Unraveling the Mysteries of the Big Bang Theory: An Unabashedly Unauthorized TV Show Companion

The Big Bang Theory - CBSs surprise hit sitcom - was recently renewed for three additional seasons after pulling in 14 million weekly viewers last season. Any fan who tunes in week to week wasnt surprised. The quirky show does what so few shows manage to do: straddle the fence between cult hit and mega-popular award-winner.

Now, in Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory (a title taken from the show's Barenaked Ladies-penned theme song), longtime sf fan and author George Beahm, assisted by science advisor and retired NASA aeronautical engineer, Cuyler W. Brooks, Jr., has put together a guide for all fans of the show - mainstream tv viewers, sf and comics fans, and science enthusiasts alike. Whether youre a Penny or a Sheldon, whether youve just tuned in or been watching all along, this companion book will help you appreciate The Big Bang Theory to the fullest.

Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory offers a full, comprehensive look at the series: from an analysis of the awful original pilot (that viewers may never get to see) to a tour of the real Cal Tech (which serves as one of the show's main settings), from a fandom terminology guide to enlightening analyses of the endearingly original main characters, all the shows quirkiest and most appealing elements are put under the microscope.

You dont have to be a theoretical physicist to understand why The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular shows on television. Brains meet beauty in a calculus of comedy that always adds up to smart and hilarious results.

Unraveling the Mysteries of The Big Bang Theory: An Unabashedly Unauthorized TV Show Companion is a quantum leap beyond the typical TV show guidebook. Exploring every nook and cranny of the Big Bang Theory universe, it provides a wealth of information about our favorite television show:

• A profile of “intelligent designers” Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady

• A detailed look at what went wrong with the unaired original pilot—and what went right in the reboot

• In-depth background on the principal actors and the characters they play

• A photo-illustrated breakdown of the Sheldonian universe, from couch to cosmos (including the show locations you can visit in real life)

• How to get your geek on, Big Bang—style

• A primer on the shows key scientific concepts, plus its galaxy of guest star scientists

• A concise guide to every episode and the meaning behind each title, organized by season

• An A-Z guide to the pop culture miscellanea mentioned in the show

• And more!

Pull up a seat—just not Sheldons, which is in a state of eternal dibs—and get ready to unravel the mysteries of The Big Bang Theory.

George Beahm is the author of more than two dozen books on pop culture.

Section 1: A Brief History of Time

1. The Grand Designers: Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, Creators of The Big Bang Theory

2. To Badly Go Where No One Has Gone Before: The Unaired, Flawed TV Pilot

3. The Successful Reboot: The Aired Series Premiere

Section 2: Shooting Stars: Shedding Light on the Principal and Supporting Cast of The Big Bang Theory

1. The Search for Spock: The Evolution of Dr. Sheldon Cooper

2. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Dr. Leonard Hofstadter

3. The Voyage Home: Penny

4. Lust in Space: Howard Walowitz

5. The Invisible Man: Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali

6. The Supporting Cast

Section 3: The Real World of the Expanding Universe

1. Beam Me Up, Scotty: A Visit to the Mothership?Caltech

2. “Inside a Great Mind: The Parade Interview with Stephen Hawking”

3. Grand Design: An Interview with Caltech Physicist and Stephen Hawking Collaborator, Dr. Leonard Mlodinow

4. Do You Grok? An Insider’s Guide to the World of Fandom Populated by Nerds and Geeks Consuming Popular Culture

Section 4: Cosmology

1. Episode Guide: Seasons One, Two, and Three

2. Shedding Light on Dark Matter: The Key Allusions to the Science, Science Fiction, and Popular Culture in The Big Bang Theory

3. Scotty, Beam Us Up! A reimagining of the principal cast as a Star Trek landing party

Acknowledgments

About the Author