Talk:List of The Big Bang Theory episodes

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Frequently asked questions

To view an answer, click the [show] link to the right of the question.

Q1: Why is Sara Gilbert, who portrayed Leslie Winkle, still listed in a starring role, even though she left the series in season 3?

A1: Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Television#Cast and characters information states, "The cast should be organized according to the series original broadcast credits, with new cast members being added to the end of the list. Please keep in mind that "main" cast status is determined by the series producers, not by popularity or screen time. Furthermore, articles should reflect the entire history of a series, and as such actors remain on the list even after their departure from the series."

Since Sara Gilbert was a main cast member at one time she remains listed as a main cast member even though she is not in that role any more. This is necessary to ensure that the article reflects the entire history of the series. This has been discussed at length. Previous discussions may be found at:

Q2: Why is this article here? It's not the primary topic so it should be at The Big Bang Theory (TV series), or somewhere else, and this article should be about the cosmological model called the Big Bang.

A2: There have been several lengthy page move discussions with none reaching a consensus that this is not the primary topic. For more information, please see the discussions listed below:

Please consider these discussions before suggesting another move. Note that the cosmological model is simply called Big Bang and the name does not include "The" or "Theory", and redirects have been setup to take this, including capitalisation, into account. A list of redirects is shown below:

To the television series The Big Bang Theory

To the cosmological model Big Bang

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This article has been viewed enough times in a single year to make it into the Top 50 Report annual list. This happened in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Guidelines for summaries[edit]

I don't know if there is a specific guideline for summaries, other than the general WP:FILMPLOT. I give here some guidelines that I try to follow to write or refactor the summaries.

Short summaries consisting of two paragraphs, each of maximum four lines of text.
The first paragraph mentions the beginning of the episode, and establishes the plot. In many cases, there are two plots per episode, in which the characters divide in groups. Both plots are mentioned and described in parallel.
The second paragraph provides a conclusion to the plots.
I prefer to give a good introduction and a good conclusion, while removing events from the middle of the episode. This way, the entire episode is summarized, but details are left for the viewer to discover by watching the show.
I do not try to avoid WP:SPOILERs, specially at the conclusion. However, I try to remove extremely detailed information and direct quotes from the characters.

An example of the two paragraphs in a single-plot episode, The Jerusalem Duality:

Sheldon is overcome with envy when he meets 15-year-old child prodigy Dennis Kim (Austin Lee). Deciding his work in physics is useless, Sheldon decides to aim for the Nobel Peace Prize instead.

The guys, getting tired of Sheldon's behavior, decide get Dennis distracted with girls of his own age. Their plan works out and Dennis leaves with a blonde 15 year old for the shopping mall, while Sheldon declares his intention to resume his research.

An example of the two paragraphs in a two-plot episode, The Peanut Reaction:

Penny learns Leonard has never had a birthday party and decides to throw him a surprise party. When the day of the party arrives, Penny finds Sheldon did not buy a birthday gift, so she has to drive him to a store to pick up a present. Meanwhile, Howard needs to keep Leonard out of his apartment until the party.

Howard pretends to eat a peanut bar so Leonard must drive him to the emergency room. However, due to Sheldon's absent-mindedness in the store, Howard has to keep Leonard distracted even longer, and he is forced to actually eat the peanut bar. After being at the hospital for several hours, Howard and Leonard arrive back at the apartment to find the party has ended.

Note the use of "meanwhile" to denote concurrent events or plots.

Some people say that the "Title reference" included in each episode is WP:TRIVIA and needs to be removed. However, I think the title reference can be used to give just a little bit more of detail, without polluting the main text of the summary. Examples:

The Grasshopper Experiment. The name of the drink is not mentioned in the text, only in the title reference.
The Pancake Batter Anomaly. The measuring cup is not mentioned in the text, only in the title reference.
The Bat Jar Conjecture. The cookie jar is not mentioned in the text, only in the title reference.

Template issue[edit]

I added a ratings graph template toward the end of the article for the show's viewership, but it seems to have affected the templates used below it. Can anyone help? 2001:BB6:A288:A758:31C0:63FE:37A3:AFA3 (talk) 18:22, 22 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]