Nerds on Parade—Chuck and The Big Bang Theory
As a lead-in to its hit series Heroes, NBC is running a new show called Chuck on Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT. The show seems thoroughly fluffy and escapist on the surface, but has some interesting thoughts behind it.
It deals with themes including security in the post-9/11 world, the rights of individuals vis a vis the state, and the perpetual thorny issue of how to meet cute girls—all with a very light, comedic touch.
The opening scenes of the pilot episode comically establish Chuck Bartowsky (Zachary Levi) as a young man of positively stunning ordinariness, as he works in the Nerd Herd at a Buy-More store, fixing computers and cell phones and being bullied by a jerk coworker who has the inside track on the open assistant manager job.
Soon, however, a beautiful woman, Sarah Kent (Yvonne Strzechowski) becomes interested in him—but of course not for conventional reasons. He is, after all, a nerd.
After Chuck uses his computer knowledge to disarm a bomb and save the life of a diplomat, he stands up to the leader of the NSA team and telles him he won't be bullied, saying, "You need me."
The theme here—knowledge is power—is one that has turned up in numerous theatrical films and TV movies and series in recent years, particularly since the 9/11 attacks. Some typical examples are National Treasure, the two Librarian movies that appeared on Turner Network Television in the last couple of years, and the TV series House, John Doe, and Numbers. In each case, the solution to the characters' problems—or those of people they are trying to help—is not in brute force or strategic ingenuity, nor in some innate capabiity of the hero (other than significantly above-average intelligence) but in the possession and proper use of arcane knowledge. Judging by the pilot episode and information about coming installments, Chuck is an amusing addition to the trend.
CBS goes in the exact opposite direction in the new series The Big Bang Theory, in the second slot of a two-hour comedy block as counterprogramming against Heroes and its comic-espionage lead-in, Chuck. In Big Bang Theory, the two lead characters are uber-nerd genius scientists who can solve complex mathematical equations but can't figure out how to seduce their beautiful new neighbor.
Haha, right? But there is some goodness in it after all. Ultimately the two men find that just being nice is the way to her heart, and a nascent friendship begins to blossom. Exactly how this premise can be sustained over time is anyone's guess, but the jokes in the premiere episode were very funny, and I suppose there are more where those came from.
Comments
Don't forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer and spinoff Angel. For shows that featured so many fight scenes, they were quite research-heavy and gave much credit and respect to those who knew how to read and interpret the lore.
Posted by: C C Writer | September 25, 2007 11:57 AM
That's an excellent point, CC. Thanks for noting it. That's also true of Supernatural, on the CW network. The protagonists have their father's notebook, which is full of arcane info that helps them identify and overcome their preternatural enemies.
Posted by: S. T. Karnick | September 25, 2007 12:04 PM