Tuesday, 21 May 2019

A Sitcom Special - 12 Years of The Big Bang Theory


***This article contains spoilers***

It’s been 12 seasons and 280 episodes, and The Big Bang Theory has finally reached its conclusion. Since May of 2006, Chuck Lorre and CBS have captured the hearts of millions around the globe and on May 16th, 2019, they released a final episode which aired to no less than 18.5 million viewers in the U.S. alone.

The show centres around a group of geeky academics spending every free waking hour together in an apartment in Pasadena, California. When a gorgeous would-be actress named Penny moves into the opposite apartment, fate throws the group a curveball which leads to a chain reaction that changes their lives forever.

The timeless cast of characters led by Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and the veritably insane genius Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) instantly created a sit-com backdrop like no other. They would be joined swiftly by Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Howard (Simon Helberg) and later by Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), Amy (Mayim Bialik) and last, but not least, sickly comic book store owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman).

After 12 years of ups and downs and successful and failed relationships alike, the show came to its eventual climax in the midst of the newly married Sheldon and Amy discovering a fresh marvel in the field of physics known as “super asymmetry”, a discovery which won them a much-coveted Nobel Prize.

The final episode brought the audience a happy conclusion with an absence of any tragedy we may have been expecting, finally ending on a high note as the main cast assembled in the familiar living room with familiar take-out food, a stripped-back acoustic version of The Bare Naked Ladies’ iconic theme song resonating in the background; a fitting ending to a delightful sitcom that has brought a full generation of viewers unimaginable joy for twelve long years.

The Big Bang Theory is officially the longest running sitcom in American TV history and after years of compelling storylines, beautifully lovable characters, not to mention an incredible array of celebrity cameos and a collection of the finest nerd-friendly references to science fiction and science fact alike, it’s easy to see why the show has been a fan favourite throughout its entire run on CBS and surely will continue to enchant future audiences for generations to come.


No comments:

Post a Comment