Series Description

The Big Bang Theory TV show is a 30 minute comedy series on CBS about two Caltech genius physicists who are incomprehensively intelligent in science but without a clue about anything else in life. They share an apartment across the hall from a beautiful waitress with an average IQ who is extremely hip about life in general. They also have two friends that are not quite as intelligent as they are but are every bit as nerdy. The conflict that constantly arises between intellect and street smarts is the basis for most of the humor. The waitress really doesn't understand how to interact with the geeky superbrains and they just don't have the social skills necessary to relate to a beautiful woman, yet they all remain friends (most of the time).

Big Bang Theory Cast

Jim Parsons .... Sheldon Cooper

Johnny Galecki .... Leonard Hofstadter

Kaley Cuoco .... Penny

Mayim Bialik .... Amy Farrah Fowler (2010-2019)

Simon Helberg .... Howard Wolowitz

Melissa Rauch .... Bernadette Rostenkowski (2009-2019)

Kevin Sussman .... Stuart Bloom (2009-2019)

Kunal Nayyar .... Rajesh Koothrappali

Kevin Sussman .... Stuart

Carol Ann Susi .... Mrs. Wolowitz

Big Bang Theory Theme Song

Title: "The History of Everything"

Written and Performed By: "Barenaked Ladies"

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...

The Earth began to cool
The autotrophs began to drool
Neanderthals developed tools
We built a wall, we built the pyramids

Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries
That all started with the big bang!

Big Bang Theory Trivia:

The background setting for the Big Bang Theory is Pasadena, California. The first working title of the Big Bang Theory was "Lenny, Penny, and Kenny".

Chuck Lorre Productions also produces the series, "Two and a Half Men". It's interesting to note that the same conflict between intellect and social adeptness is featured between brothers Charlie and Alan Harper on that show.

The Big Bang Theory's theme song is just the first few lyrics of a 1 minute and 45 second full song that has been released by the Bare Naked Ladies.

Penny has dreams of becoming a famous actress. In episode #31, "The Financial Permeability", she is having financial problems and Leonard suggests that she eliminate her acting lessons. Penny says that they are necessary for her career and Leonard asks how much she earned from acting that year. Penny then said something about how making money is not the definition of career and Leonard says that technically that is exactly the definition!

As of the end of the third season Penny's last name has never been disclosed but Bill Prady, the series' co-creator has promised that it will be at some point.

The Penny character was actually inspired by a character from a failed sitcom idea. That character was much more sarcastic than the Penny we know from the Big Band Theory though and she was originally conceived as a heavy boozer.

Sheldon Cooper is the more intelligent of the two physicists but he has severe social issues. Leonard Hofstadter is a somewhat lesser genius than Sheldon but he does have the potential to also be sociable. His personal relationships actually progress quite dramatically and he amazingly manages to end out in bed with the beautiful Penny in the first episode of the third season. Many fans were upset by that development. "Hooking up" main characters has actually killed several TV series, most notably "Moonlighting" which literally dived in the ratings when its female and male lead actors got it on! For some reason audiences often like to see couples with strong physical attraction that they don't quite get around to acting on.

The producers of the Big Bang Theory wanted to ensure that the science on the series is correct so they hired David Saltzberg who is a professor of astronomy and physics at the University of California in Los Angeles. He goes over the technical portions of each script to check for accuracy and also supplies the technical dialogue. In addition, he writes the math equations and diagrams seen on the show.

Sheldon and Leonard got their names from Sheldon Leonard who is an actor, director and producer.

At the Comic-Con convention held July 12-15, 2012, Big Bang Theory fans who were in line waiting to ask cast members of the show some questions were given silver envelopes. One lucky fan named Mercedes Becerra from Paso Robles, California had a ticket to outer space in their envelope! The flight will take place on XCOR Aerospace's Lynx Experience two-seater vehicle that takes off and lands like a traditional aircraft. Simon Helberg was first offered the ticket but he refused the gift by jokingly saying, "Altitudes give me a lot of gas". Helberg's character on Big Bang Theory, "Howard Wolowitz" did go into space on the space shuttle on episode #111, "The Countdown Reflection".