FOTEP TV Reviews

The Big Bang Theory

Three twenty-something physicists (and a mechanical engineer that only got a Master's degree) have to deal with life and its realities despite how out-of-touch some of the characters actually are.

Enter Penny, the Cheesecake Factory waitress and neighbor across the hall. She's the object of unrequited love and wreaks havoc among the boys.

Sheldon is your genius without a clue, Howard is the Jewish mamma's boy, Rajesh is the fish out of water (and is paralyzed speechless in the presence of women, including Penny who always seems to be around) and so it's up to Leonard, the most socially adept genius in the bunch, to try and keep things together.

You know a show is good when other actors come out of the woodwork to do cameos, so watch for a few good ones.

This show is so good that I bought the T-shirt (rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock) and I'm tempted to pick up a second: The Friendship Flowchart.

There are only two seasons available so far.

IMDB Score: 8.4/10
Amazon Score: 4.5/5

Two and a Half Men

I think what makes this work is that the whole show has stepped out of the Hollywood/TV mold and delivers biting humor. This is by no means a kids show, the humor will be (should be) over their heads.

Charlie Harper (Sheen) is a happy-go-lucky womanizer (who writes TV jingles) and his brother Alan (Cryer) is a down-on-his-luck, OCD chiropractor (not a real doctor) who is recently divorced and has to stay with Charlie or be homeless. Alan's son Jake stays with part-time dad Alan on weekends where he learns all of the wrong things from his uncle Charlie.

The mother (grandmother to Jake) is a hoot, ex-wife Judith is the shrew we love to hate and housekeeper Berta is the woman we all hope our sons never meet.

The humor runs from dry to gutter and never fails to entertain (in an R-rated way).

All I can say is, try it, you'll like it.

IMDB Score: 8.7/10
Amazon Score: 4.5/5