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Revision as of 22:49, 7 January 2011

This article is about the sitcom. For the cosmological model, see Big Bang. For other uses, see Big Bang Theory (disambiguation).
The Big Bang Theory
File:BigBangTheoryTitleCard.png
Title card for The Big Bang Theory
GenreComedy
Created byChuck Lorre
Bill Prady
StarringJohnny Galecki
Jim Parsons
Kaley Cuoco
Simon Helberg
Kunal Nayyar
Sara Gilbert
Melissa Rauch
Mayim Bialik
Theme music composerBarenaked Ladies
Opening theme"The History of Everything"[1]
Country of originVereinigte Staaten
Original languageEnglisch
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes75 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersChuck Lorre
Bill Prady
Lee Aronsohn
ProducersSteve Molaro
Mike Collier
Faye Oshima Belyeu
Production locationsStudio 25, Warner Brothers Studios
Burbank, California
HerausgeberPeter Chakos
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time21 minutes (without commercials)
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 24, 2007 (2007-09-24) –
present

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Lee Aronsohn, who is also one of the head writers. It premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.[2]

Set in Pasadena, California, the show is centered around five characters: two roommate Caltech geniuses, experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter and theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper; their neighbor across the hall Penny, an attractive blonde waitress and aspiring actress; and Leonard's and Sheldon's equally geeky and socially awkward co-workers and friends Howard Wolowitz, an Aerospace engineer and a non-PhD from JPL, and Rajesh Koothrappali, a particle astrophysicist postdoc also working at Caltech. The geekiness and intellect of the four guys are contrasted for comic effect with Penny's social skills and common sense.[3][4] Three other supporting characters have also been promoted to main cast status for a few episodes: Leslie Winkle, a Caltech colleague of Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj; Bernadette, a microbiology student who works with Penny part time as a waitress; and Amy Farrah Fowler, a friend of Sheldon.

The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions.[5] In August 2009, the sitcom won the best comedy series TCA award and Jim Parsons won the award for individual achievement in comedy.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] 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.

Production

The show's initial pilot, developed for the 2006–07 television season, was substantially different from its current form. Only Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons were in the cast, and the female lead, Katie, was envisioned as "a street-hardened, tough-as-nails woman with a vulnerable interior".[9] Katie was played by actress Amanda Walsh.[10] They also had a female friend called Gilda (played by Iris Bahr). The show's original theme music was also different, using Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" (This song was later used as the ringtone for Howard's cell phone in the season 3 episode "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary"). The show was not picked up, but the creators were given an opportunity to revise the show, bringing in the remaining leading cast and retooling the show to its current format. The original unaired pilot has never been released on any official format, but copies are available 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..."[11]

File:Bigbangthoery originatitlecard.jpg
The title card for the original 2006 pilot

The second pilot of The Big Bang Theory was directed by James Burrows, who did not continue with the show. This reworked pilot led to a 13-episode order by CBS on May 14, 2007.[12] 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.[13]

Production on the show was halted on November 6, 2007 due to the Writers Guild of America strike, returning on March 17, 2008 in an earlier time slot[14] and with nine new episodes.[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.[18][19]

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.[3] 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."[4]

The lead characters are named Sheldon and Leonard after actor, director, and producer Sheldon Leonard.[20]

Several of the actors in The Big Bang Theory worked together previously on Roseanne, an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 21, 1997. These former Roseanne cast-mates are Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter), Sara Gilbert (Leslie Winkle) and Laurie Metcalf, guest star role as Sheldon Cooper's mother, (Mary Cooper).

File:BNL BigBang.jpg
"The Big Bang Theory theme song (The History of Everything)," single cover Barenaked Ladies single (2007)

Barenaked Ladies wrote and recorded the theme song, which describes the development of the universe and the changes that the Earth and humans have undergone since the dawn of time, according to the eponymous theory, and the history of life according to the theory of evolution. On October 9, 2007, a full-length (1 minute and 45 seconds) version of the song was released.[21] In a 2010 issue of TV Guide, the show’s opening title sequence ranked #6 on a list of TV's top 10 credits sequences, as selected by readers.[22]

Production costs

For the first three seasons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, and Jim Parsons, the three main stars of the show, received at most $60,000 per episode. The salary for the three went up to $200,000 per episode for the fourth season. According to their contracts, their pay will go up an additional $50,000 per episode every season culminating in $350,000 per episode in the seventh season.[23]

Main cast

Main article: List of The Big Bang Theory characters
File:Vlcsnap-4765A.PNG
Cast of characters in The Big Bang Theory. From left: Howard Wolowitz, Leonard Hofstadter, Penny, Sheldon Cooper and Rajesh Koothrappali.
  • Johnny Galecki[24] as Leonard Hofstadter, Ph.D. – Leonard is an experimental physicist with an IQ of 173 who received his Ph.D. when he was 24 years old. He shares an apartment with colleague and friend Sheldon Cooper. The writers immediately implied a potential romance between him and neighbor Penny, and their sexual tension is a frequently explored drama. The original protagonist, Leonard's role was downplayed in favor of Sheldon. Leonard is increasingly seen as assisting Sheldon with social skills.
  • Jim Parsons[25] as Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D. – Originally from East Texas, he was a child prodigy who began college at the age of 11 (after completing the fifth grade), started graduate studies at 14, and earned his first Ph.D. at 16. A theoretical physicist focusing on string theory, he possesses a master's degree, two PhDs, and an IQ of 187. He exhibits a strict adherence to routine; a lack of understanding of irony, sarcasm, and humor; he is also uninterested in many of the romantic hijinks between Leonard, Howard, and Raj. These characteristics are the main sources of his humor and the basis of a number of episodes. Sheldon shares an apartment with Leonard Hofstadter, across the hall from Penny, and relies on both for advice in social situations.
  • Kaley Cuoco[26] as Penny – She is the attractive blonde, "born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska", who lives across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard. She hopes for a career in acting, and has been to casting calls and auditions but has not been successful thus far. To pay the bills, she is a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory. To date, her last name has not been revealed.[27] During the fourth season, Kaley Cuoco broke her leg in a horse-riding accident.[28][29][30] When she returned, after missing two episodes, she was shown working as a bartender at the Cheesecake Factory, instead of in her normal employment as a waitress. Her cast was concealed, and no mention of the unseen broken leg was made.[31]
  • Simon Helberg[32] as Howard Wolowitz, M.Eng.[33] – He works as an aerospace engineer. He is Jewish, and lives with his mother, his father left when he was 11 and has to date never learned why. Unlike Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj, Howard lacks a Ph.D. He defends this by pointing out that he has a master's degree in Engineering from MIT and the apparatus he designs are built and launched into space, unlike the purely abstract work of his friends. He provides outrageous pick-up lines and fancies himself a lady's man with suitably unimpressed reactions from Penny; however, he has shown limited success with other women. He is a polyglot.
  • Kunal Nayyar[34] as Rajesh Koothrappali, Ph.D. – Rajesh, who originally comes from New Delhi, India, works as a particle astrophysicist at Caltech.[35] He is very shy around women and is physically unable to talk to them unless he drinks alcohol (or thinks he has been drinking alcohol). However, he has had much better luck with women than his overly confident best friend Howard. His parents, Dr. and Mrs. V.M. Koothrappali, are seen via webcam. In the third season, he works for Sheldon because his research has run into a dead-end and he does not want to return to India.[36]
  • Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle, Ph.D. (recurring seasons 1 & 3, starring season 2)[37][38] – Leslie is an experimental physicist who has casual sex with both Howard and Leonard during the show's airing. She does not get along well with Sheldon and frequently mocks him. Gilbert was promoted to main cast during the second season, but demoted again once the writers realized they could not produce quality material for her for every episode.[37]
  • Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler (guest season 3, recurring and starring season 4), a woman Raj and Howard meet on an online dating site using a faux account for Sheldon. She is essentially a female duplicate of Sheldon and she and Sheldon become friends although - as Sheldon claims - she is a girl and is his friend, but she is not his "girlfriend". However, she has recently pushed Sheldon's limits of restraint, such as when she compared Star Trek to cheap science fiction.
  • Melissa Rauch as Bernadette (recurring season 3, starring season 4),[39] a waitress and co-worker of Penny paying her way through graduate school microbiology studies. Bernadette is introduced to Howard by Penny. At first she and Howard do not get along, as they appear to have nothing in common. When they find out that they both have overbearing mothers, they feel a connection.

Elements of the show

Science

Much of the show focuses on science, particularly physics. The four main male characters are employed at Caltech and have science-related occupations.

Leonard is an experimental physicist who earned his Ph.D. at age 24. He often works with lasers, and unsuccessfully attempted to disprove the existence of dark matter.

Sheldon is a theoretical physicist with an M.Sc. and two Ph.Ds. He has spent much of his career attempting to prove string theory over loop quantum gravity. He believed he proved it on an expedition to the North Pole, but the guys later revealed that they fabricated the results so they could return home, sending Sheldon spiraling into depression.

Howard is an aerospace engineer who has a Master's from MIT. He has developed several devices for the International Space Station, but he often uses them for his own purposes with disastrous results, such as getting a Mars rover stuck in a ditch while trying to impress a girl or getting a robotic arm stuck on his penis while using it to masturbate. He also invented a zero-gravity human waste disposal system (essentially a space toilet) for the space station, but shortly after it was deployed he discovered a structural weakness: that the toilet would fail after a certain number of flushes, and the waste material would eventually come back out. As a result, he pulled an all-nighter with Sheldon and Raj trying to fix it; their ultimate solution proved unsuccessful (and it became, as Raj put it, a "waste distribution system").

Raj is an astrophysicist with a Ph.D. Following his discovery of a planetary object beyond the Kuiper Belt, Raj was named in People Magazine's "30 Under 30 to Watch," and became a celebrity of sorts, getting a larger office and drawing the envy of his friends. After failed research on the composition of trans-Neptunian objects, Raj feared the prospect of being deported back to India; eventually he collaborated with Sheldon "exploring string theory implications of gamma rays from dark matter."

Leonard and Penny's relationship

A major force that drives the series is the relationship between Leonard and Penny. Leonard becomes attracted to Penny within seconds of spotting her. He asks her out in the season 1 finale, and the date continues into the season 2 premiere; however, Penny breaks up with Leonard because of a misunderstanding involving their respective educational attainments.

Following the breakup, Leonard dates a few other women, including Leslie Winkle and Dr. Stephanie Barnett. When Leonard's mother comes to visit, he and Penny get drunk and come very close to having sex, but Leonard ruins the moment by talking about childhood issues with his mother and her father.

When Penny starts dating Stuart, the clerk at the comic book store, Leonard isn't too happy about it, and even tries to sabotage one of their dates. However, the relationship doesn't fare too well. On the first date, the two are interrupted by Sheldon. On the second date, Penny mistakenly calls Stuart, "Leonard."

When Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard accept a National Science Foundation expedition to the North Pole in the season 2 finale, Penny begins to show feelings for Leonard. When they return in the season 3 premiere, Leonard and Penny have sex for the first time, and are together for the majority of the third season.

However, toward the end of the season, Penny breaks up with Leonard after he prematurely tells her he loved her and she realizes she can not say it back. In the finale, after Penny's failed attempts to move on, she gets drunk and has sex with Leonard, making him incorrectly believe that they are back together.

In the eighth episode of season 4, “The 21 Second Excitation”, Penny shows signs of regret in her decision to end the relationship, as she tells Amy and Bernadette “I don’t know” when they ask, during a game of Truth or Dare, why she broke up with him. She says that Leonard is a great guy, and Amy points out that another woman could realize this, and asks what Penny would do if she ever changed her mind but Leonard wasn’t available. In response to this, Penny says that she doesn’t want to play any more, gets up, and leaves the room.

In the ninth episode of season 4 Penny's dad comes to visit. Penny tells her father that she and Leonard are back together, because Leonard is Penny's only boyfriend that he ever approved of. In the end he finds out the truth, first he yells at Penny. He then turns to Leonard, Penny says Leonard had nothing to do with this, but he sends Penny into the other room. Wyatt grabs Leonard's shirt and begs him to get back together with Penny. To help Leonard he pretends to throw him out, but the viewer is never shown Penny's reaction. This episode indicates that Penny's family want Penny and Leonard to be a couple.

In the eleventh episode of season 4 Penny begins dating Zack again. She agrees to go with him and the guys to the comic book store on New Year's Eve to help them win a prize dressed as Wonder Woman. Just before they leave she gets mad at Zack and will not leave her apartment even though Zack has apologized and Sheldon tried to talk to her. Howard suggests that Leonard talk to her. She lets Leonard in and tells him that she only got back together with Zack because she didn't want to be alone on New Year's. Penny goes on to say "If Zack and I had just gone to a regular party it would have been fine. But this, with the costumes and you". Leonard responds by saying "What about me?" Penny looks at him and comes close to telling him that she still has feelings for him, but then says, "Nothing. Let's go to the party". When later in the party Zack and Penny kiss as the new year begins, Leonard is visibly upset and Penny looks at him guiltily while still embracing Zack.

Religion

Religion has been a minor focus on the series in the past. Sheldon was raised in a Christian household, and calls his childhood "hell". His mother, Mary, is an extremely conservative, right wing Christian whose religious views often clash with Sheldon's scientific ones.

Howard is Jewish but doesn't keep kosher. He eats pork in season 2, and when the price of the pork went up, Howard remarked "it's getting tougher and tougher to be a bad Jew." When his stomach reacts badly to the pork, Raj mocks him by quoting Leviticus 11:3. However, Howard has shown some belief in his faith. When he and Raj posed as goths to pick up women, they wore fake-tattoo sleeves, and Howard refused to get actual tattoos so he could still be buried in a Jewish cemetery.[40]

Raj is a Hindu, but like Howard doesn't follow dietary restrictions. He loathes Indian cuisine, and when he mocks Howard for not keeping kosher by quoting the Torah, Howard responds with, "Hey, do I mock you with the Bhagavad Gita every time you scarf down a Whopper?" However, Raj does hold some traditional Hindu beliefs, such as reincarnation and karma.

Leonard and Penny do not appear to follow any religion; however, Leonard seems to envy Sheldon's childhood, and gets along well with Sheldon's religious mother. Penny has expressed belief in several fringe practices including psychics (precognition), ghosts, voodoo, astrology, and pyramid power.

Catchphrases and gags

A running gag is Sheldon compulsively knocking on other characters' front doors, most often Penny's: knock-knock-knock "Penny", knock-knock-knock "Penny", knock-knock-knock "Penny". He must knock three times, and becomes agitated when the door is opened before he's done knocking. Like all shows created by Chuck Lorre, The Big Bang Theory ends by showing a vanity card written by Lorre after the credits.[41]

Sheldon's catchphrase "bazinga" is used whenever he makes a joke or makes an attempt to fool/thwart someone.

Ratings

U.S. standard ratings

Seasonal ratings based on average total viewers per episode of The Big Bang Theory on CBS:

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 8.34[42]
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 #42 10.01[43]
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[44]
4 Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 23, 2010 – Present) September 23, 2010 May 2011 2010–11 TBA 13.16 (to date)

UK distribution and ratings

The show made its UK debut on Channel 4 on February 14, 2008 bringing in an average audience of 1.0 million viewers. The second episode, shown the following week, also received 1.0 million. For the third episode an average of 1.1 million tuned in. The show is also shown as a 'first-look' on Channel 4's digital offshoot E4, and brings in 400,000 viewers on average. The fifth episode received 880,000 viewers. After the first five episodes, the average number of viewers continues to hover around the 1 million mark. Episode 13 was watched by 1.3 million viewers and was the most watched episode.[45]

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 pm 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 9pm. 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.[46]

Canadian ratings

The Big Bang Theory started off quietly in Canada, but managed to garner major success later on in further seasons. The season 4 premiere garnered an estimated 3.1 million viewers across Canada (representing roughly 31 million American viewers in comparison). 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.[47]

Media information

Episodes

Main article: List of The Big Bang Theory episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedViewers
rank		U.S. Viewers
(millions)		18–49
rank		18–49
rating/share
First airedLast aired
117September 24, 2007 (2007-09-24)May 19, 2008 (2008-05-19)68[48]8.3446[49]3.3/8
223September 22, 2008 (2008-09-22)May 11, 2009 (2009-05-11)40[50]10.07——
323September 21, 2009 (2009-09-21)May 24, 2010 (2010-05-24)1214.225[51]5.3/13
424September 23, 2010 (2010-09-23)May 19, 2011 (2011-05-19)1313.217[52]4.4/13
524September 22, 2011 (2011-09-22)May 10, 2012 (2012-05-10)815.826[53]5.5/17
624September 27, 2012 (2012-09-27)May 16, 2013 (2013-05-16)318.682[54]6.2/19
724September 26, 2013 (2013-09-26)May 15, 2014 (2014-05-15)219.962[55]6.2/20
824September 22, 2014 (2014-09-22)May 7, 2015 (2015-05-07)219.054[56]5.6/17
924September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21)May 12, 2016 (2016-05-12)220.363[57]5.8/19
1024September 19, 2016 (2016-09-19)May 11, 2017 (2017-05-11)218.993[58]4.9/19
1124September 25, 2017 (2017-09-25)May 10, 2018 (2018-05-10)118.635[59]4.4
1224September 24, 2018 (2018-09-24)May 16, 2019 (2019-05-16)217.316[60]3.6

International broadcast

Country / Region Network(s) Aired Notes
 Albanien Digi+ April 19, 2009 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Argentinien Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Australien Nine Network Late 2007 – present New episodes on Wednesdays.
GO! August 9, 2009 – present Double episode repeats in rotation, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Comedy Channel 2009 – present Repeats of first season
 Österreich ORF1 March 13, 2010 – present The dialogue is dubbed. Season 1 is shown as double episodes.
 Bangladesch Zee Café The dialogue is not dubbed. First three seasons aired until now.
 Belgien La Une August 31, 2008 – present
2BE December 21, 2009 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but Dutch captions are used.
 Bolivien Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Brasilien 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 September 2010 – present The dialogue will be completely dubbed to Portuguese and will be aired in both SD and HD, aired as "Big Bang: A Teoria" (Big Bang: The Theory). The Second season will be aired in 2011 on Sunday mornings.
 Bulgarien Nova Television
Diema 2 – Repeats 		November 5, 2008 – present
January 11, 2010
 Kanada A
CTV
The Comedy Network 		2007–08, 2009-10
2008–09, 2010 -present
September 20, 2010 – present
 Chile Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Kolumbien Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Costa Rica Warner Channel
Teletica 		November 2007 – present
August 2009 – present 		The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used. - Teletica Broadcast Is Latin America Spanish-Dubbed
 Kroatien RTL, RTL 2 July 2010 – present
 The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used. 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
 Zypern LTV November 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Tschechische Republik Prima Cool April 7, 2009 – present The dialogue is dubbed. Aired as Teorie velkého třesku.
 Dänemark 6'eren January 2009 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Dominikanische Republik Warner Channel The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Ecuador Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 El Salvador Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Fidschi Mai TV
 Finnland Sub September 8, 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used. Aired as Rillit huurussa (Foggy Goggles).
 Frankreich TPS Star
NRJ 12 		October 18, 2008 – present
October 5, 2009 – present
The dialogue is dubbed
 Griechenland Star Channel September 2009 – present Double Episode. The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Deutschland ProSieben July 11, 2009 – present[61] The dialogue is dubbed.
 Guatemala Warner Channel The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Honduras Warner Channel The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Hongkong aTV World First two seasons will be aired in 2011.
 Ungarn Cool TV December 27, 2009 – present The dialogue is dubbed. Aired as Agymenők. First two series aired till now.
 Island Stöð 2 August 19, 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Indien Zee Café The dialogue is not dubbed. First three seasons aired till now.
 Irland RTÉ Two July 11, 2008 – present
 Israel yes stars Comedy July 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Italien 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
 Litauen TV1 February 21, 2010 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Mazedonien Kanal 5
 Mexiko Warner Channel November 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
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
 Niederlande Veronica March 2, 2009  / August 23, 2010 – present Only about a dozen episodes were broadcast in March 2009, but the series was given a second chance in August 2010. Broadcast after Two and a Half Men on weekday nights on Veronica TV. The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Neuseeland TV2 September 17, 2008 – present Sunday 7:30pm, was Wednesday at 8:00 pm
 Nicaragua Warner Channel
 Norwegen TVNorge
MAX 		The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used. It's also available in HD(TVNorge HD).
 Pakistan Super Comedy
 Panama Warner Channel The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Paraguay Warner Channel March 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Peru Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Philippinen Jack TV
 Polen TVN Siedem November 20, 2008 – present Aired as Teoria wielkiego podrywu.
 Portugal SET, RTP2 July 14, 2008 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used. Aired as A Teoria do Big Bang.
 Russland NTV April 2010 – June 2010 Aired as Теория большого взрыва.
 Singapur Warner Channel Season 1: April 5, 2010 – present
 Slowenien Kanal A Season 1: February 23, 2009 – March 20, 2009 Aired as Veliki pokovci.
 Südafrika M-Net
SABC3 		S1 and S2 aired. S3 currently playing.
 Südkorea Qook TV - Warner Show Season 1: July 18, 2010 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but subtitles are included.
 Spanien Antena.neox
Antena 3
TNT 		July 18, 2009 – present The dialogue is dubbed.
Title changed to simply Big Bang.
 Sri Lanka ART TV Zee Café
 Schweden Kanal 5 The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Thailand True Series May 26, 2008 – present
 Trinidad und Tobago TV6, Warner Channel 2008 – present
 Türkei CNBC-e[62] September 9, 2008 – present
 Ukraine Inter, MTV December 7, 2009 – present (MTV) Aired as Теорія великого вибуху.
 Vereinigtes Königreich Channel 4, E4, E4 HD Season 3 (E4) December 17, 2009 – present
 Uruguay Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Venezuela Warner Channel November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.
 Vereinigte Arabische Emirate one TV November 2007 – present The dialogue is not dubbed but captions are used.

DVD release

DVD Name Release dates Ep # Zusätzliche Informationen
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
The Complete First Season September 2, 2008[63] January 12, 2009[64] April 3, 2009[65] 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[66] October 19, 2009[67] March 3, 2010[68] 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[69] September 27, 2010[70] October 13, 2010 [71] 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 will be released on Blu-ray Disc in a 2-Disc Set. Running Time: 472 minutes.

Online media

Warner Brothers Television controls the online rights for the show..[72][73] Full episodes are available at tv.com. Short clips are available on cbs.com.[74] They are available on 4OD (UK Channel 4's online service) for a limited time after being shown as repeats.[citation needed] Also in New Zealand episodes are available on TVNZ's Ondemand Service for 4 weeks after airing.[75] Full episodes are also available on Sohu.com in Mainland China. [76]

Syndication

In May 2010, it was reported that the show has been picked up for syndication by both Fox affiliates and TBS. Broadcast of old shows will begin in the fall of 2011. Although details of the syndication deal have not been revealed, it was reported that the deal "set a record price for a cable off-network sitcom purchase."[77] CTV NETWORK in Canada airs broadcast syndication of the first three seasons starting September 7, 2010, weeknights Monday - Friday @ 7:30 pm local time zone one year ahead of US broadcast syndication and four days a week (Monday - Thursday) on Comedy Network.

Awards and nominations

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

The Theorists controversy

Through the use of his vanity cards at the end of episodes, Lorre alleged that the program had been plagiarised by a show produced and aired in Belarus. Officially titled Теоретики (The Theorists), the show features "clones" of the main characters, a similar opening sequence, and what appears to be a very close Russian translation of the scripts.[78] Lorre expressed annoyance and described his inquiry with the Warner Brothers legal department about options. The TV 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.[79]

However, no legal action was required to end production of the knockoff. 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".[80] The show was cancelled shortly afterwards.[81]

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