FolkLorre

[taffinabean]

He can't be real with the extraordinary people comment. It's true they're barely geeks anymore but they've turned all the characters into a shell of what they used to be, there's nothing extraordinary about any character on this show since S4.

---

Well, he's finally come out and admitted it, reneged on the original premise. And they aren't extraordinary people, that's the sad thing - they are very ordinary, and in fact rather dull and unpleasant people, who have had any individuality ruthlessly stamped out - sorry, 'humanised' out of them, until they conform to a pretty ersatz notion of normal. Sad.

Shows like Seinfeld built their entire show on unpleasant characters. To do this you have to have great writing skill and most of all you have to stay true to the character's core. You can't have them become too vile.
Seinfeld characters were hysterical and charming even in their unlikeable moments.

This show tries to give us random heart-felt moments once or twice a season then the rest show us horrible, annoying as hell people with very little chemistry thanks to the huge main cast now.

It is funny Lorre thought his ass was really gonna win for best series.
Ain't ever happening, dude. Sorry, your show has come a wreck with high ratings.
Most people see it's pure crap now.

[SpaceAnJL]

Unpleasant works if there is also funny involved - absolutely, the writing talent needs to be there (which it manifestly isn't.) But in this case, they are boring, which is the unforgivable sin.

Original Sheldon, left to snark his way through life, had flashes of the same spiky hilarity you got off Greg House, or any incarnation of Sherlock. Blokes you wouldn't want in your life, but are compelling to watch being vile to other people. I much prefer snarky bastards to manchildren. Watching adults behave like stupid badly-socialised children doesn't amuse me. (But then, children don't amuse me, full stop.)

The 'random' heartfelt moments are truly calculated - designed by committee, and it shows. The show is a slick, generic product, a ratings machine, but it possesses nothing in the way of charm or innovation. It self-sabotaged the outstanding screen chemistry it did have, and mishandled the comic talent available, preferring to go with the worst kind of dumb physical comedy. Bleh.

[Toad]

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #444

I'm thinking of running for Sheriff of Los Angeles County. I have no qualifications but perhaps I could use that as an asset. (In a debate I could say that as far as law enforcement is concerned, I have an unblemished record.) And I could add levity to the proceedings. Maybe run on a platform that emphasizes the need for heavily armed robot cops. My campaign slogan would be, "Robots With Guns! What Could Go Wrong?" I'm also mulling the congressional seat recently opened by the retirement of Henry Waxman. Again, I think my complete lack of experience is a selling point. I'm also a big fan of incompetent government, as the overly organized ones tend to put people like me on trains to Poland. For this elective office I'm thinking I need a campaign slogan that alienates no one. Something along the lines of, "Send me to Congress and watch what happens!"

1st Aired: 6 Feb 2014

[Idle Miscreant]

I'm immensely fond of Lorre, despite him draining the life blood out of his most noble creation, and presumably painting it on his groin along with that garnered from the chicken sacrifice. I get the impression he’s a deeply cynical disappointed idealist.
(Along with most of the members here…)

It must be difficult to keep your Vision untarnished whilst fighting to keep at the top of the scrabbling commercial heap lest you topple off into obscurity (or god forbid, become “cult” or iconic or anything….). It probably doesn’t help that this heap is built on a swamp of ratings and advertising revenue.

I suspect Lorre thinks of Sheldon as a sort of Pinocchio character…although I don’t recollect Pinocchio becoming MORE of an arse after he became a real boy…And where the fuck’s Jiminy Cricket when you need him?

[Nutz]

I'm immensely fond of Lorre, despite him draining the life blood out of his most noble creation, and presumably painting it on his groin along with that garnered from the chicken sacrifice. I get the impression he’s a deeply cynical disappointed idealist.
(Along with most of the members here…)

It must be difficult to keep your Vision untarnished whilst fighting to keep at the top of the scrabbling commercial heap lest you topple off into obscurity (or god forbid, become “cult” or iconic or anything….). It probably doesn’t help that this heap is built on a swamp of ratings and advertising revenue.

I suspect Lorre thinks of Sheldon as a sort of Pinocchio character…although I don’t recollect Pinocchio becoming MORE of an arse after he became a real boy…And where the fuck’s Jiminy Cricket when you need him?

I know he really isn't in charge of the day to day operations of this show anymore. Does anyone know if he reads the scripts? I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he's unaware that since dating Amy Sheldon's IQ has dropped 100 points when it comes to his professional life and that even the casual viewer is going to start wondering how this idiot still has a job considering how useless he is.

[SpaceAnJL]

I rather hope Gripe is waving a 'sarcasm' sign here. I doubt Lorre has any Vision past the paycheck.

Sheldon was created to be an awkward cartoon. We weren't supposed to like him. And in an effort to make sure we don't, he's been progressively hammered. Lorre doesn't think that happy people can be funny? Sadly, his unhappy people aren't funny, either. They are just boring and pathetic.

[Idle Miscreant]

I'm inclined to believe he has high aesthetic standards on a personal level, owing to the quasi-philosophical and literary quality of his Vanity Cards. Whether he allows much (or any) of this to permeate his commercial television decision-making process is up for debate.
They might even be completely detached. Like a swan flying over the mudflats. Or a retina.

I suspect it's Molaro who dislikes and misunderstands Sheldon. After all, the Vintage Sheldon that we esteem is, horrible to contemplate or not, a Lorre creation. Although I'd say a good 70-80% of Sheldon's success and appeal is down to Parsons' portrayal. It's a difficult character to spin without coming off as either a sociopath or a pantomime. Unfortunately, as everybody here has noted, that's precisely what Sheldon resembles now. Parsons' considerable shift in the manner in which he plays Sheldon aside (and that's a whole other baffling kettle of fish), he can do nothing if the core writing for the character has collapsed into caricature. Forced artificial "growth", wild veering between infantilism and sexified fan-service, standardised "jerk of a boyfriend" sitcom behaviour, pointless unSheldonic malice...

This breaking up of the peculiar but honest friendship between Penny and Sheldon is particularly abhorrent. It's a disaster for both their characters. Penny kept Sheldon in touch with a warmth and humanity the other characters (particularly Amy) simply do not possess, and Sheldon kept Penny in the sphere of high-mindedness, abstracts, intellect, and something other than her godawful job and the limited, materialistic world she is sunk in. Leonard is a number of things, but high-minded and idealistic aren't amongst them.

If they must have these ghastly relationships, the very least they could do as damage control is keep the friendship between Penny and Sheldon intact. It's the most redeeming and honourable aspect of the show. It's also the most popular, if you go by well nigh every single damn poll ever created on the topic. All the great, iconic scenes that casual viewers remember are all Sheldon and Penny ones. If I were the showrunner, I'd market the hell out of them...

But I'm not. I'm a bloody philosophical allegorist with an unhealthy interest in Laphroaig, swords and Buster Keaton...I don't think I'd even be allowed on the set...

[devilbk]

Entertainment Weekly has a list of the funniest shows currently on TV in this week's issue. Not a single Lorre production.

[Tuesday Pajamas]

Oh the irony...

This weeks card.

   

[Idle Miscreant]

Lorre: They're not slackers. This is not "Friends". These are very, very remarkable characters and if we stay true to that then it's quite a joy to be a part of.
[2008]

“Part of what’s wonderful and unique about [Sheldon] is he has chosen not to play in the relationship game either way — heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, any sexuality,” Lorre said. “He has said, ‘This is not for me. I’m a scientist. All I’m interested in is science and what George Lucas thinks.’ We’ve stumbled into creating a character who has chosen a lifestyle for himself that is unique. And I don’t see any reason to modify it.”

Added fellow e.p. Bill Prady: “[Sheldon] has made [a] choice that work and all of that is where he finds his passion.”

Lorre acknowledged that Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco have “become a natural comic pairing because [Penny] can tell him the truth. She’s not intimidated by him. They bounce off each other beautifully.”
[2010]

I think we should fucking frame this somewhere....