'Big Bang Theory' has Universal Appeal

Comedy Recipe: take four science geeks, a blonde bombshell, a good dose of strong sciptwriting, add appealing character acting and you have a show that makes for good, relaxing tv viewing. Perfect background fare, 'thetvreviewguy' always enjoys 'The Big Bang Theory', a show that makes physics funny and 'dumbs up' in references. Be it Sheldon's uber-nerdiness, Penny's likability or Leonard's unsuccessful attempts to be cool, TBBT provides a good dose of humour served up on a plate for the discerning laugh-hunter. Forget what you hear about American television being great; wrong - it's almost all rubbish. However, the top 2% is excellent and while shows like 'The Big Bang Theory' may not be up to 'Wire' standards, it is a great little programme that never fails to have 'thetvreviewguy' chortling and/or guffawing. It reminds this 30-something reviewer of the limitless possibilities we can enjoy in our twenties and is a funny take on the identity building at that age. According to 'thetvreviewguy's laughter equation, wit plus strong casting equals good comedy gold; again, he wishes he'd studied more during his science classes in school. TBBT definitely tickles the funny bones.

'How the Universe Works'

'Discovery UK' has an unusual mix of hard-core militaria (which 'thetvereviewguy' finds an instant turn-off), adventurer shows where the protagonists run amok, nerd-fests and the occasional superb documentary about the natural sciences. 'How the Universe Works' falls into the last category. Beautiful imagery and effects are intermingled with knowledgeable talking-head pieces from various boffins. Little of the subject matter is new but the presentation is never less than lively and exciting. Popularising science is a difficult matter; pitch it too low i.e. at the level of this reviewer, and you risk putting entertainment values over education. Aim too high and you soon lose plenty of people (ahem, same critic) in discussions over string theory and multiple universes. That's why 'How the Universe Works' works. It is a goldilocks of a TV series (see what 'thetvreviewguy' did there?). Anyone who grew up with 'Star Wars' will love the way planets and celestial objects are portrayed. In these Super Nova days it's comforting to look up to the stars and wonder what cosmic glue holds everything together. We can learn to feel bigger by realising we're smaller. Programmes like 'How the Universe' can help us do this. Live long and prosper!

South Park - Equal Opportunities Offenders

'South Park' continues to amuse, excoriate, lampoon and pillory and while it hits more marks than it misses, the long running public stock of a cartoon could be losing its lustre. The problem with 'South Park' is that, as they were good enough to point out, the 'Simpsons' have done most of their gags and themes before in a more subtle and, what they didn't say, funnier way. While frequently hilarious, the 'let's rip into both sides' trope becomes tedious with the writers having to invent strawmen to knock down. The recent 'Inception' episode was desperately weak as it tried to pick holes in one of the most original movies for the last five years. America is, despite attempts to 'restore sanity', an incredibly divided country and the 'here's what the Red State douchebags would say' and 'here's what the Blue State A'Holes harp on about' only has so much traction; you can only play both sides of the fence for so long. Still, it's very easy late night viewing and Eric Cartman is still a big-boned, foul-mouthed legend. But when you've had a go at everybody, who's left? A very funny programme well past its best before date; keeps 'thetvreviewguy''s attention as he likes satire as much as the next dude but...keep it original guys.