Big Bang: Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon

The show centering around Sheldon (and, thus, Jim Parsons' acting prowess) gets annoying. It's like when Saved by the Bell would be so Zach-centric that the other characters spent episodes with hardly a mention. Both are ensemble shows, and with a larger ensemble on this comedy as time goes on, it's better not to focus on the same character episode after episode. Granted, in the Christmas episode, Sheldon was used more as a plot device to offer the other characters and viewers alike a chance to look at what could have been, but I'd still prefer more focus on the others, and more interaction with Sheldon that the usual Leonard, Amy, and maybe Penny. Why couldn't Howard or Raj do something with Sheldon once in a while?

The Big Bang Theory "The Discovery Dissipation" (S07E10): Sheldon is interviewed on the radio about his element discovery, as he is now being considered for a Nobel Prize in chemistry. He's still upset about it all being an accident, so Amy brings Wil Wheaton over to talk to him... Wil never liked the attention for being on Star Trek as a child, because people didn't always like him. [you know, I reallllly need to track down an episode of Star Trek with him in it! I still have no idea what they reference when they talk about him on the show as a child!]

Michael Yarish/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. © 2013 WBEI. All rights reserved.

However, Leonard re-ran the tests, and figured out that the element DOESN'T actually exist. Sheldon is upset, but soon retracts his paper. [loved that Sheldon sided with Penny to be against Leonard, even though he didn't understand her comparison!] Leonard and Sheldon are invited to the radio show, but Sheldon cuts off Leonard. [as one would expect!]

Raj's apartment is being tented, so he and his dog stay with Howard and Bernadette for a week. [I forgot about his dog!] Raj is nicer to Bernadette than Howard is, making things awkward. The married couple airs some grievances, like Howard wanting Bernadette to pack his lunches with cute notes, and Bernadette wanting Howard to compliment her and help out around the house. [haha that Raj headed to Leonard's!]

The Big Bang Theory "The Cooper Extraction Theory" (S07E11): Amy and Penny are playing a Wii game while Leonard nurses a sprained ankle. When Sheldon is invited to play, the group learns that he is headed to Texas for the birth of his sister's baby. With Sheldon gone, everyone is free to trim the tree without rules, though Sheldon does Face-Time (or Skype?) quite frequently throughout the gathering. Stuart comes over, and everyone talks about watching It's a Wonderful Life, then wonders about what life would be like if Sheldon was never born. In the alternate reality, nobody would know Amy, who is left to celebrate birthdays alone (omg, I could cry!), Leonard wouldn't have had the courage to ask out Penny at the Cheesecake Factory (therefore Howard - who killed his mother - wouldn't have met Bernadette), Penny would be hot for Sheldon, and Raj would have moved in with Leonard and made such delicious meals that they both got fat. [Stuart trying to add himself into stories was funny. Stuart being Penny's boyfriend in the Fat-Leonard scenario was weird.] The group realizes that Amy has made a deep impact on Sheldon, as he listens to her. [plus, SHE was the one he kept contacting!] Leonard shows Amy that she's on Sheldon's screensaver, which touches her. [why did Sheldon say that he had a lot of tv to catch up on?]

Photo Recapping 2013 Comic-Con: The Floor

a glimpse at how crowded just a tiny portion of the floor can be. by Amy K. Bredemeyer

On Thursday night of Comic-Con I was waiting in a line and got to talking with those around me, as normally happens. Well, one of the guys was on his fourth SDCC and was going to attend his very first panel the next day. I was dumbfounded and promptly asked how he spends his days, noticing that he had a four-day badge. Turns out, he is one of those people who literally spends all day every day in Exhibit Hall, known more commonly as "on The Floor." Now, after three rounds at the annual convention myself, I would say I spend 6-8 hours perusing the booths each year. I don't get to everything, I'm not able to wait in every swag line or preview all of the shows/movies/games, and I don't wait hours for autographs. But, spending your entire Con in Exhibit Hall just sounds so exhausting to me, both mentally and physically. If you've been, you understand what I mean. If you haven't, allow me to give you a small taste of the craziness that is The Floor, starting with some film booths:

Hobbit! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

more Hobbit. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Lionsgate and Summit had a combined booth this year, and it switched up its features, including Ender's Game. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

You could get customized t-shirts for Ender's Game! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

these are real guys dressed up! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

there are many book booths at Comic-Con, and you can pick up lots of older things for free! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Exclusive items are a big deal, and many people wait hours
in line for a chance to buy something! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

like this collectible! (not on the previous list)
by Jonathan Bredemeyer

time for television shows! ABC brought a ship replica you could enter to watch
a scene from the new third season of Once Upon a Time. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Starz brought a ship, too, for Black Sails. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

and a cannon! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

The Walking Dead had zombies everywhere, and a bit lookout stand. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

even classic favorites were there, like Dragon Ball Z. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

and you can pick up artwork for anything imaginable, including Castle and Firefly. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

what is this? I have no idea. But it moved and was scary. by Amy K. Bredemeyer

and now for some shots of some booths that really stood out for one reason or another... by Jonathan Bredemeyer

some kind of ice king or chill room or something? by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Max Steel. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

I don't remember what this was promoting, but it was heavily armored! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Daft Punk concert set model. you know, as there's something for everyone! by Jonathan Bredemeyer

I love the old toys for sale! Check out some of these TMNT classics! by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Star Trek bridge. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

obligatory Star Wars homage. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

 

some celebs did booth signings, like Joss Whedon at Dark Horse. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

and the cast from Under the Dome at the CBS booth. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

and this guy hung out on the top of FOX's booth. by Jonathan Bredemeyer

Now, this is such a small sampling of what there was to see, but you get a little taste of the variety, from movies and television to toys and books to original art and collectibles. There were also many comic book booths, of course, but selecting one over others to display is rather difficult. Stay tuned for more Comic-Con articles and photo recaps to come, including more shots from the floor but in more compact categories!

Top 10 Guest Stars who became Regulars

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Ever watch a show and realize that a character just comes along and steals the show... over and over? It happens, and while it's not incredibly common, it's far from a rare occurrence. Today I'm going to give some examples of this character type, and feel free to suggest others that I might not have thought of.  

10. Mimi on The Drew Carey Show. Although I have only seen a couple episodes of this show, I am familiar with the character Mimi. I think that she is kinda synonymous with the show, and I was amused to find out that she wasn't originally intended to be a main character.

9. Spock from Star Trek. He was the only character carried over from the first pilot to the second for the television shows, and ended up becoming one of the most-identifiable characters in all of the Star Trek saga.

8. Elmo on Sesame Street. He was originally a background Muppet without a name, but has really become a mainstay fixture since the 90s. Who knew that a preschool speaks-in-the-third-person red monster would end up taking popularity from Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the crowd?

7. Slimer from Ghostbusters. Yes, he's originally from the movie, but he was so popular in it that he became a major character in the television series. A one-hit ghost that even ended up with a flavor of HiC named for him... cool. Ecto Cool.

6. Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls. Originally, she was intended to be a supporting character... but tested so well that the writers included her as one of the main characters. Kinda funny when you think about how they eliminated Coco the housekeeper after a single episode... perhaps partially to give Sophia more of a role.

5. Butters Stotch from South Park. He fought so well with Cartman that he ended up a regular, and even got his own episode to give the audience more background on this nerdy, strives-to-please kid. Butters is unlike the other main characters in so many ways, yet he fits right in.

4. Carol Hathaway from ER. The well-known retcon that a suicide became just a coma. Carol went on to have an interesting run on the show, and everyone seemed to be rooting for her and Doug Ross (George Clooney's character) by the time she left the show. The final season revealing that they were still together was heartwarming.

3. Fonzie from Happy Days. Probably the best example of this idea, since they were considering renaming the show because of his popularity. Again, Fonzie was different from the main cast of characters on this show, but he managed to fit in and add a new angle on the retro show.

2. Maxwell Klinger on M*A*S*H. He was originally written just to get a laugh out of crowds at the crazy things that people did to try to get a Section 8 discharge from the armed forces. He ended up becoming a regular, continuing to fight for a discharge up until his time in the service was about over.

1. Urkel from Family Matters. This instance is my favorite. I can't really imagine how this show would've played out without Steve. And, when I was a kid, my family referred to this sitcom as "The Urkel Show." Oh, and were there toys made of any of the other characters? Because I had a friend who had that talking Urkel doll... and he was so dorky he was cool!  

so... who else fits this description?