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The Big Bang Theory

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This article is about the television sitcom. For the cosmological model, see Big Bang. For other uses, see Big Bang Theory (disambiguation).
The Big Bang Theory
File:BigBangTheoryTitleCard.png
GenreSitcom
Created byChuck Lorre
Bill Prady
Directed byMark Cendrowski
StarringJohnny Galecki
Jim Parsons
Kaley Cuoco
Simon Helberg
Kunal Nayyar
Sara Gilbert
Melissa Rauch
Mayim Bialik
Theme music composerBarenaked Ladies
Opening theme"Big Bang Theory Theme"[1][2]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes106 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersChuck Lorre
Bill Prady
Steven Molaro
ProducerFaye Oshima Belyeu
Production locationsStudio 25, Warner Brothers Studios
Burbank, California
EditorPeter Chakos
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time19-22 minutes (without commercials)
Production companiesChuck Lorre Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 24, 2007 (2007-09-24) –
present

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers. It premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.[3]

The show is centered on five characters: roommates Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, two physicists who work at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech); Penny, a blonde waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's equally geeky and socially awkward friends and co-workers aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali. The geekiness and intellect of the four guys is contrasted for comic effect with Penny's social skills and common sense.[4][5] Three other supporting characters have also been promoted to starring roles: Leslie Winkle, a physicist colleague at Caltech and, at different times, a lover of both Leonard and Howard; Bernadette Rostenkowski, Howard's fiancée, who is a microbiologist and part-time waitress alongside Penny; and Amy Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist who joins the group after being matched to Sheldon on a dating website.

The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions.[6] In August 2009, the sitcom won the best comedy series TCA award and Jim Parsons (Sheldon) won the award for individual achievement in comedy.[7] In 2010, the show won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy, while Parsons won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.[8] On January 16, 2011, Parsons was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical, an award that was presented by co-star Kaley Cuoco (Penny). On September 18, 2011, Parsons was again awarded an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

When the third season premiered on September 21, 2009, Big Bang Theory ranked as CBS's highest-rated show of that evening in the adults 18–49 demographic (4.6/10), along with a then-series-high 12.83 million viewers.[9] On May 19, 2010, it was announced that CBS would be moving the show to Thursdays at 8:00 ET for the 2010–2011 schedule. On January 12, 2011, CBS announced that the show had been renewed for an additional three years, extending it through the 2013–2014 season.[10] The fifth season premiered on September 22, 2011, in its usual time slot with two back-to-back episodes.[11][12]

Production

The show's initial pilot, developed for the 2006–07 television season, was substantially different from its current form. The only characters from the initial pilot that were kept for the reshot pilot for the series were Leonard and Sheldon (portrayed by Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons respectively). The cast was rounded off by two female leads: Canadian actress Amanda Walsh as Katie, "a street-hardened, tough-as-nails, woman with a vulnerable interior" who the boys meet after she breaks up with her boyfriend and invite to live in their apartment (Katie was effectively replaced by Penny in the second pilot);[13][14] and Iris Bahr as Gilda, a scientist colleague and friend of the boys who was threatened by Katie's presence. The initial pilot used Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" as theme music.

The series was not picked up, but the creators were given an opportunity to retool the show and produce a second pilot. They brought in the remaining cast and retooled the show to its final format. The original unaired pilot has never been officially released, but it has circulated on the Internet. On the evolution of the show, Lorre said "We did the 'Big Bang Pilot' about two and a half years ago, and it sucked... but there were two remarkable things that worked perfectly, and that was Johnny and Jim. We rewrote the thing entirely, and then we were blessed with Kaley and Simon and Kunal." As to whether the world will ever see that original pilot, maybe on a DVD, Lorre said "Wow that would be something, we will see. Show your failures..."[15]

File:The Big Bang Theory origina titlecard.jpg
The title card for the original 2006 pilot

The first and second pilots of The Big Bang Theory were directed by James Burrows, who did not continue with the show. The reworked second pilot led to a 13-episode order by CBS on May 14, 2007.[16] Prior to its airing on CBS, the pilot episode was distributed on iTunes free of charge. The show premiered September 24, 2007, and was picked-up for a full 22-episode season on October 19, 2007.[17] However, production was halted on November 6, 2007 due to the Writers Guild of America strike. The series returned on March 17, 2008 in an earlier time slot[18] and ultimately only 17 episodes were produced.[19][20] After the strike ended, the show was picked up for a second season airing in the 2008–2009 season, premiering in the same time slot on September 22, 2008.[21] With increasing ratings, the show received a two-year renewal through the 2010–11 season.[22][23] Since then, the show has been picked up for three more seasons.[24]

David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, checks scripts and provides dialogue, mathematics equations, and diagrams used as props.[4] According to executive producer/co-creator Bill Prady, "We're working on giving Sheldon an actual problem that he's going to be working on throughout the [first] season so there's actual progress to the boards ... We worked hard to get all the science right."[5]

Several of the actors in The Big Bang Theory worked together previously on Roseanne including Johnny Galecki, Sara Gilbert, and Laurie Metcalf (who plays Sheldon's mother, Mary Cooper). Additionally, Lorre was a writer on the series for several seasons.

Theme song

File:BNL BigBang.jpg
Single cover for "Big Bang Theory Theme" by Barenaked Ladies (2007)

The Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies wrote and recorded the show's theme song, which describes the history and formation of the universe and the Earth. Ed Robertson, lead singer and guitarist in the band, was asked by Lorre and Prady to write a theme song for the show. Having been asked to write songs for other films and shows only to have them rejected in favor of another artist's, Robertson agreed to write a theme only after learning that he was the sole writer that Lorre and Prady had asked. He drew inspiration from Simon Singh's book, Big Bang, which he had coincidentally just finished reading.[25][26]

On October 9, 2007, a full-length (1 minute and 45 seconds) version of the song was released commercially.[27] In a 2010 issue of TV Guide, the show’s opening title sequence ranked No.6 on a list of television's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.[28]

Production costs

For the first three seasons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons, the three main stars of the show, received at most $60,000 per episode. The salary for the three went up to $200,000 per episode for the fourth season. According to their contracts, their pay will go up an additional $50,000 per episode in each of the following three seasons, culminating in $350,000 per episode in the seventh season.[29][30]

Main cast

Main article: List of The Big Bang Theory characters
File:The Big Bang Theory main characters.png
Cast of characters in The Big Bang Theory. From left: Howard Wolowitz, Leonard Hofstadter, Penny, Sheldon Cooper and Rajesh Koothrappali.

These actors have been credited in all episodes of the series:

  • Johnny Galecki[31] as Leonard Hofstadter, Ph.D. – An experimental physicist with an IQ of 173, he received his Ph.D. when he was 24 years old. The straight man of the series, he shares an apartment with colleague and friend Sheldon Cooper. The writers immediately implied potential romance between him and neighbor Penny, and their sexual tension is frequently explored.
  • Jim Parsons[32] as Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D., Sc.D. – Originally from East Texas, he was a child prodigy with an eidetic memory who began college at the age of 11 (after completing the fifth grade), started graduate studies at 14, and earned a Ph.D. at 16. A theoretical physicist focusing on quantum mechanics and string theory, he has a master's degree, a Ph.D. an Sc.D., and an IQ of 187. He exhibits a strict adherence to routine; a lack of understanding of irony and sarcasm; he is also uninterested in many of the romantic hijinks of his friends. Sheldon shares an apartment with Leonard Hofstadter, across the hall from Penny, and relies on both for advice in social situations. In the fourth season, he begins a relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler, who becomes his first girlfriend.
  • Kaley Cuoco[33] as Penny – The "born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska" blonde who lives across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard. She is pursuing a career in acting, and has been on casting calls and auditions but has not been very successful thus far. To pay the bills, she is a waitress and occasional bartender at The Cheesecake Factory. To date, her last name has not been revealed. She dated Leonard at the end of the first season, and throughout the third and fifth seasons.[34]
  • Simon Helberg[35] as Howard Wolowitz, M.Eng.[36] – He works as an aerospace engineer. He is Jewish, and lives with his mother. Unlike Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj, Howard lacks a Ph.D. He defends this by pointing out that he has a master's degree in Engineering from MIT and that the apparatus he designs are launched into space, unlike the purely abstract work of his friends. He provides outrageous pick-up lines and fancies himself a ladies' man with suitably unimpressed reactions from Penny; however, he has shown limited success with other women. He claims to be a polyglot. He dates and later becomes engaged to Bernadette Rostenkowski. In the 5th season, he is training as an astronaut.
  • Kunal Nayyar[37] as Rajesh Koothrappali, Ph.D. – Originally from New Delhi, India, and works as a particle astrophysicist at Caltech.[38] His family is very well off. He communicates with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. V.M. Koothrappali, via webcam. He is very shy around women and is physically unable to talk to them unless he drinks alcohol (or thinks he has been drinking alcohol). However, he has often had better luck with women than his overly-confident best friend Howard. During the fourth season, his sister Priya (Aarti Mann) stays with him and became Leonard's girlfriend.

These actors were first credited as guest stars and later promoted to main cast. However, even after promotion, they are only credited in episodes in which they appear:

  • Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle, Ph.D. (recurring seasons 1–3, starring part of season 2)[39][40] – a physicist who works in the same lab as Leonard. In appearance she is essentially Leonard's female counterpart, equipped with the black framed glasses and sweat jackets. She is an enemy of Sheldon's, due to their conflicting scientific theories. Though they both consider each other to be intellectually inferior, Leslie is much wittier than Sheldon, regularly calling him "dumbass", and usually bests him in their repartee. Leslie has had casual sex with Leonard and later Howard; in the case of the former, it reunites Gilbert and Galecki together on-screen after the two played the on-screen couple of Darlene Connor and David Healy respectively during the run of Roseanne. Gilbert was promoted to a main cast member during the second season, but was demoted again because producers could not generate enough content for the character.[39] Gilbert left the series after season 3 concluded to focus her efforts on The Talk, on which she serves as executive producer for CBS.
  • Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski, Ph.D. (recurring season 3 5–14, starring since season 4 episode 4)[41] – a young woman who is initially a waitress and co-worker of Penny paying her way through graduate school microbiology studies, she defends her doctoral thesis and lands a high-paying science position at the end of season 4. Bernadette is introduced to Howard by Penny. At first she and Howard do not get along, as they appear to have nothing in common. When they find out that they both have overbearing mothers, they feel a connection. They became engaged near the end of season 4.
  • Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler, Ph.D. (guest episode 23 season 3 until season 4 episode 5, starring since season 4 episode 8)[42] – a woman Raj and Howard met on an online dating site after secretly setting up an account using Sheldon's name and information. The site matches her to Sheldon, and the two share many similar traits. Once she and Sheldon meet, she becomes, as Sheldon puts it, a girl who is his friend, but not his "girlfriend". In Season Five, Amy made Sheldon jealous by going on a date with comic book store owner, Stuart, causing Sheldon to solidify their relationship as boyfriend/girlfriend. Sheldon then insisted that Amy sign a 31-page "Relationship Agreement." She also believes she and Penny are best friends, a sentiment Penny doesn't seem to share but respectfully indulges. Her admiration for Penny has at times bordered on attraction. Amy Fowler has a Ph.D. in neurobiology, while Bialik herself has a doctorate in neuroscience; in the season 1 episode "The Bat Jar Conjecture", Raj suggests recruiting the real-life Bialik to their Physics Bowl team.

Elements of the show

Science

Much of the show focuses on science, particularly physics. The four main male characters are employed at Caltech and have science-related occupations. 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 broke up with Leonard when he sided with Sheldon in his support for string theory rather than her support for loop quantum gravity. When Leonard joined Sheldon, Raj and Howard on a three-month Arctic research trip, it separated Leonard and Penny at a time their relationship was budding. When Bernadette took an interest in Leonard's work, it made both Penny and Howard jealous and resulted in Howard confronting Leonard, and Penny asking Sheldon to teach her physics. Sheldon and Amy also briefly ended their relationship after an argument over which of their fields was superior to the other's.

Sci-fi, fantasy and comic book fandom

The four main male characters are all avid sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book fans and memorabilia collectors.

Star Trek in particular is frequently referenced and Sheldon identifies strongly with the character of Spock; when he is given a used napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy as a Christmas gift from Penny he is almost overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude ("I possess the DNA of Leonard Nimoy?!"). All four male characters can speak Klingon to varying degrees—the opening of the episode "The Panty Piñata Polarization" shows them playing "Klingon Boggle". (Star Trek: The Original Series cast member George Takei has made a cameo. Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, and LeVar Burton have all had cameos as themselves.) In one episode, Sheldon also admits that despite considering Star Trek V: The Final Frontier basic dumb sequel bad, he personally found The Motion Picture even more boring.

Wednesday night is the group's designated "comic book store night", the store in question being run by fellow geek and recurring character Stuart. On a number of occasions, the group members have dressed up as pop culture characters, including The Flash, Aquaman, Frodo Baggins, Superman, Batman, Spock, the Doctor, Green Lantern, and Thor (albeit as the original Norse god and not the Marvel Comics character). As a consequence of losing a bet to Stuart in the episode "The Wheaton Recurrence", the group members are forced to visit the comic book store dressed as Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl. Sheldon often wears t-shirts depicting the Batman, Superman, Flash, Greatest American Hero, or Green Lantern logos.

The group are also fans of the Indiana Jones series, even willing to spend several hours outside of a theater to watch the film with 21 seconds of new footage.

Leonard and Penny's relationship

One of the recurring themes is the relationship between Leonard and Penny. Leonard becomes attracted to Penny within seconds of seeing her in the pilot episode. The season frequently featured Leonard's attraction to Penny as a basis for humor. Leonard and Penny briefly date at the start of the second season; however, Penny quickly breaks up with Leonard because she is afraid that her educational attainments aren't good enough for Leonard and that he may become bored.

The two date other people throughout the second season, but clearly still have feelings for each other. When Leonard returns from a 3-month expedition to the North Pole in the season 3 premiere, they commence a relationship which lasts for most of the season until Leonard tells Penny that he loves her and she realizes she cannot say it back, and she reluctantly breaks up with him.

Again, both Leonard and Penny go on to date other people; most notably with Leonard dating Raj's sister Priya for much of season 4. Penny has shown regret towards her decision to break up with Leonard by admitting to her girlfriends that she misses Leonard. She also exhibits jealousy towards Priya, especially after Priya demanded Leonard stay away from her. After dating Leonard, Penny also has negative reactions to her male dates who are not very intelligent.

Eventually, as the episodes roll on, Leonard became more and more interested in Priya. However she seemed to become less and less interested in Leonard as they went on dating. Later in the season, Leonard is over at Raj's apartment with Priya, making out with her, when Priya's parents call from India. Leonard is told to leave the room as Priya answers the call. Unknowing of Leonard's presence or his secret relationship with Priya, her parents state that they will be so happy when Priya moves back to India. Leonard comes in, shouting out that he is shocked she is moving back to India, and assumes it means he and Priya are breaking up.

Leonard goes home to his apartment, where Raj has been sleeping because of Leonard staying at Raj's apartment. Penny and Raj, while enjoying a friendly evening, got drunk and ended up in bed together; however, nothing happened physically between them. Leonard finds out when they emerge and assumes the worst; it is only later he learns the truth - nothing happened.

In season five, Leonard resumes his relationship with Priya online. It seems to work for Leonard, but he is conflicted when he meets Alice, a girl who is really into him, at the comic book store. Leonard decides he must be faithful to Priya, ending things with Alice. Leonard confesses to Priya about going out with Alice, only to discover that Priya has slept with an ex-boyfriend, and they break up.

Penny is still single and dating, though when drunk has confessed that she regrets breaking up with Leonard. In "The Ornithophobia Diffusion" Leonard and Penny go to the movies as friends. Leonard decides that since they are no longer dating he can be honest and does not have to pay for everything or do whatever Penny wants to make Penny like him and have sex with him. The two bicker all evening and sabotage each other's attempts to chat up people in the bar. Penny decides that she likes the new more assertive Leonard. Leonard sees this as another opportunity to grovel and try to get Penny to sleep with him, so she leaves.

On the spur of the moment in "The Recombination Hypothesis", Leonard asks Penny out on a date after he imagined what getting back with her might be like. Their real date ends successfully, and they agree to try to renew their relationship slowly in "The Beta Test Initiation".

Sheldon and Amy's relationship

A new recurring theme is the status of Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler, Ph.D., a neurobiologist whom Raj and Howard found as a possible match for Sheldon through an internet dating service (without Sheldon's knowledge). By Sheldon's own admission, she is most like him by any standard. Like him, she has previously avoided relationships (whether romantic or otherwise is unclear), and only participated in the online dating herself to fulfill an agreement with her mother that she date at least once a year (in exchange her mother does not discuss her lack of a dating life, plus she gains use of her mother's George Foreman Grill).

During the four months of their relationship (taking place off-screen between seasons 3 and 4), they communicated on a daily basis via text messages, email and Twitter, but never saw each other in person. Sheldon, however, did not consider Amy his girlfriend. Penny later suggests that they should go on a date and ends up driving them, having dinner with them in "The Robotic Manipulation." Penny occasionally refers to Sheldon and Amy collectively as "Shamy."

In the episode "The Agreement Dissection", Amy, Penny, and Bernadette decide to take Sheldon dancing. Sheldon dances only with Amy, which he does not mind. He later follows Amy back to her apartment. They talk for a few minutes before she kisses him on the lips. Instead of getting annoyed, Sheldon just says "Fascinating."

In "The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition", after Amy agrees to go on a date with Stuart the comic book store owner, Sheldon asks Amy to be his girlfriend with no other change to their current relationship. Soon after, he draws up "The Relationship Agreement" to verify the ground rules of him as her boyfriend and her as his girlfriend (similar to his "Roommate Agreement" with Leonard). Amy agrees but later regrets not having a lawyer read through it.

After Penny and Bernandette go wedding shopping without Amy in "The Isolation Permutation", Sheldon comforts a depressed Amy by cuddling with her on her couch; however, Amy first suggests that they have sex.

Religion

Religion plays a minor role in the series. Sheldon was raised in a fundamentalist Christian household. He refers to his childhood as "hell", and a recurrent theme is his conflict with his devout mother, Mary, whose creationist beliefs often clash with Sheldon's understanding of evolution. In "The Lunar Excitation", Sheldon mentions his promise to Mary to attend church once a year. In "The Wheaton Recurrence", after scoring a spare in bowling, Sheldon happily exclaims "Thank you, Jesus! ...as my mother would say." In the episode "The Zarnecki Incursion", Sheldon can be heard exclaiming "Why hast thou forsaken me, o deity whose existence I doubt?"

Howard and Raj are Jewish and Hindu, respectively, and semi-observant, apparently defying many religious customs without worry. They frequently flout dietary prohibitions and tend to give each other grief about them--Raj quotes from the Talmud after Howard eats pork, and Howard sharply says he holds his tongue when Raj eats a Big Mac. Still, Raj mentions reincarnation and karma, and Howard celebrates at least some Jewish holidays and refuses to get tattoos so he "can be buried in a Jewish cemetery". Howard's mother is a caricature of an over-protective Jewish mother.

Neither Leonard's nor Penny's religious convictions are made clear. Leonard approaches Christian festivals with less skepticism than Sheldon. Penny has expressed belief in ghosts, astrology, psychics and voodoo. Bernadette is Catholic, and Amy is agnostic, stating in "The Lunar Excitation" that she understands the notion of a deity but is skeptical of one that would take attendance.

Howard's mother

In many episodes, Howard has loud aggravated shouting conversations with his overprotective mother who speaks with a Brooklyn-esque accent; it's implied that she's in a different area of the house and therefore, has never appeared onscreen. She is dependent on Howard, as he is on her. The other characters frequently do impressions of her and Bernadette's is especially accurate.

Vanity card

Like all shows created by Chuck Lorre, The Big Bang Theory ends by showing a vanity card written by Lorre after the credits. These cards are archived on Lorre's website.[43]

Ratings

U.S. standard ratings

The Big Bang Theory has been highly rated since its premiere. During its fourth season, it became television's highest rated comedy, just barely beating out eight-year champ Two and a Half Men. However, in the age 14-49 demographic (the show's target age range), it was the second highest rated comedy, behind ABC's Modern Family. The fifth season opened with viewing figures of over 14 million.[44]

Season Timeslot (ET) Season premiere Season finale TV season Rank Rating
1 Monday 8:30 P.M. (September 24 – November 12, 2007)
Monday 8:00 P.M. (March 17 – May 19, 2008) 		September 24, 2007 May 19, 2008 2007–08 Not in the Top 30[45]
2 Monday 8:00 P.M. (September 22, 2008 – May 11, 2009)
Monday 9:30 P.M. (February 9, 2009) 		September 22, 2008 May 11, 2009 2008–09
3 Monday 9:30 P.M. (September 21, 2009  – May 24, 2010)
Monday 9:00 P.M. (May 3, 2010) 		September 21, 2009 May 24, 2010 2009–10 14 8.5 (Tied with Criminal Minds and The Good Wife)[45]
4 Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 23, 2010 – May 19, 2011) September 23, 2010 May 19, 2011 2010–11 8.0 (Tied with Blue Bloods)[45]
5 Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 22, 2011 – May 17, 2012) September 22, 2011 May 17, 2012 2011–12 TBA

UK distribution and ratings

The show made its UK debut on Channel 4 on February 14, 2008 bringing in an average audience of 1.0 million viewers. The second episode, shown the following week, also received 1.0 million. For the third episode an average of 1.1 million tuned in. The show is also shown as a 'first-look' on Channel 4's digital offshoot E4, and brings in 400,000 viewers on average. The fifth episode received 880,000 viewers. After the first five episodes, the average number of viewers continues to hover around the 1 million mark. Episode 13 was watched by 1.3 million viewers and was the most watched episode.[46]

In December 2008, Virgin Media made the first nine episodes of the first season available to watch on its TV Choice On Demand service, and the rest of Season 1 was made available in January 2009.

As of December 5, 2009, all 23 episodes of Season 2 were also made available on Virgin Media TV Choice On Demand Service, but both seasons have now been removed.

The third season began airing on E4 and E4 HD on December 17, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. but was on hiatus between February 25, 2010 until May 6, 2010 when the final 11 episodes of the season aired.

Season 4 began airing on E4 on November 4, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. It drew 877,000 viewers, with a further 256,000 watching on the E4+1 hour service. This gave the show an overall total of 1.13 million viewers, making it E4's most watched programme for that week.[47] E4 broke season four after 12 episodes in January 2011. Season four returned on E4 from June 30, 2011 for the remaining episodes.

The fifth season began airing at 8:00 p.m. as part of E4 comedy Thursday's as a lead-in to Perfect Couples in the UK.

Canadian ratings

The Big Bang Theory started off quietly in Canada, but managed to garner major success later on in further seasons. The season 4 premiere garnered an estimated 3.1 million viewers across Canada. This is the largest audience for a sitcom since the series finale of Friends. The Big Bang Theory has pulled ahead and has now become the most watched show in Canada.[48]

Episodes

Main article: List of The Big Bang Theory episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedViewers
rank		U.S. Viewers
(millions)		18–49
rank		18–49
rating/share
First airedLast aired
117September 24, 2007 (2007-09-24)May 19, 2008 (2008-05-19)68[49]8.3446[50]3.3/8
223September 22, 2008 (2008-09-22)May 11, 2009 (2009-05-11)40[51]10.07——
323September 21, 2009 (2009-09-21)May 24, 2010 (2010-05-24)1214.225[52]5.3/13
424September 23, 2010 (2010-09-23)May 19, 2011 (2011-05-19)1313.217[53]4.4/13
524September 22, 2011 (2011-09-22)May 10, 2012 (2012-05-10)815.826[54]5.5/17
624September 27, 2012 (2012-09-27)May 16, 2013 (2013-05-16)318.682[55]6.2/19
724September 26, 2013 (2013-09-26)May 15, 2014 (2014-05-15)219.962[56]6.2/20
824September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22)May 7, 2015 (2015-05-07)219.054[57]5.6/17
924September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21)May 12, 2016 (2016-05-12)220.363[58]5.8/19
1024September 19, 2016 (2016-09-19)May 11, 2017 (2017-05-11)218.993[59]4.9/19
1124September 25, 2017 (2017-09-25)May 10, 2018 (2018-05-10)118.635[60]4.4
1224September 24, 2018 (2018-09-24)May 16, 2019 (2019-05-16)217.316[61]3.6

International broadcast

Country / Region Network(s) Aired Notes
 Albania Digi+ April 19, 2009 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Argentina Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Australia Nine Network Late 2007 – present Repeats currently airing 7:00 p.m. on weeknights. The second half of Season 5 is expected to air in early 2012.
GO! August 9, 2009 – present Repeat episodes airing in numerous timeslots throughout the week
The Comedy Channel 2010 – present Repeats of first and second seasons and began airing third season in early 2012.
 Austria ORF1 March 13, 2010 – present The dialogue is dubbed. Season 1 is shown as double episodes and will be aired in both SD and HD.
 Bangladesh STAR World (HD) [62]
Zee Café [63] 		Fourth season airs from 8 June 2011. Monday-Thursday 11 p.m. 1st season also aired from 1st December.
 Belgium La Une August 31, 2008 – present The dialogue is dubbed.
2BE December 21, 2009 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Bolivia Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
UNITEL 2011 – present The dialogues are dubbed in Spanish.
 Brazil Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is in English with audio captions with the exception of a version used by the Brazilian company TAM Airlines on planes.
SBT August 2010 – present The dialogues are dubbed in Brazilian Portuguese.
 Bulgaria Nova Television
Diema 2 – Repeats 		November 5, 2008 – present
January 11, 2010 – present 		The dialogue is dubbed.
 Canada A
CTV
The Comedy Network
CTV Two 		2007–08, 2009–10
2008–09, 2010–present
September 20, 2010 – present
2011 – present
 Chile Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 China Sohu TV September 23, 2010 – present The dialogue is subtitled in Simplified Chinese and English.
 Colombia Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Costa Rica Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
Teletica August 2009 – present The dialogue is dubbed.
 Croatia RTL, RTL 2 July 2010 – present
 The dialogue is subtitled. Aired as Teorija velikog praska. It's airing every Tuesday night. The whole first season will be emitted in that timeslot. In an ad for the series there are parts from the second season, but dates of airing aren't confirmed.
 Cuba Multivisión 1st and 2nd seasons The dialogue is subtitled.
 Cyprus LTV November 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Czech Republic Prima Cool April 7, 2009 – present The dialogue is dubbed, aired as Teorie velkého třesku. Since 2011 aired also as The Big Bang Theory with subtitles for people who prefer the original dialogue.
 Denmark Kanal 5 2009 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Dominican Republic Warner Channel The dialogue is subtitled.
 Ecuador Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 El Salvador Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Fiji Mai TV
 Finland Sub September 8, 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled. Aired as Rillit huurussa (Foggy Goggles).
 France TPS Star
NRJ 12
MTV 		October 18, 2008 – present
October 5, 2009 – present
January 2011–present 		The dialogue is dubbed.
 Greece Star Channel September 2009 – present Double episodes. The dialogue is subtitled.
 Germany ProSieben July 11, 2009 – present[64] The dialogue is dubbed.
 Guatemala Warner Channel The dialogue is subtitled.
 Honduras Warner Channel The dialogue is subtitled.
 Hong Kong aTV World March 3, 2011 – present[65] First two seasons aired in 2011. The dialogue is subtitled.
 Hungary Cool TV December 27, 2009 – 2010 The dialogue is dubbed. Aired as Agymenők. First two series aired till now.
 Iceland Stöð 2 August 19, 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 India STAR World [62]
Zee Café [63] 		Mon-Fri at 11 P.M. The dialogue is subtitled in English.Season 4 currently being rerun.
 Ireland Terrestrial:
RTÉ Two
RTE Two HD


Cable/Satellite: Sky Ireland and UPC:
Channel 4 Ireland,
E4 Ireland,
E4 HD,
Channel 4 HD

RTE Two : July 11, 2008 – present
E4: Season 4 January 27, 2011 – present HD feed on E4 and Channel 4. 		Seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4 already aired.
Channel 4 / E4 UK & Ireland broadcast is usually 4 months behind US air date
 Israel yes Comedy July 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled, season 5 is currently being broadcast
 Italy Steel January 19, 2008 – present
Italia 1 September, 2010 – present The show received a lot of criticism due to the poor quality of dubbing, which allegedly "dumbed down" most of the nerdy-geeky jokes. To fix this, since episode 9 of season one, the dubbing has been changed to a significantly better quality, characterized by a more faithful translation.
 Japan Super! drama TV November 7, 2009 – present[66] Bilingual broadcast, in Japanese and English
 Latvia Fox life March 1, 2012 - present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Lithuania TV1 February 21, 2010 – present The dialogue is dubbed.
 Macedonia Kanal 5 The dialogue is subtitled.
 Malawi M-Net
 S1, S2 and season 3 aired, season 4 currently being aired.
 Mexico Warner Channel November 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
Canal 5 (Televisa) Season 1: January 11, 2010 The dialogue was completely dubbed to Spanish, aired as La Teoría del Big Bang, two episodes daily from Monday through Thursday. The show received criticism due to the quality of dubbing.
   Nepal STAR World (HD) [62]
Zee Café [63]
 Netherlands Veronica March 2, 2009 / August 23, 2010 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 New Zealand TV2 September 17, 2008 – present Wednesday 8:30 p.m.[67] Previously aired on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.
 Nicaragua Warner Channel
 North Korea Warner Channel
 Norway TVNorge
MAX 		The dialogue is subtitled. It's also available in HD (TVNorge HD).
 Pakistan Super Comedy
Filmax
Star World
 Panama Warner Channel The dialogue is subtitled.
 Paraguay Warner Channel March 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Peru Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled. Also available in dubbed audio.
 Philippines Jack TV Aired on Jack TV
 Poland TVN Siedem, Comedy Central November 20, 2008 – present Aired as Teoria wielkiego podrywu.
 Portugal SET, RTP2, ANIMAX July 14, 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled. Aired as A Teoria do Big Bang.
 Romania PRO Cinema May 23, 2011 – present[68] The dialogue is subtitled. Aired as Teoria Big Bang.
 Russia NTV, STS NTV: April 10, 2010 – June 14, 2010
STS: January 24/31, 2011 - Summer 2011 (on hiatus) 		Aired as Теория большого взрыва.
 Serbia B92 November 14, 2011 – present[69] The dialogue is subtitled. Aired as Štreberi.
 Singapore Warner Channel Season 1: April 5, 2010 – present
 Slovakia TV Markíza August 17, 2011 – present Aired as Teória Veľkého Tresku. The dialogue is in Slovak language.
 Slovenia Kanal A Season 1: February 23, 2009 – March 20, 2009
Season 2: May 14, 2011-TBA 		Aired as Veliki pokovci. The dialogue is subtitled.
 South Africa M-Net
SABC3 		S1, S2 and season 3 aired, season 4 currently being aired.
 South Korea Qook TV – Warner Show Season 1: July 18, 2010 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Spain Antena.neox
Antena 3
TNT 		July 18, 2009 – present The dialogue is dubbed.
Title Big Bang
 Sri Lanka STAR World (HD) [62]
Zee Café [63]
ART TV
Warner Channel 		Monday-Friday 11 p.m. on Star World Seasons 1-4. The dialogue is not dubbed. First three seasons aired until now.[when?]
 Sweden Kanal 5 The dialogue is subtitled.
  Switzerland ProSieben (Germany) July 11, 2009 – present[64] The dialogue is dubbed.
 Thailand True Series May 26, 2008 – present
 Trinidad and Tobago TV6, Warner Channel 2008 – present
 Turkey CNBC-e[70] September 9, 2008 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 Ukraine Inter, MTV December 7, 2009 – present (MTV) Aired as Теорія великого вибуху, dialogue is dubbed.
 United Kingdom E4 HD (first broadcast and re-runs)
Channel 4 HD (re-runs) 		October 26, 2007 – present Season 5 was being broadcast four weeks behind US air date. As of 2 February 2012 up to Episode 11 has been broadcast, running repeats of earlier episodes from Season 5 and other Seasons - without labelling. [3]
 United States CBS (orig. network)
TBS (reruns)
National syndication (reruns) 		September 2007 – present Initial broadcast.
 Uruguay Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
Canal 10 January 2011 – present The dialogue is dubbed.
 Venezuela Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.
 United Arab Emirates Dubai One TV November 2007 – present The dialogue is subtitled.

DVD/Blu-ray releases

DVD Name Release dates Ep # Additional Information
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
The Complete First Season September 2, 2008[71] January 12, 2009[72] April 3, 2009[73] 17 The 3-disc box set includes all 17 episodes. The one extra feature is an 18-minute short entitled "Quantum Mechanics of The Big Bang Theory: Series Cast and Creators on Why It’s Cool to Be a Geek." Running Time: 355 minutes.
The Complete Second Season September 15, 2009[74] October 19, 2009[75] March 3, 2010[76] 23 The 4-disc box set includes all 23 episodes. Special features include a Gag Reel, "Physicist to the Stars: Real-Life Physicist/UCLA professor David Saltzberg's consulting relationship to the Show", and "Testing the Infinite Hilarity Hypothesis in relation to the Big Bang Theory: Season 2's Unique Characters and Characteristics." Running Time: 481 minutes.
The Complete Third Season September 14, 2010[77] September 27, 2010[78] October 13, 2010 [79] 23 The 3-disc box set includes all 23 episodes. Special features include a set tour with Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, an inside look on the third season and a gag reel. This is the first time a season of the show was released on Blu-ray Disc in a 2-Disc Set, in conjunction with the DVD release. Running Time: 472 minutes.
The Complete Fourth Season September 13, 2011[80] September 26, 2011 October 5, 2011 24 The 3-disc box set includes all 24 episodes. Special features include the story behind the show's theme song with Barenaked Ladies, cast interviews with each other and a gag reel. Running time: 529 minutes. Also available on Blu-ray as a 2-disc set, with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the taping of "The Wildebeest Implementation."
  • Despite the third and fourth seasons receiving Blu-ray releases in conjunction with their DVD releases, the first and second seasons were only available on DVD upon their time of release. Warner Bros. has announced that they will be releasing the first two seasons on Blu-ray in the first half of 2012.[81]

Cameo by Scientists

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 episode 17 "The Terminator Decoupling", of the second season.[82] Theoretical physicist Brian Greene also appeared on the show in "The Herb Garden Germination", episode 20 of the fourth season. Astrophysicsist and science populizer Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared in "The Apology Insufficiency", episode 7 of the fourth season. Cosmologist Stephen Hawking will also be appearing on the show in a guest appearance.[83]

Online media

Warner Brothers Television controls the online rights for the show.[84][85] Full episodes are available at tv.com, while short clips and recently aired full episodes are available on cbs.com.[86] Full episodes are also available on Sohu.com in China.[87] In Canada, recent episode(s) and pictures are available on CTV.ca.[88]

Syndication

In May 2010, it was reported that the show has been picked up for syndication, mainly among Fox's O&O group and other local stations, with Warner Bros. Television's sister cable network TBS holding the show's cable syndication rights. Broadcast of old shows began airing in September 2011. TBS now airs the series in primetime on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with evening broadcasts on Saturdays (TBS's local sister station in Atlanta also holds local weeknight rights to the series).[89] 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."[90] CTV holds national broadcast syndication rights in Canada, while sister cable network The Comedy Network holds cable rights.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Show Category Result Recipient(s)
2008 1st Ewwy Awards Best Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated Jim Parsons
Best Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated Kaley Cuoco
Best Comedy Series Nominated Cast and Crew
2009 61st Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated Jim Parsons
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated Christine Baranski
Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series Nominated Crew
TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Won Cast and Crew
Individual Achievement in Comedy Won Jim Parsons
Satellite Awards Best television comedy or musical series Nominated Cast and Crew
Best actor in a comedy or musical series Nominated Jim Parsons
American Film Institute The best 10 Television Programs of the year Won Cast and Crew
2nd Ewwy Awards Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Won Kaley Cuoco
Best Comedy Series Nominated Cast and Crew
2010 36th People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy Won
Favorite TV Comedy Actor Nominated Jim Parsons
TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Nominated Cast and Crew
Individual Achievement in Comedy Nominated Jim Parsons
Teen Choice Award Choice TV Comedy Nominated
Choice TV Actor: Comedy Nominated Jim Parsons
Choice TV Actress: Comedy Nominated Kaley Cuoco
Choice Scene Stealer: Male Nominated Johnny Galecki
Choice Scene Stealer: Male Nominated Simon Helberg
62nd Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series Nominated Cast and Crew
Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic) Nominated Cast and Crew
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series Won Jim Parsons
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series Nominated Christine Baranski
Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series Nominated Cast and Crew
3rd Ewwy Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated Kunal Nayyar
Best Comedy Series Won Cast and Crew
2011 68th Golden Globe Awards Best Series – Musical or Comedy Nominated
Best performance in a television series – musical or comedy Won Jim Parsons
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy Nominated
Favorite TV Comedy Actor Nominated Jim Parsons
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Comedy Nominated
Choice TV: Actor Comedy Nominated Jim Parsons
Choice TV: Actress Comedy Nominated Kaley Cuoco
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series Nominated Johnny Galecki
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series Won Jim Parsons
Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
2012 69th Golden Globe Awards Best performance in a television series – musical or comedy Nominated Johnny Galecki
People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Comedy Nominated
Favorite TV Comedy Actor Nominated Jim Parsons
Favorite TV Comedy Actress Nominated Kaley Cuoco
18th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated Cast

The Theorists controversy

Through the use of his vanity cards at the end of episodes, Lorre alleged that the program had been plagiarised by a show produced and aired in Belarus. 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.[91] Lorre expressed annoyance and described his inquiry with the Warner Brothers 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.[92]

However, no legal action was required to end production of the other show: as soon as the word got out that the show was unlicensed, the actors quit and the producers cancelled it.[93] Dmitriy Tankovich (who plays Leonard's counterpart, "Seva") said in an interview: "I'm upset. At first, the actors were told all legal issues were resolved. We didn't know it wasn't the case, so when the creators of The Big Bang Theory started talking about the show, I was embarrassed. I can't understand why our people first do, and then think. I consider this to be the rock bottom of my career. And I don't want to take part in a stolen show".[94]

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