The Big Bang Theory | |
---|---|
Created by | |
Original work | The Big Bang Theory unaired pilot (2007) |
Owner | Chuck Lorre Productions |
Years | 2007–present |
Films and television | |
Television series |
|
Audio | |
Original music | |
Miscellaneous | |
Special | Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell (2019) |
Adaptations | The Theorists (2010) |
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom media franchise created by Steven Molaro, Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre. It began with the Brady and Lorre television series The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019), and includes Young Sheldon (2017–2024) and Stuart, Denise & Bert (2025), both spin-offs of the first series, as well as Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (2024–present), a spin-off of Young Sheldon. The fictional universe is informally referred to as the "Big-Bang-verse" or simply the "Bang-verse".[1][2][3]
The Big Bang Theory initially revolved around five characters: Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), both physicists at Caltech, who share an apartment; Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's similarly geeky and socially awkward friends and coworkers, aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar).[4][5] Over time, supporting characters were promoted to starring roles, including neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski (Melissa Rauch), and comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman). Young Sheldon, the prequel series, narrated by Parsons, follows a younger Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) during his early life as a child prodigy, with his mother Mary (Zoe Perry), father George (Lance Barber), brother Georgie (Montana Jordan), twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord), and grandmother Connie/"Meemaw" (Annie Potts).[6][7] Over time, supporting characters were promoted to starring roles, including pastor Jeff Difford (Matt Hobby), neighbour Billy Sparks (Wyatt McClure), and Georgie's wife Mandy (Emily Osment). Its own sequel series, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, follows newlywed Georgie (Jordan) and Mandy (Osment) as they move in with the latter's family, the McAllisters, including father Jim (Will Sasso), mother Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones), and brother Connor (Dougie Baldwin), as well as neighbour Ruben (Jessie Prez). Stuart, Denise & Bert, a sequel to the Big Bang Theory, will follow Stuart (Bloom), his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), and friend Bert (Brian Posehn).
The Big Bang Theory and Stuart, Denise & Bert are set in Pasadena, California, while Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage are set in the fictional town of Medford, Texas.
The The Big Bang Theory franchise has since expanded across several different mediums and multimedia platforms, with varying degrees of contributions from its cast and crew, including the Russian-language unofficial remake The Theorists, the cast of which were not informed of its unauthorised nature.[8]