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The Big Bang Theory on CBS

[2007, TV Show]

The Big Bang Theory: TV Guide News

Ask Matt | 5/12/2008
Q: I'm sort of an amateur physics/astrophysics buff, and so many of the references in The Big Bang Theory seem to ring true to pop science articles and books I read about string theory, quantum mechanics, etc. Which of the show's writers are the closet Ph.D.s? I can see where a consultant could be used to check accuracy, but not to dream up an endless stream of gags that are straight out of The Journal of Irreproducible Results (sponsors of the annual Ignoble Prizes). A: For the answer, I turn... read more
Episode recap: The Shiksa Indeterminacy | The Big Bang Theory Show Blog | 5/6/2008
We're at the university. Leonard and Rejesh are strolling along, checking out an ad calling for volunteers for a study about anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia (look it up), and there's Howard staking out a hot woman -- in Sheldon's office? Our Sheldon? Obviously, she's lost, or issuing a summons, or whatever. We learn she's Sheldon, ahem, Shelly's twin sister.There isn't a lot of symbiosis between Missy and Shelly. She's tall and beautiful and kind of normal. He's tall, not and not. And... read more
Ask Matt | 5/5/2008
Q: First, I just want you to know that I love how you love television! You have a pure passion for it, and I love that. You give your opinion on programs, whether positive or negative, and you don't criticize people who think differently. I actually watched a full episode of Two and a Half Men, and while I can understand its popularity, all the double entendres and vulgarity actually turned me off. But I watched it and formed my own opinion, and that's because of you. As for my question, I've... read more
My Big Bang Theory: Comic Geniuses at Work | Roush Review | 4/30/2008
Somewhere in the sitcom cosmos, Felix Unger (Tony Randall version) is smiling, because there's a new odd couple in town, and a frenetically funny fussbudget on the loose who makes Felix seem almost normal. Equal parts smart and silly, and refreshingly short on smarminess, The Big Bang Theory is the season's one great new classic comedy. As Sheldon Cooper, a prickly mathematical genius who hasn't yet figured out the formula for successful human interaction, Jim Parsons is a marvelous ... read more
Episode recap: The Nerdvana Annihilation | The Big Bang Theory Show Blog | 4/29/2008
The guys are hanging out and they all go in on a $800 bid on a time machine prop from the original The Time Machine movie. Of course, they'll be outbid. Whew! That was close. What in the world would they do with a time machine? Except they won the auction.Why didn't anyone else bid? Oh, because it's about the size of a Renault. Didn't Leonard say it was miniature?Cut to the best animation/opening sequence in all of television.Step by step, Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Rajesh push and pull the... read more
Episode recap: The Bat Jar Conjecture | The Big Bang Theory Show Blog | 4/22/2008
Holy competition, Batman! The guys are getting together to take on all comers in the Physics Bowl. No way they can be beaten. Except that Sheldon, in his usual self-absorbed alpha maleapalooza, has to provide all the answers and may jeopardize the team for the needs of one. Uh oh, I feel a moral lesson of life coming.Cut to the best animation/opening sequence in all of television.How ironic that while the physics foursome is debating the team name, it's Sheldon, of all people, who insists the... read more
Episode recap: The Jerusalem Duality | The Big Bang Theory Show Blog | 4/15/2008
So Sheldon and Leonard are having another one of their über-scientific conversations in the school cafeteria. I don’t mean to make it sound like a yawner. Jim Parsons delivers science doublespeak dialogue brilliantly, and the word I get from folks who've attended tapings is that he’s a one-taker.Uh oh, here comes trouble. Dr. Gablehauser escorts a kid named Dennis Kim over to their table, and suddenly Sheldon is no longer the center of the scientific universe. Dennis is being... read more
Ask Matt | 3/31/2008
Q: I can't tell you what a sigh of relief I took when I saw ratings for The Big Bang Theory's return. It had the same amount of viewers in the 18 to 49 demo that it did at 8:30 pm/ET. Considering it moved to the tougher time period, these ratings are actually better than it was getting before the strike. Kudos to CBS for moving it to an anchor slot ? the show got higher ratings than How I Met Your Mother ever got pre-Britney. I know it's early, but do you think there is any chance of Jim ... read more
Simon Helberg's Theory on Being a TV Nerd | TV Guide Interviews & Features | 3/24/2008
Perhaps Simon Helberg is ashamed to admit that he shares some of the same qualities (or at least the same fashion sense) that make The Big Bang Theory's (Mondays at 8 pm/ET, CBS) Howard Wolowitz "the biggest nerd on the planet." But as long as he keeps the laughs coming, we couldn't care less. We chatted with Helberg to see how he stayed busy during the strike, what new levels of geekdom we can expect in the remaining episodes and just where the man and dork divide. TVGuide.com: So how happy... read more
The Big Bang Theory | TV Show Previews | 3/20/2008
Returned: March 17 (airs Mondays at 8 pm/ET, CBS) Number of new episodes: 7Where we left off: Quantum physicists Leonard and Sheldon weren't any closer to scoring with the ladies when the WGA strike hit. But they had their hot gal pal Penny to help them acquire social skills and loosen up.What's next: Sheldon falls sick, but he's such a bad patient Leonard avoids him completely. The benefit for Sheldon is he gets Penny as a nurse. Will they or won't they?: Leonard's infatuation with Penny may... read more
Ratings: DWTS Partners with 20.9 Mil; Mother Sparkles | Today's News: Our Take | 3/18/2008
Monday's ratings highlights:8 pm/ETDancing with the Stars returned to an audience of 20.9 million total viewers, down a bit from the Season 6 kickoff. Both The Big Bang Theory (9.11 mil) and How I Met Your Mother: Pre-Britney Edition (9.73 mil) were up 14 percent from their last fresh episodes. Canterbury's Law (5.66 mil) dropped 25 percent of its premiere audience.9 pmOpposite the last 30 minutes of DWTS, Two and Half Men (14.03 mil) was down 1.3 mil from its last new ep. The Bachelor did 8.96... read more
Kaley Cuoco: Big Bang Is Back with a… (You Know) | TV Guide Interviews & Features | 3/17/2008
You may have forgotten, thanks to the seemingly endless WGA strike, but this is the "season of the nerd." And inarguably TV's dukes of dorkdom are Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) on CBS' The Big Bang Theory (resuming its freshman season tonight at 8 pm/ET). Playing beauty to the geeks is Kaley Cuoco, with whom TVGuide.com chatted about the "new" season ahead. TVGuide.com: First off, just to be clear, this is not the CBS sitcom guest-starring Britney Spears.Kaley Cuoco: No,... read more
Ask Matt | 3/3/2008
Q: I see that The Big Bang Theory has been picked up for a 24-episode order next year. I am glad to see CBS is showing faith in this show by moving it to 8 pm/ET and giving it a full-season renewal. But do you think the ratings will decline, because fewer people watch TV at 8 pm? A: Practically speaking, especially once the time changes again, viewership in the 8 pm/ET time period does go down, so The Big Bang Theory may experience a bit of a drop by airing earlier. But as you said, this switch... read more
CBS' Eyes a Move: Big Bang, Mother Swap Slots | WGA Post-Strike Watch: News About Returning Shows | 2/20/2008
CBS has announced that when The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother return with fresh episodes on March 17, they will occupy each other's time slots. Big Bang will now lead off the Eye's comedy four-pack, with Mother sliding a half-hour back, to 8:30 pm/ET. Welcome to the Captain, in turn, will move from the Monday lineup onto the answer side of a Trivial Pursuit card. — Matt Mitovich read more
CBS Renews Big Bang and Others, But No Mick or Mother (Yet) | Today's News: Our Take | 2/15/2008
CBS has announced it will be renewing The Big Bang Theory for another season, along with 10 others — albeit with a couple of conspicuous absences. Missing from the list, for the moment, are the newbie Moonlight, Rules of Engagement and The New Adventures of Old Christine. Joining the flood of announcements from the 'nets on what's next, CBS added to the rush with its list. The shows that did get a thumbs-up include Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI:... read more
Ask Matt | 2/8/2008
Q: I am hearing all over that after the strike ends, the networks are planning on bringing back existing shows but plan to save new series with full-season orders for relaunch next fall. Wouldn't this be ridiculous in the case of The Big Bang Theory? It was gaining such ratings momentum ? shouldn't CBS want to get it back on the air ASAP? People will be thinking that the show was canceled and forget about it if it's off the air for months and months. Do you know anything about CBS' plans for... read more
A Winter of TV Discontent? | Roush Dispatch | 12/4/2007
Just a thought: If the strike lasts much longer, do you think CBS' Big Brother house has room for all of us? I joke, of course, but I also fear that if things don't get resolved soon, it's going to be a long, cold winter indeed for fans of good old everyday regular non-reality TV.In the last few days, we’ve seen cliff-hanger episodes of Desperate Housewives and Heroes that felt like season finales, and for all we know, that’s what they might be, if production doesn’t resume early... read more
Ask Matt | 12/3/2007
I absolutely love The Big Bang Theory. I think it is the funniest new sitcom I have seen in years. The chemistry among the five characters is excellent. I am concerned as to what the writers' strike will mean for this show. It got a full-season order, yet it was the first show to be forced into reruns, and it only has eight reruns to air. Do you think this show can survive a long or even a short strike? I would be heartbroken if it was canceled. What is your prognosis for this show and its ... read more
Ask Matt | 11/26/2007
I started watching The Big Bang Theory since it followed one of my favorites, How I Met Your Mother and because I was a physics/math major and very easily fell into the "nerd" category through college and graduate school. One thing has stood out to me from the very first episode, and I wonder if anyone else has noticed: Jim Parsons' Sheldon character reminds me of Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce from Frasier.) I don't know if there is some resemblance in physical appearance or if it's the way... read more
30 Rock: The Height of Hilarity | Roush Dispatch | 11/16/2007
Every week, after laughing myself silly at the warped lunacy of 30 Rock on Thursday nights and then being greeted by the stubbornly low ratings on Friday morning, I’m more than ever convinced that this inspired comedy is the new Arrested Development. (And not just because it’s a dark-horse Emmy winner, also taking home the best-comedy trophy after its first season.) Here’s another cult classic that is apparently too off-kilter to be more than an acquired taste, unfortunately... read more
Ask Matt | 11/12/2007
Like you, I'm enjoying The Big Bang Theory and think Sheldon and the gang of nerds are a hoot. Penny, though, seems to be an unwelcome distraction. I haven't laughed at her even once ? her scenes simply aren't funny. Sara Gilbert, on the other hand, is a riot. Do you think the show should (or would) get rid of Penny and focus on its strengths, the geeks? Last week's episode, which had Penny in nearly every scene, didn't make me laugh once. (Or am I just prejudiced against dumb blondes?) read more
Ask Matt | 11/5/2007
I was totally prepared to hate The Big Bang Theory, so I was surprised at how much I like it. It is one of the few new sitcoms that I find really funny, and sometimes it actually makes me laugh out loud. What do you think of it? How is it doing? read more
Ask Matt | 11/2/2007
I was an evacuee from the wildfires in Southern California last week; I had to leave my house for five days, and I didn't get power back until the sixth day. That's right, six days without television! Luckily, my house is fine and so is my TiVo. The experience left me with two epiphanies: First, I was able to view most of the shows I missed online, which is an awesome thing I had never appreciated before. I always thought, why watch online when I can just watch my TV? Well, thanks to the major... read more
Ask Matt | 10/29/2007
Which new shows do you think have lived up to their hype? Which shows have fizzled, and which are just hitting their stride? Chuck is the first must-see on my list. Life is a close second, reminding me a bit of Boomtown. Pushing Daisies is growing on me. Until Lost and Battlestar Galactica return, I have found few series worth my time. What shows do you look forward to, and which have you given up on? read more
Ask Matt | 10/29/2007
Does it seem like the networks this fall are nursing their new shows a little better than in the past few seasons? I know Viva Laughlin was canceled quickly (oh, well!), but the networks have picked up Gossip Girl, Private Practice, The Big Bang Theory, Back to You and Pushing Daisies for full-season orders. None of these are ratings blockbusters, but they have pretty decent followings and good buzz. Do you think the suits are trying something new as ratings, in general, have been down, or do... read more
Breaking: Private Practice, Big Bang Get Full Season | Ausiello Report | 10/19/2007
Add Private Practice and The Big Bang Theory to the list of freshman shows getting full-season orders. Additionally, CBS has given the green light to a full season of The Unit.An ABC spokesperson confirms that the network picked up Private Practice's back-nine, for a grand total of 22 episodes. The gradually-improving Grey's spin-off ranks as the No. 1 new show of the season in adults 18-49. CBS, meanwhile, confirmed the extensions of Big Bang and The Unit, the latter of which notched its best... read more
Drew By Day; Comedy Tonight | Roush Dispatch | 10/15/2007
Giggling at the antics of the slap-happy contestants who “come on down” at what he calls “the happiest place on Earth,” Drew Carey looks like he’s having a blast, and looks right at home, on the spiffed-up set of The Price Is Right as he takes over as host today. There’s no fuss and no ceremony, and outside of the introduction telling us we’re at the Bob Barker Studio in Television City, and that one of the games is still called “Barker’s Bargain... read more
Ask Matt | 10/15/2007
Maybe I'm a teensy bit spoiled by the excellent summer programs that sucked me in (like Top Chef, Damages, Mad Men and Army Wives), but the fall season so far left me feeling kind of blah. There are some mediocre shows (like Bionic Woman, whose second episode was terrible), some good guilty pleasures (Gossip Girl and Dirty Sexy Money) and some downright stinkers. (Private Practice, anyone? Sorry, I'm not tuning in to watch Addison McBeal ever again.) Even some of my returning faves have gotten... read more
Exclusive: CBS' Big Bang Sci-com Gets Asimov's Vote | Today's News: Our Take | 10/12/2007
This, friends, is nearly on par with Henry Gray stumping for Mer-Der via séance. Robyn Asimov, daughter of the late Isaac Asimov ("the prolific writer, scientist and charismatic geek," as she herself puts it) reached out to us in response to a TVGuide.com feature on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, and to share her especially qualified affinity for the show about a pair of quirky physicists. "[It] is delightfully witty, a brilliant mix of intelligent dialogue with comedy, and absolutely spot-on... read more
Chuck Lorre Believes in Big Bang Theory (and Sara Gilbert) | TV Guide Interviews & Features | 10/8/2007
A few weeks ago, New York Magazine invited a panel of real-life physicists to weigh in on the CBS' The Big Bang Theory, in which Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons portray brainiacs with a surprisingly lot to learn. The opinions were... mixed, let's say, with some of the polled beautiful minds saying the laffer was being a bit funny with the facts of their life and work. When TVGuide.com spoke to Big Bang executive producer and sitcom giant Chuck Lorre, he had not seen the piece, but was surprised... read more
Ask Matt | 10/5/2007
I am quite happy and amazed that The Big Bang Theory is doing pretty well in the ratings, considering it gets no buzz from the media. This show is now No. 2 in its time slot, behind Dancing with the Stars; it has built on its How I Met Your Mother lead-in by double digits both weeks; and it beat critically acclaimed Chuck in both weeks' ratings. How do you think it will do in the ratings after DWTS exits? I think it might break 10 million. read more
Ask Matt | 9/28/2007
Well, I just finished watching the Big Bang Theory premiere and was blown away. Yes, blown away. In my defense, my favorite comedies of the past few seasons have been Arrested Development and 30 Rock. This is more traditional, and I got this great vintage Frasier feeling from it. The banter between the two main geeks rang oh-so-painfully true, as my equally misanthropic friends would attest. Yes, the humor is oftentimes broad. However, it gets many of the minute details of geek life right, ... read more
Ratings: Those Dancing Stars Dominate Yet Again | Today's News: Our Take | 9/25/2007
There's a lot to cover for this Monday, so let's rip into the ratings:• Dancing with the Stars topped the evening, averaging 21.2 million total viewers over its 90-minute run. (That's on par with its previous season-opener.) Lead-out The Bachelor, however, dropped its partner, managing just 9.56 mil (a 500K dip from Officer and a Gentlemen's debut).• CBS' comedy lineup did as follows: Mother, 8.27 mil, down 2.2 mil from last year's launch; newcomer The Big Bang Theory, 9.58 mil, a... read more
The New Season: Busy Enough for You? | Roush Dispatch | 9/25/2007
Already playing catch-up on only the second day of the official TV season. Geez, how will we ever survive Wednesdays and Thursdays? (Pause here for a silent prayer to the powers that protect my DVRs.)Anyway, the biggest news on Monday was how Heroes would bounce back from a first-season finale that disappointed many (I was not among them, but then, my expectations for this uneven show haven’t always been all that high). I was mostly enthralled, once I got over yet another tedious Mohinder... read more
Roseanne's Johnny Galecki Gets His Big Geek On | TV Guide Interviews & Features | 9/24/2007
Creating quality laughs for television isn't rocket science, though it may benefit from some quantum physics. In the new CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory (premiering tonight at 8:30 pm/ET), Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons play Leonard and Sheldon, super-brilliant roommates who realize they don't necessarily have all the answers when a bubbly blonde beauty named Penny (8 Simple Rules' Kaley Cuoco) moves in across the hall. Complicating matters further will be the arrival of Galecki's "former wife,"... read more
Ask Matt | 9/14/2007
I snapped up TV Guide's Fall Preview issue, and I find it a mixed blessing. While I appreciate the behind-the-scenes reportage and the luxurious layout, there's one crucial aspect that I miss greatly: your Picks (and yes, the capital P is deliberate). Of course, there were the "10 Shows with Buzz," but they included some shows you don't even like (Gossip Girl, etc.). And while you gave a helpful day-by-day analysis of the new programming, I and no doubt many other readers miss the days when you... read more
Roseanne Marrieds Reunite with a Big Bang | Today's News: Our Take | 9/4/2007
I totally called this one just the other day when it hit me that Johnny Galecki's nerd-tastic physicist on The Big Bang Theory, while in pursuit of Kaley Cuoco's blonde... um, non-physicist, would likely need to date a supergeeky gal along the way. Who better to fill that role than Sara Gilbert, who will reunite with her Roseanne hubby for an unspecified number of episodes when the CBS sitcom premieres Sept. 24. Gilbert will play a quantum-theory-spouting coworker of Galecki's, and the pair... read more
Ask Matt | 7/23/2007
I happened to see the pilot for CBS' The Big Bang Theory in Las Vegas last week, and I absolutely loved it. I have not l read more
Norman Lear Weighs In on Running Simultaneous Sitcoms | TV Guide News Report | 7/19/2007
Is there a run on porkpie hats in Hollywood? It seems Norman Lear is making quite a comeback at this summer's press tour. Earlier at the TCAs, NBC announced that he will oversee the production of a new hourlong comedy. At a CBS session, Chuck Lorre told reporters how he recently turned to the legendary producer of All in the Family and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman for some wisdom on how to simultaneously run two sitcoms. (Lorre has the new Big Bang Theory joining Two and a Half Men on Monday... read more
CBS Season Kicks Off with Controversial Kid Nation | Today's News: Our Take | 7/18/2007
CBS' premiere-rollout plan is as follows, starting off with the reality series Kid Nation (which reportedly skirted child-labor laws by classifying the production as a "summer camp" and taking advantage of a loophole in New Mexico labor rules that has since been closed. Hey, at least these "campers" were able to dodge Paris and Nicole.) For scads of CBS press-tour goss — including the current spin on Criminal Minds/Mandy Patinkin — see the Ausiello Report.Wednesday, Sept. 198 pm/ET:... read more
CBS: We've Got Ratings, Now We Want Buzz! | First Look: Hottest Fall TV | 5/17/2007
It isn't enough for CBS to be the most-watched network. At the presentation of its new fall schedule, network execs announced they want their shows to be talked about, too.It's a new version of an old tune. For years, CBS has had the largest number of viewers, but many of them were old and not as desirable to advertisers. Recently, the network has gotten much more competitive for the 18-to-49-year-old crowd that Madison Avenue pays most for. Yet shows such as ABC's Ugly Betty get a lot more ink... read more
Sound Bites: Kaley Cuoco on CBS' Big Bang | First Look: Hottest Fall TV | 5/16/2007
As part of a recent TVGuide.com feature, 8 Simple Rules and Charmed alumna Kaley Cuoco had this to say about CBS' The Big Bang Theory sitcom:TVGuide.com: This was another role you had to fight for, right? They at first said you were too young?Kaley Cuoco: This pilot was up in the last pilot season. And when I went to the network [for casting approval], Chuck Lorre, who I love and he loves me, said, "We love you, but we think you're too young." So they cast somebody else, did the pilot, and then... read more
Live CBS Upfront Coverage | Ausiello Report | 5/16/2007
3:46: CBS' Upfront starts in 15 minutes and I'm lost. Does anyone out there know how to get to Carnegie Hall!? Ba-dum-bum. 3:48: I've got an awesome seat right in the center. Some might say I have a birds-eye view of the stage. Ba-dum-bum.3:53: CBS is young and hip — and they've got a DJ spinning records in front of the stage to prove it!3:57: You haven't lived until you've heard CBS' NFL theme song remixed with "We Will Rock You."4:00: Showtime! Oooh, we're starting with a musical number!... read more
CBS Announces Its Fall Lineup | First Look: Hottest Fall TV | 5/16/2007
CBS announced today its 2007-2008 Fall Prime-time lineup, featuring five new series: one comedy, three dramas and one reality program. These freshman series will join the 17 returning programs on the current CBS lineup, which helped the network win the 2006-2007 season in viewers and adults 25-54, continuing its multi-year winning streak. The five new series feature bold and creative concepts, including Viva Laughlin, where drama is accented by iconic music; Cane, starring Jimmy Smits as the... read more
CBS Sneak Peek: Swingers, Geeks and Vampires, Oh My! | First Look: Hottest Fall TV | 5/14/2007
CBS on Monday began tipping its hand, ordering several new shows.On the drama front, there is Cane, starring NYPD Blue alum Jimmy Smits as the head of a Latin-American family in the rum biz; Moonlight (FKA Twilight), starring Alex O'Loughlin as a P.I. who is, by the way, a vampire; Viva Laughlin, a Hugh Jackman-produced import of a BBC series, concerning a family man who dreams of opening a casino in Laughlin, Nevada; and Swingtown, an Ice Storm-esque look at couples swapping partners in the... read more
The New Fall TV Schedule: Burning Questions | First Look: Hottest Fall TV | 5/11/2007
Upfronts week — the near-euphoric annual event where television enthusiasts such as you and I anticipate the new and returning fare heading our way — is upon us. Though some scheduling news has started to leak out — NBC has renewed Medium and fan-fave bubble show Friday Night Lights but is possibly crossing Jordan off its list — the official presentation of each network's fall schedule begins Monday with the Peacock showcasing its feathers, and concludes Thursday when the CW... read more