The Big Bang Theory
For the past 12 years, the geeks and gals of The Big Bang Theory have kept audiences in stitches. And along the way, Chuck Lorre’s old-fashioned, multi-camera comedy about two physicists – the obsessive-compulsive Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and his slightly less awkward former room-mate Leonard (Johnny Galecki) – has become the biggest American sitcom since Friends. Like that show, it has also tapped into popular culture, hitting the moment when the geeks truly inherited the Earth with references to everything from “Schrödinger’s cat” to Star Trek and Game of Thrones. However, The Big Bang Theory’s real appeal (and one largely ignored by critics) lies not in its consistently funny jokes, but in its warm-hearted treatment of its characters.
These episodes, the last ever, form a smart and ultimately sweet double bill which sees Sheldon and Amy (Mayim Bialik) waiting for important news, while Leonard and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) deal with a secret of their own. It’s followed by documentary The Big Bang Theory of Everything, which sees celebrity fans, including the cast of Derry Girls and journalist Krishnan Guru-murthy, explain what made the comedy so great. Sarah Hughes drama, which melds a sun-drenched setting with an implausible plot, is back for a second run. Georgina (Julia Stiles) is trying to get away with murder, but a sinister message reveals that someone knows her secret. Juliet Stevenson and Poppy Delevingne join the all-star cast. SH