:The Big Bang Theory

{{Main|List of The Big Bang Theory franchise characters|l1=List of The Big Bang Theory franchise characters}}

{{Seealso|List of The Big Bang Theory guest stars|l1=List of The Big Bang Theory guest stars}}

File:The Big Bang Theory Cast.png, Leonard Hofstadter, Penny, Sheldon Cooper, and Howard Wolowitz. Second row from left: Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz and Amy Farrah Fowler.]]

• Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter:{{cite news|publisher=CBS|title=The Big Bang Theory Cast – Johnny Galecki|url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62330/|year=2007|access-date=November 12, 2012|archive-date=October 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028135714/http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62330|url-status=live}} An experimental physicist with an IQ of 173, who received his Ph.D. 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, sharing 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:{{cite news|publisher=CBS|title=The Big Bang Theory Cast – Jim Parsons|url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62329/|year=2007|access-date=November 12, 2012|archive-date=May 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530100257/https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62329/|url-status=live}} Originally from Galveston, Texas, Sheldon was a child prodigy with an eidetic memory who began college at the age of eleven and earned a Ph.D. 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:{{cite news|publisher=CBS|title=The Big Bang Theory Cast – Kaley Cuoco|url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62331/|year=2007|access-date=November 12, 2012|archive-date=November 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122015541/http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62331/|url-status=live}} 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:{{cite news|publisher=CBS|title=The Big Bang Theory Cast – Simon Helberg|url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62334/|year=2007|access-date=November 12, 2012|archive-date=October 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028134700/http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62334/|url-status=live}} 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 trains as an astronaut and goes into space as a payload specialist on the International Space Station. Howard initially fancies himself as a ladies man, 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:{{cite news|publisher=CBS|title=The Big Bang Theory Cast – Kunal Nayyar|url=https://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62333/|year=2007|access-date=November 12, 2012|archive-date=November 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127074048/http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_bang_theory/cast/62333/|url-status=live}} 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. In the series' final season, Raj has an on-again, off-again engagement with a fellow Indian, a hotel concierge named Anu (Rati Gupta). He also has a Yorkshire Terrier named Cinnamon, given by Howard and Bernadette.
• Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle (recurring season 1, starring season 2, guest seasons 3, 9):{{cite magazine|url=http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/01/big-bang-theory.html |title='Big Bang Theory' scoop: Sara Gilbert taken off Big Bang Theory contract |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 23, 2009 |access-date=May 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227045510/http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/01/big-bang-theory.html |archive-date=February 27, 2009 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004960|title=Sara Gilbert|website=IMDb|access-date=May 2, 2009|archive-date=January 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116153607/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004960/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-big-bang-theory-200th-episode-every-star-set-to-cameo-including-adam-west-and-sara-gilbert-a6857746.html|title=The Big Bang Theory 200th episode: Every star set to cameo, including Adam West and Sara Gilbert|website=The independent|last=Shepherd|first=Jack|date=February 6, 2016|access-date=February 6, 2016|archive-date=February 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206142604/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-big-bang-theory-200th-episode-every-star-set-to-cameo-including-adam-west-and-sara-gilbert-a6857746.html|url-status=live}} 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. Gilbert returned to The Big Bang Theory for its 200th episode.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/big-bang-theory-200-adam-west-wil-wheaton-1201696209/|title='Big Bang Theory' 200th Episode: Wil Wheaton, Adam West Among Guest Stars|last=Prudom|first=Laura|website=Variety|date=February 3, 2016|access-date=February 3, 2016|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005145/https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/big-bang-theory-200-adam-west-wil-wheaton-1201696209/|url-status=live}}
• Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz (recurring season 3, starring seasons 4–12):{{cite magazine|url=http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/10/25/big-bang-theory-melissa-rauch-series-regular |title=Exclusive: 'Big Bang Theory' promotes Melissa Rauch to series regular |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=October 25, 2010 |access-date=October 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026221041/http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/10/25/big-bang-theory-melissa-rauch-series-regular |archive-date=October 26, 2010 }} 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):{{cite magazine|url=https://deadline.com/2010/11/bang-theory-ups-mayim-bialik-to-regular-84343/|title='Bang Theory' Ups Mayim Bialik to Regular|magazine=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=January 30, 2011|first=Michael|last=Ausiello|date=November 15, 2010|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005112/https://deadline.com/2010/11/bang-theory-ups-mayim-bialik-to-regular-84343/|url-status=live}} A woman selected by an online dating site as Sheldon's perfect mate,{{cite episode|title=The Lunar Excitation|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 3#ep63|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=May 24, 2010|season=3|number=23|time=12:03}} Amy is from Glendale, California. 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 where 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):{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2012/08/22/big-bang-theory-kevin-sussman-series-regular|title=Big Bang Theory Makes 'Stuart' a Series Regular|website=TVLine.com|access-date=August 22, 2012|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005122/https://tvline.com/2012/08/22/big-bang-theory-kevin-sussman-series-regular/|url-status=live}} 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):{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2015/10/12/big-bang-theory-season-9-laura-spencer-series-regular-emily/|title=The Big Bang Theory: Laura Spencer Promoted to Series Regular|website=TVLine.com|access-date=October 12, 2015|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005057/https://tvline.com/2015/10/12/big-bang-theory-season-9-laura-spencer-series-regular-emily/|url-status=live}} 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.

{{Main|List of The Big Bang Theory episodes{{!}}List of The Big Bang Theory episodes}}

{{:List of The Big Bang Theory episodes}}

{{Anchor|OriginalPilot}}

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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 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 a producer, director, and actor. A minor character, Althea (Vernee Watson), appeared in the first scene of both pilots that was retained generally as-is.{{cite web|url=http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=187|title=CLP – Vanity Card #187|first=Chuck|last=Lorre|publisher=Chuck Lorre Productions|date=October 15, 2007|access-date=June 7, 2012|archive-date=July 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716163352/http://www.chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=187|url-status=live}} 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),{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?date=05/26/06&id=7165|title=Breaking News – Development Update: May 22–26 (Weekly Round-Up)|publisher=TheFutonCritic.com|access-date=May 2, 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://weblogs.variety.com/season_pass/2009/05/big-bang-theory-we-didnt-anticipate-how-protective-the-audience-would-feel-toward-our-guys.html|title='Big Bang Theory': 'We didn't anticipate how protective the audience would feel about our guys'|work=Variety|date=May 8, 2009|access-date=January 15, 2010|archive-date=May 9, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509101324/http://weblogs.variety.com/season_pass/2009/05/big-bang-theory-we-didnt-anticipate-how-protective-the-audience-would-feel-toward-our-guys.html|url-status=dead}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Gibbs |first=Lynn |date=2021-09-06 |title=11 Things Completely Different In The Unaired Big Bang Theory Pilot |url=https://screenrant.com/the-big-bang-theory-changes-unaired-pilot-different/ |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}} 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..."{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17520|title=CCI: "The Big Bang Theory"|website=Comic Book Resources|date=July 31, 2008|access-date=January 15, 2010|archive-date=March 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310202943/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17520|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite web|title=CBS PICKS UP 'BANG,' 'POWER' PLUS FOUR DRAMAS|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7387|website=The Futon Critic|date=May 14, 2007}} 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.{{cite press release|publisher=CBS|date=October 19, 2007|access-date=December 13, 2008|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071019cbs02|title=Breaking News – Cbs Gives Freshman Comedy "The Big Bang Theory" And Drama "The Unit" Full Season Orders}} The show is filmed in front of a live audience,{{cite web|url=http://the-big-bang-theory.com/tickets/|access-date=January 6, 2012|title=The Big Bang Theory Tickets|archive-date=February 16, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216210752/http://the-big-bang-theory.com/tickets/|url-status=live}} and it is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television.{{cite news|author=Pierce, Scott D.|title=Yes, it's a 'Big Bang.'|newspaper=Deseret Morning News|date=September 22, 2007|access-date=December 13, 2008|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070922/ai_n20521689/pg_1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224042027/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070922/ai_n20521689/pg_1|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 24, 2008}} 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,{{cite press release|title="The Big Bang Theory" And "How I Met Your Mother" to Swap Time Periods|publisher=The Futon Critic; CBS|date=February 20, 2008|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080220cbs01|access-date=February 20, 2008}} and ultimately only 17 episodes were produced for the first season.{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-cbsreturndates,0,7656374.story |title=CBS Sets Series Return Dates |website=Zap2it |access-date=February 13, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216054051/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-cbsreturndates%2C0%2C7656374.story |archive-date=February 16, 2008 }}{{cite news |title=Strike brings prime time to halt; Production stopped on at least 7 shows |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10167952.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505042401/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10167952.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |newspaper=Charleston Daily Mail |agency=Associated Press |access-date=April 6, 2016 |url-access=}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080214cbs04|title=CBS Picks Up 11 Series|access-date=February 15, 2008|date=February 15, 2008|website=The Futon Critic|archive-date=September 14, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914140354/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20080214cbs04|url-status=live}} With increasing ratings, the show received a two-year renewal through the 2010–11 season in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b103928_big_bang_theory_deal_done_two_more.html|title=Big Bang Theory: Deal Is Done for Two More Seasons!|date=March 11, 2009|access-date=November 3, 2009|archive-date=October 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016112011/http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b103928_big_bang_theory_deal_done_two_more.html|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-renews-men-big-bang-80940|title=CBS renews 'Men,' 'Big Bang'|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 18, 2009|access-date=September 1, 2011|archive-date=November 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112063323/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-renews-men-big-bang-80940|url-status=live}} In 2011, the show was picked up for three more seasons.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/raising-hope-season-2-big-bang-theory-season-5-mcrid-96256|title='The Big Bang Theory' Gets 3 More Seasons; 'Raising Hope' Renewed|first=Michael|last=Crider|website=screenrant.com|date=January 13, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324182638/http://screenrant.com/raising-hope-season-2-big-bang-theory-season-5-mcrid-96256|archive-date=March 24, 2011}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/12/the-big-bang-theory-renewed-for-three-more-seasons-up-to-season-10|title=The Big Bang Theory Renewed For Three More Seasons, Up to Season 10|last=Goldman|first=Eric|website=IGN|date=March 12, 2014|access-date=March 12, 2014|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005122/https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/12/the-big-bang-theory-renewed-for-three-more-seasons-up-to-season-10|url-status=live}} In March 2017, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, bringing its total to 12, and running through the 2018–19 television season.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-bang-theory-officially-renewed-two-seasons-as-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-await-deals-9|title='Big Bang Theory' Officially Renewed for Two Seasons as Mayim Bialik, Melissa Rauch Await Deals|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 20, 2017|access-date=March 20, 2017|archive-date=November 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122181606/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-bang-theory-officially-renewed-two-seasons-as-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-await-deals-9|url-status=live}}

Several of the actors on 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.

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. According to series co-creator Bill Prady, Sheldon was given an actual equation to be worked on throughout the first season, with the actual progress displayed on whiteboards in Sheldon and Leonard's apartment. Saltzberg, who has a Ph.D. in physics, served as the science consultant for the show for six seasons and attended every taping.{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-bang-theory-season-6-finale-behind-scenes-set-visit-505624|title='Big Bang Theory': A Behind the Scenes Diary of the Sweet Season 6 Finale|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|date=May 17, 2013|access-date=May 19, 2013|work=The Hollywood Reporter|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005143/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-bang-theory-season-6-finale-behind-scenes-set-visit-505624|url-status=live}} 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.

Saltzberg sometimes consulted with Mayim Bialik, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience, on the subject of biology.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/09/tv-fact-checker-big-bang-theory/ |title=TV Fact-Checker: Dropping Science on The Big Bang Theory |last=Watercutter |first=Angela |magazine=Wired |date=September 22, 2011 |access-date=May 31, 2012 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005042/https://www.wired.com/2011/09/tv-fact-checker-big-bang-theory/ |url-status=live }}

Image:Barenaked Ladies - Big Bang Theory Theme (Official Single Cover).png (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. Coincidentally, Robertson had recently read Simon Singh's 2004 book Big Bang,{{cite web|url=http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2010/11/02/barenaked-ladies-ed-robertson-talks-big-bang-theory-theme-song|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108114611/http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/2010/11/02/barenaked-ladies-ed-robertson-talks-big-bang-theory-theme-song/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 8, 2010|title=Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson talks "Big Bang Theory" theme song|date=November 2, 2010|access-date=April 11, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://imbatman.org/interviews/barenaked-ladies-talk-about-big-bang-theme-song|title=Barenaked Ladies Talk about Big Bang Theme Song|date=April 2, 2010|access-date=April 11, 2011|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410042246/http://imbatman.org/interviews/barenaked-ladies-talk-about-big-bang-theme-song/|archive-date=April 10, 2011}} and at the concert he improvised a freestyle rap about the origins of the universe.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/barenaked-ladies-frontman-ed-robertson-wrote-the-big-bang-theory-theme-fittingly-in-the-shower-1.7240997 |title=Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson wrote the Big Bang Theory theme, fittingly, in the shower |work=CBC Radio |date=June 20, 2024 |access-date=August 19, 2024}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Tilly |date=2019-11-18 |title=The Big Bang Theory: Why Barenaked Ladies almost refused to do iconic song |url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/18/big-bang-theory-theme-song-barenaked-ladies-sheldon-leonard-11175485/ |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=Metro}}

On October 9, 2007, a full-length (1 minute and 45 seconds) version of the song was released commercially.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XKMQZY|title=Big Bang Theory Theme|author=Barenaked Ladies|publisher=Amazon Digital Services, Inc.|access-date=October 21, 2007}}{{dead link|date=October 2016}} Although some unofficial pages identify the song title as "History of Everything,"{{cite web|url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/history-of-everything-lyrics-barenaked-ladies.html|title=History Of Everything Lyrics|website=metrolyrics.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109015035/http://www.metrolyrics.com/history-of-everything-lyrics-barenaked-ladies.html|archive-date=2014-01-09|url-status=unfit|access-date=August 23, 2013}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bang-Theory-Complete-Fourth/dp/B003L77G6A|title=The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season (2010)|website=Amazon|date=September 13, 2011|access-date=January 28, 2013|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005048/https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bang-Theory-Complete-Fourth/dp/B003L77G6A|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Bang-Theory-Complete/dp/B003L77G6K/|title=The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season [Blu-ray] (2010)|website=Amazon|date=September 13, 2011|access-date=January 28, 2013|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005044/https://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Bang-Theory-Complete/dp/B003L77G6K/|url-status=live}} The theme was included on the band's greatest hits album, Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before, released on September 27, 2011.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Hits-Yesterday-Before-Barenaked-Ladies/dp/B005CDSIWW/|title=Hits From Yesterday & The Day Before: Barenaked Ladies: Music|website=Amazon|date=September 27, 2011|access-date=February 15, 2013|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005050/https://www.amazon.com/Hits-Yesterday-Before-Barenaked-Ladies/dp/B005CDSIWW/|url-status=live}} In September 2015, TMZ uncovered court documents showing that Steven Page sued{{update inline|date=July 2021}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.tmz.com/2015/09/11/barenaked-ladies-big-bang-theory-lawsuit-steven-page/ |title=Barenaked Ladies—My Ex-Bandmate Is Screwing Me Out of 'Big Bang' Money |work=TMZ |date=September 11, 2015 |access-date=September 13, 2015 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005046/https://www.tmz.com/2015/09/11/barenaked-ladies-big-bang-theory-lawsuit-steven-page/ |url-status=live }}

For the first three seasons, Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco, the three main stars of the show, received up to $60,000 per episode. Their salaries rose to $200,000 per episode for the fourth season, then went up an additional $50,000 in each of the following three seasons, culminating in $350,000 per episode in the seventh season.{{cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/11/23/the-big-bang-theory-salary-renegotiations/|title='The Big Bang Theory' salary renegotiations: Do they all deserve the same pay?|first=Lynette|last=Rice|date=November 23, 2010|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=September 4, 2012|archive-date=August 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818231054/http://insidetv.ew.com/2010/11/23/the-big-bang-theory-salary-renegotiations/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=EXCLUSIVE: 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Score Huge Paydays After Hardball Bargaining; Jim Parsons Told 'Take It Or Leave It' Today|url=https://deadline.com/2010/09/big-payday-for-the-big-bang-theory-stars-67221/|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=October 1, 2011|date=September 15, 2010|quote=That effectively adds another $50,000 to their per-episode paycheck over the life of the deal.|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005144/https://deadline.com/2010/09/big-payday-for-the-big-bang-theory-stars-67221/|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2013/09/big-bang-theory-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-pay-raises-590259/|title='Big Bang' Co-Stars Mayim Bialik & Melissa Rauch Get Major Salary Bumps As Show Faces License Fee & More Cast Negotiations|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=September 18, 2013|access-date=July 19, 2014|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005128/https://deadline.com/2013/09/big-bang-theory-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-pay-raises-590259/|url-status=live}}

By season seven, Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco were also receiving 0.25{{nbsp}}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{{nbsp}}million per episode, as well as more back-end money.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/07/big-bang-theory-cast-contract-negotiations-production-near-804424/|title='The Big Bang Theory' Production Start In Limbo As Cast Contract Negotiations Drag On|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=July 16, 2014|access-date=July 19, 2014|archive-date=July 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718142025/http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/big-bang-theory-cast-contract-negotiations-production-near/|url-status=live}} Contracts were signed in the beginning of August 2014, giving the three principal actors an estimated $1{{nbsp}}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.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/08/big-bang-theory-stars-jim-parsons-johnny-galecki-kaley-cuoco-close-big-new-deals-813847/|title='Big Bang Theory' Stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki & Kaley Cuoco Close Big New Deals|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=August 4, 2014|access-date=August 5, 2014|archive-date=August 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805030317/http://www.deadline.com/2014/08/big-bang-theory-stars-jim-parsons-johnny-galecki-kaley-cuoco-close-big-new-deals/|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/big-bang-theory-contracts-1201276350/|title='Big Bang Theory': Production to Resume as Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar Set New Deals|last1=Friedlander|first1=Whitney|last2=Littleton|first2=Cynthia|website=Variety|date=August 5, 2014|access-date=August 5, 2014|archive-date=April 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428080833/http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/big-bang-theory-contracts-1201276350/|url-status=live}} By season 10, Helberg and Nayyar reached the $1{{nbsp}}million per episode parity with Galecki, Parsons, and Cuoco, due to a clause in their deals signed in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/why-big-bang-theory-stars-took-surprising-pay-cuts-989375|title=Why the 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Took Surprising Pay Cuts|first=Lesley|last=Goldberg|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 29, 2017|access-date=April 3, 2017|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005047/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/why-big-bang-theory-stars-took-surprising-pay-cuts-989375|url-status=live}}

In March 2017, the main cast members (Galecki, Parsons, Cuoco, Helberg, and Nayyar) took a 10{{nbsp}}percent pay cut to allow Bialik and Rauch an increase in their earnings.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-big-bang-theory-contract-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-1201999243/|title='The Big Bang Theory' Stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch Seek Parity in New Contract|last=Littleton|first=Cynthia|date=March 1, 2017|website=Variety|access-date=March 2, 2017|archive-date=March 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303201420/http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-big-bang-theory-contract-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-1201999243/|url-status=live}} 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. 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.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/big-bang-theory-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-1202402223/|title='The Big Bang Theory': Mayim Bialik, Melissa Rauch Reach New Deals|last=Holloway|first=Daniel|website=Variety|date=April 28, 2017|access-date=April 28, 2017|archive-date=April 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429003703/http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/big-bang-theory-mayim-bialik-melissa-rauch-1202402223/|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite episode|title=The Codpiece Topology|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 2#ep19|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=September 29, 2008|season=2|number=2}} 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.{{cite episode|title=The Gorilla Experiment|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 3#ep50|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=December 7, 2009|season=3|number=10}} Sheldon and Amy also briefly end their relationship after an argument over which of their fields is superior.{{cite episode|title=The Zazzy Substitution|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 2#ep66|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=October 7, 2010|season=4|number=3|minutes=12:00|quote=I move our relationship terminate immediately}}

As the theme of the show revolves around science, many distinguished and high-profile scientists have appeared as guest stars on the show. Astrophysicist and Nobel laureate George Smoot had a cameo appearance in the second season.{{cite web|url=http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/02/23_physawards.shtml|title=Cosmologist George Smoot meets TV's 'Big Bang' nerds|last=Sanders|first=Robert|date=February 23, 2009|publisher=University of California Berkeley|access-date=March 15, 2012|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005136/https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/02/23_physawards.shtml|url-status=live}} Chemical engineer and Nobel laureate Frances Arnold portrayed herself in the 12th season.{{cite news | newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer | date=May 12, 2019 | page=H6 | last=Gray | first=Ellen | title=Turns out their universe is finite | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118570559/tbbt-frances-arnold-appearance/ | access-date=February 13, 2023 | archive-date=February 13, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213203704/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118570559/tbbt-frances-arnold-appearance/ | url-status=live }}{{cite news | newspaper=The Atlanta Constitution | date=April 4, 2019 | page=D2 | title=Thursday television | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118570708/tbbt-frances-arnold-tv-listing/ | access-date=February 13, 2023 | archive-date=February 13, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213203703/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118570708/tbbt-frances-arnold-tv-listing/ | url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web|title='Big Bang Theory' Welcomes Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson in Season Premiere|url=https://popculture.com/tv-shows/2018/09/24/big-bang-theory-bill-nye-neil-degrasse-tyson-welcomes-season-premiere/|last=Hein|first=Michael|publisher=Pop Culture|date=September 24, 2018|access-date=August 6, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005124/https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news/big-bang-theory-bill-nye-neil-degrasse-tyson-welcomes-season-premiere/|url-status=live}} Cosmologist Stephen Hawking made a short guest appearance in a fifth-season episode;{{cite news|title=Professor Stephen Hawking films Big Bang Theory cameo|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17337778|publisher=BBC|date=March 12, 2012|access-date=June 21, 2018|archive-date=March 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314075539/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17337778|url-status=live}} 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. In the sixth season, NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin had a cameo appearance.{{cite web |last1=Goldberg |first1=Lesley |title=Buzz Aldrin Lands 'Big Bang Theory' Cameo |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/big-bang-theory-buzz-aldrin-cameo-377363/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=14 August 2024 |date=9 October 2012}} Bill Nye appeared in the seventh and twelfth seasons.{{cite web |title=Bill Nye and Bob Newhart in The Big Bang Theory Episode 7 Season 7: "The Proton Displacement" |url=https://www.planetary.org/space-images/bill-nye-in-the-big-bang-theory |website=The Planetary Society |access-date=14 August 2024 |language=en}}

File:6.29.13WilWheatonByLuigiNovi1.jpg actor Wil Wheaton has a recurring role as a fictional version of himself on the show.]]

The four main male characters are all avid fans of nerd culture. Among their shared interests are science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and collecting memorabilia.

Star Trek in particular is referred to frequently, 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?!").{{cite episode|title=The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 2#ep28|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=December 15, 2008|season=2|number=11|time=18:00}} 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,{{cite episode|title=The Russian Rocket Reaction|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 5#ep92|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=October 13, 2011|season=5|number=5|time=19:48}}{{cite episode|title=The Toast Derivation|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 4#ep80|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=February 24, 2011|season=4|number=17|minutes=20:47}} while Wil Wheaton has a recurring role as a fictionalized version of himself. Leonard and Sheldon have had conversations in Klingon.

They are also fans of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Doctor Who. James Earl Jones, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill made 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.{{cite episode|title=The Large Hadron Collision|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 3#ep15|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=February 8, 2010|season=3|number=15|minutes=12:02}} 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"{{cite episode|title=The Hofstadter Isotope|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 2#ep20|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=April 13, 2009|season=2|number=20|minutes=1:01}} 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.{{cite episode|title=The Middle-Earth Paradigm|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 1#ep6|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=October 29, 2007|season=1|number=6}} 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.{{cite episode|title=The Wheaton Recurrence|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 3#ep59|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=April 12, 2010|season=3|number=19}} DC Comics announced that, to promote its comics, the company would sponsor Sheldon wearing Green Lantern T-shirts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/05/04/did-you-notice-sheldon%E2%80%99s-green-lantern-t-shirt-last-night|title=Did You Notice Sheldon's Green Lantern T-Shirt Last Night?|date=May 4, 2012|website=DC|access-date=January 24, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005126/https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/05/04/did-you-notice-sheldon%E2%80%99s-green-lantern-t-shirt-last-night|url-status=live}}

Various games have been featured, as well as referred to, 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)[http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/09/23/big-bang-theory-fake-game-turns-real "Big Bang Theory" Fake Game Turns Real] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223114004/http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/09/23/big-bang-theory-fake-game-turns-real |date=February 23, 2014 }}, Chris Marlow, Digital Media Wire, September 23, 2011 and Rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.

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, stereotypically "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 mistakenly comes to 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 in their relationship, even when he leaves on a four-month expedition to the North Sea in "The Bon Voyage Reaction". After he returns, the 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 has been carrying 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 the expedition. Despite this, Leonard and Penny finally marry in the season 9 premiere and remain happy. By the Season 9 finale, Penny and Leonard decide to have a second 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, and she admits she feels bad about letting him and Leonard down if she never has 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 that he will support her no matter what she does. Leonard eventually changes his mind, not wanting a child in the world that he cannot raise. In the series finale, Penny is pregnant with Leonard's baby, and she has changed her mind about not wanting children.

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 story line 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 because Sheldon is not happy, but he makes no attempt to stop her. In the fifth-season finale, "The Countdown Reflection", Sheldon takes Amy's hand as Howard is launched into space. In the sixth-season premiere, "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.The Big Bang Theory, Episode 6/23, "The Love Spell Potential.

"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 standoff, 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 11 premiere, Sheldon proposes to Amy, and she accepts. The two get married in the eleventh-season finale.

The song "Soft Kitty" is described by Sheldon as a song sung by his mother when he was ill. Its repeated use in the series popularized the song.{{cite news|first=Robert |last=Seidman|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/16/cbs-com-launches-soft-kitty-contest-inspired-by-popular-song-from-cbs-hit-the-big-bang-theory/72269/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119093338/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/11/16/cbs-com-launches-soft-kitty-contest-inspired-by-popular-song-from-cbs-hit-the-big-bang-theory/72269 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 19, 2010 |title=CBS.com Launches "Soft Kitty" Contest Inspired by Popular Song From CBS Hit 'The Big Bang Theory' |work=TV by the Numbers |date=November 16, 2010 |access-date=August 4, 2013}} A scene showing 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 has the flu.{{cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=Tyler|title='Young Sheldon' reveals the origin story of the 'Soft Kitty' song|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/young-sheldon-reveals-the-origin-story-of-the-soft-kitty-song/|publisher=Fox News Channel|access-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202032842/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/02/01/young-sheldon-reveals-origin-story-soft-kitty-song.html|archive-date=February 2, 2018|url-status=live|date=February 2018}}

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.{{cite episode|title=The Countdown Reflection|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 5#ep24|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=May 10, 2012|season=5|number=24|minutes=19:54}} 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.{{cite episode|title=The Cohabitation Formulation|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 4#ep16|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=February 17, 2011|season=4|number=16}} 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{{cite episode|title=The Maternal Capacitance|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 2#ep15|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=February 9, 2009|season=2|number=15}} and Sheldon to refer to their relationship as Oedipal.{{cite episode|title=The Apology Insufficiency|episode-link=The Big Bang Theory season 4#ep7|series=The Big Bang Theory|network=CBS|date=November 4, 2010|season=4|number=7}} In season 8, Howard's mother dies in her sleep while in Florida, which devastates Howard and Stuart, who briefly lived with Mrs. Wolowitz.

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 the characters as they walk up the three flights to their apartments 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.{{Citation|title=The Staircase Implementation|date=May 17, 2010|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648756/|access-date=March 8, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005103/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1648756/|url-status=live}} In the penultimate episode of the series, the elevator is returned to an operational state, causing Sheldon some angst, until he realizes that the fixed elevator reverted things to the "status quo".

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php|title=Chuck Lorre Productions – Vanity Cards|publisher=Chucklorre.com|date=May 19, 2011|access-date=July 28, 2011|archive-date=July 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726003516/http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php|url-status=live}} The series' final vanity card reads simply "The End".{{Cite web|url=http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=622|title=CLP - Vanity Card #622|website=www.chucklorre.com|access-date=July 6, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005123/http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=622|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/entertainment/Thursday+Bang+Theory/7770195/story.html |title=TV Thursday: The Big Bang Theory |publisher=Postmedia News, Canada.com |date=January 3, 2013 |access-date=January 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106110924/http://www.canada.com/entertainment/Thursday%2BBang%2BTheory/7770195/story.html |archive-date=January 6, 2013 |url-status=dead }} On February 14, 2008, the series debuted in the United Kingdom on channels E4 and Channel 4.{{cite web |author=Next Time |url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-big-bang-theory |title=The Big Bang Theory |publisher=Channel 4 |access-date=December 12, 2012 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005204/https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-big-bang-theory |url-status=live }} 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, although the Nine Network has rights to air seasons nine & ten.{{cite web|url=http://sevenwestmedia.com.au/docs/default-source/business-unit-news/the-big-bang-theory-on-seven.pdf?sfvrsn=2.html|title=The Big Bang Theory on Seven|publisher=Seven West Media|date=September 1, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208043846/http://sevenwestmedia.com.au/docs/default-source/business-unit-news/the-big-bang-theory-on-seven.pdf?sfvrsn=2.html|archive-date=December 8, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://m.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/nine-to-lose-free-to-air-tv-rights-to-the-big-bang-theory-to-seven-20150901-gjcaos.html|title=Nine to lose free to air TV rights to The Big Bang Theory to Seven|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=September 2015|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006201122/http://m.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/nine-to-lose-free-to-air-tv-rights-to-the-big-bang-theory-to-seven-20150901-gjcaos.html|url-status=live}} On January 22, 2018, it was announced that Nine had acquired the rights to Season 1–8.{{cite web|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/01/nine-nabs-big-bang-episodes-back.html|title=Nine nabs Big Bang episodes back|website=TV Tonight|date=January 22, 2018|access-date=January 22, 2018|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005218/https://tvtonight.com.au/2018/01/nine-nabs-big-bang-episodes-back.html|url-status=live}}

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. 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".{{cite news|title='The Big Bang Theory' Gets Syndication Deal|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/arts/television/17arts-THEBIGBANGTH_BRF.html|date=May 16, 2010|access-date=September 1, 2010|first=Brian|last=Stelter|work=The New York Times|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005221/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/17/arts/television/17arts-THEBIGBANGTH_BRF.html|url-status=live}}

On September 17, 2019, as part of an extension of the TBS agreement through 2028, Warner Bros.' then-upcoming streaming service HBO Max (now Max) acquired the exclusive American streaming rights to the series.{{cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=September 17, 2019 |title=HBO Max Lands 'The Big Bang Theory' Streaming Rights, TBS Extends Cable Window In Mega WarnerMedia Deal |url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/hbo-max-l-the-big-bang-theory-streaming-rights-tbs-extends-cable-window-mega-deal-warnermedia-1202736725 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928231232/https://deadline.com/2019/09/hbo-max-l-the-big-bang-theory-streaming-rights-tbs-extends-cable-window-mega-deal-warnermedia-1202736725/ |archive-date=September 28, 2019 |access-date=October 3, 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} In December 2024, it was announced that CBS parent company Paramount Global had acquired non-exclusive cable rights to The Big Bang Theory for Nick at Nite and MTV, beginning December 24, 2024 and January 1, 2025 respectively; Deadline Hollywood reported that the current contract with TBS had made the linear television rights non-exclusive, allowing them to be shared with other broadcasters.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2024-12-17 |title='The Big Bang Theory' Heads To Paramount's Nick At Nite & MTV In Non-Exclusive Deal |url=https://deadline.com/2024/12/the-big-bang-theory-nick-at-nite-mtv-nickelodeon-paramount-1236205305/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} Beginning in 2025 The Big Bang Theory was made available on Disney+ in certain regions via the Star hub alongside its spin-off Young Sheldon in an unprecedented move.{{cite web | url=https://whatsondisneyplus.com/disney-adds-the-big-bang-theory-in-the-uk/ | title=Disney+ Adds "The Big Bang Theory" in the UK }}{{cite web | url=https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/series/the-big-bang-theory/2L6rohJFmKl3 | title=Watch the Big Bang Theory | Full episodes | Disney+ }}

The first and second seasons were only available on DVD at their time of release in 2008{{cite web|last1=Lambert|first1=David|title=The Big Bang Theory – It's Official: September Release Date Provided for Big Bang's 1st Season DVDs|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Season-1/9660|website=TVShowsOnDVD|access-date=April 17, 2016|date=May 20, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610050609/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Season-1/9660|archive-date=June 10, 2016}} and 2009.{{cite web|last1=Lambert|first1=David|title=The Big Bang Theory – Warner's Formal Press Release Arrives for The Complete 2nd Season|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Season-2-Press-Release/12021|website=TVShowsOnDVD|access-date=April 17, 2016|date=June 2, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610050346/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Season-2-Press-Release/12021|archive-date=June 10, 2016}} Starting with the release of the third season in 2010{{cite web|last1=Lambert|first1=David|title=The Big Bang Theory – Full Press Release, Finished Packaging for the 3rd Season on DVD and Blu|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Season-3/14001|website=TVShowsOnDVD|access-date=April 17, 2016|date=July 2, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411045821/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Season-3/14001|archive-date=April 11, 2016}} 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,{{cite web|last1=Lambert|first1=David|title=The Big Bang Theory – Blu-ray Releases Coming Soon for the Sitcom's 1st and 2nd Seasons!|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Seasons-1-and-2/16456|website=TVShowsOnDVD|access-date=April 17, 2016|date=January 27, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412155717/http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Big-Bang-Theory-Seasons-1-and-2/16456|archive-date=April 12, 2016}} marking the first time that all episodes were available on the Blu-ray disc format.

File:The Big Bang Theory panel at Comic Con 2008.jpg

Although the initial reception was mixed,{{cite web |title=The Big Bang Theory: Season 1 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-big-bang-theory/s01/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango |access-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-date=January 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106011238/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-big-bang-theory/s01/ |url-status=live }} the show went on to receive a more positive reception. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 81% approval rating from critics.{{cite web |title=The Big Bang Theory |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_big_bang_theory |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango |access-date=April 10, 2020 |archive-date=May 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518080904/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_big_bang_theory |url-status=live }} On Metacritic, the series holds a score of 61 out of 100, based on reviews from 27 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews.{{cite web |title=The Big Bang Theory |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-big-bang-theory |website=Metacritic |access-date=April 10, 2020 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005158/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-big-bang-theory |url-status=live }} In 2013, TV Guide ranked the series #52 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.{{cite web |first1=Bruce |last1=Fretts |first2=Matt |last2=Roush |title=TV Guide Magazine{{'}}s 60 Best Series of All Time |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |website=TV Guide |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=December 23, 2013 |access-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031060914/https://www.tvguide.com/news/tv-guide-magazine-60-best-series-1074962/ |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/view?id=22817|title=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|date=September 22, 2009 |publisher=ViacomCBS Press Express|access-date=June 25, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005109/https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/releases/view?id=22817|url-status=live}} 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 American television from 2004 to 2011).{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/cbs-moves-big-bang-theory-thursday-nights-fall-challenge-shows-article-1.463680|title=CBS moves 'The Big Bang Theory' to Thursday nights this fall to 'challenge' other shows|last=Hinckley|first=David|date=July 29, 2010|access-date=June 4, 2013|location=New York|work=Daily News|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005156/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/cbs-moves-big-bang-theory-thursday-nights-fall-challenge-shows-article-1.463680|url-status=live}} During its fourth season, it became television's highest rated comedy, just barely beating out Two and a Half Men (which held the position for the past 8 years). 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.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/23/thursday-finals-big-bang-theory-the-x-factor-parks-recreation-and-whitney-adjusted-up/104707|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925201258/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/23/thursday-finals-big-bang-theory-the-x-factor-parks-recreation-and-whitney-adjusted-up/104707/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 25, 2011|title=Thursday Finals: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation' and 'Whitney' Adjusted Up|publisher=TV by the Numbers|date=September 23, 2011|access-date=September 25, 2011|author=Seidman, Robert}}

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,{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/11/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-30-rock-no-adjustment-for-scandal/164977/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114213951/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/01/11/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-30-rock-no-adjustment-for-scandal/164977/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2013|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', '30 Rock' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; No Adjustment for 'Scandal'|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=January 11, 2013|access-date=January 11, 2013}} 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,{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/29/complete-list-of-2012-13-season-tv-show-ratings-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-the-big-bang-theory-the-voice-modern-family/184774/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607112816/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/29/complete-list-of-2012-13-season-tv-show-ratings-sunday-night-football-tops-followed-by-the-big-bang-theory-the-voice-modern-family/184774/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 7, 2013|title=Complete List Of 2012–13 Season TV Show Ratings: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Voice' & 'Modern Family'|last=Bibel|first=Sara|date=May 29, 2013|access-date=June 4, 2013}}{{cite web |last=Patten |first=Dominic |url=https://deadline.com/2014/05/tv-season-series-rankings-2013-full-list-2-733762/ |title=Full 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=May 23, 2013 |access-date=June 25, 2013 |archive-date=June 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629122241/http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/tv-season-series-rankings-2013-full-list/ |url-status=bot: unknown }} and was third in total viewers, trailing NCIS and Sunday Night Football.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/05/tv-season-series-rankings-2013-full-list-2-733762/|title=Full 2012–2013 TV Season Series Rankings|last=Patten|first=Dominic|date=May 23, 2013|access-date=May 24, 2013|archive-date=June 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607071812/http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/tv-season-series-rankings-2013-full-list/|url-status=bot: unknown}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/09/27/the-big-bang-theory-hits-new-viewer-record/205319/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929150549/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/09/27/the-big-bang-theory-hits-new-viewer-record/205319/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 29, 2013|title='The Big Bang Theory' Hits New Viewer Record|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|publisher=TV by the Numbers|date=September 27, 2013|access-date=September 27, 2013}}"Hot List 2013". TV Guide. p. 21.

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.Schneider, Michael (January 28, 2013). "Bigger Bang Than Ever". TV Guide. pp. 6 and 7. Throughout much of the 2012–13 season, The Big Bang Theory placed first in all of the 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 the syndicated programming with 7.1, Judy descending to second place for that season with a 7.0.{{cite web |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/syndication-ratings-syndie-seasons-end-phil-judy-et-wheel-big-bang-top-123972 |title=Syndication Ratings: At Syndie Season's End, 'Phil,' 'Judy,' 'ET,' 'Wheel,' 'Big Bang' on Top – September 4, 2013 17:41:39 | Broadcasting & Cable |date=September 4, 2013 |publisher=Broadcasting+Cable |access-date=March 16, 2022 |archive-date=September 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908075852/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/495309-Syndication_Ratings_At_Syndie_Season_s_End_Phil_Judy_ET_Wheel_Big_Bang_on_Top.php |url-status=live }} The Big Bang Theory did not place first in syndication ratings for the 2013–14 television season, beaten out by Judge Judy.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/syndication-and-distribution/syndication-ratings-judge-judy-years-top-show-while-dr-phil-leads-talk/133634 |title=Syndication Ratings: 'Judge Judy' Year's Top Show, While 'Dr. Phil' Leads Talk |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable |date=September 3, 2014 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |first=Paige |last=Albiniak |archive-date=September 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907122739/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/syndication-and-distribution/syndication-ratings-judge-judy-years-top-show-while-dr-phil-leads-talk/133634 |url-status=live }}

{{Television season ratings

| link1 = The Big Bang Theory season 1

| timeslot1 = Monday 8:30pm {{small|(1–8)}}
Monday 8:00pm {{small|(9–17)}}

| episodes1 = 17

| start1 = {{Start date|2007|9|24}}

| end1 = {{End date|2008|5|19}}

| startrating1 = 9.52{{Cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2007/10/03/nielsen-top-new-shows-tv-ratings-sept-24-30/1032 |title=Nielsen Top 20 New Shows TV Ratings, Sept 24–30 |website=TV by the Numbers |last=Gorman |first=Bill |date=October 3, 2007 |access-date=June 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822072008/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2007/10/03/nielsen-top-new-shows-tv-ratings-sept-24-30/1032 |archive-date=August 22, 2009 }}

| endrating1 = 7.34{{cite press release|url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052808_05|publisher=ABC Medianet|title=Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 5/19)|date=May 28, 2008|access-date=December 13, 2008|archive-date=May 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501042108/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=052808_05|url-status=live}}

| season1 = 2007–08

| rank1 = 68

| viewers1 = 8.31

| 18_49_rank1 = 46

| 18_49_rating1 = 3.3/8{{cite web|url=http://televisionista.blogspot.com/2008/06/tv-ratings-2007-2008-season-top-200.html|title=TV Ratings: 2007–2008 Season Top-200|last=Van De Kamp|first=Justin|website=Televisionista|date=June 1, 2008|access-date=April 20, 2015|archive-date=December 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216081636/http://televisionista.blogspot.com/2008/06/tv-ratings-2007-2008-season-top-200.html|url-status=live}}

| link2 = The Big Bang Theory season 2

| timeslot2 = Monday 8:00 pm

| episodes2 = 23

| start2 = {{Start date|2008|9|22}}

| end2 = {{End date|2009|5|11}}

| startrating2 = 9.32{{cite web|publisher=ABC Medianet|date=September 30, 2008|url=https://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=093008_04|title=Weekly Program Rankings (Sept. 22-28)|work=ABC Medianet|access-date=May 19, 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529032133/http://www.abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=093008_04|archive-date=May 29, 2009}}

| endrating2 = 9.76{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2009/05/19/cbs-wins-its-11th-consecutive-week-in-viewers-the-final-full-week-of-the-2008-2009-television-season-31417/20090519cbs03/|title=CBS Wins Its 11th Consecutive Week in Viewers, the Final Full Week of the 2008-2009 Television Season|publisher=The Futon Critic|date=May 19, 2009|access-date=May 19, 2023}}

| season2 = 2008–09

| rank2 = 40

| viewers2 = 10.03

| 18_49_rank2 = {{TableTBA|N/A}}

| 18_49_rating2 = {{TableTBA|N/A}}

| link3 = The Big Bang Theory season 3

| timeslot3 = Monday 9:30 pm

| episodes3 = 23

| start3 = {{Start date|2009|9|21}}

| end3 = {{End date|2010|5|24}}

| startrating3 = 12.96{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/09/22/monday-broadcast-final-numbers/28114|title=Monday broadcast final numbers|website=TV by the Numbers|last=Seidman|first=Robert|date=September 22, 2009|access-date=June 13, 2010|archive-date=October 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005070730/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/09/22/monday-broadcast-final-numbers/28114|url-status=dead}}

| endrating3 = 15.02{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2010/06/02/cbs-finishes-the-last-week-of-the-season-with-nine-of-the-top-10-scripted-series-35954/20100602cbs02/|title=CBS Finishes the Last Week of the Season with Nine of the Top 10 Scripted Series|publisher=The Futon Critic|date=June 2, 2010|access-date=June 5, 2023}}

| season3 = 2009–10

| rank3 = 12

| viewers3 = 14.22

| 18_49_rank3 = 5

| 18_49_rating3 = 5.3/13{{cite press release|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=060209_05|title=Season Program Rankings (Through 5/31)|publisher=ABC Medianet|date=June 2, 2009|access-date=May 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619101214/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=060209_05|archive-date=June 19, 2009}}

| link4 = The Big Bang Theory season 4

| timeslot4 = Thursday 8:00pm

| timeslot_length4 = 4

| episodes4 = 24

| start4 = {{Start date|2010|9|23}}

| end4 = {{End date|2011|5|19}}

| startrating4 = 14.04[http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/28/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-glee-greys-anatomy-dancing-with-the-stars-top-premiere-week/65498 TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: "Sunday Night Football", "Glee", "Grey's Anatomy", "Dancing with the Stars" Top Premiere Week] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001090902/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/28/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-glee-greys-anatomy-dancing-with-the-stars-top-premiere-week/65498 |date=October 1, 2010 }}, TV By the Numbers, September 28, 2010

| endrating4 = 11.30{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/20/thursday-final-ratings-american-idol-big-bang-the-office-greys-mentalist-adjusted-up/93470/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523070527/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/20/thursday-final-ratings-american-idol-big-bang-the-office-greys-mentalist-adjusted-up/93470/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 23, 2011|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'American Idol,' 'Big Bang,' 'The Office,' 'Grey's,' 'Mentalist' Adjusted Up|last=Seidman|first=Robert|website=TV by the Numbers|date=May 20, 2011|access-date=May 20, 2011}}

| season4 = 2010–11

| rank4 = 13

| viewers4 = 13.21

| 18_49_rank4 = 7

| 18_49_rating4 = 4.4/13{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season-44277/|title=Full Series Rankings For The 2009–10 Broadcast Season|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 27, 2010|access-date=June 7, 2010|archive-date=July 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709180259/http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season/|url-status=live}}

| link5 = The Big Bang Theory season 5

| episodes5 = 24

| start5 = {{Start date|2011|9|22}}

| end5 = {{End date|2012|5|10}}

| startrating5 = 14.30{{cite news|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/23/thursday-finals-big-bang-theory-the-x-factor-parks-recreation-and-whitney-adjusted-up/104707/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925201258/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/23/thursday-finals-big-bang-theory-the-x-factor-parks-recreation-and-whitney-adjusted-up/104707/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 25, 2011| title = Thursday Finals: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation' and 'Whitney' Adjusted Up|work=TVbytheNumbers.com|first=Robert|last=Seidman|date=September 23, 2011|access-date=September 29, 2011}}

| endrating5 = 13.72{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/11/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-idol-vampire-diaries-office-secret-circle-greys-adjusted-up-touch-scandal-adjusted-down/133458/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513200626/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/05/11/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-idol-vampire-diaries-office-secret-circle-greys-adjusted-up-touch-scandal-adjusted-down/133458/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 13, 2012|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'Big Bang Theory', 'Idol', 'Vampire Diaries', 'Office', 'Secret Circle', 'Grey's' Adjusted Up; 'Touch', 'Scandal' Adjusted Down|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=May 11, 2012|website=TV by the Numbers|access-date=May 11, 2012}}

| season5 = 2011–12

| rank5 = 8

| viewers5 = 15.82

| 18_49_rank5 = 6

| 18_49_rating5 = 5.5/17{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2011/05/full-2010-11-season-series-rankers-135917/|title=Full 2010–2011 TV Season Series Rankings|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 27, 2011|access-date=May 29, 2011|archive-date=October 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008190741/http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/full-2010-11-season-series-rankers/#more-135917|url-status=live}}

| link6 = The Big Bang Theory season 6

| episodes6 = 24

| start6 = {{Start date|2012|9|27}}

| end6 = {{End date|2013|5|16}}

| startrating6 = 15.66{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/09/28/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-greys-anatomy-adjusted-up-parks-rec-up-all-night-snl-weekend-update-the-office-glee-scandal-rock-center-adjust/150556/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001015313/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/09/28/thursday-final-ratings-big-bang-theory-greys-anatomy-adjusted-up-parks-rec-up-all-night-snl-weekend-update-the-office-glee-scandal-rock-center-adjust/150556/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 1, 2012|title=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|website=TV by the Numbers|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=September 28, 2012|access-date=September 29, 2012}}

| endrating6 = 15.48{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/17/thursday-final-ratings-hannibal-the-big-bang-theory-the-vampire-diaries-greys-anatomy-office-retrospective-adjusted-up/183116/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607112700/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/17/thursday-final-ratings-hannibal-the-big-bang-theory-the-vampire-diaries-greys-anatomy-office-retrospective-adjusted-up/183116/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 7, 2013|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'Hannibal', 'The Big Bang Theory', 'The Vampire Diaries', 'Grey's Anatomy' & 'Office' Retrospective Adjusted Up|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=May 17, 2013|access-date=May 17, 2013}}

| season6 = 2012–13

| rank6 = 3

| viewers6 = 18.68

| 18_49_rank6 = 2

| 18_49_rating6 = 6.2/19{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2012/05/full-2011-2012-tv-season-series-rankings-277941/|title=Full 2011-2012 Season Series Ratings - Deadline Hollywood|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 24, 2012|access-date=May 19, 2014|archive-date=April 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424020321/http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/full-2011-2012-tv-season-series-rankings/|url-status=live}}

| link7 = The Big Bang Theory (season 7)

| episodes7 = 24

| start7 = {{Start date|2013|9|26}}

| end7 = {{End date|2014|5|15}}

| startrating7 = 18.99{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/09/27/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-the-michael-j-fox-show-the-crazy-ones-adjusted-down/205200/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929150600/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/09/27/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-the-michael-j-fox-show-the-crazy-ones-adjusted-down/205200/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 29, 2013|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory', 'The Michael J Fox Show' & 'The X Factor' Adjusted Up; 'The Crazy Ones' Adjusted Down|publisher=TV by the Numbers|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|date=September 27, 2013|access-date=September 27, 2013}}

| endrating7 = 16.73{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/05/16/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-reign-the-millers-adjusted-down/265025/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517115708/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/05/16/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-reign-the-millers-adjusted-down/265025/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 17, 2014|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Up; 'Reign' & 'The Millers' Adjusted Down|last=Bibel|first=Sara|website=TV by the Numbers|date=May 16, 2014|access-date=May 16, 2014}}

| season7 = 2013–14

| rank7 = 2

| viewers7 = 19.96{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/blacklist-ratings-nbc-ncis-ratings-cbs-1201186337/|title=NBC Wraps TV Season As Demo Champ for First Time Since '04|last=Kissell|first=Rick|website=Variety|date=May 20, 2014|access-date=April 20, 2015|archive-date=May 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519021913/http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/blacklist-ratings-nbc-ncis-ratings-cbs-1201186337/|url-status=live}}

| 18_49_rank7 = 2

| 18_49_rating7 = 6.2/20

| link8 = The Big Bang Theory (season 8)

| timeslot8 = Monday 8:00pm{{efn|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,{{cite web |url=http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20141027cbs14/ |title=The Misinterpretation Agitation |work=The Futon Critic |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005147/http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20141027cbs14/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20151026cbs05/ |title=The Spock Resonance |work=The Futon Critic |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301093910/http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20151026cbs05/ |url-status=live }} the tenth and eleventh seasons on the sixth episode,{{cite web |url=http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20161024cbs14/ |title=The Fetal Kick Catalyst |work=The Futon Critic |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005203/http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20161024cbs14/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20171019cbs06/ |title=The Proton Regeneration |work=The Futon Critic |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005109/http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20171019cbs06/ |url-status=live }} and the twelfth season on the second episode.{{cite web |url=http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20180906cbs03/ |title=The Wedding Gift Wormhole |work=The Futon Critic |access-date=September 25, 2018 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005131/http://thefutoncritic.com/listings/20180906cbs03/ |url-status=live }}}}
Thursday 8:00pm

| timeslot_length8 = 5

| episodes8 = 24

| start8 = {{Start date|2014|9|22}}

| end8 = {{End date|2015|5|7}}

| startrating8 = 18.08{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/10/12/gotham-has-biggest-adults-18-49-ratings-increase-gotham-red-band-society-top-percentage-gains-in-live-7-ratings-for-week-ending-september-28/313337/ |title='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 |website=TV by the Numbers |last=Kondolojy |first=Amanda |access-date=October 13, 2014 |date=October 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013073817/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/10/12/gotham-has-biggest-adults-18-49-ratings-increase-gotham-red-band-society-top-percentage-gains-in-live-7-ratings-for-week-ending-september-28/313337/ |archive-date=October 13, 2014 }}

| endrating8 = 14.64{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/05/08/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-adjusted-up-greys-anatomy-adjusted-down/401044/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510003207/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/05/08/thursday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-adjusted-up-greys-anatomy-adjusted-down/401044/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 10, 2015|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Grey's Anatomy' Adjusted Down|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda|website=TV by the Numbers|date=May 8, 2015|access-date=May 8, 2015}}

| season8 = 2014–15

| rank8 = 2

| viewers8 = 19.05

| 18_49_rank8 = 4

| 18_49_rating8 = 5.6/17{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/05/2014-15-full-tv-season-ratings-shows-rankings-1201431167/ |title=Full 2014–15 TV Season Series Rankings: Football & 'Empire' Ruled |last=de Moraes |first=Lisa |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=May 21, 2015 |access-date=May 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522054915/http://deadline.com/2015/05/2014-15-full-tv-season-ratings-shows-rankings-1201431167/ |archive-date=May 22, 2015 |url-status=dead }}

| link9 = The Big Bang Theory (season 9)

| episodes9 = 24

| start9 = {{Start date|2015|9|21}}

| end9 = {{End date|2016|5|12}}

| startrating9 = 18.20{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/09/22/monday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-adjusted-up-significant-mother-life-in-pieces-penn-teller-adjusted-down/470550|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922213131/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/09/22/monday-final-ratings-the-big-bang-theory-adjusted-up-significant-mother-life-in-pieces-penn-teller-adjusted-down/470550/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-09-22|title=Monday Final Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Adjusted Up; 'Significant Mother', 'Life in Pieces' & 'Penn & Teller' Adjusted Down - Ratings - TVbytheNumbers.zap2it.com|website=TVbytheNumbers}}

| endrating9 = 14.73{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/05/13/thursday-final-ratings-may-12-2016/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514104031/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/05/13/thursday-final-ratings-may-12-2016/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 14, 2016|title=Thursday final ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Catch' and 'Legends of Tomorrow' adjust up |website=TV by the Numbers|last=Porter|first=Rick|date=May 13, 2016|access-date=May 13, 2016}}

| season9 = 2015–16

| rank9 = 2

| viewers9 = 20.36

| 18_49_rank9 = 3

| 18_49_rating9 = 5.8/19{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/tv-season-2015-2016-series-rankings-shows-full-list-1201763189/|title=Full 2015–16 TV Season Series Rankings|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 26, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2015|archive-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528121101/http://deadline.com/2016/05/tv-season-2015-2016-series-rankings-shows-full-list-1201763189/|url-status=live}}

| link10 = The Big Bang Theory (season 10)

| episodes10 = 24

| start10 = {{Start date|2016|9|19}}

| end10 = {{End date|2017|5|11}}

| startrating10 = 15.82{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/09/20/monday-final-ratings-sept-19-2016/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921200622/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/09/20/monday-final-ratings-sept-19-2016/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 21, 2016|title=Monday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Gotham' adjust up, 'Kevin' and 'Good Place' hold|website=TV by the Numbers|last=Porter|first=Rick|date=September 20, 2016|access-date=September 20, 2016}}

| endrating10 = 12.99{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-11-2017/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515081947/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-11-2017/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 15, 2017|title='The Big Bang Theory,' 'Masterchef Junior' adjust up, 'The Blacklist' adjusts down: Thursday final ratings|last=Welch|first=Alex|website=TV by the Numbers|date=May 12, 2017|access-date=May 12, 2017}}

| season10 = 2016–17

| rank10 = 2

| viewers10 = 18.99

| 18_49_rank10 = 3

| 18_49_rating10 = 4.9/19{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/2016-2017-tv-season-ratings-series-rankings-list-1202102340/|title=Final 2016–17 TV Rankings: 'Sunday Night Football' Winning Streak Continues|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 26, 2017|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=June 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602132805/http://deadline.com/2017/05/2016-2017-tv-season-ratings-series-rankings-list-1202102340/|url-status=live}}

| link11 = The Big Bang Theory (season 11)

| episodes11 = 24

| start11 = {{Start date|2017|9|25}}

| end11 = {{End date|2018|5|10}}

| startrating11 = 17.65{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-final-ratings-sept-25-2017/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927111840/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-final-ratings-sept-25-2017/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2017|title='Big Bang' and 'Young Sheldon' adjust up, 'Good Doctor,' 'DWTS,' 'The Brave,' 'Me, Myself & I' down: Monday final ratings|last=Porter|first=Rick|date=September 26, 2017|access-date=September 26, 2017|publisher=TV by the Numbers}}

| endrating11 = 15.51{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-10-2018/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512004602/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-10-2018/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 12, 2018|title='Grey's Anatomy,' 'Big Bang Theory,' 'Young Sheldon' adjust up, 'Supernatural' & 'Arrow' down: Thursday final ratings|website=TV by the Numbers|last=Porter|first=Rick|date=May 11, 2018|access-date=May 11, 2018}}

| season11 = 2017–18

| rank11 = 1

| viewers11 = 18.63

| 18_49_rank11 = 5

| 18_49_rating11 = 4.4{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/05/2017-2018-tv-series-ratings-rankings-full-list-of-shows-1202395851/|title=2017-18 TV Series Ratings Rankings: NFL Football, 'Big Bang' Top Charts|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 22, 2018|access-date=May 22, 2018|archive-date=May 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523031012/https://deadline.com/2018/05/2017-2018-tv-series-ratings-rankings-full-list-of-shows-1202395851/|url-status=live}}

| link12 = The Big Bang Theory (season 12)

| episodes12 = 24

| start12 = {{Start date|2018|9|24}}

| end12 = {{End date|2019|5|16}}

| startrating12 = 12.92{{cite web|url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-final-ratings-sept-24-2018/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926014538/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-final-ratings-sept-24-2018/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2018|title='The Big Bang Theory' adjusts up, 'The Good Doctor' adjusts down: Monday final ratings|last=Welch|first=Alex|work=TV by the Numbers|date=September 25, 2018|access-date=September 25, 2018}}

| endrating12 = 18.52{{cite web|url=https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-16-2019/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517210539/https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/thursday-final-ratings-may-16-2019/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 17, 2019|title='Paradise Hotel,' 'The Big Bang Theory' finale adjust up, 'Young Sheldon' adjusts down: Thursday final ratings|last=Rejent|first=Joseph|work=TV by the Numbers|date=May 17, 2019|access-date=May 17, 2019}}

| season12 = 2018–19

| rank12 = 2

| viewers12 = 17.31

| 18_49_rank12 = 6

| 18_49_rating12 = 3.6{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/tv-ratings-2018-2019-season-totals-viewers-demo-cbs-nbc-1202620062/|title=2018-19 TV Season Ratings: CBS Wraps 11th Season At No. 1 In Total Viewers, NBC Tops Demo; 'Big Bang Theory' Most Watched Series|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=August 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831200358/https://deadline.com/2019/05/tv-ratings-2018-2019-season-totals-viewers-demo-cbs-nbc-1202620062/|url-status=live}}

}}

{{notelist}}

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 to warrant broadcast on 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-10|title=Weekly Top 10 Programmes|publisher=Barb.co.uk|date=July 17, 2011|access-date=July 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214014705/http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing/weekly-top-10|archive-date=December 14, 2012}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a382321/big-bang-theory-returns-to-form-for-e4-with-14m.html|title='Big Bang Theory' returns to form for E4 with 1.4m|website=Digital Spy|date=May 18, 2012|access-date=August 11, 2012|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005211/https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ratings/a382321/big-bang-theory-returns-to-form-for-e4-with-14m/|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a438672/big-bang-theory-becomes-e4s-most-watched-show-of-the-year.html|title='Big Bang Theory' becomes E4's most-watched show of the year – TV News|first=Paul|last=Millar|website=Digital Spy|date=November 16, 2012|access-date=December 12, 2012|archive-date=January 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102120237/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a438672/big-bang-theory-becomes-e4s-most-watched-show-of-the-year.html|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.geektown.co.uk/tvairdates/big-bang-theory/|title=Big Bang Theory|website=Geektown|access-date=January 20, 2015|archive-date=January 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121132506/http://www.geektown.co.uk/tvairdates/big-bang-theory/|url-status=live}} The eighth season premiered on E4 on October 23, 2014, at 8:30 pm.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2014/10/e4-sets-uk-premiere-date-big-bang-theory-season-8/|title=E4 Sets UK Premiere Date For 'The Big Bang Theory' Season 8|website=TVWise|date=October 8, 2014|access-date=January 20, 2015|archive-date=October 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024135320/http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2014/10/e4-sets-uk-premiere-date-big-bang-theory-season-8/|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2015/03/e4-sets-uk-return-date-big-bang-theory-season-8/|title=E4 Sets UK Return Date For 'The Big Bang Theory' Season 8|website=TVWise|date=March 6, 2015|access-date=March 6, 2015|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005158/https://www.tvwise.co.uk/2015/03/e4-sets-uk-return-date-big-bang-theory-season-8/|url-status=live}}

Netflix UK & Ireland announced on February 13, 2016, that seasons 1–8 would be available to stream from February 15, 2016.{{cite tweet|user=NetflixUK|author=Netflix UK & Ireland|number=698537573229207552|title=Smart is the new sexy. Seasons 1–8 of The Big Bang Theory hit Netflix UK on February 15th.|date=February 13, 2016|access-date=March 25, 2017}}

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 was the largest audience for a sitcom since the series finale of Friends. The show later increased in viewership and became the most-watched entertainment television show in Canada.{{cite web|url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-theory-big-bang-canadas-no-1-show.html|title=No Theory: Big Bang Canada's No. 1 Show|access-date=October 15, 2010|publisher=TV Feeds My Family|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128221821/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-theory-big-bang-canadas-no-1-show.html|archive-date=January 28, 2012|url-status=dead}}

{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by The Big Bang Theory{{!}}List of awards and nominations received by The Big Bang Theory}}

In August 2009, the sitcom won the best comedy series TCA award and Jim Parsons (Sheldon) won the award for individual achievement in comedy.{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/08/the_tca_awards_turn_25_sepinwa.html|title=The TCA Awards turn 25 – Sepinwall on TV | New Jersey Entertainment – TV & Film|website=The Star-Ledger|date=August 2, 2009|access-date=October 11, 2009|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180741/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/08/the_tca_awards_turn_25_sepinwa.html|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2009ptemmys/61stemmys_noms.php |title=61st Primetime Emmy Awards | Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |publisher=Cdn.emmys.tv |access-date=January 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718001718/http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2009ptemmys/61stemmys_noms.php |archive-date=July 18, 2009 }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/572681/2014-emmy-awards-the-complete-list-of-primetime-winners|title=66th Primetime Emmy Awards Winner List|date=August 26, 2014 |access-date=August 26, 2014|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005257/https://www.eonline.com/news/572681/2014-emmy-awards-the-complete-list-of-primetime-winners|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2722873/2016-peoples-choice-awards-winners/|title=2016 People's Choice Awards: See The Winners Here|publisher=MTV News|access-date=January 7, 2016|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005215/http://www.mtv.com/news/2722873/2016-peoples-choice-awards-winners/|url-status=dead}} On January 20, 2016, The Big Bang Theory also won the International category at the UK's National Television Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltvawards.com/winners/|title=Winners {{!}} National Television Awards|website=National Television Awards|access-date=January 21, 2016|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005344/https://www.nationaltvawards.com/winners|url-status=live}}

On March 16, 2014, a Lego Ideas project{{cite web|url=https://ideas.lego.com/projects/58456|title=Lego Ideas The Big Bang Theory List|access-date=September 6, 2015|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212171826/https://ideas.lego.com/projects/58456|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Elensar |first=Alatariel |date=2014-02-18 |title=The Big Bang Theory |url=https://ideas.lego.com/projects/0d78ced0-27eb-4616-b0dd-e8de9f6b1601 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=ideas.lego.com |language=en}} 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 San Diego Comic-Con.{{Cite web |title=The Big Bang Theory |url=http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/tag/the-big-bang-theory/page/2/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=Action Figure Insider |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Upkins |first=Dennis |date=2017-09-06 |title=The Big Bang Theory Lego Set In The Works |url=https://comicbook.com/comicbook/news/the-big-bang-theory-lego-set-in-the-works/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en-US}}

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 in 2010.{{cite web |date=February 9, 2010 |url=https://www.thewrap.com/big-bang-belarus-theft-sitcom-video-14044/ |title='Big Bang' In Belarus: The Theft of a Sitcom (video) |access-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928121214/https://www.thewrap.com/big-bang-belarus-theft-sitcom-video-14044/ |url-status=live }} Officially titled {{ill|Теоретики|ru}} (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.{{cite magazine |last=Lyons |first=Margaret |date=February 9, 2010 |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/02/09/big-bang-theory-belarus/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005306/https://ew.com/article/2010/02/09/big-bang-theory-belarus/ |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |url-status=live |title='The Theorists': 'Big Bang Theory'{{'}}s big Belarusian rip-off |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} 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.{{cite web |author-link=Chuck Lorre |last=Lorre |first=Chuck |date=February 8, 2010 |url=http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=277 |title=Vanity Card #277 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213163836/http://www.chucklorre.com/index.php?p=277 |archive-date=February 13, 2010 |work=The Official Vanity Card Archives |publisher=Chuck Lorre Productions}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://charter97.org/ru/news/2010/2/18/26493/ |title=STV canceled the pirated show 'The Theorists' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412082425/http://charter97.org/ru/news/2010/2/18/26493 |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |website=Xaptbir97 |date=February 18, 2010 |language=ru}} {{ill|Танкович, Дмитрий Леонидович|lt=Dmitriy Tankovich|ru}} (who plays Leonard's counterpart, "Seva") said in an interview, {{quote|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.{{cite web |url=http://charter97.org/ru/news/2010/2/12/26330/ |title='The Theorists' actors don't want to stay with a stolen project |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529013759/http://charter97.org/ru/news/2010/2/12/26330 |archive-date=May 29, 2010 |work=Xaptbir97 |date=April 28, 2017 |language=ru}}}}

{{Main|Young Sheldon{{!}}Young Sheldon}}

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.{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2016/11/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-spinoff-prequel-series-cbs-1201849838/|title='The Big Bang Theory' Eyes Young Sheldon Spinoff Prequel Series On CBS|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=November 7, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2017|archive-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217050348/http://deadline.com/2016/11/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-spinoff-prequel-series-cbs-1201849838/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-bang-theory-sheldon-prequel-series-works-at-cbs-944826|title='Big Bang Theory' Sheldon Prequel Series in the Works at CBS|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 7, 2016|access-date=March 15, 2017|archive-date=March 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315175612/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/big-bang-theory-sheldon-prequel-series-works-at-cbs-944826|url-status=live}} The initial idea for the series came from Parsons, who passed it along to The Big Bang Theory producers. 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.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-spinoff-iain-armitage-zoe-perry-cast-1202034391/|title='Big Bang' Sheldon Spinoff Inches Closer With Iain Armitage & Zoe Perry Castings|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 2, 2017|access-date=March 13, 2017|archive-date=March 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313095514/http://deadline.com/2017/03/the-big-bang-theory-sheldon-spinoff-iain-armitage-zoe-perry-cast-1202034391/|url-status=live}}

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 stars 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 also serve as executive producers on the series, for Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. Television.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/03/young-sheldon-spinoff-prequel-the-big-bang-theory-cbs-series-order-cast-jon-favreau-chuck-lorre-steven-molaro-1202042417/|title='The Big Bang Theory' Spinoff 'Young Sheldon' Gets CBS Series Order, Rounds Out Cast; Jon Favreau Set To Direct|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=March 13, 2017|access-date=March 13, 2017|archive-date=June 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612034809/https://deadline.com/2017/03/young-sheldon-spinoff-prequel-the-big-bang-theory-cbs-series-order-cast-jon-favreau-chuck-lorre-steven-molaro-1202042417/|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/cbs-schedule-primetime-fall-2107-2018-the-big-bang-theory-ncis-mom-1202095439/|title=CBS Fall 2017 Schedule: No Major Changes, 'Young Sheldon' Joins 'The Big Bang Theory', 'S.W.A.T.' On Thursday|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 17, 2017|access-date=May 22, 2017|archive-date=May 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522150611/http://deadline.com/2017/05/cbs-schedule-primetime-fall-2107-2018-the-big-bang-theory-ncis-mom-1202095439/|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/01/young-sheldon-renewed-season-2-cbs-1202236902/|title='Young Sheldon' Renewed For Season 2 By CBS|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=January 6, 2018|access-date=January 6, 2018|archive-date=January 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107054405/http://deadline.com/2018/01/young-sheldon-renewed-season-2-cbs-1202236902/|url-status=live}} On February 22, 2019, CBS renewed the series for both the third and fourth seasons.{{cite web|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|last2=Petski|first2=Denise|title='Young Sheldon' Renewed For Two More Seasons By CBS|url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/young-sheldon-renewed-two-more-seasons-cbs-2019-2020-1202562775/|website=Deadline|access-date=February 22, 2019|date=February 22, 2019|archive-date=February 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222212900/https://deadline.com/2019/02/young-sheldon-renewed-two-more-seasons-cbs-2019-2020-1202562775/|url-status=live}} On March 30, 2021, CBS renewed the series for a fifth, sixth, and seventh season.{{cite web |last1=Goldberg |first1=Lesley |title='Young Sheldon' Scores 3-Season Renewal at CBS |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/young-sheldon-scores-3-season-renewal-at-cbs |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=March 30, 2021 |date=March 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330203344/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/young-sheldon-scores-3-season-renewal-at-cbs |archive-date=March 30, 2021 |url-status=live }}

The prequel series came to an end on May 16, 2024, with an hour long episode which included George Cooper's funeral and a cameo from Parsons and Mayim Bialik as their older characters. The audience learns that Young Sheldon has been a memoir of Sheldon's life all along.

{{Main|Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage}}

In January 2024, it was announced that there will be a spin-off series of Young Sheldon focused on Georgie Cooper and Mandy McAllister that will be slated for the 2024–25 season on CBS.{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=2024-01-12 |title='Young Sheldon' Spinoff About Georgie & Mandy Nears CBS Series Order From Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro & Steve Holland |url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/young-sheldon-spinoff-georgie-mandy-cbs-1235721299/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Deadline}}

On April 12, 2023, it was announced that a spin-off of the original series was in development.{{cite web |last1=Hailu |first1=Selome |title=New 'Big Bang Theory' Spinoff in Development at HBO Max |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/big-bang-theory-spinoff-hbo-max-1235580575/ |website=Variety |access-date=April 16, 2023 |date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415084234/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/big-bang-theory-spinoff-hbo-max-1235580575/ |url-status=live }} On October 10, 2024, it was announced that the third spin-off will feature Stuart Bloom, Denise, and Bert Kibbler, with Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, and Brian Posehn reprising their roles.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/big-bang-theory-spinoff-max-cast-brian-posehn-lauren-lapkus-kevin-sussman-1236174305/|title='Big Bang Theory' Spinoff in Development at Max Adds Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman|website=Variety|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=October 10, 2024|access-date=October 10, 2024}} On March 19, 2025, it was announced that the title of the show will be Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.[https://www.avclub.com/big-bang-theory-spin-off-stuart-fails-to-save-the-universe The latest Big Bang Theory spin-off has a name: Stuart Fails To Save The Universe]

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 is a backstage retrospective featuring Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco.{{cite web|title=CBS Announces the New Special "Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell" to Air Thursday, May 16|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/04/29/cbs-announces-the-new-special-unraveling-the-mystery-a-big-bang-farewell-to-air-thursday-may-16-841411/20190429cbs02/|work=The Futon Critic|date=April 29, 2019|access-date=April 29, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005306/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/04/29/cbs-announces-the-new-special-unraveling-the-mystery-a-big-bang-farewell-to-air-thursday-may-16-841411/20190429cbs02/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/tv/2019/04/29/big-bang-theory-series-finale-cbs-retrospective/|title=CBS will air a retrospective after 'The Big Bang Theory' series finale|website=EW.com|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225005403/https://ew.com/tv/2019/04/29/big-bang-theory-series-finale-cbs-retrospective/|url-status=live}}

In March 2023, political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar filed a court case in Mumbai against Netflix due to the series insulting Madhuri Dixit in an episode of season 2 by calling her a "leprous prostitute".{{Cite web |title=Madhuri Dixit vs The Big Bang Theory explained: Netflix sued for 'leprous prostitute' comment, know case |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/explainer/report-madhuri-dixit-vs-the-big-bang-theory-explained-netflix-sued-for-leprous-prostitute-comment-aishwarya-rai-3032766 |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=DNA India|archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328061258/https://www.dnaindia.com/explainer/report-madhuri-dixit-vs-the-big-bang-theory-explained-netflix-sued-for-leprous-prostitute-comment-aishwarya-rai-3032766 |url-status=live }}

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