The Big Bang Theory (franchise)

The Big Bang Theory
Created by
Original workThe Big Bang Theory
unaired pilot (2007)
OwnerChuck Lorre Productions
Years2007–present
Films and television
Television series
Audio
Original music
Miscellaneous
SpecialUnraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell (2019)
AdaptationsThe 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]

  1. ^ Brown, Adam (June 1, 2024). "Can The Big Bang Theory Franchise Survive Without Sheldon?". MovieWeb. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Abdullah, Immy (March 6, 2024). "Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik to reprise iconic Big Bang Theory roles in Young Sheldon series finale". Nine.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  3. ^ Smith, Jeremy (September 22, 2024). "How Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Deals With That Major Big Bang Theory Death". Slash Film. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  4. ^ 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 November 7, 2008.
  5. ^ Pierce, Scott D. (October 8, 2007). "He's a genius". Deseret News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  6. ^ "Young Sheldon (2017) s02e011 Episode Script". Springfield Scripts. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  7. ^ Bhatt, Jinal (July 15, 2019). "Young Sheldon's Iain Armitage Talks About Playing The 9 YO Version Of The Most Beloved Genius on Television". Mashable India. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  8. ^ "'The Theorists' actors don't want to stay with a stolen project". Xaptbir97 (in Russian). April 28, 2017. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010.