Most Important Character?

[Lissie]

Kaley couldn't be replaced at this point. None of the actors could, in fact. I think that what Lissie means is that it doesn't take a very specific sort of actress to play Penny.

Kaley is the pertect Penny, but the Penny character is not a hard one to pull. Six seasons later, of course Kaley made the Penny character what it is. But the Penny character itself, could be easily played by many other actresses in showbusiness.

 

The Sheldon character, or the Howard character, for example, are more complex characters, and is not easy at all to find someone who could pull them off.

 

Exactly! Thank you Sursonica for explaining what I mean 

[phantagrae]

Kaley couldn't be replaced at this point. None of the actors could, in fact. I think that what Lissie means is that it doesn't take a very specific sort of actress to play Penny.

Kaley is the pertect Penny, but the Penny character is not a hard one to pull. Six seasons later, of course Kaley made the Penny character what it is. But the Penny character itself, could be easily played by many other actresses in showbusiness.

 

The Sheldon character, or the Howard character, for example, are more complex characters, and is not easy at all to find someone who could pull them off.

 

Well, I think it's hard to say at this point because as much as Kaley made Penny her own, so, too, have Jim and Simon with their characters.

Although Sheldon was a very unusual character to pull off, if they had had some other actor in the role, who knows what it would have turned out to be?  And the same thing with Simon.

 

I think that in all successful shows there is a coming together of the writers' initial concept for a character and whatever unique aspects that the chosen actor brings to the role.

The writers blend their ideas for stories and for character development with whatever it is the actors bring into the mix--like Jim's Texas background becoming Sheldon's Texas background, or if they see a particular strength in an individual actor, they may write toward that strength.

The producers hire actors who seem to be able to embody the character as written in the pilot script, who can pull off the timing and strike whatever tone the producers/writers/creators have in mind, etc.

But after that, the characters can be molded, to some degree, around the actor's abilities so that it becomes hard to separate the actor from the role, or even impossible for anyone else to have embodied that character.

 

You can play what if with any actor in any show, but the truth is that it's impossible to really know what the characters or the show would have become--or not become--if someone else had played any of the roles.

[Shel_Ra_Ho_Le]

 I am more puzzled as why Kaley earns the same as Jim & Johnny.-

 

*sarcastic mode off*

If you pay attention to the fist part of Season 1 (and specially both he aired and the unaired pilot), you would notice that Leonard's character was the central character. All the storylines feature him as the focus. Sheldon & Penny are featured but mostly, the storylines revolve around Leonard.

The truth is, Johnny is the original male lead. Sheldon's popularity with the audience"upgraded" Jim to lead as well, but that wasnt the original intent, and that is an easy observation form the fist couple of episodes.

 

I think that the "seniority" factor did play though in the case of Melissa & Mayim. Even though Melissa both appeared and signed to become a regular before Mayim, Mayim is credited before Melissa. I haven't seen the contracts, but I'm pretty sure that Mayim's longer trajectory had to do with that.

 

Awww, my girl!  

[Shel_Ra_Ho_Le]

I think it should be Jim/Johnny top pay.  Kaley a little less, then Simon/Kunal, Mayim, Melissa,

[Moonbase]

Kaley couldn't be replaced at this point. None of the actors could, in fact. I think that what Lissie means is that it doesn't take a very specific sort of actress to play Penny.

Kaley is the pertect Penny, but the Penny character is not a hard one to pull. Six seasons later, of course Kaley made the Penny character what it is. But the Penny character itself, could be easily played by many other actresses in showbusiness.

 

The Sheldon character, or the Howard character, for example, are more complex characters, and is not easy at all to find someone who could pull them off.

 

I agree, particularly with Sheldon. They reworked the show for his character to the point they overused him. He must have been so much fun to write for, they couldn't help themselves. There's so much talent on this show anyway, but Jim really puts the cherry on the cake.

[Shel_Ra_Ho_Le]

I agree, particularly with Sheldon. They reworked the show for his character to the point they overused him. He must have been so much fun to write for, they couldn't help themselves. There's so much talent on this show anyway, but Jim really puts the cherry on the cake.

 

...and the sprinkles of all colors.  <3 my Jimmy!

[Lissie]

THERE IS NOT TBBT WITHOUT SHELDON=JIM.

But a TBBT with another "Penny" or another "Leonard" can work pretty well if SHELDON=JIM  continue there.

Regarding Melissa...I don´t know if it is the character I don´t like or if it is Melissa I don´t like...but I don´t like.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Lissie

[Kiru Breezy]

Leonard

Sheldon

Amy

Howard

Raj

Penny

Bernadette

[Shamyfan]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="walnutcowboy" data-cid="77083" data-time="1355869159"><p>

For 7+ million a year I'd put on a Pink tutu and fight villains with a mop!</p></blockquote>

That's an awesome visual. For 7 mil, your wish is my command

[Ar Diem]

Penny´s mother? why? because of her age??

 

 

Yep.

 

I will state this another way.  You take Kaley out and the show may have never made it this long  because she also brings chemistry to the table.  You change the ingredients you may get a different product.  Say for instance you get an actress that really hates some of the cast. Or you get one that thinks she is too good for the show.  Or you get one that is not cooperative and makes demands about her character.  Things like that hurt the entire production.  Community, another funny show has been on the chopping block a lot and some of it is because of Chevy Chase.

 

While I think it is rude to talk about money and it certainly isn't any of our business her importance to the show now is equal to the male leads because if she leaves the show will never be the same again.

[phantagrae]

I think it should be Jim/Johnny top pay.  Kaley a little less, then Simon/Kunal, Mayim, Melissa,

But that's not the way Hollywood works.

[Chrismo]

The original pilot had only Sheldon and Leonard on it. The network wouldn't put the show on the air. It got rewritten and Penny,Howard and Raj characters got added. Obviously Sheldon may be most people's favorite character but Leonard's the one that brought all the characters and thus is the most important character. In regards to Penny some of the funniest and most touching moments of the show were scenes with Sheldon and Penny. With others previous logic that someone else could play Penny the same logic could be said someone else could play Sheldon. Double BAZINGA!!! By the way I love the Amy character but she hasn't been on half the episodes. At least on my list of important characters she has to be behind the original five.

[Slicknickshady]

The main character is Leonard. But as far as most important..all the characters are equally important in there own way.

[destiny_lucy]

Is this question important?

If we have reached the conclusion that one character is most important,does it mean other characters can be got rid of?

[BillF63]

I do see Leonard, Penny and Sheldon as the three central characters from the start. Leonard being the main focus. However, as the popularity of the show and the characters have grown it really has become an ensemble where each has become important. Sheldon may be the most popular but that doesn't mean he is the most important.

Edited December 20, 2012 by BillF63

[bigbangsheldon]

ia will what u said bill

[djvang]

Leonard, Sheldon and Penny are like Kirk, Spock and McCoy.  The entire show revolves around their interactions. They shouldn't mess with the core. Howard and Raj are secondary characters like Scotty and Sulu.  Stories involving them may be interesting but they're peripheral. The chemistry of the Big Three is what made the show so successful. That's why the expanded role of Amy is so risky. She interferes with the interaction of the Big Three by dragging Sheldon away from it. We rarely see just Leonard, Penny & Sheldon together anymore. Instead we see Leonard and Penny together and Sheldon and Amy together and Howard and Bernadette together.  So much of the show is "couples" based now instead of the whole group interacting.  It just seems too fragmented now. 

[Pomita]

I'm not even sure I can analyze which character is most important. Certainly Sheldon is the most popular character, and Leonard is the nucleus of the group. But at this point I do feel that every character is indispensable - the show's universe wouldn't be complete (for me) without any of the main seven.

 

Leonard, Sheldon and Penny are like Kirk, Spock and McCoy.  The entire show revolves around their interactions. They shouldn't mess with the core. Howard and Raj are secondary characters like Scotty and Sulu.  Stories involving them may be interesting but they're peripheral. The chemistry of the Big Three is what made the show so successful. That's why the expanded role of Amy is so risky. She interferes with the interaction of the Big Three by dragging Sheldon away from it. We rarely see just Leonard, Penny & Sheldon together anymore. Instead we see Leonard and Penny together and Sheldon and Amy together and Howard and Bernadette together.  So much of the show is "couples" based now instead of the whole group interacting.  It just seems too fragmented now.

 

 

Of the 11 episodes in this season so far, only 4 (Date Night Variable, Holographic Excitation, Habitation Configuration and to some extent Fish Guts Displacement) have had anything resembling the dynamics you mention, i.e. Sheldon/Amy, Leonard/Penny and Howard/Bernadette separately. So the couple dynamics is not followed in even half of the show's airtime. It's still more an ensemble effort than anything else, just with an expanded ensemble. 

Edited December 20, 2012 by Pomita

[Ar Diem]

Of the 11 episodes in this season so far, only 4 (Date Night Variable, Holographic Excitation, Habitation Configuration and to some extent Fish Guts Displacement) have had anything resembling the dynamics you mention, i.e. Sheldon/Amy, Leonard/Penny and Howard/Bernadette separately. So the couple dynamics is not followed in even half of the show's airtime. It's still more an ensemble effort than anything else, just with an expanded ensemble. 

 

 

Penny's friendship with Amy also steals Penny away from L&S.  I am not sure if that is a good thing, a bad thing, or neither.   We are 6 seasons in and if they were still concentrating on the main 3 the writing would be really stale.  What they have done is spread themselves really thin by having so many characters and relationships to maintain but that also gives them plenty of ways to fill out scripts.   Unfortunately filler material dilutes the show.

[djvang]

Penny's friendship with Amy also steals Penny away from L&S.  I am not sure if that is a good thing, a bad thing, or neither.   We are 6 seasons in and if they were still concentrating on the main 3 the writing would be really stale.  What they have done is spread themselves really thin by having so many characters and relationships to maintain but that also gives them plenty of ways to fill out scripts.   Unfortunately filler material dilutes the show.

 

That's why I think they're setting up Howard and Bernadette for a spin-off series.

Edited December 21, 2012 by djvang

[Guest I'm not dead Cheryl]

I would like them to explore more dynamics though. Main 3 is fun, but there are many combinations we haven't seen yet:

 

Penny/Howard barely have any interaction even if they were there since the beginning, the same as Amy/Howard. We did never have Amy/Raj until last week, and IMO it was good.

 

We haven't seen Sheldon/Bernadette, Leonard/Bernadette, Leonard/Sheldon/Bernadette, Raj/Howard/Amy, Leonard/Amy/Bernadette, Leonard/Amy/Penny, Leonard/Raj/Amy, Sheldon/Amy/Raj, Sheldon/Amy/Howard, Leonard/Amy/Raj, Bernadette/Leonard/Raj, etc, etc, etc

 

there are still many combinations that I think would be really hilarious to explore, even though we are on the 6th season-.

[wannamaker]

I disagree. I think that people focus too much on the sexual aspect of their relationship where the real deal about it this year is that Sheldon is developing a lot from an emotional perspective within that relationship and, as a consequence, with others around him. Yes, the obliviousness is there just for laughs as a show cliche', but I don't think that's at the core of what Sheldon is going through right now. Amy yes, she's static at the moment. There's not a lot of growth on her part right now, but it might partially have to do with the fact that just as Sheldon is oblivious about her physical desires she is rather oblivious about his emotional growth. I think they're setting up for something to happen at some point down the road when the 2 obliviousnesses cross paths. At the moment I'm very happy with Sheldon. Amy, I love her, but she's a bit "meh" right now.  Not a lot going on Penny front. Maybe they should get her involved in something at work to actually get her to do something besides waiting ...

 

Penny is too male orientated... she likes to hang out with boys of all sorts, she wishes to be popular and wanted. She is fun because

blondie are fun and she uses her good look to pursue it.

Edited December 21, 2012 by wannamaker

[Shel_Ra_Ho_Le]

That's why I think they're setting up Howard and Bernadette for a spin-off series.

 

 

I see a SHAMY spin off more than a Howadette, honestly.

[Ar Diem]

Penny/Howard barely have any interaction even if they were there since the beginning, the same as Amy/Howard. We did never have Amy/Raj until last week, and IMO it was good.

 

We haven't seen Sheldon/Bernadette, Leonard/Bernadette, Leonard/Sheldon/Bernadette, Raj/Howard/Amy, Leonard/Amy/Bernadette, Leonard/Amy/Penny, Leonard/Raj/Amy, Sheldon/Amy/Raj, Sheldon/Amy/Howard, Leonard/Amy/Raj, Bernadette/Leonard/Raj, etc, etc, etc

 

Some of that could work but I think the show is going the traditional route so unless they do something corny like have Bernadette teach Leonard how to dance for example you won't see friends by association interact that much.

[Ar Diem]

I see a SHAMY spin off more than a Howadette, honestly.

 

You can't spin off main characters unless the show is coming to an end.  You either spin-off B level characters (Frasier) or introduced characters (The Jeffersons).

 

How would you see TBBT working without Sheldon?