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The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers and head writers on the series, along with Steven Molaro. It aired on CBS from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes.[3]

This article is about the television series. For the theory, see Big Bang. For other uses, see Big Bang Theory (disambiguation).

The Big Bang Theory

"Big Bang Theory Theme"[1][2]

United States

English

12

Peter Chakos

18–22 minutes

CBS

September 24, 2007 (2007-09-24) –
May 16, 2019 (2019-05-16)

The show originally centered on five characters living in Pasadena, California: Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), both physicists at Caltech, who share an apartment; Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's similarly geeky and socially awkward friends and coworkers, aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar).[4][5] Over time, supporting characters were promoted to starring roles, including neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski (Melissa Rauch), and comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman).


The show was filmed in front of a live audience and produced by Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television. It received mixed reviews throughout its first season, but reception was more favorable in the second and third seasons. Despite early mixed reviews, seven seasons were ranked within the top ten of the final season ratings, and it ultimately reached the no. 1 spot in its eleventh season. It was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series from 2011 to 2014 and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times for Parsons, totaling seven Emmy Awards from 46 nominations. Parsons also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series in 2011. A prequel series, Young Sheldon, based on Parsons' character Sheldon Cooper, premiered in 2017, with Parsons reprising his role as the narrating adult Sheldon. Another spinoff is in development.

as Leonard Hofstadter:[6] An experimental physicist with an IQ of 173, who received his Ph.D. when he was 24 years old. Leonard is a nerd who loves video games, comic books, and Dungeons & Dragons. Leonard is the straight man of the series, sharing an apartment in Pasadena, CA, with Sheldon Cooper. Leonard is smitten with his new neighbor Penny when they first meet, and they eventually marry.

Johnny Galecki

as Sheldon Cooper:[7] Originally from Galveston, Texas, Sheldon was a child prodigy with an eidetic memory who began college at the age of eleven and earned a Ph.D. at age sixteen. He is a theoretical physicist researching quantum mechanics and string theory, and, despite his IQ of 187, he finds many routine aspects of social situations difficult to grasp. He is determined to have his own way, continually boasts of his intelligence, and has an extremely ritualized way of living. Despite these quirks, he begins a relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, and they eventually marry.

Jim Parsons

as Penny:[8] An aspiring actress from Omaha, Nebraska. Penny moves in across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard. She waits tables and occasionally tends the bar at The Cheesecake Factory. After giving up hope of becoming a successful actress, Penny becomes a pharmaceutical sales representative. Penny becomes friends with Bernadette and Amy, and they often hang out in each other's apartments. Penny and Leonard form a relationship and eventually marry.

Kaley Cuoco

as Howard Wolowitz:[9] An aerospace engineer who got his master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Howard is Jewish and lived with his mother, Debbie (Carol Ann Susi). Unlike Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, Bernadette, and Amy, Howard does not hold a doctorate. He trains as an astronaut and goes into space as a payload specialist on the International Space Station. Howard initially fancies himself as a ladies man, but he later starts dating Bernadette, and they get engaged and married. Howard also has a tendency to waste money on toys and argues with Bernadette because of his oddly low income as an engineer and her high income as a pharmaceutical biochemist.

Simon Helberg

as Rajesh Koothrappali:[10] A particle astrophysicist originally from New Delhi, India. Initially, Raj had selective mutism, rendering him unable to talk to or be around women unless under the influence of alcohol. Raj also has very feminine tastes and often takes on a stereotypical female role in his friendship with Howard as well as in the group of four men. Raj later dates Lucy (Kate Micucci), who also suffers from social anxiety, but it eventually ends. He later speaks to Penny without alcohol, overcoming his selective mutism. He begins dating Emily Sweeney, and their relationship later becomes exclusive. In the series' final season, Raj has an on-again, off-again engagement with a fellow Indian, a hotel concierge named Anu (Rati Gupta). He also has a Yorkshire Terrier named Cinnamon.

Kunal Nayyar

as Leslie Winkle (recurring season 1, starring season 2, guest seasons 3, 9):[11][12][13] A physicist who works in the same lab as Leonard. In appearance, she is essentially Leonard's female counterpart and has conflicting scientific theories with Sheldon. Leslie has casual sex with Leonard and later Howard. Gilbert was promoted to a main cast member during the second season but resumed guest star status because producers could not come up with enough material for the character.[11] Gilbert returned to The Big Bang Theory for its 200th episode.[14]

Sara Gilbert

as Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz (recurring season 3, starring seasons 4–12):[15] A young woman who initially is a co-worker at The Cheesecake Factory with Penny to pay her way through graduate school, where she is studying microbiology. Bernadette is introduced to Howard by Penny; at first, they do not get along, apparently having nothing in common. They date and later get engaged and married. Although generally a sweet and good-natured person, Bernadette has a short fuse and can be vindictive and lash out when provoked.

Melissa Rauch

as Amy Farrah Fowler (guest star season 3, starring seasons 4–12):[16] A woman selected by an online dating site as Sheldon's perfect mate,[17] Amy is from Glendale, California. While she and Sheldon initially share social cluelessness, after befriending Penny and Bernadette, she eventually becomes more interested in social and romantic interaction. Her relationship with Sheldon slowly progresses to the point at which Sheldon considers her his girlfriend, and eventually, they get married. Amy believes she and Penny are best friends, a sentiment that Penny does not initially share. Amy has a Ph.D. in neurobiology.

Mayim Bialik

as Stuart Bloom (recurring seasons 2–5, 7, starring seasons 6, 8–12):[18] A mild-mannered, under-confident owner of a comic book store. A competent artist, Stuart is a graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. Though he is socially awkward, he possesses slightly better social skills. Stuart implies he is in financial trouble and that the comic book store now also is his home. He is later invited to join the guys' group while Howard is in space. Stuart gets a new job caring for Howard's mother later. After Mrs. Wolowitz's death, Stuart continues to live in her home, along with Howard and Bernadette, until he finds a place of his own.

Kevin Sussman

as Emily Sweeney (recurring seasons 7–8, 10, starring season 9):[19] A dermatologist at Huntington Hospital. Emily went to Harvard and delights in the macabre, and she states that she likes her job because she can cut things with knives. Prior to meeting Raj, Emily was set up on a blind date with Howard. After finding Emily's online dating profile, Raj has Amy contact her as his wingman instead. Their relationship becomes exclusive, but Raj later breaks up with Emily when he becomes infatuated with Claire (Alessandra Torresani), a bartender and children's author.

Laura Spencer

Recurring themes and elements

Science

Much of the series focuses on science, particularly physics. The four main male characters are employed at Caltech and have science-related occupations, as do Bernadette and Amy. The characters frequently banter about scientific theories or news (notably around the start of the show) and make science-related jokes.


Science has also interfered with the characters' romantic lives. Leslie breaks up with Leonard when he sides with Sheldon in his support for string theory rather than loop quantum gravity.[69] When Leonard joins Sheldon, Raj, and Howard on a three-month Arctic research trip, it separates Leonard and Penny at a time when their relationship is budding. When Bernadette takes an interest in Leonard's work, it makes both Penny and Howard envious and results in Howard confronting Leonard and Penny asking Sheldon to teach her physics.[70] Sheldon and Amy also briefly end their relationship after an argument over which of their fields is superior.[71]


As the theme of the show revolves around science, many distinguished and high-profile scientists have appeared as guest stars on the show. Famous astrophysicist and Nobel laureate George Smoot had a cameo appearance in the second season.[72] Chemical engineer and Nobel laureate Frances Arnold portrayed herself in the 12th season.[73][74] Theoretical physicist Brian Greene appeared in the fourth season, as well as astrophysicist, science popularizer, and physics outreach specialist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who also appeared in the twelfth season.[75] Cosmologist Stephen Hawking made a short guest appearance in a fifth-season episode;[76] in the eighth season, Hawking video conferences with Sheldon and Leonard, and he makes another appearance in the 200th episode. In the fifth and sixth seasons, NASA astronaut Michael J. Massimino played himself multiple times in the role of Howard's fellow astronaut. Bill Nye appeared in the seventh and twelfth seasons.

Release

Broadcast

The Big Bang Theory premiered in the United States on September 24, 2007, on CBS. The series debuted in Canada on CTV in September 2007.[96] On February 14, 2008, the series debuted in the United Kingdom on channels E4 and Channel 4.[97] In Australia the first seven seasons of the series began airing on the Seven Network and 7mate from October 2015 and also gained the rights to season 8 in 2016, although the Nine Network has rights to air seasons nine & ten.[98][99] On January 22, 2018, it was announced that Nine had acquired the rights to Season 1–8.[100]

Syndication

In May 2010, it was reported that the show had been picked up for syndication, mainly among Fox's owned and operated stations and other local stations, with Warner Bros. Television's sister cable network TBS holding the show's cable syndication rights. Broadcast of old episodes began airing in September 2011. TBS now airs the series in primetime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with evening broadcasts on Saturdays (TBS's former local sister station in Atlanta also holds local weeknight rights to the series).[101] Although details of the syndication deal have not been revealed, it was reported the deal "set a record price for a cable off-network sitcom purchase".[102] CTV holds national broadcast syndication rights in Canada, while sister cable network The Comedy Network holds cable rights.

Online media

Warner Bros. Television controls the online rights for the show.[103][104] Full episodes were available at tv.com, while short clips and recently aired full episodes were available on cbs.com and later in its run on CBS All Access.[105] In Canada, recent episode(s) and pictures are available on CTV.ca.[106] Additionally in Canada, the first six seasons are available for streaming on Bell Media's CraveTV.[107] After the show has aired in New Zealand the shows are available in full online at TVNZ's on demand web service.


In 2020, the show became available in the United States on HBO Max.[108]

Merchandise

On March 16, 2014, a Lego Ideas project[221] portraying the living room scene in Lego style with the main cast as mini-figures reached 10,000 supporters on the platform, which qualified it to be considered as an official set by the Lego Ideas review board. On November 7, 2014, Lego Ideas approved the design and began refining it. The set was released in August 2015, with an exclusive pre-sale taking place at the San Diego Comic-Con International.

Offshoots

Plagiarized series

Through the use of his vanity cards at the end of episodes, Lorre alleged that the program had been plagiarized by a show produced and aired in Belarus in 2010.[222] Officially titled Теоретики (The Theorists), the show features "clones" of the main characters, a similar opening sequence, and what appears to be a very close Russian translation of the scripts.[223] Lorre expressed annoyance and described his inquiry with the Warner Bros. legal department about options. The television production company and station's close relationship with the Belarus government was cited as the reason that any attempt to claim copyright infringement would be in vain because the company copying the episodes is operated by the government.[224]


However, no legal action was required to end production of the other show: as soon as it became known that the show was unlicensed, the actors quit and the producers canceled it.[225] Dmitriy Tankovich (who plays Leonard's counterpart, "Seva") said in an interview,

Lawsuit

In March 2023, political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar filed a court case in Mumbai against Netflix due to the series insulting Madhuri Dixit in an episode of season 2 by calling her a "leprous prostitute".[239]

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