Revered as one of the best shows on primetime television, “The Big Bang Theory” will be coming to an end after its 12th season.
“The Big Bang Theory” is a sitcom based around roommates Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, played by Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons, respectively. Leonard and Sheldon are both physicists at the California Institute of Technology. The audience follows along as they deal with all the different issues and complications that come with being socially inept geniuses.
The show, which first aired in fall 2007, was initially met with some criticism over the stereotypical nature of the characters. However, by season three, audiences had come to enjoy the show and wanted to follow the journey.
“The Big Bang Theory” is shot as a traditional three-camera sitcom with a live audience to boot. The creators of the show, Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady are also executive producers, along with Steven Molaro.
The first episode of the final season will air on Sept. 24, the same date as the season one pilot aired.
With the help of strong characters like Penny, the neighbor/aspiring actress, Raj, an astrophysicist who is unable to speak to women for most of the first season and Howard, the outspoken aerospace engineer, the show gained traction and fanfare.
Later, side characters were introduced to the show, which only made the show more successful. Mayim Bialik was cast as Sheldon’s love interest and neuroscientist, Amy Farrah Fowler. Melissa Rauch played the loveable Bernadette Rostenkowski, a microbiologist who eventually marries Howard. The juxtaposition among the characters also made for wonderfully awkward, yet funny and endearing at the same time, moments.
“The Big Bang Theory” may be a show about “geeks,” but the beauty was that anyone could enjoy it. Altogether, the show has won 56 awards out of 216 nominations.
Specifically, Jim Parsons has won several awards for his portrayal of Sheldon Cooper. His witty one-liners and matter-of-fact way of speaking won the hearts of audiences everywhere. Parsons played the role of Sheldon so well, in fact, that a spin-off show called, “Young Sheldon” aired last year.
IMDb gave “The Big Bang Theory” a rating of 8.5/10, which is no easy feat. Rotten Tomatoes, another popular entertainment reviewing site, gave the show an 82 percent rating. Overall, the show has maintained fairly good ratings and viewership since its time on air.
At the end of the day, for all its clichés and cringe-worthy moments, “The Big Bang Theory” did more to challenge the idea of what a “geek” looks like through the show. And, as it was discovered, geeks, the Leonards and Sheldons of the world, are just like everyone else. We all have room to grow, and that fact is made known, throughout the sitcom’s run. Plus, regardless of any critiques of the show, that Barenaked Ladies song, “Big Bang Theory Theme,” is a classic.
Catch the 12th and final season of “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS, this fall.