Capt. Hilts

Sheldon being a jerk is one of TWO primary bases for the show: Leonard & Penny's relationship and Sheldon being a jerk. If Sheldon is not a jerk, the show loses half its original source for comedy. Same as with Leonard and Penny having a happy, functional relationship. A happy, functional relationship isn't nearly as interesting as one with communication mix-ups, misunderstandings and some deceit. Go back to Burns and Allen and "I Love Lucy." If we want Sheldon to be less of an ass and for Leonard and Penny to be happy, it comes at a comedic cost.

I thought the women were the best part. I liked Amy's interaction with Sheldon in the beginning, and, later, with Penny and Leonard. Penny and Bernadette were great.

He just doesn't fit on the couch. Reason enough.

It would be so limiting.

Remember how "Lou Grant" was cancelled because mostly older viewers - over 40 - watched it. It had high enough ratings, but attracted a demographic the network [CBS!] did not value as much.

No. No. NO. Ratings are not "subjective." They are objective. They are based on subjective opinions, but the ratings, themselves, are not subjective. No one here has equated high ratings with quality or likeability, as the examples you've cited show so well. But the ratings are used to determine not just how many people watch - but who watches. The networks take ratings. The advertisers take ratings, etc. They base ad placement on who is watching a specific program. That information is objective, not subjective. Einstein hated to miss Beanie and Cecil. "Time for Beanie," and he'd toddle off to watch.

And that "quantity" is an objective measure, not a subjective one.

The components that comprise ratings are subjective. The ratings, themselves, are not subjective. They can be used in comparison to ratings for other episodes, those of other shows and the demographics of the ratings are very useful to advertisers. No, they are not subjective.

Showing it on Mondays is confusing. Showing two new episodes in one week is confusing. I assumed there was no Thursday show.

And THIS is why her character was changed from being ditzy to being more mature/self-possessed [whatever you want to call it] by the fifth episode. I can understand that.

But, without Leonard, he would have FAR fewer interactions with the other characters. I find him the most compelling. The one I sometimes watch even if he is not speaking, but, to me, Leonard is the glue of the show-the thing that keeps the other characters together. Over time, some of them have developed relationships that have their own momentum, but from my chair, the glue from the beginning, was always Leonard.

PLEEEEEEEZEEE!

I am concerned by the new attention to Stuart when there are already too many characters. Their insistence on having every character in nearly every show gives the program the feel of watching clips of whole shows you never get the chance to see. I'd much rather see more Penny and Leonard than Howard & Bernadette. That's a marriage I've seen depicted on many television shows already. Too many. They do a really good job with stale material, but it's still stale material, to me. Leonard is still the pivot point - that's why Penny and he are still in 4A, even though it made more sense for them to move into 4B, because then it would be more difficult for Leonard to be the host for the other characters. It would be difficult for him to play that role in the smaller apartment: logistically and visually. It just makes no sense that Sheldon would just up and abandon most of his stuff and desk, just like that. But the writers had no alternative, because it was essential that Leonard be in 4A. Remember, Mary Richards didn't evolve all that much. She was usually a support character for Lou Grant and the other, broader, characters. Yet, she was the pivot point for it all and it's considered one of the greatest television shows, ever. The same could be said about The Bob Newhart Show, in reference to Newhart's character. He was, by far, probably the least interesting on the show, yet, it all revolved around him. That same formula worked for him, again, on "Newhart."

This is a point that gets lost too often. You don't pack up and move from Nebraska to Los Angeles with uncertain employment if you aren't strong/independent.

She sure did.