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NBC: "Geeks are the new cool" for Fall TV

wired.com — And, "We are all gravitating towards the underdog." So, geek TV shows like The Big Bang Theory, The Sarah Connor Chronicles and a retooled Bionic Woman make up roughly 20 percent of the major networks' new prime-time programming for the 2007-08 season.

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  • RealmDown, on 10/10/2007, -3/+73I'll be happy if they just take wrestling off Sci-Fi and put more *gasp* SCI-FI on it instead.
    • spyd3rweb, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16As long as they dont replace it with Ow My Balls
      • lowerlogic, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4im pretty sure thats already on cartoon network anyway
      • artofwar420, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2This show has high chances of being lame.
    • hockey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The sad part is I can see why they did put wrestling on Sci-Fi.

      Networks are all about ratings and money and the sad truth is if you look it up and research it wrestling is one of the highest rated shows on the network :(
    • iMoth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2i'd be happy if they stopped making ***** ***** 'sci-fi original movies'.
  • thezettabytes, on 10/10/2007, -5/+20For most of digg The Big Bang Theory is too close too reality to be funny
    • fadetoone, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Unfortunately not all of us live with, or even near, hot chicks.
    • masterdbugger, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3...too close TO reality...
    • tsunamisteve, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Using the name "Big bang theory" for a sitcom is going to do wonders for the mainstream perception of modern sciences....
  • usrlocalbin, on 10/10/2007, -2/+51Glad that I've always been a geek before it was 'cool'.
    • Gir53457, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8>Perhaps the most hotly anticipated, new geek TV show is NBC's Chuck, a phish-out-of-water story about a computer nerd whose brain becomes the unwitting recipient of an encoded e-mail containing the government's darkest secrets.

      Just as geeky as Hackers.
      • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2He's the secret... She's the agent!

        My God -- more adverts for that show on TV then for that terrible show "Dirt"
        Courtney Cox is... DIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
        • rarson, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I just happened to see the first episode of Dirt when it first aired (I usually don't watch much TV). It was so laughably bad, I honestly couldn't believe they aired it.
    • iMoth, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1ya poser. real geeks don't label themselves as geeks.

      word to your mother.
  • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -4/+12"Brown is the new white!" said the crusty athletic sock
    • Dalatejc, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8I stand corrected said the man in the orthopaedic shoes
    • griz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Don't you mean "...said the Zune"
      • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -2/+11Isn't that the same thing as a crusty athletic sock?
  • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -11/+4Well from the looks of the giant Big Bang Theory banner ad here on Digg, I wouldn't mind big banging that blonde in the middle
    • evilregis, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7That almost made me turn off ABP...
    • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3lol, who would dig this down? A homosexual astrophysicist?
      • Butros, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2No obviously the gentlemen that posted this is not using firefox with adblock => he's an ie user and not a geek. So he gets dug down. No offense duffy...
    • GeorgeCostanza, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Kaley Cuoco.
  • bbeahm, on 10/10/2007, -4/+31I watched the free pilot of Big Bang Theory from iTunes. That was a waste of 22 minutes.
    That is why I hardly watch TV anymore. I'd give it a half season at best.
  • yapa, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2As much as I hope that this will take off and create a new wave of geek-oriented shows on other networks, I have a feeling that this will be very short-lived...
  • theworldisflat, on 10/10/2007, -9/+6No Battlestar, no care.
  • bogatash, on 10/10/2007, -2/+15Cool is the new dorky.
  • de1234, on 10/10/2007, -7/+0All you guys on digg wish this title was true. wait I'm on Digg and im signed in
  • Vicujozobenaxod, on 10/10/2007, -3/+34Except the geeks in reality play WoW, don't know or talk to any hot women, watch Stargate, bought Firefly on DVD and run Linux.
    • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -7/+6and vote for ron paul, and run ubuntu, and bought bioshock, and track monthly wii vs. 360 statistics, and deck out their wordpress page, and hunt for police brutality vidoes all day, and...
      • masterdbugger, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I'm quite the geek, but I don't play WoW, I don't watch Stargate, would never buy Firefly on DVD (although it was a good show), I don't track any statistics for anything, don't even have a wordpress page, and I don't even know where that hunt for police brutality videos part came from. And I didn't buy Bioshock, and I know plenty of attractive women.
    • theworldisflat, on 10/10/2007, -6/+2Some of us drive exotic cars, enjoy firearms and watch football also...
      • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2really? Time to get digging, boy!!!!
      • ElectroBot, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Infiltrator!

        The Geek Police will be drop by soon to pick you (theworldisflat) and reprogram you to acceppt that you are and always will be a jock.
  • JimXugle, on 10/10/2007, -0/+51"Geeks are the new cool" eh?

    Will they be saying that when their entire fall lineup is on Bittorrent weeks before it's airtime?
    • SPThom, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3...BUT, there won't be any seeds, because geeks won't fall for their halfhearted attempts to capture our hearts.
    • Technopope, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Weeks, hmmph!

      All the shows already have been on the torrents, and it was MONTHS before they aired.

  • anteyekon4myst, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Around the same time as hell froze over...
    "The classic shape of the computer geek is over when Bill Gates became the (richest), most aspirational, coolest guy in the world," , money grew on trees, hot women walked around the street in thonged bikinis and intercourse was equivalent to a handshake....its bad enough that someone thinks this, but to express that in public takes balls or severe mental retardation.
    • GeorgeCostanza, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Express what? There's nothing wrong with free, easy sex or hot girls in thonged bikinis.
      • anteyekon4myst, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2express..the notion of BG as "coolest guy in the worl"d...note the rest were sarcasms appended by me; hence, the "quotations".
  • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7LEAVE BRITNEY ALOOONNNEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

    All new episodes Wednesday night at 9 on the Capital Region's CW!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Sidzilla, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1The scary part is that someone gave that guy a developmental deal for a new reality show. I am putting out my mind's eye now...
  • misconfig, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Stop laughing, computers are cool now.
  • JiMiThInG, on 10/10/2007, -2/+14Wow someone forgot to tell them that Chuck is a horrid car wreck of a TV show. Its like Jake 2.0 made into a not funny comedy.
    • GrabAss, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7But he's saving the world at 11/hr YAY FUNNY!
  • SPThom, on 10/10/2007, -3/+19If you want to make geeks happy, bring back Firefly! NBC/Universal already has the film rights... There's gotta be a way to wrestle the TV rights from Fox.
  • MattB123, on 10/10/2007, -0/+21Too bad network TV geeks aren't like any "real" geeks I know or it might be good press for us.
    Most I've seen (which admittedly isn't much) just reinforces negative stereotypes.
    • ZenMojo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Actually, Chuck does a very good job of capturing geek culture (as did Buffy the Vampire Slayer before it). If you find a nice, self-avowed geek to write then you don't have to worry about stereotypes.
      • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7But it doesn't capture secret agents who are rarely blonde, hot, young, or loving and cuddley
    • rarson, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5These shows aren't FOR geeks, they're about geeks. The people who watch these shows are people like my mother-in-law, who laps up just about any mindless drivel that gets broadcast on TV. Therefore, accuracy isn't important because those people have no idea what real "geeks" are.

      I use quotes because when I think of "geeks," I think of sideshow carnies.
  • Dhalgren, on 10/10/2007, -2/+11Sarah Connor Chronicles isn't on until 2008. I wouldn't exactly call that "fall"...
  • sysoprock, on 10/10/2007, -0/+34Supermodel with fake glasses != Geek
  • mccarron, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Yet they decide to delay/cancel the US version of the IT Crowd show? They should launch with that show as well, if it's anywhere close to as good as the UK show is.
    • PixelVision, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1it has a mid season premiere I believe
  • DuffyDirect, on 10/10/2007, -7/+1Ohhhhh Geeks. I thought this was talking about Greeks and I'm like WTF Archimedes didn't build a bionic woman NBC, you crazy whitebread cracker soda pops!
  • Fingertips, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3SPAM
  • ZenMojo, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Bionic Woman has nothing to do with geeks (geeks like sci-fi, but so does everyone else), Big Bang is ABOUT geeks and it sucks, and Chuck is about geeks but is actually really good. It'll weed itself in the end.
  • bjs3171, on 10/10/2007, -2/+27awesome. now fox can bring back Firefly.

    i said now fox can bring back Firefly.

    hello?
  • Cyberen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9Unfortunately, any show blanded and pre-approved enough to be on NBC will not be anything real geeks can laugh at or relate to. They probably make up language like "Crystal capacitor and Excelleron drive" instead of basic stuff like HTML tags or kernels.
    • sabach, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Neither of those will work without the input of a flux capacitor
  • sfrench, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I saw a preview for Big Bang Theory and thought it was pretty funny. But I don't hold very high hopes that it will stick around. Some of the jokes are a little too cerebral, and I think that will be part of it's downfall.
  • kmattso, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Geek shows will fail. Geeks don't like geeks. In fact, most people in general don't like geeks.
    • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1I only dislike people who self-identify as geeks. There is nothing wrong with being a geek but one should aspire to be more than that.
      • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1Right, I'm being dugg down because somebody thinks 'being a geek' is the pinnacle of human achievement. Being socially awkward, better with machines than people is unattractive for a reason.

        I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who consciously decide "I want to be a geek", cool or not. You can be good with technology and still be able to look good and be social.
        • Butros, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Hey asshole. Unplug your computer and turn in your cell phone. Give us the ipod too. Do you know how much math and science it took to get 30-80 gigs into a hard drive the size of your fallout boy wallet? We're pulling your card buddy. Go toss around the pig skin or shred some rails or some *****. Peace.
        • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Whatever. Be a geek all you want. You can have technology and not buy into the ***** stereotype that is being imposed on you because you aren't a retarded redneck. Ass.
  • Haroshia, on 10/10/2007, -0/+22*****...

    Now I'm going to be called a poser for being a geek. You'll have myspace full of ***** 15 year olds who are grasping to develop an identity posting that they are geeks. You'll have Hot Topic selling geek gear to make yourself look like a geek for a premium. Geek will become the new punk...

    God help us all.
    • bjs3171, on 10/10/2007, -0/+9there was once this band called weezer...
  • gossipninja, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1big bang theory would be better if they weren't so cliche' with the main characters,
    Sarah Conner Chronicles is gonna be too expensive to keep making, at least if they wanna do it right.
    Chuck I thought was ok, I don't see it being hugely successful but it is alright.
  • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Hey everyone, African Americans, blondes, Jews and Stay-At-Home Dads are out of fashion, so lets subtly poke fun at bright but socially inept individuals this year, instead.
  • sigintop, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8"There's always a delay between what's really happening in the streets and what you see reflected in the movie theaters on Friday and on network television night-in, night-out," he said.

    Wait. Why was I not informed that things "happen" in the "streets" with geeks?
  • DjLoTi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Why do people care about sitcoms? Is life really so bad that you have to wait for a major television network to supply you with entertainment? Television is destroying society.
  • Technopope, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7"The Big Bang Theory" looks like it has potential, but when I watched the pilot the two male leads seemed less like nerd characters and more like gay characters. The acting and casting is very wrong for what they are trying to portray.

    The English program "The IT Crowd" does it better, and was slated for an American remake, but rumor has it that it has been axed.
  • GoatMonkey2112, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I gotta admit, I watch "Beauty and the Geek". Great show that I hope a lot of girls start watching. I want a Nadia.
    • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Those guys lack game, and the show tends to reenforce and overvalue bad behaviors on their part. I hate that show.

      "Oh, I had no idea geeks could be so sweet!" Whatever! very few women really want someone who's brilliant and sweet, not that they don't exist. Intelligence is only a secondary bonus. They want someone who is confident, and independent and able to lead. The very opposite of the insecure but brilliant geek stereotypes.
  • samfishercell, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Too bad that I won't be watching hardly any of their new shows thanks to their iTunes dealings. I checked out the pilot for Chuck, which I enjoyed, but I won't be able to watch it every week. They may be aiming to produce entertainment for 'geek culture' but they sure pulled one of the main 'geek outlets' for getting their shows out from under us.

    And, after my initial experiences with it, there is NO way I will be signing up for UnBox again, that service absolutely sucks. Way to shoot yourself in the foot NBC.
  • jigglebilly, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Geeks love specific types of "geek" shows...however...NBC's pathetic attempt will do little...considering most of us geeks dont watch network television...

    and geeks dont like being sold something that is such an obvious attempt to reach our demographic....leave geek shows to the geeks NBC
  • kent1146, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Geeks have been the new cool for a while. Welcome to 1998, NBC.
    • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Revenge of the Nerds was earlier than that.
  • solid12345, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0This is not true because of the stupidity of America's children it is obvious geeks are still not getting laid.
  • xero69, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Marketing to geeks makes sense, most of us are smart enough to make good money and therefore have disposable income. Advertisers LOVE disposable income, therefore they love geeks.
    • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Nosotras hablando Espanolish!

      (Its a trick, get an axe.)
  • xtrench, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I'd trade all of those shows for a single NEW Firefly episode...
    Stupid ass fox, they've canceled Firefly, Drive and they'll probably cancel Sarah Connor Chronicles, which I just loved, but not sure if it was because of the show or Summer Glau.. I think it was because of Summer.
    • psbpv3o, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1dugg down for saying SCC was good. That had to be one of the ***** pilots I've ever seen. And this whole geek is cool thing, is stupid. A geek show is a show with intelligence and a lot of passion put into it. Trying to be geeky doesn't make you a geek, it makes you a nerd and NO ONE likes nerds.
  • danielsan79, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0The mainstream "geek" is the equivalent of 30 year olds playing High School kids in 80s movies. Geeks they are not.
  • worstcomment, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Anyone else ***** sick of hearing: x is the new y ?
  • MattH, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4I hope that the Networks wont Mind US geeks torrenting OUR shows then

    http://sharetv.org/
  • Armor1901, on 10/10/2007, -0/+13I don't need the bird brains who fawn over celebs. to approve me as "cool". As a matter of fact, I'm somewhat offended that these idiots have decided to latch onto geeks as the new "cool" in their latest fad quest.
    They can ***** off.
  • araknd, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0to me the sad thing is that this is what the Networks think Geek is all about. I've been a self-described geek for most of my adult life, but I'm insulted by what I see on network TV because they characterize the "geek" as someone with no social graces, who could not hold a conversation about anything other than "geeky stuff" with anyone.
    • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0You hit the nail on the head. Geek is a perjorative term to anyone who buys into the stereotype. Being technical does not mean having other stereotypical geeky attributes. I like Halo III too, it doesn't mean its my religion.
      • Butros, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You must be pretty into it if you took the effort to get a copy before release ;)
        • StaticThunder, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I'm pretty sure I'll like it but I'm not camping in front of Best Buy. Guess I need to hand in my geek card.
  • amigabill, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0We'll see after these shows either succeed or are cancelled. I predict Chuck, Big Bang Theory, and some others will not last long. Bionic Woman is my guess for the longest-lasting of these shows. The Lone Gunmen was a cool geek show which went away quickly. Jake 2.0 failed to get a second season, and was better than Chuck sounds. How well will this title fit after 8 weeks?
  • Mossman85, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Being a geek is cool now? I would of much rather been a geek 20 or 30 years ago because all the people who would of picked on me would be working for me right now. Just ask Bill Gates.
  • zymurgist, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8This article discredits itself as being a viable place comment on "geek shows" as though it is written by a geek. The most glaring mistake is the reference to Freaks and Geeks. The article claims that the much beloved show ran for two seasons, it ran only a 13 episodes. Furthermore, it talks up Chuck. I know some people are somewhat enjoying it, but it is not quality tv. It is a bad gimmick. I won't say it is the worst "geek" show ever, but it is not good. The reason why shows like Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Avatar, Battlestar, etc. are submerged into geek/nerd pantheon is because there were created and written by us. Not some body who thinks writing something cerebral for the sack sounding smart. Furthermore, just because some guy wears an imitation geeksquad uniform or superhero shirt does not mean I'm or all geeks/nerds will relate to the character. There is nothing new in tis falls line-up that is impressive. What's worst is that the "geek shows" are going to fail, and it is going to be "our" fault according to the TV Execs. Which means that some potential great shows will never get made. I hope my pessimistic predictions are not true, and we , finally, receive the quality programing that I create by pieceing together my DVD collection. We've lost some good shows that could have been better with a little time and money- Greg the Bunny jumps to mind. Whatever . . . crap with always be thrown at the tv, and enough of it will consist of a TV show, which inexplicably becomes a "hit". By the way, Extras does a decent job at poking this notion. Sorry about the rant, but I needed that off my chest or out my butt, which ever you feel it derives from.
    • CoolJammer00, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2absolutely right. shows like Chuck are written by people who aren't us, but think they can pass off as us, or at the very least, live off us for sustenance. They see we're an untapped market that will never die out, and that's why there are ***** comic book movies. Chuck is terrible.
  • WarMachineWCLH, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I have to dig this down if only because the author decided to use the phrase "phish-out-of-water" excuse me? Phish? I think not.
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