| 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 Melissa Rauch Mayim Bialik |
| Theme music composer | Barenaked Ladies |
| Opening theme | "Big Bang Theory Theme"[1][2] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 98 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Chuck Lorre Bill Prady Steven Molaro |
| Producer(s) | Faye Oshima Belyeu |
| Editor(s) | Peter Chakos |
| Location(s) | Studio 25, Warner Brothers Studios Burbank, California |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 21 minutes (without commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Chuck Lorre Productions Warner Bros. Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Original run | September 24, 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
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]
Set in Pasadena, California, the show is centered on five characters: experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter and theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper, two roommate geniuses who work at the California Institute of Technology; Penny, a blonde waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's equally geeky and socially awkward co-workers and friends Howard Wolowitz, an aerospace engineer and non-PhD from MIT, and Rajesh Koothrappali, an astrophysicist also working at Caltech. 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 main cast status for a few episodes: Leslie Winkle, a Caltech colleague and, at different times, a lover of both Leonard and Howard; Bernadette Rostenkowski, a doctoral candidate (later doctor) in microbiology, part-time waitress alongside Penny, and Howard's love interest and fianceé; and Amy Farrah Fowler, a neurobiologist whose personality is very similar to Sheldon, and who later becomes close friends with Penny.
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 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 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association 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.
When the third season premiered on September 21, 2009, it 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]
Contents |
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]
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, math 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.
Barenaked Ladies wrote and recorded the show's theme song, which describes the history and formation of the universe and the Earth. Ed Robertson, a 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 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]
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 per episode 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]
These actors have been credited in all episodes of the series:
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:
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.
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 Next Generation cast members Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, and LeVar Burton have all had cameos as themselves.)
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 have dressed up as pop culture characters, including The Flash, Aquaman, Frodo Baggins, Superman, Batman, Spock, 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 are forced to visit the comic book store dressed as Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl. Sheldon often wears t-shirts depicting the Superman, Flash, 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.
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 shouts 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 confess 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.
A new recurring theme is the status of Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler, Ph.D., a neuro-biologist whom Raj and Howard found as a possible mate 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 she gains use of her mother's George Foreman grill and is not bothered about dating).
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. Despite this, Sheldon does not consider Amy his girlfriend.
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.
Religion plays a minor role in the series. Sheldon was raised in a fundamentalist Christian household but is irreligious. 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 acceptance of evolutionary theory. 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."
Howard and Raj are Jewish and Hindu, respectively, and semi-observant, apparently defying many religious customs without worry. They frequently flout dietary prohibitions, as they—and their friends—point out. 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 mom is a caricature of an over-protective Jewish mother.
Neither Leonard's nor Penny's religious convictions are made clear; Leonard celebrates some Christian festivals, or at least approaches them with less skepticism than Sheldon, and Penny has expressed belief in ghosts, astrology, psychics and voodoo.
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]
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 | Avg. Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | #59 | 8.31[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 | #44 | 9.98[46] |
| 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 | #12 | 14.14[47] |
| 4 | Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 23, 2010 – May 19, 2011) | September 23, 2010 | May 19, 2011 | 2010–11 | #15 | 13.14[48] |
| 5 | Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 22, 2011 – Spring 2012) | September 22, 2011 | Spring 2012 | 2011–12 | #6 | 16.93 (to date)[49] |
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.[50]
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.[51] 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.
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.[52]
| Seasons | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
Rank | 18–49 Rating/Share (rank) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||||||
| 1 | 17 | September 24, 2007 | May 19, 2008 | September 2, 2008 | January 12, 2009 | April 3, 2009 | 8.3[46] | #59[46] | 3.3/9 (TBA) | |
| 2 | 23 | September 22, 2008 | May 11, 2009 | September 15, 2009 | October 19, 2009 | March 3, 2010 | 10.0[53] | #42[53] | 3.8/10 (TBA) | |
| 3 | 23 | September 21, 2009 | May 24, 2010 | September 14, 2010 | September 27, 2010 | October 13, 2010 | 14.8 | #12 | 5.3/13 (#5)[54] | |
| 4 | 24 | September 23, 2010 | May 19, 2011 | September 13, 2011[55] | September 26, 2011 | October 5, 2011[56] | 13.2 | #13 | 4.4/13 (#7)[57] | |
| 5 | N/A | September 22, 2011[58] | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 16.17 | N/A | 5.7/17 (to date) | |
| Country / Region | Network(s) | Aired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Digi+ | April 19, 2009 – present | The dialogue is dubbed. |
| Argentina | Warner Channel | November 2007 – present | The dialogue is dubbed. |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Zee Café,star world | 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. |
| 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 Episode. The dialogue is subtitled. |
| Germany | ProSieben | July 11, 2009 – present[59] | 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[60] | 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 Zee Cafe |
Mon-Fri at 11 P.M.;Now airing the season 2. | The dialogues are subtitled. |
| Ireland | Terrestrial: RTÉ Two RTE Two HD
Cable/Satellite: Sky Ireland and UPC: |
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 stars Comedy | July 2008 – present | The dialogue is subtitled. |
| 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[61] | Bilingual broadcast, in Japanese and English |
| Lithuania | TV1 | February 21, 2010 – present | The dialogue is dubbed. |
| Macedonia | Kanal 5 | The dialogue is subtitled. | |
| 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 | Zee Café Star world |
||
| 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.[62] Previously aired on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. |
| Nicaragua | 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[63] | 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[64] | 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 and S2 aired. S3 currently playing. | |
| 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 | ART TV Zee Café Warner Channel Star World |
Monday-Friday 11 p.m. on Star World Seasons 1-4. | The dialogue is not dubbed. First three seasons aired until now. |
| Sweden | Kanal 5 | The dialogue is subtitled. | |
| Switzerland | ProSieben (Germany) | July 11, 2009 – present[59] | The dialogue is dubbed. |
| Thailand | True Series | May 26, 2008 – present | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TV6, Warner Channel | 2008 – present | |
| Turkey | CNBC-e[65] | 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 is currently being broadcasted four weeks behind US air date. |
| United States | CBS (orig. network) TBS (reruns) National syndication (reruns) |
September 2007 – present | Initial broadcast. |
| Uruguay | Warner Channel Canal 10 |
Warner: November 2007 – present Canal 10: January 2011 – present |
Warner: The dialogue is subtitled. Canal 10: The dialogue is dubbed. |
| Venezuela | Warner Channel | November 2007 – present | The dialogue is subtitled. |
| United Arab Emirates | one TV | November 2007 – present | The dialogue is subtitled. |
| DVD Name | Release dates | Ep # | Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
| The Complete First Season | September 2, 2008[66] | January 12, 2009[67] | April 3, 2009[68] | 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[69] | October 19, 2009[70] | March 3, 2010[71] | 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[72] | September 27, 2010[73] | October 13, 2010 [74] | 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, as well. Running Time: 472 minutes. |
| The Complete Fourth Season | September 13, 2011[75] | 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 The Barenaked Ladies, cast interviews with each other and a gag reel. Running time: 529 minutes. Also available in Blu-ray as a 2-disc set, with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the taping of "The Wildebeest Implementation." |
Warner Brothers Television controls the online rights for the show.[76][77] Full episodes are available at tv.com, while short clips and recently aired full episodes are available on cbs.com.[78] They are available on 4OD (UK Channel 4's online service) for a limited time after being shown as repeats. Full episodes are also available on Sohu.com.[79]
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).[80] 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."[81] CTV holds national broadcast syndication rights in Canada, while sister cable network The Comedy Network holds cable rights.
| 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 | Pending | Johnny Galecki |
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Comedy | Pending | ||
| Favorite TV Comedy Actor | Pending | Jim Parsons | ||
| Favorite TV Actress Comedy | Pending | Kaley Cuoco | ||
| 18th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Pending | Cast |
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.[82] 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.[83]
However, no legal action was required to end production of the other show. 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".[84] The show was cancelled shortly afterwards.[85]
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