The Big Bang Theory creators accused Belarusian STV channel of plagiarism (Photo)

The STV channel may face problems related to “Theoreticians” serial on the channel, which is a close copy of the US original sitcom.

Not only fellow countrymen, but US producers have paid attention to “Theoreticians” TV serial which is produced by Belarusians and is shown on STV channel. The story starts to develop into a mini-scandal, but as said by the original creator Chuck Lorre, to defend author’s rights in Belarus is impossible, as the TV channel is controlled by the government, Nasha Niva newspaper reports.

A pilot film of “Theoreticians” TV serial was demonstrated at the STV channel in the end of the last year. Belarusians who had seen The Big Band Theory immediately noticed the similarity between the films. Meanwhile, producers of rte Belarusian film project haven’t said a word about buying rights from the US film-makers. Moreover, the director of the serial Syarhei Talybau noted in an interview in Belarusian mass media that the film hadn’t been copied from The Big Bang Theory and allegedly was an original one.

The US variant of the film is about 4 scientists from the California Institute of Technology and their friend, a waitress, who dreams of becoming an actress. The guys are fans of Star Wars, comic strips about Spiderman and vintage videogames; they are talented scientists, but they are helpless in everyday life. During the show's airing relations between a geek Leonard and Penny, a humorous waitress, are developing. The Belarusian serial has the same heroes (but with our names) and Belarusian day-to-day realities. The young scientists live in a dormitory in a little town, where a new unit of a nuclear power station is to be started.

On February 9 The New York Times informed that Chuck Lorre, a producer of the US TV series, has written in his blog about the Belarusian film, “Theoreticians”. He paid attention to the fact that the film is a copy of his own.

When the legal department of Warner Brothers was informed about that, Chuck Lorre writes, they were answered that it is almost impossible to go to court in Belarus to defend author’s rights, as the TV Company which produces this replica belongs, is owned and controlled by the government of Belarus.