Nogravitasatall

Yup. If they had really struck out on their own they wouldn't be living in a retread. It'd be original. See if it lasts, I guess. Bernie got to redo Howard's place. But naught to be done to the main sets. Maybe it's a budget thing. Times are tough.

I liked them, a lot. But I'm not optimistic either. TPTB have no incentive to change until their constituents get fed up. But they can coast on their momentum for two years, easy.

Thanks. In Oz I think we are close to the US conventions in TV & film jargon. They have painters and props, as well other crafts. Painters do the flats (the walls etc), set dressing is about something else and designers do the planning. So the visual design of the set hasn't changed, except for the bric-a-brac .And I'd have to ask if Penmy's bouncy cheery vibrant exuberant colour scheme really speaks about Shamy. From scratch they would have their own design and own colour scheme. More expert commentary can correct me and would be welcome.

Ok, I think I got my nomenclature wrong. They may have moved the bric-a-brac (dressing) but they haven't painted, have they. The colour scheme still declaims "This is Penny's apartment". With squatters. And then, even when they re-paint, it'll still be Penny's old apartment, to me. I suppose the latter generations of viewers isn't expected to be concerned.

That plays differently in slo-mo than I remember. (Icon:blush)

I don't know. I assume they would. I was just earnestly expressing my hope that they did. Mostly because it was an intimate thing belonging to Penny, than anything else. Bit like a toothbrush, to my mind. And I was thinking more about the years and years of Leonard's sleepovers. They did seem fairly well suited in that important dimension. At least that element of their relationship is well sorted. And would bring them some joy. But again, we don't get see them chatting at bed time as we once did. I miss that. Anyway, Penny was sometimes off-site having her pre-Leonard good times, in Subway and elsewhere, according to Mike's indiscreet journal. And good on her. She's only going to be young once. Plus, she is fictional.

I'm not sure how much this relates to opinion, material or the premise. Regardless, I'd agree that they are not that fascinating at the moment. I'd say in part because they are always written as support cast to Sheldon, but that might be my bias. Howard & Bernadette do get more cream. They are getting significant stories. And they are endearing. Howard is a hoot. The writers make an effort to show them enjoying themselves. Hence they are more interesting. That's what people find relatable. Leonard & Penny mostly get to bitch about Sheldon for laughs. As anyone knows who has read my posts, that is not sustainably funny. Penny had been for a whole period written as a drunk, slovenly slattern. Formerly heroic Leonard has been reduced to a somewhat bitter enabling sidekick. And they never have fun without the gurning killjoy punctuating their moments. So where is the joy in watching that. Good and interesting performances and characterisations are in a large part a reflection of the writing. They could be written as major hoots. I'm just thinking that TPTB have other interests and a functioning ensemble that supports their cash cow. If Penny and Leonard were interesting in their own right what would they do with the premise, the set and the ensemble? Mr Galecki and to some extent Ms Cuoco seem to be "taking one", creatively, for the team. IMHO

Well, for instance, when your neighbourhood gets facelifted it likely creates a dissonance. Also it's such a blatant conceit to preserve the formula. And, I had such hopes for joy from L/P. I know happy-ever-after is unlikely but I am not seeing them mostly happy in 4A where, instead, all the existential drama gets played out... so that's like, ... a bummer. Maybe it's because there is comedy in the conflict, but is ennervating to see that conflict as the default setting for L/P. It could easily be leavened with more good vibes. I can't give examples but my impression is now that TPTB are stuck in a "be careful what you wish for" morality play with L/P. And they keep choosing to uptick the shallowness. So, in contrast, seeing S/A happy in Penny's bed pricks me every time I see it. It probably elates others. YMMV. (Given what I think about the values I feel Sheldon demonstrates - regressive mysogynistic babyman-dom, because he is not disabled, it's a choice - it also hurts again to see him always prevailing without comeuppance and with the assistance of those he oppresses. Heheh )

By Thor's might hammer, please let them change the mattress! At least. Heheh

Every time I see Sheldon and Amy walking around in Penny's flat, being domestic, I feel like something has been stolen from me. It's a very visceral reaction. It just seems like appropriation. Have they even re-dressed the set? I don't think so. Of course, it's very economical. This show is so efficient. Their below-the-line production costs look nailed in place. I guess the audience churn allows this displacement. If you came to the show in the Shamy years and were for the Shamy, you'd have a different set of expectations, no doubt. I'm just one of the diehards, railing against the reality of the Sheldon Show. And while Ms Cuoco is appealing, it was the chemistry between her and Mr Galecki that hooked me. There were some special personal circumstances then, to be true. The puzzling thing is that they are both good enough actors that, if the stories and direction aimed at promoting that, they could readily light up that fire again. There just doesn't seem to be the will to go there. Because they got an outstanding result of a 12 season run from what they doing now, I guess. That's the biz. *sigh*

I can't. Because, though it might have been a legitimate story choice, it would have detracted from Leonard/Penny love story. You are right, it would have made the L/P reunion less likely or at least more remote. Which would have then made the tantalising, almost shout at the TV obviousness of the real resolution to their dilemma - ie, get back together - much less immediate. Which was a big part of the hook. You knew they hadn't been shelved for later. It was going to happen soon, or so it seemed. And Zack was brilliant as a contrast to Leonard, so I'm glad we got him instead of a normal and competent pretty boy. Conversely, had she dated someone else who was plausible and not a contrast, they would have been seen as going down the Ross/Rachel track, which might have given the URST a longer run, but had been done before, by Ross and Rachel. I think TPTB made the better choice at the time. Whether it was the best choice for an eventual 12 season run, I don't know. But that's why we have Shamy at present. Not that that works quite the same for me, regardless of how ripped Sheldon is now. (I just saw the beefcake train engineer scene... it's seared (not seered) into my brain).

David Underhill? Turned out he had feet of clay (a wife) but at the outset we didn't know that. Even Leonard had a crush on him.

We will never know. Maybe in one of the other universes - where Sheldon is a clown made of candy and not dancing. Hehe.

There is an argument "out there" that the best way to win an Oscar is to be straight and play gay, be beautiful and play ugly, and be able and play disabled. So the extremity of the material makes a difference. In this work Ms Cuoco isn't tested in the same way. But, given that she launched the show, I'd think in this case she is one of the giants on who's shoulders others can stand. And I don't believe hot and panting A/S. I find the passion a tad forced. Because... Sheldon so well persuaded me for those four years. Such a distinctive performance I can't let go.

Yeah. Hmmm. I'm coming around to the view that the writers thought at the outset that Penny wanted to get rich quick and easy. Not sure that they had an underlying thought at that she was a Meryl Streep in-waiting. Then they ran past that idea when the show went so long - and they didn't and still don't have a good fallback. They didn't have a 12 season plan back then (or even past 3 + 2 maybe). there is a bit of a dilemma in that Penny came across as such a nice person in the early seasons because of her obvious care of the idiots across the hall (despite the misogynistic slut shaming gags beloved by Sheldon). So her presentation belied her vocational motivations. Back then, movie star or TV star were her goals. Being a star isn't necessarily a thespian ambitions or a worthy one. It's materialistic. As opposed to Leonard and his happy academic penury. Now she sell drugs so they can write jokes with Bernie. It's an efficient twofer.