The comic misadventures and clash of personalities between a bunch of socially awkward geeks and a bubbly aspiring actress have won over television audiences everywhere. The CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory has enjoyed an unyielding 11 season run with over 250 episodes to date and has even spawned a successful spin-off series.
Fans who have been with the show since Penny moved across the hall from Sheldon and Leonard may think they know it all, but the behind-the-scenes trivia that makes the long-running sitcom all the more lovable. We’ve collected some of the most interesting facts about the series from IMDB. Here are 25 facts about The Big Bang Theory that might surprise even the biggest fans.
1. While it’s hard to imagine the Barenaked Ladies’ “The History of Everything” not opening each episode, a different theme song was used in the original unaired pilot. The initial theme song was intended to be “She Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby, and while producers eventually chose against it, there’s a nod to it in a later episode where Howard’s ringtone plays a MIDI rendition of it.
2. Most seasons of The Big Bang Theory have 23 to 24 episodes, but the first season only had a mere 17. Fewer episodes were produced in the first season because of the writers’ strike in 2007 and 2008. This labor conflict ended up affecting many shows, but luckily The Big Bang Theory was one new series that survived the threat of cancellation.
