Many The Big Bang Theory fans agree that if they could change one thing about the sitcom, it would be the obnoxious laugh track. By now, countless sitcom fans recognize laugh tracks as an irritating sitcom trope, and The Big Bang Theory takes it even further than most other sitcoms do.
From the very start, the cheerful, lovable Penny was written to be a stereotypical "dumb blonde," which is predictable at best and deeply insulting at worst. The show went too far to make Penny a foil to the main cast, being a socially adept but intellectually subpar character.
The off-screen character Mrs. Wolowitz was a riot as a highly protective mother who often shouts her conversations with other peole across an entire house, but some of her humor was too harsh.
A few comments and scenes early in The Big Bang Theory were highly inappropriate for the time, and doubly so today. Fortunately, the show soon abandoned this distasteful brand of humor, but even so, it's shocking to rewatch the first three seasons and hear openly transphobic dialogue.
The Big Bang Theory's character designs often indulged in obvious stereotypes, and not just with Penny as a "dumb blonde." The show also reduced Sheldon's mother Mary to a total stereotype about Bible Belt residents. There's nothing wrong with a sitcom character taking their Christian faith seriously, but they don't have to be a caricature about it.
A few seasons in, The Big Bang Theory introduced two new female scientist characters, the hot-tempered Bernadette and the awkward but empathetic Amy Farrah Fowler. It was good to bring in more smart female characters, but the show waited a big too long to usher them in.
From the very start, the genius Dr. Sheldon Cooper was written as the "awkward but brilliant" type, complete with his laser-focused interests, comedically weak social skills and bizarre personality quirks.
Leonard Hofstadter had sympathetic insecurities that helped define his character arc, which also led to his will-they-won't-they romance with Penny for years. It became a problem when The Big Bang Theory started overplaying its hand and making Leonard feel downright pitiful about it.
Sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory create compelling character arcs when the main characters strive toward relatable life milestones like getting married, buying a house, having children and the like. It was wonderful to watch Howard strive for that with his girlfriend turned wife Bernadette, but the peak lasted too long.
It's a common sitcom trope for the main characters to live in a major city and rent a roomy apartment despite their low-paying jobs. Such a set does give the crew more room to film the scenes, but it also raises eyebrows about how characters like Penny can pay rent for such accommodations
