176 Fun Facts About The Big Bang Theory

What is Sheldon Cooper's catchphrase that he uses when pulling a prank or making a joke?

Bazinga! even reached biology: in 2012 Brazilian scientists named a new orchid bee Euglossa bazinga because it had tricked them for some time by resembling another species.

Where does Penny work as a waitress when The Big Bang Theory begins?

The Cheesecake Factory employs Penny as a waitress until season 7, when she quits to chase acting full-time.

At which university do Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj work in The Big Bang Theory?

Caltech fires Sheldon in season 1 for insulting his new department head, and takes him back only after his mother flies in and charms the boss.

What is the number of the apartment shared by Sheldon and Leonard?

4A is Sheldon and Leonard's apartment until season 10, when Sheldon moves across the hall with Amy and leaves it to Leonard and Penny.

What social difficulty does Raj Koothrappali have in early seasons?

He cannot talk to women unless he has been drinking, a mutism that lifts in the season 6 finale: after Lucy dumps him, he finds himself chatting to Penny sober.

What kind of scientist is Sheldon Cooper?

Theoretical physicist Sheldon builds his career on string theory, then decides in season 7 that he has wasted his life on it and switches to dark matter.

In The Big Bang Theory's finale, what prestigious award do Sheldon and Amy receive?

The Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Sheldon and Amy, and Sheldon scraps the speech he has been preparing since childhood to thank his family and friends instead.

Which Star Trek actor has a recurring role as a fictionalized version of himself on The Big Bang Theory?

Wil Wheaton starts out on Sheldon's mortal-enemy list for skipping a 1995 convention the teenage Sheldon had travelled to see him at, but the two end up friends.

What is Howard Wolowitz's highest academic qualification, a running source of teasing from his friends?

Master's is where Howard stopped at MIT; in season 8 he joins Sheldon's class to start a doctorate, then drops it after the two spend the lessons humiliating each other.

Which Canadian band wrote and performs The Big Bang Theory's theme, 'The History of Everything'?

Barenaked Ladies were a lucky fit: when the show's creators asked for a theme song, the band's singer had just finished reading Simon Singh's book Big Bang.

Why did The Big Bang Theory end after its 12th season in 2019?

One of its stars chose to leave: the actor behind Sheldon was ready to say goodbye, so the studio and network ended the show rather than carry on without him.

Which actress plays Penny in The Big Bang Theory?

Kaley Cuoco broke her leg in a 2010 riding accident, so Penny spent several episodes tending bar, with the cast hidden behind the counter.

What type of scientist is Amy Farrah Fowler?

Neurobiologist Amy gets a paper into the journal Neuron in season 5, and Sheldon is so unimpressed by the news that she walks out on their date.

What is the name of Stuart Bloom's store, the group's regular hangout?

The Comic Center of Pasadena burns down in the season 7 finale and reopens in season 8, where Howard is furious to find it furnished with his mother's furniture.

Which state is Sheldon Cooper originally from?

Texas is where Sheldon flees in the season 3 premiere after learning his friends tampered with his Arctic data, and they have to follow him there to coax him back.

Sheldon and Leonard's apartment building stands at which Pasadena address?

2311 North Los Robles Avenue even hosts a wedding: Howard and Bernadette marry on its roof in season 5, timed so a passing mapping satellite would photograph them.

Which theory do Sheldon and Amy develop together in The Big Bang Theory's final season?

Sheldon and Amy develop super-asymmetry, an idea sparked by Sheldon's lopsided bow tie minutes before their season 11 wedding; the paper drives the final season's science arc.

What major life event does Howard experience that none of his friends do until much later seasons?

Howard goes to the International Space Station as a payload specialist, a major storyline in Season 5/6.

Who plays Sheldon's mother, Mary Cooper, in The Big Bang Theory?

Laurie Metcalf's real-life daughter Zoe Perry inherited the part, playing the younger Mary Cooper in the prequel Young Sheldon.

What is Leonard's mother's profession?

Neuroscientist and psychiatrist Beverly Hofstadter treats her son as a case study, even publishing a book about his childhood called The Disappointing Child.

Which actress plays Leonard's mother Beverly Hofstadter?

Christine Baranski plays Beverly Hofstadter, who thaws when she and Penny get drunk together in season 3 and ends the night by kissing Sheldon.

Bob Newhart won an Emmy playing Arthur Jeffries, the aged host of which children's science show Sheldon idolised?

Professor Proton had become a children's party entertainer by the time Sheldon meets him in season six, a turn that earned Newhart a Primetime Emmy.

What is Bernadette's field of scientific expertise?

Microbiology is Bernadette's field; she waits tables to pay for her doctorate, and the job it wins her soon pays far more than Howard's, to his discomfort.

In The Big Bang Theory's unaired pilot, what was the name of the female lead later replaced by Penny?

Katie, played by Amanda Walsh, was written as a street-hardened tough girl; test audiences disliked her, so the show was reworked around a sunnier neighbour.

Sheldon Leonard, namesake of The Big Bang Theory's two leads, produced which classic sitcom?

The Dick Van Dyke Show began as a failed pilot starring its creator, Carl Reiner; Sheldon Leonard saw the fault and had the lead recast with Dick Van Dyke.

What does Sheldon say between each of his knocks when he arrives at someone's door?

Sheldon says the person's name between each of his three knocks; in season 10 he explains the habit began at age 13 after walking in on his father with another woman.

In which field is Howard an engineer?

Howard is an aerospace engineer who designs hardware for NASA missions, including the zero-gravity waste disposal system that famously malfunctions in season 2.

In which country does Raj's family live?

India is home to Raj's wealthy parents in New Delhi, who bankroll his lifestyle until season 10, when he tells his father to stop the money so he can stand on his own feet.

Which video game gets its own weekly night in Sheldon's schedule on The Big Bang Theory?

Halo night is every Wednesday; in season 1 Penny fills in for Howard and turns out to be a natural at the game, to Sheldon's disbelief.

What online platform did Amy and Sheldon use to first meet?

Howard and Raj signed Sheldon up on a dating website, which matched him with Amy Farrah Fowler based on their compatibility.

What is the name of the fictional trading card game Sheldon and his friends play?

Mystic Warlords of Ka'a is the game of a season 3 tournament that Sheldon enters with Raj purely to take revenge on a childhood idol who once stood him up.

What is the name of the fighting robot Howard builds for a robot combat competition?

M.O.N.T.E. (Mobile Omnidirectional Neutralization and Termination Eradicator) is destroyed by Barry Kripke's robot in an unofficial match before the contest even starts.

In the flashback in 'The Staircase Implementation', what put the building's elevator out of order?

A rocket fuel experiment gone wrong: Leonard ignored Sheldon's warnings about the mixture, and Sheldon pushed him clear of the elevator moments before the smoking canister blew.

Which real-life physicist, one of Sheldon's heroes, guest-starred as himself on The Big Bang Theory?

Stephen Hawking first appears in season 5, where he reads Sheldon's paper and points out an arithmetic mistake so basic that Sheldon faints.

What is the title of The Big Bang Theory's final episode?

The Stockholm Syndrome puts the whole gang on a long-haul flight, where Raj finds himself seated beside Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar and later brings her along as his guest.

Which actress from Blossom plays Amy Farrah Fowler and actually holds a real-life Ph.D.?

Mayim Bialik was name-checked before she was cast: in season 1 Raj suggests recruiting the actress who played TV's Blossom for a quiz team, because she has a science doctorate.

What was the original working title for The Big Bang Theory?

Lenny, Penny and Kenny was only a placeholder: Lenny became Leonard and Kenny became Sheldon, and a co-creator says the title lasted about five minutes.

Which Big Bang Theory cast member was first asked to play Sheldon?

Johnny Galecki felt Leonard suited him better and said so, which is how he got that part and Sheldon went to another actor.

What is unusual about the glasses Leonard wears in The Big Bang Theory?

They have no lenses in them: looking up at his taller co-star made them catch the set lights, so out they came. The actor once stopped a scene by rubbing his eye straight through the frame.

Which real-life UCLA professor keeps the science on The Big Bang Theory's whiteboards accurate?

David Saltzberg vetted the scripts and filled the whiteboards with real equations, then explained the science behind each episode on his own blog.

What career does Penny eventually transition to from waitressing and acting?

Pharmaceutical sales representative is the job Penny lands in season 8 after a disastrous interview, rescued when she and the interviewer bond over their fear of Bernadette.

What is the name of Howard and Bernadette's first child?

Halley is named after Halley's Comet, and her cry is deliberately made to sound like the bellow of Howard's late mother.

What surprise about Penny is revealed in The Big Bang Theory's finale?

She is pregnant, a turnaround after a season spent insisting she didn't want children; the secret gets out when Sheldon announces it to everyone on the flight.

Which actress played Leslie Winkle, the physicist who had an on-off relationship with Leonard?

Sara Gilbert was promoted to the main cast in season 2 as Leslie Winkle, then cut back to guest spots when the writers found they could not write enough for her.

What is the name of Howard and Bernadette's second child?

Neil Michael takes his first name from Armstrong, Gaiman and Diamond all at once and his second from Bernadette's father, and she insists on calling him Michael.

Which tabletop game do the guys play with Penny, Amy and Bernadette in 'The Love Spell Potential'?

Dungeons & Dragons night turns awkward when the women join in: Penny pushes Sheldon's and Amy's characters to sleep together, and Amy, feeling mocked, locks herself in Sheldon's room.

The apartment flag in Sheldon's Roommate Agreement shows which creature rampant on a field of azure?

A gold lion rampant on a field of azure is the apartment's official flag, and Sheldon rules that it may be flown upside down only when the apartment is in distress.

In 'The Staircase Implementation', a fight with Sheldon over what sends Leonard across the hall to Penny's?

The thermostat is fixed by the Roommate Agreement, so when Leonard tries to nudge it up two degrees the row drives him to Penny's, where he tells her how he met Sheldon.

In what year did Leonard first move in with Sheldon, according to the flashback episode?

According to the show's timeline, Leonard moved into Apartment 4A in 2003, four years before the show's premiere.

Under the Roommate Agreement, what must a roommate invited to CERN do?

He must take the other one along, the clause Sheldon cites when Leonard plans to bring Penny for Valentine's Day; flu then fells Penny and Sheldon alike, so Raj gets the trip.

In Season 4, which character uses her legal knowledge to systematically dismantle the Roommate Agreement?

Priya Koothrappali, Raj's lawyer sister, picks the Agreement apart while dating Leonard, until Sheldon threatens to email her parents about the romance and wins a new contract.

How much per episode did The Big Bang Theory's five original cast members each earn in season 10?

$1 million an episode was the peak: in 2017 the five each gave up $100,000 of it so that two later-arriving co-stars could get raises.

On what date did the Big Bang Theory series finale air?

A farewell special, Unraveling the Mystery, aired the same night right after the finale.

What is the medical specialty of Emily Sweeney, Raj's girlfriend in the later seasons?

Dermatology is the specialty of Emily Sweeney, whom Raj comes across on a dating site in season 7; he gets Amy to do the messaging for him.

Which Muppets alumnus co-created The Big Bang Theory with Chuck Lorre?

Bill Prady worked in software before he wrote for Jim Henson's Muppets, and that programmer past is where the show's nerd world came from.

How many episodes did The Big Bang Theory make across its 12 seasons?

The Big Bang Theory made 279 episodes over twelve seasons, from September 2007 to May 2019, passing Cheers' 275 to become the longest-running multi-camera sitcom by episode count.

On which US network did The Big Bang Theory air?

CBS passed on the first pilot but gave the creators a chance to retool it and shoot a second, which became the show.

On The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon must face his fear of which animals when one appears at his window?

Birds terrify Sheldon until Amy and Bernadette coax him into stroking the jay at his window; he then adores it and plans to keep it, only for it to fly off the moment he opens the window.

What is Leonard's IQ?

Leonard's IQ is 173, the figure he gives on the show; he earned his Ph.D. at 24 and works as an experimental physicist.

What is Sheldon's IQ?

He started college at 11 and had a Ph.D. by 16.

Sheldon first kisses Amy of his own accord in season 7 while riding aboard what?

A train, naturally: Amy lures him onto the Napa Valley Wine Train for some romance, and a kiss he starts sarcastically turns real, the first he ever initiates.

Howard Wolowitz rides to the International Space Station aboard which spacecraft?

A Russian Soyuz launches Howard from Kazakhstan in the season 5 finale, where he sits in the capsule thinking back on the rooftop wedding he squeezed in before leaving.

Penny moved to Pasadena from near which Nebraska city?

Omaha is the nearest city to Penny's Nebraska home; in the pilot, Leonard and Sheldon try to fetch her TV from her ex Kurt and come back without their trousers.

What does Howard ride to get around in the early seasons?

A Vespa scooter carries Howard through the early seasons, once with a screaming Sheldon on the back, until he swaps it for a car after returning from space.

What is the first name of Howard's rarely seen mother?

Howard's mother is Debbie Wolowitz, voiced off-screen by Carol Ann Susi until the actress's death in 2014; the character dies in season 8.

What is the name of Raj's pet Yorkshire terrier?

Raj's Yorkshire terrier is Cinnamon, a gift from Howard and Bernadette that he dotes on like a child, even cooking for her.

Which Garfunkel and Oates singer plays Lucy, Raj's socially anxious girlfriend on The Big Bang Theory?

Kate Micucci plays Lucy, whom Raj meets at a Valentine's Day singles party in the comic book store; she breaks up with him by text during Leonard's going-away party in the season 6 finale.

What is the job of Anu, Raj's on-off fiancée in The Big Bang Theory's final season?

Anu is a hotel concierge whom Raj's father sets him up with in season 12; when Raj admits he misses romance, she gets down on one knee and proposes, and he says yes.

What gift does Sheldon give Amy to end a fight in season 5?

A tiara: Leonard tells Sheldon to buy Amy a gift and Penny takes him to a jewelry store; Amy rants that he is trying to buy her forgiveness, then melts the moment she sees it.

What job did Bernadette's father, Mike Rostenkowski, retire from?

Mike Rostenkowski is a retired police officer; in 'The Fish Guts Displacement' he and Howard both dread their weekend fishing trip, so they skip it for a casino and a lesson in craps.

Leslie Winkle dumps Leonard when he sides with Sheldon on string theory over what?

Loop quantum gravity is Leslie's cause; in 'The Codpiece Topology' she asks Leonard how they would raise the children, hears he would let them choose their own theory, and storms out.

Which sitcom legend directed both Big Bang Theory pilots but did not stay on to direct the series?

James Burrows, the Cheers co-creator who also directed the Friends pilot, shot both: the first pilot was not picked up, but the creators were allowed to retool it into the one that aired.

What cut The Big Bang Theory's first season short?

A strike: the Writers Guild walkout halted production in November 2007, weeks after a full season was ordered, and the show came back the next March with nine more episodes, 17 in all.

Several Big Bang Theory cast members had earlier worked together on which sitcom?

Roseanne's teen couple David and Darlene were played by the actors who became Leonard and Leslie Winkle, a couple again; Chuck Lorre had been on the Roseanne writing staff too.

Which singer wrote The Big Bang Theory's theme after its creators watched him improvise a rap about the universe?

Ed Robertson had just finished Simon Singh's book Big Bang, so the cosmos was on his mind when he ad-libbed on stage in Los Angeles; Chuck Lorre was in the audience and asked him for a theme.

Which Nobel laureate, honoured for mapping the Big Bang's afterglow, cameoed in The Big Bang Theory's second season?

George Smoot, the 2006 physics laureate, plays himself in season 2's 'The Terminator Decoupling', where Sheldon pitches him a collaboration and gets brushed off.

Which real astronaut played himself as Howard's space station crewmate on The Big Bang Theory?

Real astronaut Michael J. Massimino plays himself as Howard's ISS crewmate across seasons 5 and 6, giving him the nickname 'Froot Loops'.

Which Apollo astronaut made a cameo as himself in The Big Bang Theory's sixth season?

Buzz Aldrin hands out Halloween candy while bragging about the Moon in a video Raj sends Howard, who finally sees how his own endless space talk sounds.

In the Big Bang Theory pilot, which game does Sheldon say the guys played until one in the morning?

Klingon Boggle: Sheldon cites Tuesday's late-night game to prove they do have company, and Leonard tells Penny it is like regular Boggle, but in Klingon.

On The Big Bang Theory, the five-way version of rock-paper-scissors adds lizard and which other option?

Spock joins lizard in the game Sheldon and Raj first use to settle what to watch on TV; it was invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, not by the show's writers.

Leonard confesses to kissing which woman on his North Sea expedition?

Leonard admits kissing Mandy Chow, a scientist on his North Sea expedition, as he and Penny drive off to elope in the season 8 finale.

Where do Leonard and Penny decide to elope in The Big Bang Theory's season eight finale?

Leonard and Penny elope to Las Vegas in the season 8 finale and marry there in the season 9 premiere, with a second ceremony for family in season 10.

In season 12, Penny's ex Zack asks Leonard to do what for him and his wife?

Zack asks Leonard to be a surrogate father, a sperm donor, for him and his wife Marissa because Zack is infertile; Leonard agrees, then backs out in 'The Donation Oscillation'.

What does Sheldon say after Amy first kisses him on the lips?

Sheldon says 'Fascinating' after a tipsy Amy kisses him in 'The Agreement Dissection'; she then runs to the bathroom to be sick, and the next day they agree to carry on as before.

Sheldon's heartfelt anniversary speech to Amy turns out to be lifted from which film?

Spider-Man: Amy threatens to leave unless Sheldon says something from the heart, so he recites a speech from the 2002 film; told where it came from, she says she'll take it.

What forces Amy out of her apartment, starting her cohabitation 'experiment' with Sheldon?

A burst pipe leaves Amy's apartment unlivable for five weeks, so she and Sheldon try living together across the hall; she later hides that the repairs are done so the experiment can go on.

On what occasion do Sheldon and Amy first sleep together?

Sheldon and Amy first sleep together on Amy's birthday in season 9's 'The Opening Night Excitation', which Sheldon chooses over the Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiere.

On The Big Bang Theory, which lullaby does Sheldon insist on hearing whenever he is sick?

Soft Kitty is the song Sheldon's mother sang when he was ill, so he demands it from Penny in season 1's 'The Pancake Batter Anomaly'; Young Sheldon later shows Mary singing it to him.

Where does Howard's mother die in her sleep in season eight?

Mrs. Wolowitz dies in her sleep while visiting family in Florida, in season 8's 'The Comic Book Store Regeneration', written after Carol Ann Susi's death.

What happens to the apartment building's broken elevator in The Big Bang Theory's penultimate episode?

It is finally repaired: Sheldon calls the change a nightmare and bolts down the stairs, then rides it once he reasons that it worked when he first moved in.

Which number does Sheldon call the best number?

Sheldon's favorite number is 73: the 21st prime, whose mirror 37 is the 12th prime, with 21 being 7 times 3, as he explains in 'The Alien Parasite Hypothesis'.

Which magician plays Amy's father, Larry Fowler, on The Big Bang Theory?

Teller, the usually silent half of Penn & Teller, plays Larry Fowler; in season 12, Leonard and Penny find him hiding out from his wife in Sheldon and Amy's apartment.

What was the title of the unlicensed Belarusian copy of Sheldon and Leonard's sitcom?

The Theorists copied the characters and scripts so closely that Chuck Lorre protested on a vanity card; once its actors learned the show was unlicensed, they quit and it was cancelled.

Which toy company released an official set of The Big Bang Theory's living room in 2015?

Lego made the set because a fan design reached 10,000 supporters on its Lego Ideas site, the mark that earns a proposal an official review; it came with the main cast as minifigures.

Who plays 9-year-old Sheldon in Young Sheldon?

Iain Armitage plays young Sheldon; he also appears on the parent show in season 12's 'The VCR Illumination', on an old videotape Sheldon watches.

Which director helmed the Young Sheldon pilot?

Jon Favreau, the Iron Man director, shot the pilot of a prequel that broke with its parent's format: Young Sheldon is a single-camera family comedy, not a multi-camera sitcom.

What does Sheldon offer whenever someone is upset, citing social protocol?

A hot beverage is what Sheldon's social protocol demands; Young Sheldon traces the habit to the day he comforted Paige, a fellow prodigy upset by her parents' divorce.

Which Princess Bride actor plays Dr. John Sturgis, Sheldon's college professor, in Young Sheldon?

Wallace Shawn plays the professor whose class is Sheldon's first college course; Dr. Sturgis is soon smitten with the boy's Meemaw, and the two date with Sheldon's encouragement.

In Young Sheldon, which sport does Sheldon's father George coach at Medford High?

Football: George Sr. is head coach at Medford High, where nine-year-old Sheldon starts ninth grade in 1989 and lands in the same classes as his older brother Georgie.

Who plays Meemaw in Young Sheldon?

Annie Potts plays the younger Meemaw, who goes on to buy a laundromat with an illegal gambling room in the back; June Squibb had played her as an older woman on The Big Bang Theory.

Who plays Mandy McAllister in Young Sheldon and its spin-off?

Emily Osment plays Mandy McAllister, the older TV weather reporter who has a baby with Georgie, and leads the spin-off Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.

What is the real name of Sheldon's beloved Meemaw?

Constance Tucker, Connie to her friends, is his mother's mother, which is why she is a Tucker rather than a Cooper; her late husband was the Pop-Pop whose death soured Sheldon on Christmas.

At which German university was Sheldon a visiting professor?

Sheldon says he was a visiting professor at the Heidelberg Institute at fifteen; he also calls himself the youngest winner of the Stevenson Award, at 14 and a half.

Sheldon's webshow Fun with Flags concerns which field?

Vexillology is the study of flags; after his breakup with Amy, Sheldon films an episode alone, bitterly using countries that split apart as his examples.

Which of these celebrities has NOT taken out a restraining order against Sheldon?

Stan Lee takes out a restraining order in 'The Excelsior Acquisition', joining Leonard Nimoy and Carl Sagan; William Shatner, who plays D&D with the gang in season 12, never does.

Sheldon's surname is said to honour which Nobel-winning physicist?

Leon Cooper shared the 1972 physics Nobel for explaining superconductivity; the sitcom is widely reported to have borrowed his surname for Sheldon and that of another laureate, Robert Hofstadter, for Leonard.

Which dietary ailment is a running joke about Leonard Hofstadter?

Lactose intolerance is Leonard's chief complaint: dairy gives him gas. Shown milk chocolate, cheese and fondue as clues to a Valentine's trip, Penny guesses he will eat it all so she can ride him to the moon like a rocket.

Which instrument does Leonard play?

The cello was his parents' idea: Leonard says they sent him to lessons as a boy, which, he adds, got him beaten up plenty.

At which university did Leonard earn his Ph.D.?

Princeton gave Leonard his Ph.D. at 24, with a dissertation-of-the-year award, yet Sheldon still dismisses most of his research as derivative.

What is the profession of Leonard's father Alfred?

Alfred Hofstadter, played by Judd Hirsch, is an anthropologist; he first appears in the season 9 finale, hitting it off with Sheldon's mother Mary.

What was the title of the low-budget horror film in which Penny had a topless shower scene?

Serial Apeist never came out, so Penny assumes nobody has seen it, until she learns the guys found it online soon after they met her.

Penny lands a commercial for what product in the fifth-season premiere?

In 'The Skank Reflex Analysis', Penny books a hemorrhoid cream commercial, the win that stops her from moving back to Nebraska.

Howard invited his date Stephanie to drive what at a secret facility?

The Mars rover ends up stuck in a ditch, so Howard wipes the evidence; then the news reports a major discovery from the bottom of that ditch, with nobody on record to take the credit.

Howard Wolowitz collects which accessory, among them one shaped like a Nintendo controller?

Belt buckles: Howard has a huge collection of geek-culture designs, yet jokes that he owns only one belt to wear them on.

What does Sheldon find in a closet from Howard's father?

A letter, sent for Howard's eighteenth birthday by the father who left when he was eleven; Howard burns it unread, so each friend tells him a version of its contents, only one of them true.

Howard is dangerously allergic to what?

Howard is allergic to nuts; in season 1's 'The Peanut Reaction' he deliberately eats a peanut bar and swells up to keep Leonard at the hospital for a surprise party.

Raj named the trans-Neptunian object 2008 NQ17 what?

Raj dubbed 2008 NQ17 'Planet Bollywood' in season 2's 'The Griffin Equivalency', a discovery that put him in People magazine's 30 Under 30.

Which instrument does Amy play?

Amy plays the harp, which sits in her apartment; in 'The Isolation Permutation' she performs R.E.M.'s 'Everybody Hurts' on it after Penny and Bernadette leave her out of a shopping trip.

Leonard's actor was born in which country?

Belgium: he was born in the town of Bree because his father was stationed there with the U.S. Air Force, and the family later settled in Oak Park, Illinois.

Penny's actress played Bridget Hennessy on which earlier sitcom?

8 Simple Rules cast her as Bridget, eldest of the Hennessy children; when John Ritter died during its second season, his character was written out as dying too and the show went on.

Which animated antiheroine did Penny's actress begin voicing in 2019?

Harley Quinn: she voices the lead of the adult animated series two years after Bernadette's actress voiced the same character in the film Batman and Harley Quinn.

Amy's actress became a regular host of which long-running quiz show in 2021?

Jeopardy!: she shared hosting duties with former champion Ken Jennings from 2021 until December 2023, when he became the sole host.

Bernadette's actress starred in and produced the 2023 revival of which 1980s sitcom?

Night Court returned with Melissa Rauch as Judge Abby Stone, who takes the night-shift bench her late father Harry held in the original; she also executive produced it.

Which earlier sitcom did Chuck Lorre co-create?

Two and a Half Men began four years before The Big Bang Theory, and its star Charlie Sheen dropped in as himself in season 2, telling a boastful Raj to call him when he makes a magazine cover.

Which 2016 film earned Howard's actor Simon Helberg a Golden Globe nomination?

Florence Foster Jenkins cast him as Cosmé McMoon, the pianist who accompanies Meryl Streep's wildly off-key heiress; the role brought him a Golden Globe nomination.

Raj's actor Kunal Nayyar married Neha Kapur, who had won which title in 2006?

Neha Kapur won Femina Miss India 2006 and went on to compete at Miss Universe that year; she and Kunal Nayyar married in December 2011.

On The Big Bang Theory, which Star Trek actor's used napkin does Penny give Sheldon for Christmas?

Leonard Nimoy had wiped his mouth on the signed napkin, so Sheldon realizes he now owns his idol's DNA. Overwhelmed, he hands Penny every gift basket he bought and a rare hug.

On The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper insists he is not crazy because his mother once did what?

Had him tested is the whole of Sheldon's defense: "I'm not crazy; my mother had me tested." Mary Cooper confirms it is true, and once admits she wishes she had gone back for a follow-up.

After a falling-out with Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon Cooper brings home 25 of which animal?

Cats, 25 of them, are how Sheldon copes after he and Amy argue over whose science matters more. A worried Leonard calls in Sheldon's mother, who steers the pair back together.

On The Big Bang Theory, what sweet-snack nickname does Sheldon Cooper's Meemaw call him?

Moon Pie is what Meemaw calls Sheldon, the relative he is closest to. Viewers only heard about her for eight seasons before she finally appeared on screen, played by June Squibb.

Which dashboard warning does Penny famously ignore in her car for years on The Big Bang Theory?

The check engine light is a warning Penny simply never deals with. Her car has also lost its passenger-side mirror, left behind in a Hollywood parking lot after a failed attempt to park.

Which actor officiates Sheldon Cooper's wedding after Howard Wolowitz returns his lost dog?

Mark Hamill takes over as officiant as a favor to Howard, who found his missing dog. The Star Wars star is so moved by the ceremony that he ends up in tears.

Raj Koothrappali's plus-one in The Big Bang Theory's finale found fame in which TV series?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer made Sarah Michelle Gellar famous, and she plays herself as Raj's seatmate turned guest. Chuck Lorre saw the empty seat beside Raj as a chance for a celebrity cameo, and the writers were Buffy fans.

Which billionaire does Howard Wolowitz meet at a soup kitchen on The Big Bang Theory?

Elon Musk is volunteering at the same soup kitchen, which instantly cures Howard's sulking about dish duty. The SpaceX founder even hands over his contact details.

Which Star Wars actor takes Sheldon Cooper on a wild night of karaoke, a Ferris wheel and a sauna?

James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, was only meant to be the guest at Sheldon's homemade convention. Their evening also includes ringing Carrie Fisher's doorbell and running away.

Which actress plays The Big Bang Theory's squeaky-voiced Bernadette, a waitress turned scientist?

Melissa Rauch joined in season three and drew Bernadette's voices from growing up in what she called a "house of screamers". Her real speaking voice sounds very different from both.

On The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper's great lifelong passion is which form of transport?

Trains thrill Sheldon so much that Amy's romantic Valentine's dinner aboard one falls flat. He spends the evening swapping rail facts with a fellow enthusiast he meets on board.

Which 31-page document does Sheldon Cooper draw up to make Amy Farrah Fowler his girlfriend?

The Relationship Agreement lays down the ground rules for both of them, and Amy finds it romantic at first. Sheldon only drafts it after she goes on a date with Stuart.

On The Big Bang Theory, Raj Koothrappali falls for which voice assistant on his new phone?

Siri wins Raj's heart in season five: he asks her out for coffee and lets her pick the wine for a dinner party. In a nightmare he finally meets her in person and cannot say a word.

What are the friends doing in The Big Bang Theory's very last shot, an echo of the opening credits?

Eating in the apartment is how the series bows out, the same image that closes its title sequence. An acoustic version of the theme song plays softly over the scene.

On The Big Bang Theory, Howard Wolowitz defends his engineering degree by naming which university?

MIT is Howard's comeback whenever his friends tease him about his credentials. He adds that the hardware he designs actually gets launched, unlike their chalkboard ideas.

On The Big Bang Theory, what handmade product does Penny try to sell under the name Penny Blossoms?

Hair barrettes are Penny's bid for a home business, and the guys pitch in on production. Leonard's sales website works too well: an order for a thousand arrives with a one-day rush.

The Big Bang Theory was filmed before a live audience on Stage 25 of which studio's Burbank lot?

Warner Bros. taped the sitcom on Stage 25 of its Burbank lot. A residential street on the same backlot, Warner Village, also turns up in the series.

Which actress voiced Howard Wolowitz's never-seen mother on The Big Bang Theory?

Carol Ann Susi bellowed every line from off screen and never once showed her face. When she died, the writers chose to say goodbye to Mrs. Wolowitz rather than recast the part.

On The Big Bang Theory, Mary Cooper says her son Sheldon "fell out of me" at which store?

A Kmart is where Mary says Sheldon arrived, adding that he has been difficult ever since. His twin sister, he notes in the pilot, grew up to be a hostess at Fuddruckers.

Which Oscar winner plays Amy Farrah Fowler's domineering mother, with magician Teller as her father?

Kathy Bates joined for the wedding, with Teller as Amy's quiet father. An earlier Mrs. Fowler had been played briefly by Annie O'Donnell.

What is the name of Sheldon Cooper's twin sister, whom all three of his friends try to woo?

Missy, short for Melissa, grows up to be a tall, attractive brunette. Leonard, Howard and Raj all compete for her attention when she visits to get Sheldon's signature on some forms.

Starved of affection by his mother, what did a young Leonard Hofstadter build to comfort himself?

A hugging machine was young Leonard's substitute for a mother who withheld affection. He adds a sadder detail when he tells Penny about it: his father used to borrow it.

On The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper's devout mother Mary belongs to which faith tradition?

Baptist conviction colors everything Mary says, to her scientist son's despair. She once told Leonard that the Lord had thankfully blessed her with two other children who are "dumb as soup".

Which rival physicist on The Big Bang Theory pronounces his R's and L's as W's, like Elmer Fudd?

Barry Kripke works in plasma physics and needles Sheldon at every turn. He first showed up with a fighting robot he had named the Kripke Krippler.

In her addiction research, Amy Farrah Fowler mentions getting a capuchin monkey hooked on what?

Cigarettes were the monkey's habit, one of several odd experiments Amy drops into conversation. Another involved getting a starfish addicted to cocaine.

Which green cocktail is Raj Koothrappali's signature drink on The Big Bang Theory?

A grasshopper is Raj's drink of choice, though none was ever real on set. The actor was handed a mix of water, cream and a heavy dose of green food coloring.

What is the field of Bert Kibbler, Brian Posehn's lovelorn scientist on The Big Bang Theory?

Geology is Bert's field, and his idea of flirting is to bring Amy a pretty rock every day. She does not even notice until Howard and Raj point it out.

On The Big Bang Theory, what business does Sheldon Cooper's older brother Georgie grow up to own?

A tire store chain called Dr. Tire is Georgie's empire. Sheldon has said that both of his siblings used to beat him up when they were children.

In The Big Bran Hypothesis, why does Sheldon Cooper sneak into Penny's apartment while she sleeps?

To clean and organize it is the only way Sheldon can get any sleep after seeing her mess. Leonard catches him at it and reluctantly helps, and Penny is furious the next morning.

In The Nerdvana Annihilation, Leonard Hofstadter wins a full-size prop from which sci-fi film?

The Time Machine, the 1960 film, supplied the prop, which Leonard had assumed was a miniature. Hauling it upstairs costs Penny a work shift, and Sheldon ends up dreaming of Morlocks.

Which Lord of the Rings film prop do the Big Bang Theory guys find and then fight to keep?

The One Ring, a real prop from the film trilogy, splits the group. Leonard wants to send it back to Peter Jackson, while Raj wants to sell it and buy a jet ski.

In The Justice League Recombination, which superhero does Penny dress as for a costume contest?

Wonder Woman completes the guys' Justice League lineup, and they win Best Group Costume. Penny only joins in after admitting she took Zack back to avoid spending New Year's Eve alone.

In The Adhesive Duck Deficiency, what emergency forces Sheldon Cooper to drive for the first time?

Penny slips in the shower with nobody else around, so Sheldon has to get her to the hospital himself. The other three are away camping to watch a meteor shower.

Where do Howard Wolowitz and Bernadette marry so a Google satellite can photograph the ceremony?

On the apartment roof is Raj's idea after City Hall proves too crowded, timed for the morning a Google satellite photographs the city. All five of their friends act as ministers.

On The Big Bang Theory, which online role-playing game does Penny become addicted to in season two?

Age of Conan hooks Penny after she watches Sheldon play, and she pesters him for tips day and night. When Leonard's character approaches hers in the game, she simply beheads him.

On The Big Bang Theory, a traffic-court date makes Sheldon Cooper miss which comics legend's signing?

Stan Lee was signing at Stuart's store that day. To make it up to Sheldon, Penny gets hold of the writer's home address and takes him straight to the front door.

In The Celebration Experimentation, which Batman actor do the friends hire for Sheldon's party?

Adam West, television's Batman, is the friends' present to Sheldon. It rights an old wrong: his twin sister once lied that Batman was coming to their childhood party.

In The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification, what does Sheldon Cooper send out in his place?

A monitor on wheels, which Penny dubs the Shelbot, lets Sheldon stay safe in his bedroom until the singularity. He still breaks an ankle rushing out to meet Steve Wozniak.

Which thought experiment does Sheldon Cooper use to advise Penny about her first date with Leonard?

Schrödinger's cat is his model: the date is both good and bad until someone opens the box by going on it. Penny later explains the idea to a date of her own.

Sheldon Cooper's Halloween costume in The Middle-Earth Paradigm depicts which physics phenomenon?

The Doppler effect, he keeps explaining, to party guests who have no idea what he means. Howard fares little better: his Robin Hood is taken for Peter Pan.

Leonard Hofstadter and Leslie Winkle share a lab on The Big Bang Theory as which kind of physicist?

Experimental work keeps Leonard at the bench, testing ideas rather than only writing equations. His research topics range from Bose–Einstein condensates to soft cosmic rays at sea level.

On The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper butts heads with which astrophysicist over Pluto's demotion?

Neil deGrasse Tyson clashes with Sheldon over Pluto on his first visit. He returns in the final season, when Raj picks a Twitter feud with him and then loses his nerve on the phone.

In The Lunar Excitation, what do the guys fire at reflectors left behind by the Apollo astronauts?

A laser beam aimed at the Moon is the night's experiment, and Penny's new boyfriend Zack does not shine in the company. The same episode introduces Amy.

Howard Wolowitz designs which zero-gravity device for the International Space Station in season two?

A toilet, officially a zero-gravity human-waste disposal system, is his pride until he spots a fault that will make it burst after ten flushes. The guys test their fix with meatloaf.

After giving up on string theory, Sheldon Cooper moves his research to which cosmic mystery?

Dark matter becomes what Penny calls his rebound science, and he even crawls into a hot steam tunnel with Raj to rehearse for a salt-mine experiment. Sheldon later admits he never truly let string theory go.

What do Sheldon Cooper and his friends spend three months in the Arctic trying to detect?

Magnetic monopoles would have helped prove string theory, so Sheldon won a grant to hunt for them. The guys rehearsed for the cold in a restaurant freezer, then learned their cabin would be warm.

In The Romance Resonance, a lucky blunder leads Sheldon Cooper to predict a stable new what?

Superheavy element is the prize: Sheldon works out how to make a stable one, then finds his method rested on an error. The praise keeps coming anyway, and it makes him feel a fraud.

Which Nobel-winning science adviser on Interstellar plays himself on The Big Bang Theory?

Kip Thorne turns up at a university reception, one of several eminent guests Sheldon has managed to offend over the years. The apology cookies he and Amy send out are all rejected.

Which kind of real object in the solar system is officially named after Sheldon Cooper?

An asteroid, 246247 Sheldoncooper, carries the character's name around the Sun. Back on Earth, the Columbus Zoo named a black-and-white colobus after him.

After annoying his childhood idol Arthur Jeffries, Sheldon Cooper shows off which TV scientist as his new friend?

Bill Nye, the Science Guy, is paraded as a replacement for the offended Arthur. It works out in the end: Arthur asks Sheldon to review his paper and even stays for a cup of tea.