldon and Penny DO have a scene...



The bloody RUCKUS over that!

I think I'm mainly baffled how Lorre allowed the show to become so cloying and conservative...I always felt he had a lot of piss and vinegar about him. I mean that as a high compliment.