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There's a science to CBS' 'Big Bang Theory'
By Gary Strauss, USA TODAY
Revenge of the nerds?
Not quite. But geek heaven abounds on CBS' The Big Bang Theory (tonight, 8:30 ET/PT), one of the rare TV sitcoms to employ a physicist.
The science must be working: The freshman series is one of the fall season's few to gain traction, building audience from its How I Met Your Mother lead-in and averaging about 9 million viewers. CBS has already extended the show for a full season.
Bang's premise is basic fish-out-of-water buddy comedy, with a twist. Physicists/roommates Sheldon and Leonard (an homage to the legendary TV producer) are serenely comfortable in their pocket-protectored lives. But the two come unstrung when comely waitress Penny (Kaley Cuoco) moves in next door. She's no rocket scientist, but the sweet blond bombshell has plenty to teach the naive pair about life.
"Leonard and Sheldon are kind of rock stars in their world of science, but God knows they have a lot of growing to do when it comes to social graces," says Johnny Galecki, who plays Leonard.
But the science gets some attention, too. David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California-Los Angeles, checks scripts and provides dialogue, math equations and diagrams used as props. He says he's more consultant than contributor.
"Physicists love to nitpick, so for the 100 in the 10 million people who might watch the show, I try to get it as close to 100% accurate as I can," he says. "But if I try to suggest a funny line, there are all sorts of reasons it doesn't work." He does sometimes slip in an inside joke, though, such as the answers to a UCLA graduate class exam.
"Very often, we'll write a speech and say 'science to come,' " says executive producer Chuck Lorre. "Saltzberg fills it in. He's a terrific guy with a great sense of humor."
The cast also spent time at UCLA hanging with students and faculty, "stealing little bits of mannerisms and wardrobe," says Galecki, best known for playing Sara Gilbert's boyfriend on Roseanne. (Gilbert has a recurring role on Big Bang.)
Jim Parsons, who plays über-geek Sheldon, says spouting the scientific dialogue "can be a major pain in the (posterior). When we tape, I have to make sure I get up an hour earlier than I need to. I sit down with a physics dictionary."
A recent kiss was described as a "bio-social exploration with a neurochemical overlay."
Lorre and co-creator Bill Prady developed Bang off Prady's experiences as a computer programmer in the 1980s. "Bill told me these extraordinary stories about these insanely intelligent men who had unbelievable difficulty operating in the mundane world — geniuses who had trouble figuring out how much to tip a waitress," Lorre says.
Galecki and Parsons concede they're both a bit geekish in real life, qualities that help them relate to their characters. Galecki was largely tutored on-set from the third grade. His scientific knowledge is negligible, he says, but he understands what it's like to be an outsider.
So does Parsons, who was raised in football-crazed Texas but favored theater. Parsons says science isn't his strong suit, either: He once failed a meteorology class.
"None of this works if it's not relatable," he says, "if you don't see a bit of yourself in the characters."
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