The Big Bang Theory season 1

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The Big Bang Theory
Season 1
First season DVD cover art
Starring
No. of episodes17
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 24, 2007 (2007-09-24) –
May 19, 2008 (2008-05-19)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory was originally aired on CBS from September 24, 2007, to May 19, 2008, over 17 episodes. An unaired pilot also exists. The Season 1 DVD came without a gag reel and is, so far, the only Big Bang Theory DVD set not to have one. The reissued Blu-ray, was released July 10, 2012, and includes a gag reel that is exclusive to the set. The episodes on Blu-ray are all in remastered surround sound, whereas the DVD version had stereo. Two of the main cast, Sheldon and Leonard, are named after actor, director, and producer Sheldon Leonard.[1]

Johnny Galecki and Sara Gilbert both selected the episode "The Hamburger Postulate" as a Primetime Emmy Award submission for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, respectively, at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, but both ended up not receiving a nomination.[2] Jim Parsons selected the episode "The Pancake Batter Anomaly" as a Primetime Emmy Award submission for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, but ended up not receiving a nomination.[2]

Overview

The lives of physicists Dr. Leonard Hofstadter and Dr. Sheldon Cooper are shaken up when an attractive young aspiring actress from Omaha, Nebraska named Penny moves into the apartment across the hall from theirs. Leonard begins to become hopelessly enamored of Penny, while she feels only platonic affection for him; as a result, she finds herself putting up with his closest and ever-present friends: his roommate, Sheldon, who appears borderline obsessive-compulsive; engineering whiz Howard Wolowitz, a desperately sex-crazed mama's boy who thinks that his 1960s-style clothing and hairstyle give him an air of cool hipness; and Dr. Rajesh "Raj" Koothrappali, who will not speak to her as he is too shy to talk to women (a case of selective mutism), unless intoxicated in which case he becomes a smooth talking yet highly overly aggressive womanizing flirt.

During Season One, Sheldon loses his job for insulting his new boss, finds his ego bruised by a child prodigy, becomes unable to bear being part of a lie that Leonard has told, and is always attacking the world with a relentless need to assert his supremacy. Rajesh first learns that he can talk to women, but only when he is drunk, and Penny and Leonard finally go out in the season finale. It is so far the only season not to feature John Ross Bowie as the recurring character Barry Kripke and Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom.

Cast

Main article: List of The Big Bang Theory characters

Production

Further information: The Big Bang Theory § Production

The program's initial pilot, developed for the 2006/07 television season, was substantially different from its current form. Only Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons were in the cast, and their across-the-hall neighbor Katie was envisioned as "a street-hardened, tough-as-nails woman with a vulnerable interior".[3] Katie was played by actress Amanda Walsh.[4] They also had a female friend called Gilda (played by Iris Bahr). The program's original theme music was also different, using Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me with Science". The program was not picked up, but the creators were given an opportunity to revise it, bringing in the remaining leading cast and retooling the show to its current format. The original unaired pilot has never been released on any official format, but copies of it are on the internet with various collectors.

The second pilot of The Big Bang Theory was directed by James Burrows, who did not continue with the show. This reworked pilot led to a 13-episode order by CBS on May 14, 2007.[5] Prior to its airing on CBS, the pilot episode was distributed on iTunes free of charge. The show premiered September 24, 2007, and was picked up for a full 22-episode season on October 19, 2007.[6]

Production on the show was halted on November 6, 2007, due to the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, which the same thing happened in The Office Season Four, only to be replaced by a short-lived sitcom, Welcome to The Captain on February 4, 2008, but returning on March 17, 2008, in an earlier time slot with nine new episodes.[7][8]

David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, checks scripts and provides dialogue, math equations and diagrams used as props.[9]

Clips from the season finale, "The Tangerine Factor", gained popularity on the Chinese video-sharing website Tudou because of Sheldon's inaccurate Mandarin.[citation needed]

Episodes

See also: List of The Big Bang Theory episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"James BurrowsChuck Lorre & Bill PradySeptember 24, 2007 (2007-09-24)2760239.52[10]
22"The Big Bran Hypothesis"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady
Teleplay by : Robert Cohen & Dave Goetsch		October 1, 2007 (2007-10-01)3T66018.58[11]
33"The Fuzzy Boots Corollary"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre
Teleplay by : Bill Prady & Steven Molaro		October 8, 2007 (2007-10-08)3T66028.36[12]
44"The Luminous Fish Effect"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady
Teleplay by : David Litt & Lee Aronsohn		October 15, 2007 (2007-10-15)3T66038.15[13]
55"The Hamburger Postulate"Andrew D. WeymanStory by : Jennifer Glickman
Teleplay by : Dave Goetsch & Steven Molaro		October 22, 2007 (2007-10-22)3T66048.81[14]
66"The Middle-earth Paradigm"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Dave Goetsch
Teleplay by : David Litt & Robert Cohen		October 29, 2007 (2007-10-29)3T66058.92[15]
77"The Dumpling Paradox"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady
Teleplay by : Lee Aronsohn & Jennifer Glickman		November 5, 2007 (2007-11-05)3T66069.68[16]
88"The Grasshopper Experiment"Ted WassStory by : Dave Goetsch & Steven Molaro
Teleplay by : Lee Aronsohn & Robert Cohen		November 12, 2007 (2007-11-12)3T66079.32[17]
99"The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization"Joel MurrayStory by : Bill Prady & Stephen Engel
Teleplay by : Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn & Dave Goetsch		March 17, 2008 (2008-03-17)3T66089.11[18]
1010"The Loobenfeld Decay"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre
Teleplay by : Bill Prady & Lee Aronsohn		March 24, 2008 (2008-03-24)3T66098.63[19]
1111"The Pancake Batter Anomaly"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn
Teleplay by : Bill Prady & Stephen Engel		March 31, 2008 (2008-03-31)3T66108.68[20]
1212"The Jerusalem Duality"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Jennifer Glickman & Stephen Engel
Teleplay by : Dave Goetsch & Steven Molaro		April 14, 2008 (2008-04-14)3T66117.69[21]
1313"The Bat Jar Conjecture"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Stephen Engel & Jennifer Glickman
Teleplay by : Bill Prady & Robert Cohen		April 21, 2008 (2008-04-21)3T66127.51[22]
1414"The Nerdvana Annihilation"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Bill Prady
Teleplay by : Stephen Engel & Steven Molaro		April 28, 2008 (2008-04-28)3T66138.07[23]
1515"The Shiksa Indeterminacy"[24]
"The Pork Chop Indeterminacy"[25]		Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre
Teleplay by : Lee Aronsohn & Bill Prady		May 5, 2008 (2008-05-05)3T66147.38[26]
1616"The Peanut Reaction"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Bill Prady & Lee Aronsohn
Teleplay by : Dave Goetsch & Steven Molaro		May 12, 2008 (2008-05-12)3T66157.79[27]
1717"The Tangerine Factor"Mark CendrowskiStory by : Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady
Teleplay by : Lee Aronsohn & Steven Molaro		May 19, 2008 (2008-05-19)3T66167.34[28]

Reception

The Big Bang Theory initially received mixed reviews, receiving 52% "rotten" score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews, with the critics consensus reading "The Big Bang Theory brings a new class of character to mainstream television, but much of the comedy feels formulaic and stiff."[29] It also received a 57-point score on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews", based on 23 reviews.[30]

Tom Shales of The Washington Post gave the show a positive review, saying "Big Bang is the funniest new sitcom of the season".[31] Robert Bianco of USA Today also gave the show a positive review, saying "This may not be the sitcom breakthrough for which we've all been hoping, but Lorre has produced a first episode that leaves you eager to try the second".[32]

David Bianculli of New York Daily News criticized the dialogue, particularly when the male characters explain jokes, writing that "People tuning in to Big Bang may not all be Mensa members, but they won't all be idiots, either",[33] Henry Goldblatt of Entertainment Weekly criticized the premise and plot of early episodes, writing that "To call this a one-joke sitcom would be a stretch",[34] and Tim Goodman of San Francisco Chronicle criticized the stereotypes presented in the characters, and wrote that "the writing here is so moronic and the situations so forced and mundane".[35]

References

  1. ^ "'Big Bang Theory': 'We didn't anticipate how protective the audience would feel about our guys'". Variety. May 5, 2009. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2010. Q. Are Sheldon and Leonard named after the brilliant (producer) Sheldon Leonard of "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Danny Thomas Show," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "My Favorite Martian" and "I Spy?" (Binnie) A. Yep. Chuck and I are both fans. Chuck's idea.
  2. ^ a b "Official 2008 EMMYS Episode Submissions". The Envelope Forum, Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008.
  3. ^ "TV Legends Revealed | 'Big Bang Theory's' Sheldon Originally Had a Sex Drive". Comic Book Resources. November 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  4. ^ "Breaking News — Development Update: May 22–26 (Weekly Round-Up)". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  5. ^ "CBS Picks Up 'Bang,' 'Power' Plus Four Dramas". The Futon Critic. May 14, 2007.
  6. ^ "Breaking News — Cbs Gives Freshman Comedy "The Big Bang Theory" And Drama "The Unit" Full Season Orders" (Press release). CBS. October 19, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  7. ^ ""The Big Bang Theory" And "How I Met Your Mother" to Swap Time Periods" (Press release). The Futon Critic. February 20, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  8. ^ "CBS Sets Series Return Dates". zap2it.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  9. ^ Strauss, Gary (April 11, 2007). "There's a science to CBS' Big Bang Theory". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 22, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  10. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 3, 2007). "Nielsen Top 20 New Shows TV Ratings, Sept 24–30". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  11. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 2, 2007). "Nielsen Overnight TV Ratings, Monday Oct 1". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  12. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 9, 2007). "Cuban Dancing to the Top? ABC Wins". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  13. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 16, 2007). "Overnight Results Monday 10/15: ABC Dances on Top". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  14. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 10/22)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. October 30, 2007. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  15. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 30, 2007). "Overnight Results 10/29: ABC Dancing on Mondays". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  16. ^ Seidman, Robert (November 6, 2007). "Overnight Results 11/5: Dance, Dance, Dance". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  17. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 11/12)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. November 20, 2007. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  18. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 18, 2008). "Neilsen Ratings Mon March 17: Dancing is Back". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  19. ^ Seidman, Robert (March 25, 2008). "Neilsen Ratings Mon March 24: Youth Demo Loves Britney?". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  20. ^ Seidman, Robert (April 1, 2008). "Nielsen Ratings Mon March 31: CBS Goes Young vs. ABC". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  21. ^ Seidman, Robert (April 15, 2008). "Nielsen Ratings Mon April 14: CBS Feels Young Again". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  22. ^ Seidman, Robert (April 22, 2008). "Nielsen Ratings Mon April 21: Nobody Watched Gossip Girl and CBS is Young Again". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  23. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 4/28)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 6, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  24. ^ "(#115) "The Shiksa Indeterminacy"". Listings – Big Bang Theory, The on CBS. the Futon Critic. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  25. ^ "Big Bang Theory: The Pork Chop Indeterminacy". CBS. Archived from the original on January 2, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  26. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (W/O 5/5)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 13, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  27. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 5/12)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 20, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  28. ^ "Weekly Program Rankings (Wk of 5/19)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 28, 2008. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
  29. ^ "The Big Bang Theory: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  30. ^ "The Big Bang Theory: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 21, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  31. ^ Shales, Tom (September 24, 2007). "Way to Go, Chuck!". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  32. ^ Bianco, Robert (September 24, 2007). "Big Bang Theory both smart, funny". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  33. ^ Bianculli, David (September 26, 2007). "The Big Bang Theory - CBS creates a new sitcom". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  34. ^ Goldblatt, Henry (October 12, 2007). "The Big Bang Theory". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  35. ^ Goodman, Tim (September 23, 2007). "Review: Big Bang is more like a big did". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
General references

External links

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