"Big Bang Theory" was initially written that way, but the original pilot episode was a famous flop. Test audiences hated the characters. (The unaired pilot can be found with a Google search.)

Even though the pilot failed, the studio liked the concept enough that the showrunners were given the rare opportunity to reshoot the pilot with a new script. They introduced the character of Penny and balanced the scenes carefully around emotional connection, to make it clear to audiences when the characters are connecting or failing to connect. And that's probably closer to why millions of people love the show — it's not the tech jokes or laughing at nerds but the empathy.