Johnny Galecki embraced FRIENDS comparisons but rejected Three’s Company ties, highlighting TBBT’s unique place in sitcom history.
The Big Bang Theory presented a stunning ensemble of actors. But in the world of television, where shows are premiered every now and then, comparisons are inevitable. The same happened to TBBT as well in a past interview. Interestingly, the show was being compared to the likes of other sitcoms such as Three’s Company and FRIENDS.
But while Johnny Galecki welcomed the FRIENDS comparisons, he looked quite annoyed when TBBT was compared with the John Ritter starrer.
Johnny Galecki Looked Visibly Annoyed With Three’s Company Comparisons With TBBT, but Not FRIENDS
After FRIENDS ended in 2004, people thought for the longest time that no other show could level up to the benchmark it had created in the genre. But The Big Bang Theory, released in 2007, shifted that perspective to a good extent. Fans will have their own opinions on which show is better, but for Johnny Galecki, viewers comparing TBBT with the late John Ritter’s Three’s Company is completely missing the mark.
The actor appeared in an Entertainment Weekly interview alongside the entire cast of Big Bang. The host asked the cast if the sitcom was misconstrued initially or compared to other shows. To this Johnny Galecki‘s answer surprised everyone. He added:
I remember them likening us to Three’s Company. First of all, your math is off. And based on what? That Kaley is blonde? It went from those absurd similarities to the new Friends. Oh, that was quick! But we’ll take it.
Interestingly, Three’s Company was a sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984. Further, it featured the late John Ritter as the lead, Jack Tripper. Plot-wise, the sitcom detailed Ritter’s journey as he pretends to be homosexual in order to share an apartment with Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers) and Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt). Not only this, but the show also focuses on their relationships, quirky friends, and family.
This seems to be the only thing connecting this show with TBBT given that it also focuses on the lives of four nerdy and awkward friends as well as their relationships. On the other hand, TBBT does have a lot of similarities with FRIENDS, given that it also features a set of friends always hanging out together. Further, we had Rachel and Ross as romantic love interests in the NBC show who used to constantly break up and get back together.
Even in Big Bang, the audience could clearly see that in Leonard and Penny, who also followed the ‘Will-They-Won’t-They’ storyline. But while there are certain similarities between the above-mentioned sitcoms, to a greater extent, they all possess their own set of USPs that make them stand out.
Kaley Cuoco Detailed the First Time She Met the Late John Ritter
John Ritter suddenly passed away at the age of 54 but left an undeniable mark on television with his remarkable acting. Among his many projects, one stands out the most to Kaley Cuoco. The actress had played Ritter’s teen daughter in the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules, and in a past interview, she recalled the first time she met Ritter. She added:
We had a table read. I had just turned 16 and I wanted to look the part — I played kind of this sexy 16-year-old. So, I wore this, like, spaghetti-strap shirt with, like, a bra strap showing. (Further) I’m sitting at the table read and John walks in, he looks at me and he’s like (sternly), ‘You’re playing my daughter. Put a sweater on.
The scene was amusing for the actress on so many levels. But John Ritter’s deadpan humor was not just limited to words; he also added a physical element to it as well. He took off a sweater from a random person in the room, put it on Cuoco, and said, “Dress like that from now on.”
This impromptu skit truly charmed Cuoco, and she was “in love from that moment on.” In 2018, the actress also took to her official Instagram account to honor Ritter on his death anniversary with the caption, “Still not a day goes by where he doesn’t make me laugh one way or another.” John Ritter died in 2003 due to an undisclosed aortic dissection.
