tv meme, day 10: a show you thought you wouldn't like, but ended up loving

It's tough to admit you were wrong, particularly when dealing with something so big as a television show. But when a friend of mine had assured me that The Big Bang Theory was worth watching, I quickly reminded her that not only was it created by the makers of Two and a Half Men, but it was on CBS Monday, one of the blandest nights on television. Oh, how wrong I was.

Thanks to the urging of my friends - and repeat viewings at our communal house two years ago - I was gifted with the knowledge that The Big Bang Theory is not only hilarious, but it's also probably one of the best shows currently on television. Who says the sitcom is dying?! Obviously headed up by its semi-star and central character, Sheldon Cooper (played with insanely on-point timing and wit by Jim Parsons), the show follows the exploits of four genius scientists and their often dunderheaded waitress neighbor. Parsons is surely a treat to behold, with his eccentricities and rules - it's amazing that a show with so many intellectual jokes and cultural references has managed to not only find an audience on an every-person network like CBS, but also that it hasn't turned off American audiences that are used to cheering for the dumb but well-meaning pretty people who come to save the day.

I guess what truly scared me away from this show, other than its network, its placement, and its early negative buzz (which it's completely overcome, particularly in season 2), was its headlining stars. Sure, Johnny Galecki (who plays the sweet-natured and unlucky-in-love Leonard) had some decent comedy roots with Roseanne, but when noticing that 8 Simple Rules' Kaley Cuoco was a part of the cast, I got nervous. I'd only caught a couple of episodes of her previous show, but had seen enough to know she was no Lucille Ball. But among the detractors of her past career, I can assure you that Cuoco has certainly grown into her comedy legs on Big Bang, so much so that she's often rivaling her co-stars' spewing of scientific and referential jokes right and left. She's definitely most improved among the cast - now having grown to one of my favorites. So while I put off trying on The Big Bang Theory, I found it to be great fun and slickly written once I finally gave it a shot.