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The Big Bang Theory
S1.E1
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IMDbPro

Pilot

  • Episode aired Sep 24, 2007
  • TV-PG
  • 23m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
8K
YOUR RATING
Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Jim Parsons, and Kunal Nayyar in Pilot (2007)
ComedyRomance

A pair of socially awkward theoretical physicists meet their new neighbor Penny, who is their polar opposite.A pair of socially awkward theoretical physicists meet their new neighbor Penny, who is their polar opposite.A pair of socially awkward theoretical physicists meet their new neighbor Penny, who is their polar opposite.

  • Director
    • James Burrows
  • Writers
    • Chuck Lorre
    • Bill Prady
  • Stars
    • Johnny Galecki
    • Jim Parsons
    • Kaley Cuoco
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • James Burrows
    • Writers
      • Chuck Lorre
      • Bill Prady
    • Stars
      • Johnny Galecki
      • Jim Parsons
      • Kaley Cuoco
    • 13User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos90

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    Top cast7

    Edit
    Johnny Galecki
    Johnny Galecki
    • Leonard Hofstadter
    Jim Parsons
    Jim Parsons
    • Sheldon Cooper
    Kaley Cuoco
    Kaley Cuoco
    • Penny
    Simon Helberg
    Simon Helberg
    • Howard Wolowitz
    Kunal Nayyar
    Kunal Nayyar
    • Raj Koothrappali
    Vernee Watson
    Vernee Watson
    • Althea
    • (as Vernée Watson)
    Brian Patrick Wade
    Brian Patrick Wade
    • Kurt
    • Director
      • James Burrows
    • Writers
      • Chuck Lorre
      • Bill Prady
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    8.17.9K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    9EdIsInHell

    Sheldon Cooper Is My Idol

    In the history of sitcoms there has never been and never will be a character quite like Sheldon Cooper.

    From the pilot I knew this show was going to be a massive hit and it only gets better.

    Another fantastic job by Chuck Lorre.
    3studioAT

    The Sheldon show right from the off

    Why not just call it 'Sheldon'? It's a question I asked myself watching this pilot and other scattered episodes from the baffling 10 series that this show has managed to survive.

    He is as the centre of everything. To call this show an ensemble is false, because it's clearly all centred around Sheldon and this is largely down to the skill that Jim Parsons has in playing him.

    Even at this early stage I don't really care about the other characters because in comparison they are all paper thin.

    A pilot is a good indicator about the show that will follow - this one certainly is.
    10Hitchcoc

    A Hit from the Get Go

    I think these are my people. Having seen every episode, I've gone back to my CD's of the first few seasons and I am amazed how funny they are years later. The ensemble cast, which has remained intact, is a a cool mixture of personalities. We have the autistic spectrum Sheldon, who has no sense of basic social mores, Leonard, the sincere nerd who has been victimized by the regular guys his whole life, Howard, who fancies himself quite the womanizer, and Raj, the precious, rich Indian kid. Of course, they are all very successful, working at Cal Tech in intense research. There is already a great chemistry. I plan on watching them all again and commenting on them.
    8claudio_carvalho

    The New Next-Door Neighbor

    The physicists Leonard and Sheldon go to a high IQ sperm bank, but give up to donate the material since there is no evidence that their sperm would make any difference in the baby's intelligence. When they return home, they meet their new next door, the hot but not bright Penny that works in a cheesecake factory, and Leonard has a crush on her.

    "Pilot" is the first episode of "The Big Bang Theory", where Leonard, Sheldon, Penny, Howard and Raj are introduced to the audience. There are many funny gags and lines and the viewer will certainly laugh a lot with the behavior of the group of nerd friends, and the not so intelligent lines of Penny. Leonard and Sheldon meeting Penny's ex-boyfriend to bring the TV set is one of the most hilarious parts of this show. My vote is eight.

    Title (Brazil): "Pilot"
    10abhishekbhatt-90881

    Best pilot for a sitcom

    I liked it in the first watch but now that I m familiar with the characters after completing the show I revisited it and man it's downright hilarious and Sheldon is show stealer right from the 1st episode haha.

    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Leonard (Johnny Galecki) states that the combined IQ of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and himself is 360. In a later episode of season 1 Sheldon states his IQ as 187 meaning that Leonard's IQ is 173.
    • Goofs
      The experiment discussed by Sheldon (Jim Parsons) at the very beginning of the episode is a quantum version of the well-known "experiment," but incompatible with the work presented on the whiteboard. His dialogue was meant to accompany the whiteboard seen in the unaired episode Unaired Pilot (2006).
    • Quotes

      Sheldon: Uhm, Penny, that's where I sit.

      Penny: So sit next to me.

      Sheldon: No, I sit there.

      Penny: What's the difference?

      Sheldon: What's the difference?

      Leonard: Here we go.

      Sheldon: In the winter, that seat is close enough to the radiator to remain warm, and yet not so close as to cause perspiration. In the summer, it's directly in the path of a cross-breeze created by opening windows there and there. It faces the television at an angle that is neither direct, thus discouraging conversation, nor so far wide as to create a parallax distortion. I could go on.

    • Crazy credits
      CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #182 Back when I was writing and producing Dharma and Greg, the only way to read my cards was to record each episode on a VCR and hit the "pause" button. This was not an easy task. The image wobbled like crazy making the tiny words of my weekly tomes very hard to see. Then it hit me. What about building a device that records video images digitally? Wouldn't this allow for a much more precise "pause" function? I took my little notion to an impoverished computer whiz by the name of Schlomo Tivowitz. At the time of our meeting Schlomo was feverishly trying to invent an improved version of the George Foreman Grill. Schlomo's grill would contain a hard drive that remembered all the details of your last barbecue, as well as an address book. I didn't really see the point of it, but, not being a tech guy, I held my tongue and presented him with my idea. I will never forget his reaction. With hamburger-flecked spittle flying from his blubbery lips, he laughed, called me some very unkind names and demanded that I leave his mother's basement immediately. My hopes dashed, I went back to work on Dharma and forgot about my silly idea. Well, I'm sure you can figure out what happened next. The fact that you're reading this card right now should tell you. Thankfully, it's not in my nature to be bitter. But there are times when I feel a little used -- usually when I've forgotten how to effectively grill a fatty piece of chicken.
    • Alternate versions
      The syndicated version of the episode cuts out the entire sperm bank storyline at Chuck Lorre's insistence because it does not fit later established facts about the character of Sheldon Cooper.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Swingers (2022)
    • Soundtracks
      History of Everything
      (uncredited)

      Written by Barenaked Ladies

      Performed by Barenaked Ladies

      [Series theme song played during the opening titles]

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 24, 2007 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Cantonese
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 25, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA(uncredited)
    • Production companies
      • Chuck Lorre Productions
      • Warner Bros. Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 23m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD
      • 4:3

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