11 Reasons The Big Bang Theory Is The Worst Thing On TV

11. Traditionally, Sitcoms Have Jokes

Call me an old stick-in-the-mud, but I was expecting there to be some gags in there. Instead, you people just saying words and then making a reference to an apparently nerdish but actually just generally popular piece of popular culture while the audience whoops. 'Yes!', the audience seems to be saying, 'I have a t-shirt which celebrates the fact that I watch that programme! Preach it, Shelders!'

More likely, someone will describe a sentiment, and another character will say, "You're like in ", and the audience will lose their minds. What are they laughing at? As Walter Mondale said to Gary Hart: where's the beef? Big Bang Theory uses pop cultural references in the same way as bottom-of-the-bill stand-ups use the Kardashians or twerking or happy-slapping: as a signifier that they're 'down with it', that they know what's culturally hot.

However, these references date incredibly quickly because everyone uses them and they end up looking like they're totally out-of-touch. It also takes absolutely no effort whatsoever to just throw some Lord of the Rings references about, and Spaced did it all about with far more panache about fifteen years ago anyway.