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 on the series, along with Steven Molaro. All three also served as head writers. The show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007, and concluded on May 16, 2019, having broadcast a total of 279 episodes over twelve seasons.[3]

The Big Bang Theory
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Chuck Lorre Bill Prady
Directed by	Mark Cendrowski
Starring	Johnny Galecki Jim Parsons Kaley Cuoco Simon Helberg Kunal Nayyar Sara Gilbert Mayim Bialik Melissa Rauch Kevin Sussman Laura Spencer
Theme music composer	Barenaked Ladies
Opening theme	"Big Bang Theory Theme"[1][2]
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	12
No. of episodes	279 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Chuck Lorre Bill Prady (both; entire run) Lee Aronsohn (2007–11) Steven Molaro (2011–19) Eric Kaplan Maria Ferrari Dave Goetsch (all; 2016–19)
Producer	Faye Oshima Belyeu
Editor	Peter Chakos
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	18–22 minutes
Production companies	Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. Television
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	CBS
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1
Original release	September 24, 2007 – May 16, 2019
Chronology
Related shows	Young Sheldon
External links
Website

The show originally centered on five characters living in Pasadena, California: Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, both physicists at Caltech, who share an apartment; Penny, a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's similarly geeky and socially awkward friends and co-workers, aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali.[4][5] Over time, supporting characters were promoted to starring roles, including neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski, experimental physicist Leslie Winkle, and comic book store owner Stuart Bloom.

The show was filmed in front of a live audience and was produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions. The Big Bang Theory received mixed reviews from critics throughout its first season, but reception was more favorable in the second and third seasons. Despite early mixed reviews, seven seasons of the show have ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings, ultimately reaching the no. 1 spot in its eleventh season. The show 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 Jim Parsons. In total, it won seven Emmy Awards from 46 nominations. Parsons also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series in 2011. In 2017, the series spawned a prequel series, Young Sheldon, based on Parsons' character, Sheldon Cooper; it also airs on CBS.

Production

Series' logo used for print

The show's pilot episode premiered on September 24, 2007. This was the second pilot produced for the show. A different pilot was produced for the 2006–07 television season but never aired. The structure of the original unaired pilot was substantially different from the series' current form. The only main characters retained in both pilots were Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons), who are named after Sheldon Leonard, a longtime figure in episodic television as producer, director and actor. A minor character, Althea (Vernee Watson), appeared in the first scene of both pilots that was retained generally as-is.[6] The first pilot included two female lead characters - Katie, "a street-hardened, tough-as-nails woman with a vulnerable interior" (played by Canadian actress Amanda Walsh),[7][8] and Gilda, a scientist colleague and friend of the male characters (played by Iris Bahr). Sheldon and Leonard meet Katie after she breaks up with a boyfriend, and they invite her to share their apartment. Gilda is threatened by Katie's presence. Test audiences reacted negatively to Katie, but they liked Sheldon and Leonard. The original pilot used Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me with Science" as its theme song.

Although the original pilot was not picked up, its creators were given an opportunity to retool it and produce a second pilot. They brought in the remaining cast and retooled the show to its final format. Katie was replaced by Penny (Kaley Cuoco). The original unaired pilot has never been officially released, but it has circulated on the Internet. On the evolution of the show, Chuck 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 the original pilot on a future DVD release, Lorre said, "Wow, that would be something. We will see. Show your failures..."[9]

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.[10] Prior to its airing on CBS, the pilot episode was distributed on iTunes free of charge. The show premiered on September 24, 2007, and was picked up for a full 22-episode season on October 19, 2007.[11] The show is filmed in front of a live audience,[12] and it is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions.[13] Production was halted on November 6, 2007, due to the Writers Guild of America strike. Nearly three months later, on February 4, 2008, the series was temporarily replaced by a short-lived sitcom, Welcome to The Captain. The series returned on March 17, 2008, in an earlier time slot,[14] and ultimately only 17 episodes were produced for the first season.[15][16]

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.[17] With increasing ratings, the show received a two-year renewal through the 2010–11 season in 2009.[18][19] In 2011, the show was picked up for three more seasons.[20] In March 2014, the show was renewed again for three more years through the 2016–17 season. This marked the second time the series gained a three-year renewal.[21] In March 2017, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, bringing its total to 12, and running through the 2018–19 television season.[22]

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

Science consultants

David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, checked scripts and provided 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] David Saltzberg, who has a Ph.D. in physics, has served as the science consultant for the show for six seasons and attends every taping.[23] He saw early versions of scripts that needed scientific information added to them, and he also pointed out where the writers, despite their knowledge of science, had made a mistake. He was usually not needed during a taping unless a lot of science, and especially the whiteboard, was involved.[24]

Saltzberg sometimes needed assistance on biology from Mayim Bialik, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience.[24]

Theme song

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. Co-lead singer Ed Robertson was asked by Lorre and Prady to write a theme song for the show after the producers attended one of the band's concerts in Los Angeles. By coincidence, Robertson had recently read Simon Singh's book Big Bang,[25][26] and at the concert he improvised a freestyle rap about the origins of the universe. Lorre and Prady phoned him shortly thereafter and asked him to write the theme song. Having been asked to write songs for other films and shows, but ending up being rejected because producers favored songs by other artists, Robertson agreed to write the theme only after learning that Lorre and Prady had not asked anyone else.

On October 9, 2007, a full-length (1 minute and 45 seconds) version of the song was released commercially.[27] Although some unofficial pages identify the song title as "History of Everything,"[28] the cover art for the single identifies the title as "Big Bang Theory Theme." A music video also was released via special features on The Complete Fourth Season DVD and Blu-ray set.[29][30] The theme was included on the band's greatest hits album, Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before, released on September 27, 2011.[31] In September 2015, TMZ uncovered court documents showing that Steven Page sued former bandmate Robertson over the song, alleging that he was promised 20 percent of the proceeds, but that Robertson has kept that money for himself.[32]

Actors' salaries

For the first three seasons, Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco, 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. Their per-episode pay went up an additional $50,000 in each of the following three seasons, culminating in $350,000 per episode in the seventh season.[33][34] In September 2013, Bialik and Rauch renegotiated the contracts they held since they were introduced to the series in 2010. On their old contracts, each was making $20,000–$30,000 per episode, while the new contracts doubled that, beginning at $60,000 per episode, increasing steadily to $100,000 per episode by the end of the contract, as well as adding another year for both.[35]

By season seven, Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco were also receiving 0.25 percent of the series' back-end money. Before production began on the eighth season, the three plus Helberg and Nayyar looked to renegotiate new contracts, with Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco seeking around $1 million per episode, as well as more back-end money.[36] Contracts were signed in the beginning of August 2014, giving the three principal actors an estimated $1 million per episode for three years, with the possibility to extend for a fourth year. The deals also include larger pieces of the show, signing bonuses, production deals, and advances towards the back-end.[37] Helberg and Nayyar were also able to renegotiate their contracts, giving them a per-episode pay in the "mid-six-figure range", up from around $100,000 per episode they each received in years prior. The duo, who were looking to have salary parity with Parsons, Galecki, and Cuoco, signed their contracts after the studio and producers threatened to write the characters out of the series if a deal could not be reached before the start of production on season eight.[38] By season 10, Helberg and Nayyar reached the $1 million per episode parity with Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco, due to a clause in their deals signed in 2014.[39]

In March 2017, the main cast members (Galecki, Parsons, Cuoco, Helberg, and Nayyar) took a 10 percent pay cut to allow Bialik and Rauch an increase in their earnings.[40] This put Galecki, Parsons, Cuoco, Helberg and Nayyar at $900,000 per episode, with Parsons, Galecki, and Helberg also receiving overall deals with Warner Bros. Television.[22] By the end of April, Bialik and Rauch had signed deals to earn $500,000 per episode each, with the deals also including a separate development component for both actors. The deal was an increase from the $175,000–$200,000 the duo had been making per episode.[41]

Cast and characters

• Main cast
• 
  Johnny Galecki as
  Leonard Hofstadter
• 
  Jim Parsons as
  Sheldon Cooper
• 
  Kaley Cuoco as
  Penny
• 
  Simon Helberg as
  Howard Wolowitz
• 
  Kunal Nayyar as
  Raj Koothrappali
• 
  Mayim Bialik as
  Amy Farrah Fowler
• 
  Melissa Rauch as
  Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

Main characters in The Big Bang Theory. First row from left: Rajesh Koothrappali, Leonard Hofstadter, Penny, Sheldon Cooper, and Howard Wolowitz, second row from left: Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz and Amy Farrah Fowler

These actors are credited in all episodes of the series:

• Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter:[42] An experimental physicist with an IQ of 173, who received his PhD 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, in which he shares an apartment in Pasadena, CA, with Sheldon Cooper. Leonard is smitten with his new neighbor Penny when they first meet, and they eventually marry.
• Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper:[43] Originally from Galveston, Texas, Sheldon was a child prodigy with an eidetic memory who began college at the age of eleven and earned a PhD 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.
• Kaley Cuoco as Penny:[44] 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.
• Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz:[45] 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 goes into space, training as an astronaut and serving as a payload specialist. Howard initially fancies himself as a womanizer, 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.
• Kunal Nayyar as Rajesh Koothrappali:[46] 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. Raj also has a Yorkshire Terrier named Cinnamon.

These actors were first credited as guest stars and later promoted to main cast:

• Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle (recurring season 1, starring season 2, guest seasons 3, 9):[47][48][49] 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.[47] Gilbert returned to The Big Bang Theory for its 200th episode.[50]
• Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz (recurring season 3, starring seasons 4–12):[51] 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.
• Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler (guest star season 3, starring seasons 4–12):[52] A woman selected by an online dating site as Sheldon's perfect mate.[53] Amy is from Glendale, CA. 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.
• Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom (recurring seasons 2–5, 7, starring seasons 6, 8–12):[54] 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.
• Laura Spencer as Emily Sweeney (recurring seasons 7–8, 10, starring season 9):[55] 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.

Scientist cameos

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.[56] 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.[57]

Cosmologist Stephen Hawking made a short guest appearance in a fifth-season episode;[58] 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.

Episodes

Season		Episodes		Originally aired		U.S. Viewers (millions)	Viewers rank	18–49 rating/share	18–49 rank
				First aired	Last aired
	1	17		September 24, 2007	May 19, 2008	8.31	68[59]	3.3/8	46[60]
	2	23		September 22, 2008	May 11, 2009	10.03	40[61]	N/A	N/A
	3	23		September 21, 2009	May 24, 2010	14.22	12	5.3/13	5[62]
	4	24		September 23, 2010	May 19, 2011	13.21	13	4.4/13	7[63]
	5	24		September 22, 2011	May 10, 2012	15.82	8	5.5/17	6[64]
	6	24		September 27, 2012	May 16, 2013	18.68	3	6.2/19	2[65]
	7	24		September 26, 2013	May 15, 2014	19.96	2	6.2/20	2[66]
	8	24		September 22, 2014	May 7, 2015	19.05	2	5.6/17	4[67]
	9	24		September 21, 2015	May 12, 2016	20.36	2	5.8/19	3[68]
	10	24		September 19, 2016	May 11, 2017	18.99	2	4.9/19	3[69]
	11	24		September 25, 2017	May 10, 2018	18.63	1	4.4	5[70]
	12	24		September 24, 2018	May 16, 2019	17.31	2	3.6	6[71]
	Special			May 16, 2019		11.61	TBA	TBA	TBA

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.[72] 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.[73] Sheldon and Amy also briefly end their relationship after an argument over which of their fields is superior.[74]

"Nerd" media

Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Wil Wheaton has a recurring role as a fictional version of himself on the show.

The four main male characters are all avid science fiction, fantasy, and comic book fans and memorabilia collectors.

Star Trek in particular is frequently referenced, and Sheldon identifies strongly with the character of Spock, so much so that when he is given a used napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy as a Christmas gift from Penny he is overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude ("I possess the DNA of Leonard Nimoy?!").[75] Star Trek: The Original Series cast members William Shatner and George Takei have made cameos, and Leonard Nimoy made a cameo as the voice of Sheldon's vintage Mr. Spock action figure. Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton have had cameos as themselves,[76][77] while Wil Wheaton has a recurring role as a fictionalized version of himself. Leonard and Sheldon have had conversations in the Klingon language.

They are also fans of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Doctor Who. James Earl Jones and Carrie Fisher make guest appearances. In the episode "The Ornithophobia Diffusion", when there is a delay in watching Star Wars on Blu-ray, Howard complains, "If we don't start soon, George Lucas is going to change it again" (referring to Lucas' controversial alterations to the films). In "The Hot Troll Deviation", Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica appeared as Howard's fantasy dream girl. The characters have different tastes in franchises, with Sheldon praising Firefly but disapproving of Leonard's enjoyment of Babylon 5.[78] With regard to fantasy, the four make frequent references to The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter novels and movies. Additionally, Howard can speak Sindarin, one of the two Elvish languages from The Lord of the Rings.

Wednesday night is the group's designated "comic book night"[79] because that is the day of the week when new comic books are released. The comic book store is 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.[80] As a consequence of losing a bet to Stuart and Wil Wheaton, the group members are forced to visit the comic book store dressed as Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl.[81] DC Comics announced that, to promote its comics, the company will sponsor Sheldon wearing Green Lantern T-shirts.[82]

Various games have been featured, as well as referenced, on the series (e.g. World of Warcraft, Halo, Mario, Donkey Kong, etc.), including fictional games like Mystic Warlords of Ka'a (which became a reality in 2011)[83] and Rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.

Leonard and Penny's relationship

One of the recurring plot lines is the relationship between Leonard and Penny. Leonard becomes attracted to Penny in the pilot episode, and his need to do favors for her is a frequent point of humor in the first season. Meanwhile, Penny dates a series of muscular, attractive, unintelligent, and insensitive jocks. Their first long-term relationship begins when Leonard returns from a three-month expedition to the North Pole in the season 3 premiere. However, when Leonard tells Penny that he loves her, she realizes she cannot say it back, and they break up. Both Leonard and Penny go on to date other people, most notably with Leonard dating Raj's sister Priya for much of season 4. This relationship is jeopardized when Leonard comes to falsely believe that Raj has slept with Penny, and it ultimately ends when Priya sleeps with a former boyfriend in "The Good Guy Fluctuation".

Penny, who admits to missing Leonard in "The Roommate Transmogrification", accepts his request to renew their relationship in "The Beta Test Initiation". After Penny suggests having sex in "The Launch Acceleration", Leonard breaks the mood by proposing to her. Penny says "no" but does not break up with him. She stops a proposal a second time in "The Tangible Affection Proof". In the sixth-season episode, "The 43 Peculiarity", Penny finally tells Leonard that she loves him. Although they both feel jealousy when the other receives significant attention from the opposite sex, Penny is secure enough in their relationship to send him off on an exciting four-month expedition without worrying in "The Bon Voyage Reaction". After Leonard returns, their relationship blossoms over the seventh season. In the penultimate episode "The Gorilla Dissolution", Penny admits that they should marry and when Leonard realizes that she is serious, he proposes with a ring that he had been saving for years. Leonard and Penny decide to elope to Las Vegas in the season 8 finale, but beforehand, wanting no secrets, Leonard admits to kissing another woman, Mandy Chow (Melissa Tang) while on an expedition on the North Sea. Despite this, Leonard and Penny finally elope in the season 9 premiere and remain happily married. By the Season 9 finale, Penny and Leonard decide to have a second small, unofficial wedding ceremony for their family and friends to make up for eloping. In season 10, Sheldon moves into Penny's old apartment with Amy, allowing Penny and Leonard to finally live on their own as husband and wife.

In season 12, Penny announces that she does not want to have any children and Leonard reluctantly supports her decision. Later, her old boyfriend Zack and his new wife want Leonard to be a surrogate father to their kid since Zack is infertile. Penny reluctantly agrees to let Leonard donate his sperm. However, when she tries to seduce Leonard despite knowing he has to be abstinent for a few days, her visiting father, Wyatt, points out to Penny that her own actions suggest she is more conflicted over having kids than she lets on, to which she admits she feels bad about letting him and Leonard down if she goes through with never having children. He says that despite her flaws, parenthood is the best thing that ever happened to him and he does not want her to miss out, but he says he will support her no matter what she decides. Leonard eventually changes his mind about donating his sperm, not wanting a child in the world that he cannot raise. In the series finale, Penny reveals to her friends that she is pregnant with Leonard's baby, and she changes her mind about not wanting children.

Sheldon and Amy's relationship

In the third-season finale, Raj and Howard sign Sheldon up for online dating to find a woman compatible with Sheldon, and they discover neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler. Like Sheldon, she has a history of social ineptitude and participates in online dating only to fulfill an agreement with her mother. This spawns a storyline in which Sheldon and Amy communicate daily while insisting to Leonard and Penny that they are not romantically involved. In "The Agreement Dissection", Sheldon and Amy talk in her apartment after a night of dancing and she kisses him on the lips. Instead of getting annoyed, Sheldon says "fascinating" and later asks Amy to be his girlfriend in "The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition". The same night he draws up "The Relationship Agreement" to verify the ground rules of him as her boyfriend and vice versa (similar to his "Roommate Agreement" with Leonard). Amy agrees but later regrets not having had a lawyer read through it.

In "The Launch Acceleration", Amy tries to use her "neurobiology bag of tricks" to increase the attraction between herself and Sheldon. Her efforts appear to be working as Sheldon is not happy, but he makes no attempt to stop her. In the final fifth-season episode "The Countdown Reflection", Sheldon takes Amy's hand as Howard is launched into space. In the sixth season first episode "The Date Night Variable", after a dinner in which Sheldon fails to live up to this expectation, Amy gives Sheldon an ultimatum that their relationship is over unless he tells her something from his heart. Amy accepts Sheldon's romantic speech even after learning that it is a line from the first Spider-Man movie. In "The Cooper/Kripke Inversion", Sheldon states that he has been working on his discomfort about physical contact and admits that "it's a possibility" that he could one day have sex with Amy. Amy is revealed to have similar feelings in "The Love Spell Potential". Sheldon explains that he never thought about intimacy with anyone before Amy.[84]

"The Locomotive Manipulation" is the first episode in which Sheldon initiates a kiss with Amy. Although initially done in a fit of sarcasm, he discovers that he enjoys the feeling. Consequently, Sheldon slowly starts to open up over the rest of the season, and he starts a more intimate relationship with Amy. However, in the season finale, Sheldon leaves town temporarily to cope with several changes and Amy becomes distraught. However, 45 days into the trip, Sheldon gets mugged and calls for Leonard to drive him home, only to be confronted by Amy, who is upset over not being contacted by him in weeks. When Sheldon admits he did not call her because he was too embarrassed to admit that he could not make it on his own, Amy accepts that he is not perfect. In "The Prom Equivalency", Sheldon hides in his room to avoid going to a mock prom reenactment with her. In the resulting stand-off, Amy is about to confess that she loves Sheldon, but he surprises her by saying that he loves her too. This prompts Amy to have a panic attack.

In the season eight finale, Sheldon and Amy get into a fight about commitment on their fifth anniversary. Amy tells Sheldon that she needs to think about the future of their relationship, unaware that Sheldon was about to propose to her. Season nine sees Sheldon harassing Amy about making up her mind until she breaks up with him. Both struggle with singlehood and trying to be friends for the next few weeks until they reunite in episode ten and have sex for the first time on Amy's birthday. In season ten, Amy's apartment is flooded, and she and Sheldon decide to move in together into Penny's apartment as part of a five-week experiment to determine compatibility with each other's living habits. It goes well and they decide to make the arrangement permanent.

In the season eleven premiere, Sheldon proposes to Amy and she accepts. The two get married in the eleventh-season finale.

"Soft Kitty"

In the show, the song "Soft Kitty" was described by Sheldon as a song sung by his mother when he was ill. Its repeated use in the series popularized the song.[85] A scene depicting the origin of the song in Sheldon's childhood is depicted in an episode of Young Sheldon, which aired on February 1, 2018. It shows Sheldon's mother Mary singing the song to her son, who is suffering with the flu.[86]

Howard's mother

In scenes set at Howard's home, he interacts with his rarely-seen mother (voiced by Carol Ann Susi until her death) by shouting from room to room in the house. She similarly interacts with other characters in this manner.[87] She reflects the Jewish mother stereotype in some ways, such as being overly controlling of Howard's adult life and sometimes trying to make him feel guilty about causing her trouble. She is dependent on Howard, as she requires him to help her with her wig and makeup in the morning. Howard, in turn, is attached to his mother to the point where she still cuts his meat for him, takes him to the dentist, does his laundry and "grounds" him when he returns home after briefly moving out.[88] Until Howard's marriage to Bernadette in the fifth-season finale, Howard's former living situation led Leonard's psychiatrist mother to speculate that he may suffer from some type of pathology,[89] and Sheldon to refer to their relationship as Oedipal.[90] In season 8, Howard's mother dies in her sleep while in Florida, which devastates Howard and Stuart, who briefly lived with Mrs. Wolowitz.

Apartment building elevator

In the apartment building where Sheldon, Leonard and Penny (and later Amy) live, the elevator has been out of order throughout most of the series, forcing characters to have to use the stairs. Stairway conversations between characters occur in almost every episode, often serving as a transition between longer scenes. The Season 3 episode, "The Staircase Implementation" reveals that the elevator was broken when Leonard was experimenting with rocket fuel.[91] In the penultimate episode of the series, the elevator is returned to an operational state, causing Sheldon some angst.

Vanity cards

Like most shows created by Chuck Lorre, The Big Bang Theory ends by showing for one second a vanity card written by Lorre after the credits, followed by the Warner Bros. Television closing logo. These cards are archived on Lorre's website.[92] The series final vanity card reads simply "The End".[93]

Reception

Critical reception

Although the initial reception was mixed,[94] the show has since then received generally positive reviews. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 81% approval rating from critics.[95] On Metacritic, the series holds a score of 61 out of 100, based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating generally favorable review.[96] In 2013, TV Guide ranked the series #52 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.[97]

U.S. ratings

The Big Bang Theory started off slowly in the ratings, failing to make the top 50 in its first season (ranking 68th), and ranking 40th in its second season. When the third season premiered on September 21, 2009, however, The 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.[98] After the first three seasons aired at different times on Monday nights, CBS moved the show to Thursdays at 8:00 ET for the 2010–2011 schedule, to be in direct competition with NBC's Comedy Block and Fox's American Idol (then the longest reigning leading primetime show on U.S. television from 2004 to 2011).[99] 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 18–49 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.[100]

The sixth season boasts some of the highest-rated episodes for the show so far, with a then-new series high set with "The Bakersfield Expedition", with 20 million viewers,[101] a first for the series, which along with NCIS, made CBS the first network to have two scripted series reach that large an audience in the same week since 2007. In the sixth season, the show became the highest rated and viewed scripted show in the 18–49 demographic, trailing only the live regular NBC Sunday Night Football coverage,[102][103] and was third in total viewers, trailing NCIS and Sunday Night Football.[104] Season seven of the series opened strong, continuing the success gained in season six, with the second episode of the premiere, "The Deception Verification", setting the new series high in viewers with 20.44 million.[105][106]

Showrunner Steve Molaro, who took over from Bill Prady with the sixth season, credits some of the show's success to the sitcom's exposure in off-network syndication, particularly on TBS, while Michael Schneider of TV Guide attributes it to the timeslot move two seasons earlier. Chuck Lorre and CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler also credit the success to the influence of Molaro, in particular the deepening exploration of the firmly established regular characters and their interpersonal relationships, such as the on-again, off-again relationship between Leonard and Penny.[107] Throughout much of the 2012–13 season, The Big Bang Theory placed first in all of syndication ratings, receiving formidable competition from only Judge Judy and Wheel of Fortune (first-run syndication programs). By the end of the 2012–13 television season, The Big Bang Theory had dethroned Judge Judy as the ratings leader in all of syndicated programming with 7.1, Judy descending to second place for that season with a 7.0.[108] The Big Bang Theory did not place first in syndication ratings for the 2013–14 television season, beaten out by Judge Judy.[109]

Viewership and ratings per season of The Big Bang Theory

Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		TV season	Viewership rank	Avg. viewers (millions)	18–49 rank	Avg. 18–49 rating
			Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)
1	Monday 8:30pm (1–8) Monday 8:00pm (9–17)	17	September 24, 2007	9.52[110]	May 19, 2008	7.34[111]	2007–08	68	8.31	46	3.3/8[112]
2	Monday 8:00 pm	23	September 22, 2008	9.36[113]	May 11, 2009	9.81[114]	2008–09	40	10.03	N/A	N/A
3	Monday 9:30 pm	23	September 21, 2009	12.96[115]	May 24, 2010	14.78[116]	2009–10	12	14.22	5	5.3/13[117]
4	Thursday 8:00pm	24	September 23, 2010	14.04[118]	May 19, 2011	11.30[119]	2010–11	13	13.21	7	4.4/13[120]
5		24	September 22, 2011	14.30[121]	May 10, 2012	13.72[122]	2011–12	8	15.82	6	5.5/17[123]
6		24	September 27, 2012	15.66[124]	May 16, 2013	15.48[125]	2012–13	3	18.68	2	6.2/19[126]
7		24	September 26, 2013	18.99[127]	May 15, 2014	16.73[128]	2013–14	2	19.96[129]	2	6.2/20[104]
8	Monday 8:00pm[lower-alpha 1] Thursday 8:00pm	24	September 22, 2014	18.08[135]	May 7, 2015	14.64[136]	2014–15	2	19.05	4	5.6/17[137]
9		24	September 21, 2015	18.20[138]	May 12, 2016	14.73[139]	2015–16	2	20.36	3	5.8/19[140]
10		24	September 19, 2016	15.82[141]	May 11, 2017	12.99[142]	2016–17	2	18.99	3	4.9/19[143]
11		24	September 25, 2017	17.65[144]	May 10, 2018	15.51[145]	2017–18	1	18.63	5	4.4[146]
12		24	September 24, 2018	12.92[147]	May 16, 2019	18.52[148]	2018–19	2	17.31	6	3.6[149]

1. From the eighth season onward, episodes of each season initially aired on Monday nights, before later returning to the Thursday night slot for the rest of the season. The eighth and ninth seasons returned on the seventh episode,[130][131] the tenth and eleventh seasons on the sixth episode,[132][133] and the twelfth season on the second episode.[134]

UK distribution and ratings

The show made its United Kingdom debut on Channel 4 on February 14, 2008. The show was also shown as a 'first-look' on Channel 4's digital offshoot E4 prior to the main channel's airing. While the show's ratings were not deemed strong enough for the main channel, they were considered the opposite for E4. For each following season, all episodes were shown first-run on E4, with episodes only aired on the main channel in a repeat capacity, usually on a weekend morning. From the third season, the show aired in two parts, being split so that it could air new episodes for longer throughout the year. This was due to rising ratings. The first part began airing on December 17, 2009, at 9:00 p.m. while the second part, containing the remaining eleven episodes, began airing in the same time period from May 6, 2010. The first half of the fourth season began airing on November 4, 2010, at 9:00 p.m., drawing 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. The increased ratings continued over subsequent weeks.[150]

The fourth season's second half began on June 30, 2011. Season 5 began airing on November 3, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. as part of E4's Comedy Thursdays, acting as a lead-in to the channel's newest comedy, Perfect Couples. Episode 19, the highest-viewed episode of the season, attracted 1.4 million viewers.[151] Season 6 premiered on November 15, 2012, with 1.89 million viewers and a further 469,000 on the time shift channel, bringing the total to 2.31 million, E4's highest viewing ratings of 2012, and the highest the channel had received since June 2011. The sixth season returned in mid-2013 to finish airing the remaining episodes.[152] Season 7 premiered on E4 on October 31, 2013 at 8:30 pm and hit multiple ratings records this season. The second half of season seven aired in mid 2014.[153] The eighth season premiered on E4 on October 23, 2014 at 8:30 pm.[154] During its eighth season, The Big Bang Theory shared its 8:30 pm time period with fellow CBS comedy, 2 Broke Girls. Following the airing of the first eight episodes of that show's fourth season, The Big Bang Theory returned to finish airing its eighth season on March 19, 2015.[155]

Netflix UK & Ireland announced on February 13, 2016 that seasons 1–8 would be available to stream from February 15, 2016.[156]

Canadian ratings

The Big Bang Theory started off quietly in Canada, but managed to garner major success in later seasons. The Big Bang Theory is telecast throughout Canada via the CTV Television Network in simultaneous substitution with cross-border CBS affiliates. Now immensely popular in Canada, The Big Bang Theory is also rerun daily on the Canadian cable channel The Comedy Network.

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 entertainment television show in Canada.[157]

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.[158] On February 14, 2008, the series debuted in the United Kingdom on channels E4 and Channel 4.[159] 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, though the Nine Network has rights to air seasons nine & ten.[160][161] On January 22, 2018, it was announced that Nine had acquired the rights to Season 1–8.[162]

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 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 former local sister station in Atlanta also holds local weeknight rights to the series).[163] 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".[164] 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.[165][166] 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 CBS All Access.[167] In Canada, recent episode(s) and pictures are available on CTV.ca.[168] Additionally in Canada, the first six seasons are available for streaming on Bell Media's CraveTV.[169] 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.[170]

Home media

Name	Release dates			No. of episodes	Additional Information
	Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
The Complete First Season	September 2, 2008[171]	January 12, 2009[172]	April 3, 2009[173]	17	3-disc box set "Quantum Mechanics of The Big Bang Theory: Series Cast and Creators on Why It's Cool to Be a Geek". Gag reel (Blu-ray exclusive)
The Complete Second Season	September 15, 2009[174]	October 19, 2009[175]	March 3, 2010[176]	23	4-disc box set Gag reel "Physicist to the Stars: Real-Life Physicist/UCLA professor David Saltzberg's consulting relationship to the Show" "Testing the Infinite Hilarity Hypothesis in relation to the Big Bang Theory: Season 2's Unique Characters and Characteristics"
The Complete Third Season	September 14, 2010[177]	September 27, 2010[178]	October 13, 2010[179]	23	3-disc box set Set tour with Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar Inside look on the third season Gag reel
The Complete Fourth Season	September 13, 2011[180]	September 26, 2011[181]	October 5, 2011[182]	24	3-disc box set Story of show's theme song with Barenaked Ladies Music video for the theme song Cast interviews Gag reel
The Complete Fifth Season	September 11, 2012[183]	September 3, 2012[184]	October 3, 2012[185]	24	3-disc box set "The Big Bang Theory at 100" "The Big Bang Theory's Laws of Reflection" "Professors of Production" Gag reel
The Complete Sixth Season	September 10, 2013[186]	September 2, 2013[187]	October 11, 2013[188]	24	3-disc box set "The Big Bang Theory: The Final Comedy Frontier" "Houston, We Have a Sitcom" "Electromagnetism: The Best Relationship Moments" "The Big Bang Theory at Paleyfest 2013" Gag reel
The Complete Seventh Season	September 16, 2014[189]	September 8, 2014[190]	September 17, 2014[191]	24	String Theory Serenade James Earl Jones: The Un-Conventional Guest Star BBTea Time The Big Bang Theory's May 4 The Convention Conundrum The Big Cendrowski 2013 Comic-Con Panel Gag Reel
The Complete Eighth Season	September 15, 2015[192]	September 14, 2015[193]	September 16, 2015[194]	24	Shooting Stars: BBT on BBT 2014 The Big Bang Theory Comic-Con Panel Constellation Prize Here's To You, Carol Ann Susi It's A Quark...It's An Atom...It's the #BBTSuperfans! Gag Reel
The Complete Ninth Season	September 13, 2016[195]	August 29, 2016[196]	August 31, 2016[197]	24	The Big Bang Theory Gives Back BBT: The Big 200! Love IS Rocket Science Just Ask BBT: If I Had To Go To Mars... Just Ask BBT: Who Will Get The Couch? 2015 Comic-Con Panel Gag Reel
The Complete Tenth Season	September 12, 2017[198]	September 11, 2017[199]	September 13, 2017[200]	24	5 All-New Featurettes #JustAskBBT Mad Props The Ever-Expanding Universe of The Big Bang Theory Who's the Baby Now? Best of The Big Bang Theory: 2016 Comic-Con Panel Gag Reel
The Complete Eleventh Season	September 11, 2018[201]	September 24, 2018[202]	September 12, 2018[203]	24	3 All-New Featurettes Best of The Big Bang Theory: 2017 Comic-Con Panel Gag Reel
The Twelfth and Final Season	November 12, 2019[204]	November 11, 2019[205]	November 13, 2019[206]	24	The Big Bang Theory Finale: From Script to Screen The Big Bang Theory's Impact The Sweet Spot Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell (Special)
The Complete Series	November 12, 2019[207]	November 11, 2019[208]	November 13, 2019[209]	279	The Big Bang Theory: A Retrospective All The Stars in the BBT Universe BBT's Greatest Hits: 12 Years of Comedy in 24 Minutes 32-Page Episode Guide Lay-flat Book Digital Copies

The first and second seasons were only available on DVD at their time of release in 2008[210] and 2009.[211] Starting with the release of the third season in 2010[212] and continuing every year with every new season, a Blu-ray disc set has also been released in conjunction with the DVD. In 2012, Warner Bros. released the first two seasons on Blu-ray,[213] marking the first time that all episodes were available on the Blu-ray disc format.

Awards and nominations

In August 2009, the sitcom won the best comedy series TCA award and Jim Parsons (Sheldon) won the award for individual achievement in comedy.[214] 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.[215] 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. On September 18, 2011, Parsons was again awarded an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. On January 9, 2013, the show won People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy for the second time. August 25, 2014, Jim Parsons was awarded an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.[216] The Big Bang Theory also won the 2016 People's Choice Awards for under Favorite TV Show and Favorite Network TV Comedy with Jim Parsons winning Favorite Comedic TV Actor.[217] On January 20, 2016, The Big Bang Theory also won the International category at the UK's National Television Awards.[218]

Merchandise

On March 16, 2014, a Lego Ideas project[219] 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. 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.[220] 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.[221]

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.[222] 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".[223]

Spin-off series

In November 2016, it was reported that CBS was in negotiations to create a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory centered on Sheldon as a young boy. The prequel series, described as "a Malcolm in the Middle-esque single-camera family comedy" would be executive-produced by Lorre and Molaro, with Prady expected to be involved in some capacity, and intended to air in the 2017–18 season alongside The Big Bang Theory.[224][225] The initial idea for the series came from Parsons, who passed it along to The Big Bang Theory producers.[226] In early March 2017, Iain Armitage was cast as the younger Sheldon, as well as Zoe Perry as his mother, Mary Cooper. Perry is the real-life daughter of Laurie Metcalf, who portrays Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.[226]

On March 13, 2017, CBS ordered the spin-off Young Sheldon series. Jon Favreau directed and executive produced the pilot. Created by Lorre and Molaro, the series follows 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper as he attends high school in East Texas. Alongside Armitage as 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper and Perry as Mary Cooper, Lance Barber stars as George Cooper, Sheldon's father; Raegan Revord stars as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister; and Montana Jordan as George Cooper Jr., Sheldon's older brother. Jim Parsons reprises his role as adult Sheldon Cooper, as narrator for the series. Parsons, Lorre, Molaro and Todd Spiewak will also serve as executive producers on the series, for Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.[227] The show's pilot episode premiered on September 25, 2017. Subsequent weekly episodes began airing on November 2, 2017 following the broadcast of the 237th episode of The Big Bang Theory.[228]

Armitage appeared on the series' 265th episode, "The VCR Illumination", by way of a videotape recorded by the younger Sheldon and viewed by the current-day Sheldon.

On January 6, 2018, the show was renewed for a second season.[229] On February 22, 2019, CBS renewed the series for both the third and fourth seasons.[230]

Television special

On May 16, 2019, a television special titled Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell aired following the series finale of The Big Bang Theory. It's a backstage retrospective featuring Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco.[231][232]

References

1. "Big Bang Theory Theme – Single". iTunes Store. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
2. "Big Bang Theory Theme". Retrieved September 2, 2011.
3. "The Big Bang Theory: Cast & Details". TV Guide. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
4. Strauss, Gary (April 11, 2007). "There's a science to CBS' Big Bang Theory". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
5. Pierce, Scott D. (October 8, 2007). "He's a genius". Deseret News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
6. Lorre, Chuck (October 15, 2007). "CLP – Vanity Card #187". Chuck Lorre Productions. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
7. "Breaking News – Development Update: May 22–26 (Weekly Round-Up)". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
8. "'Big Bang Theory': 'We didn't anticipate how protective the audience would feel about our guys'". Variety. May 8, 2009. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
9. "CCI: "The Big Bang Theory"". Comic Book Resources. July 31, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
10. "CBS PICKS UP 'BANG,' 'POWER' PLUS FOUR DRAMAS". The Futon Critic. May 14, 2007.
11. "Breaking News – Cbs Gives Freshman Comedy "The Big Bang Theory" And Drama "The Unit" Full Season Orders" (Press release). CBS. October 19, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
12. "The Big Bang Theory Tickets". Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
13. Pierce, Scott D. (September 22, 2007). "Yes, it's a 'Big Bang.'". Deseret Morning News. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
14. ""The Big Bang Theory" And "How I Met Your Mother" to Swap Time Periods" (Press release). The Futon Critic; CBS. February 20, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
15. "CBS Sets Series Return Dates". Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
16. "Strike brings prime time to halt; Production stopped on at least 7 shows". Charleston Daily Mail. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016 – via HighBeam Research.
17. "CBS Picks Up 11 Series". The Futon Critic. February 15, 2008. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
18. "Big Bang Theory: Deal Is Done for Two More Seasons!". Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
19. Andreeva, Nellie (March 18, 2009). "CBS renews 'Men,' 'Big Bang'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
20. Crider, Michael (January 13, 2011). "'The Big Bang Theory' Gets 3 More Seasons; 'Raising Hope' Renewed". screenrant.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
21. Goldman, Eric (March 12, 2014). "The Big Bang Theory Renewed For Three More Seasons, Up to Season 10". IGN. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
22. Goldberg, Lesley (March 20, 2017). "'Big Bang Theory' Officially Renewed for Two Seasons as Mayim Bialik, Melissa Rauch Await Deals". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
23. Goldberg, Lesley (May 17, 2013). "'Big Bang Theory': A Behind the Scenes Diary of the Sweet Season 6 Finale". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
24. Watercutter, Angela (September 22, 2011). "TV Fact-Checker: Dropping Science on The Big Bang Theory". Wired. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
25. "Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson talks "Big Bang Theory" theme song". November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
26. "Barenaked Ladies Talk about Big Bang Theme Song". April 2, 2010. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
27. Barenaked Ladies. "Big Bang Theory Theme". Amazon Digital Services, Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
28. "History Of Everything Lyrics". metrolyrics.com. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
29. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season (2010)". September 13, 2011. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
30. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season [Blu-ray] (2010)". September 13, 2011. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
31. "Hits From Yesterday & The Day Before: Barenaked Ladies: Music". September 27, 2011. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
32. "Barenaked Ladies—My Ex-Bandmate Is Screwing Me Out of 'Big Bang' Money". TMZ. September 11, 2015. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
33. Rice, Lynette (November 23, 2010). "'The Big Bang Theory' salary renegotiations: Do they all deserve the same pay?". Entertainment Weekly.
34. Andreeva, Nellie (September 15, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Score Huge Paydays After Hardball Bargaining; Jim Parsons Told 'Take It Or Leave It' Today". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2011. That effectively adds another $50,000 to their per-episode paycheck over the life of the deal.
35. Andreeva, Nellie (September 18, 2013). "'Big Bang' Co-Stars Mayim Bialik & Melissa Rauch Get Major Salary Bumps As Show Faces License Fee & More Cast Negotiations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
36. Andreeva, Nellie (July 16, 2014). "'The Big Bang Theory' Production Start In Limbo As Cast Contract Negotiations Drag On". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
37. Andreeva, Nellie (August 4, 2014). "'Big Bang Theory' Stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki & Kaley Cuoco Close Big New Deals". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
38. Friedlander, Whitney; Littleton, Cynthia (August 5, 2014). "'Big Bang Theory': Production to Resume as Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar Set New Deals". Variety. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
39. Goldberg, Lesley (March 29, 2017). "Why the 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Took Surprising Pay Cuts". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
40. Littleton, Cynthia (March 1, 2017). "'The Big Bang Theory' Stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch Seek Parity in New Contract". Variety. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
41. Holloway, Daniel (April 28, 2017). "'The Big Bang Theory': Mayim Bialik, Melissa Rauch Reach New Deals". Variety. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
42. "The Big Bang Theory Cast – Johnny Galecki". CBS. 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
43. "The Big Bang Theory Cast – Jim Parsons". CBS. 2007. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
44. "The Big Bang Theory Cast – Kaley Cuoco". CBS. 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
45. "The Big Bang Theory Cast – Simon Helberg". CBS. 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
46. "The Big Bang Theory Cast – Kunal Nayyar". CBS. 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
47. "'Big Bang Theory' scoop: Sara Gilbert taken off Big Bang Theory contract". Entertainment Weekly. January 23, 2009. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
48. "Sara Gilbert". IMDb. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
49. Shepherd, Jack (February 6, 2016). "The Big Bang Theory 200th episode: Every star set to cameo, including Adam West and Sara Gilbert". The independent. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
50. Prudom, Laura (February 3, 2016). "'Big Bang Theory' 200th Episode: Wil Wheaton, Adam West Among Guest Stars". Variety. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
51. "Exclusive: 'Big Bang Theory' promotes Melissa Rauch to series regular". Entertainment Weekly. October 25, 2010. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
52. Ausiello, Michael (November 15, 2010). "'Bang Theory' Ups Mayim Bialik to Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
53. "The Lunar Excitation". The Big Bang Theory. Season 3. Episode 23. May 24, 2010. Event occurs at 12:03. CBS.
54. "Big Bang Theory Makes 'Stuart' a Series Regular". TVLine.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
55. "The Big Bang Theory: Laura Spencer Promoted to Series Regular". TVLine.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
56. Sanders, Robert (February 23, 2009). "Cosmologist George Smoot meets TV's 'Big Bang' nerds". University of California Berkeley. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
57. Hein, Michael (September 24, 2018). "'Big Bang Theory' Welcomes Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson in Season Premiere". Pop Culture. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
58. "Professor Stephen Hawking films Big Bang Theory cameo". BBC. March 12, 2012. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
59. Van De Kamp, Justin (June 1, 2008). "TV Ratings: 2007–2008 Season Top-200". Televisionista. Archived from the original on February 11, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
60. Hibberd, James (May 22, 2008). "2007–08 Season Wrap" (PDF). The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
61. "Season Program Rankings (Through 5/31)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
62. Nellie Andreeva (May 27, 2010). "Full Series Rankings For The 2009–10 Broadcast Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
63. "Full 2010–2011 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
64. Andreeva, Nellie (May 24, 2012). "Full 2011-2012 Season Series Ratings - Deadline.com". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
65. Patten, Dominic (May 23, 2013). "Full 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings". Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
66. Kissell, Rick (May 20, 2014). "NBC Wraps TV Season As Demo Champ for First Time Since '04". Variety. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
67. de Moraes, Lisa (May 21, 2015). "Full 2014–15 TV Season Series Rankings: Football & 'Empire' Ruled". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
68. "Full 2015–16 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2015. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
69. "Final 2016-17 TV Rankings: 'Sunday Night Football' Winning Streak Continues". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
70. de Moraes, Lisa (May 22, 2018). "2017-18 TV Series Ratings Rankings: NFL Football, 'Big Bang' Top Charts". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
71. de Moraes, Lisa (May 21, 2019). "2018-19 TV Season Ratings: CBS Wraps 11th Season At No. 1 In Total Viewers, NBC Tops Demo; 'Big Bang Theory' Most Watched Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
72. "The Codpiece Topology". The Big Bang Theory. Season 2. Episode 2. September 29, 2008. CBS.
73. "The Gorilla Experiment". The Big Bang Theory. Season 3. Episode 10. December 7, 2009. CBS.
74. "The Zazzy Substitution". The Big Bang Theory. Season 4. Episode 3. October 7, 2010. 12:00 minutes in. CBS. I move our relationship terminate immediately
75. "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis". The Big Bang Theory. Season 2. Episode 11. December 15, 2008. Event occurs at 18:00. CBS.
76. "The Russian Rocket Reaction". The Big Bang Theory. Season 5. Episode 5. October 13, 2011. Event occurs at 19:48. CBS.
77. "The Toast Derivation". The Big Bang Theory. Season 4. Episode 17. February 24, 2011. 20:47 minutes in. CBS.
78. "The Large Hadron Collision". The Big Bang Theory. Season 3. Episode 15. February 8, 2010. 12:02 minutes in. CBS.
79. "The Hofstadter Isotope". The Big Bang Theory. Season 2. Episode 20. April 13, 2009. 1:01 minutes in. CBS.
80. "The Middle-Earth Paradigm". The Big Bang Theory. Season 1. Episode 6. October 29, 2007. CBS.
81. "The Wheaton Recurrence". The Big Bang Theory. Season 3. Episode 19. April 12, 2010. CBS.
82. "Did You Notice Sheldon's Green Lantern T-Shirt Last Night?". DC. May 4, 2012. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
83. "Big Bang Theory" Fake Game Turns Real Archived February 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Chris Marlow, Digital Media Wire, September 23, 2011
84. The Big Bang Theory, Episode 6/23, "The Love Spell Potential.
85. Seidman, Robert (November 16, 2010). "CBS.com Launches "Soft Kitty" Contest Inspired by Popular Song From CBS Hit 'The Big Bang Theory'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
86. McCarthy, Tyler (February 2018). "'Young Sheldon' reveals the origin story of the 'Soft Kitty' song". Fox News Channel. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
87. "The Countdown Reflection". The Big Bang Theory. Season 5. Episode 24. May 10, 2012. 19:54 minutes in. CBS.
88. "The Cohabitation Formulation". The Big Bang Theory. Season 4. Episode 16. February 17, 2011. CBS.
89. "The Maternal Capacitance". The Big Bang Theory. Season 2. Episode 15. February 9, 2009. CBS.
90. "The Apology Insufficiency". The Big Bang Theory. Season 4. Episode 7. November 4, 2010. CBS.
91. The Staircase Implementation, archived from the original on December 25, 2020, retrieved March 8, 2019
92. "Chuck Lorre Productions – Vanity Cards". Chucklorre.com. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
93. "CLP - Vanity Card #622". www.chucklorre.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
94. "The Big Bang Theory: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
95. "The Big Bang Theory". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
96. "The Big Bang Theory". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
97. Fretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt (December 23, 2013). "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
98. "CBS opens the new season with a big bang 'The Big Bang Theory' Premieres with its largest audience ever and highest adult 18–49 rating". ViacomCBS Press Express. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
99. Hinckley, David (July 29, 2010). "CBS moves 'The Big Bang Theory' to Thursday nights this fall to 'challenge' other shows". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
100. Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2011). "Thursday Finals: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation' and 'Whitney' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
101. Kondolojy, Amanda (January 11, 2013). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', '30 Rock' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Scandal'". Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
102. Bibel, Sara (May 29, 2013). "Complete List Of 2012–13 Season TV Show Ratings: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Voice' & 'Modern Family'". Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
103. Patten, Dominic. "Full 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
104. Patten, Dominic (May 23, 2013). "Full 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings". Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
105. Kondolojy, Amanda (September 27, 2013). "'The Big Bang Theory' Hits New Viewer Record". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
106. "Hot List 2013". TV Guide. p. 21.
107. Schneider, Michael (January 28, 2013). "Bigger Bang Than Ever". TV Guide. pp. 6 and 7.
108. "Syndication Ratings: At Syndie Season's End, 'Phil,' 'Judy,' 'ET,' 'Wheel,' 'Big Bang' on Top – September 4, 2013 17:41:39 | Broadcasting & Cable". Broadcastingcable.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
109. Albiniak, Paige (September 3, 2014). "Syndication Ratings: 'Judge Judy' Year's Top Show, While 'Dr. Phil' Leads Talk". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
110. Gorman, Bill (October 3, 2007). "Nielsen Top 20 New Shows TV Ratings, Sept 24–30". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
111. "Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 5/19)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 28, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
112. Van De Kamp, Justin (June 1, 2008). "TV Ratings: 2007–2008 Season Top-200". Televisionista. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
113. Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2008). "Ratings Monday, September 22: First Night Wins to ABC, CBS & NBC". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
114. Seidman, Robert (May 12, 2010). "Monday Ratings: House wins, Castle hangs on". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
115. Seidman, Robert (September 22, 2009). "Monday broadcast final numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
116. "CBS WINS THE FINAL MONDAY OF THE SEASON IN KEY DEMOS". CBS. May 25, 2010. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
117. "Season Program Rankings (Through 5/31)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 19, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
118. TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: "Sunday Night Football", "Glee", "Grey's Anatomy", "Dancing with the Stars" Top Premiere Week Archived October 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, TV By the Numbers, September 28, 2010
119. Seidman, Robert (May 20, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'American Idol,' 'Big Bang,' 'The Office,' 'Grey's,' 'Mentalist' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
120. Andreeva, Nellie (May 27, 2010). "Full Series Rankings For The 2009–10 Broadcast Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
121. Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2011). "Thursday Finals: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation' and 'Whitney' Adjusted Up". TVbytheNumbers.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
122. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 11, 2012). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Idol', 'Vampire Diaries', 'Office', 'Secret Circle', 'Grey's' Adjusted Up; 'Touch', 'Scandal' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
123. "Full 2010–2011 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 27, 2011. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
124. Kondolojy, Amanda (September 28, 2012). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Grey's Anatomy', Adjusted Up; 'Parks & Rec.', 'Up All Night', 'SNL: Weekend Update', 'The Office', 'Glee', 'Scandal', 'Rock Center' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
125. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 17, 2013). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Hannibal', 'The Big Bang Theory', 'The Vampire Diaries', 'Grey's Anatomy' & 'Office' Retrospective Adjusted Up". Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
126. Andreeva, Nellie (May 24, 2012). "Full 2011-2012 Season Series Ratings - Deadline Hollywood". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
127. Kondolojy, Amanda (September 27, 2013). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', 'The Michael J Fox Show' & 'The X Factor' Adjusted Up; 'The Crazy Ones' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
128. Bibel, Sara (May 16, 2014). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; 'Reign' & 'The Millers' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
129. Kissell, Rick (May 20, 2014). "NBC Wraps TV Season As Demo Champ for First Time Since '04". Variety. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
130. "The Misinterpretation Agitation". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
131. "The Spock Resonance". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
132. "The Fetal Kick Catalyst". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
133. "The Proton Regeneration". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
134. "The Wedding Gift Wormhole". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
135. Kondolojy, Amanda (October 12, 2014). "'Gotham' Has Biggest Adults 18–49 Ratings Increase; 'Gotham' & 'Red Band Society' Top Percentage Gains & 'How To Get Away With Murder' Tops Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week Ending September 28". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
136. Kondolojy, Amanda (May 8, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
137. de Moraes, Lisa (May 21, 2015). "Full 2014–15 TV Season Series Rankings: Football & 'Empire' Ruled". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
138. "Monday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Significant Mother', 'Life in Pieces' & 'Penn & Teller' Adjusted Down - Ratings - TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015.
139. Porter, Rick (May 13, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Catch' and 'Legends of Tomorrow' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
140. "Full 2015–16 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2015. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
141. Porter, Rick (September 20, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Gotham' adjust up, 'Kevin' and 'Good Place' hold". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
142. Welch, Alex (May 12, 2017). "'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Masterchef Junior' adjust up, 'The Blacklist' adjusts down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
143. "Final 2016–17 TV Rankings: 'Sunday Night Football' Winning Streak Continues". Deadline Hollywood. May 26, 2017. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
144. Porter, Rick (September 26, 2017). "'Big Bang' and 'Young Sheldon' adjust up, 'Good Doctor,' 'DWTS,' 'The Brave,' 'Me, Myself & I' down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
145. Porter, Rick (May 11, 2018). "'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Big Bang Theory,' 'Young Sheldon' adjust up, 'Supernatural' & 'Arrow' down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
146. "2017-18 TV Series Ratings Rankings: NFL Football, 'Big Bang' Top Charts". Deadline Hollywood. May 22, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
147. Welch, Alex (September 25, 2018). "'The Big Bang Theory' adjusts up, 'The Good Doctor' adjusts down: Monday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
148. Rejent, Joseph (May 17, 2019). "'Paradise Hotel,' 'The Big Bang Theory' finale adjust up, 'Young Sheldon' adjusts down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
149. "2018-19 TV Season Ratings: CBS Wraps 11th Season At No. 1 In Total Viewers, NBC Tops Demo; 'Big Bang Theory' Most Watched Series". Deadline Hollywood. May 21, 2019. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
150. "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Barb.co.uk. July 17, 2011. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
151. "'Big Bang Theory' returns to form for E4 with 1.4m". Digital Spy. May 18, 2012. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
152. Millar, Paul (November 16, 2012). "'Big Bang Theory' becomes E4's most-watched show of the year – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
153. "Big Bang Theory". Geektown. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
154. "E4 Sets UK Premiere Date For 'The Big Bang Theory' Season 8". TVWise. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
155. "E4 Sets UK Return Date For 'The Big Bang Theory' Season 8". TVWise. March 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
156. Netflix UK & Ireland [@NetflixUK] (February 13, 2016). "Smart is the new sexy. Seasons 1–8 of The Big Bang Theory hit Netflix UK on February 15th" (Tweet). Retrieved March 25, 2017 – via Twitter.
157. "No Theory: Big Bang Canada's No. 1 Show". TV Feeds My Family. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
158. "TV Thursday: The Big Bang Theory". Postmedia News, Canada.com. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
159. Next Time. "The Big Bang Theory". Channel 4. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
160. "The Big Bang Theory on Seven" (PDF). Seven West Media. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
161. "Nine to lose free to air TV rights to The Big Bang Theory to Seven". The Sydney Morning Herald.
162. "Nine nabs Big Bang episodes back". TV Tonight. January 22, 2018. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
163. Pavan (August 1, 2011). "TBS Fall 2011 Schedule; ION Adds Monk, Psych This Month, House in Fall 2012 – SitcomsOnline.com News Blog". Blog.sitcomsonline.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
164. Stelter, Brian (May 16, 2010). "'The Big Bang Theory' Gets Syndication Deal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
165. "Company credits for 'The Big Bang Theory'". IMDb. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
166. McQuivey, James. "Why CBS pulled The Mentalist from CBS.com". OmniVideo. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
167. "The Big Bang Theory: Watch Episodes and Video and Join the Ultimate Fan Community". CBS. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011.
168. "Watch the Big Bang Theory Online on CTV". Shows.ctv.ca. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
169. "The Big Bang Theory". CraveTV. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
170. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
171. "The Big Bang Theory – The Complete First Season: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons: Movies & TV". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
172. "Big Bang Theory – Season 1 [DVD] [2007]: Amazon.co.uk: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco: DVD". Retrieved October 11, 2009.
173. "The Big Bang Theory – Complete 1st Season". mightyape.co.nz.
174. "The Big Bang Theory Season 2 DVD coming in September". The-big-bang-theory.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
175. "Big Bang Theory – Season 2 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: DVD". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
176. "The Big Bang Theory – Complete 2nd Season (4 Disc Set)". mightyape.co.nz.
177. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Third Season DVD – Warner Bros.: WBshop.com – The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios". WBshop.com. October 13, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
178. "The Big Bang Theory - Season 3". September 27, 2010. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2017 – via Amazon.
179. "Buy Big Bang Theory, The – The Complete 3rd Season (3 Disc Set) @ EzyDVD". Ezydvd.com.au. September 29, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
180. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season DVD – Warner Bros.: WBshop.com – The Official Online Store of Warner Bros. Studios". WBshop.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
181. "The Big Bang Theory – Season 4 [DVD] [2011]". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
182. "Big Bang Theory, The – Season 4". Jb HiFi. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
183. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray)". Warner Bros. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
184. "The Big Bang Theory – Season 5 [DVD] [2012]". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
185. "Big Bang Theory, The – Season 5". Jb HiFi. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
186. "The Big Bang Theory – Blu-rays, DVDs for 'The Complete 6th Season': Possible Date, Cost, Box Art". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
187. "The Big Bang Theory – Season 6 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg: Film & TV". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
188. "Big Bang Theory, The – Season 6". Jb HiFi. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
189. Lambert, David (June 11, 2014). "The Big Bang Theory – Date, Cost, and LOTS of Extras for 'The Complete 7th Season'". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
190. "The Big Bang Theory – Season 7 [DVD] [2014]". Retrieved August 10, 2016.
191. "Big Bang Theory, The – Season 7". Jb HiFi. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
192. Lambert, David (June 16, 2015). "The Big Bang Theory – Blu-ray Disc, DVD Press Release for 'The Complete 8th Season' Set". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
193. "The Big Bang Theory – Season 8 [DVD] [2015]". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
194. "Big Bang Theory, The – Season 8". Jb HiFi. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
195. Lambert, David (June 8, 2016). "The Big Bang Theory – Warner's Press Release Announces DVDs, Blu-rays for 'The Complete 9th Season'". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
196. "The Big Bang Theory – Season 9 [DVD] [2016]". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
197. "Big Bang Theory, The – Season 9". Jb HiFi. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
198. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season". September 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2018 – via Amazon.
199. "The Big Bang Theory - Season 10". September 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2018 – via Amazon.
200. "Big Bang Theory, The - Season 10". jbhifi.com.au.
201. "Big Bang Theory, The: S11". September 11, 2018. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2018 – via Amazon.
202. "BIG BANG THEORY S11". September 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2018 – via Amazon.
203. "Big Bang Theory, The - Season 11". jbhifi.com.au.
204. "The Big Bang Theory: Season 12 (DVD)". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via Amazon.
205. "The Big Bang Theory Season 12 [2019]". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via Amazon.
206. "Big Bang Theory, The - Season 12". jbhifi.com.au. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
207. "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series (Limited Edition Blu-ray + Digital)". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via Amazon.
208. "The Big Bang Theory S1-12 [2019] [Region Free]". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2019 – via Amazon.
209. "Big Bang Theory, The - Complete Collection". jbhifi.com.au. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
210. Lambert, David (May 20, 2008). "The Big Bang Theory – It's Official: September Release Date Provided for Big Bang's 1st Season DVDs". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
211. Lambert, David (June 2, 2009). "The Big Bang Theory – Warner's Formal Press Release Arrives for The Complete 2nd Season". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
212. Lambert, David (July 2, 2010). "The Big Bang Theory – Full Press Release, Finished Packaging for the 3rd Season on DVD and Blu". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
213. Lambert, David (January 27, 2012). "The Big Bang Theory – Blu-ray Releases Coming Soon for the Sitcom's 1st and 2nd Seasons!". TVShowsOnDVD. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
214. "The TCA Awards turn 25 – Sepinwall on TV | New Jersey Entertainment – TV & Film". The Star-Ledger. August 2, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
215. "61st Primetime Emmy Awards | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Cdn.emmys.tv. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
216. "66th Primetime Emmy Awards Winner List". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
217. "2016 People's Choice Awards: See The Winners Here". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
218. "Winners | National Television Awards". National Television Awards. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
219. "Lego Ideas The Big Bang Theory List". Retrieved September 6, 2015.
220. Lyons, Margaret (February 9, 2010). Archived December 25, 2020, at the Wayback Machine "'The Theorists': 'Big Bang Theory''s big Belarusian rip-off". Entertainment Weekly.
221. Lorre, Chuck (February 8, 2010). "Vanity Card #277" Archived February 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. "The Official Vanity Card Archives". Chuck Lorre Productions.
222. "STV canceled the pirated show 'The Theorists'" Archived April 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Xaptbir97. February 18, 2010. (in Russian)
223. "'The Theorists' actors don't want to stay with a stolen project" Archived May 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Xaptbir97. April 28, 2017. (in Russian)
224. Andreeva, Nellie (November 7, 2016). "'The Big Bang Theory' Eyes Young Sheldon Spinoff Prequel Series On CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
225. Goldberg, Lesley (November 7, 2016). "'Big Bang Theory' Sheldon Prequel Series in the Works at CBS". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
226. Andreeva, Nellie (March 2, 2017). "'Big Bang' Sheldon Spinoff Inches Closer With Iain Armitage & Zoe Perry Castings". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
227. Andreeva, Nellie (March 13, 2017). "'The Big Bang Theory' Spinoff 'Young Sheldon' Gets CBS Series Order, Rounds Out Cast; Jon Favreau Set To Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
228. Andreeva, Nellie (May 17, 2017). "CBS Fall 2017 Schedule: No Major Changes, 'Young Sheldon' Joins 'The Big Bang Theory', 'S.W.A.T.' On Thursday". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
229. Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2018). "'Young Sheldon' Renewed For Season 2 By CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
230. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (February 22, 2019). "'Young Sheldon' Renewed For Two More Seasons By CBS". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
231. "CBS Announces the New Special "Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell" to Air Thursday, May 16". The Futon Critic. April 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
232. "CBS will air a retrospective after 'The Big Bang Theory' series finale". EW.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2019.

External links

• Official website
• The Big Bang Theory at IMDb
• The Big Bang Theory at Rotten Tomatoes