Comparing The Big Bang Theory And The Dick Van Dyke Show

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Recommended: Social norms and their consequences on society

Sitcoms have been a part of American television since the early 1950’s, and even today their iconic audience laughter and constant punch lines are present, but not all sitcoms are the same. Changing societal norms and morals have molded sitcoms, and even though the intent of a sitcom remains similar, shows like “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Big Bang Theory” contain differences because of time period. One difference between “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Big Bang Theory” was the depiction of intimacy between the couples. In “The Big Bang Theory,” Leonard and Penny are shown sleeping in the same bed together because as society knows, couples who are married or close share a bed together, and by contrast in “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” him …show more content…

Also, one scene between Raj, Howard, and a military officer did not seem to be resolved, which then leads us into possibly the next episode or one down the line. Furthermore, the viewer may feel lost while watching “The Big Bang Theory” because episodes seems to flow into one another. Comparing this idea of complexity to “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” this sitcom felt more straight forward and streamline. The show opened, contained a flash back, and then finished the story by returning to the present, which shows some complexity, but nothing close to what “The Big Bang Theory” did with its plot. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” didn’t feel confusing when jumping into the episode either because the story began and resolved all in the same episode, so other episodes were not influencing this one. This shows viewers that TV has become smarter because viewers now need to pay more attention and analyze an episode more thoroughly to be able to understand the entire season or

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