# Why is the show 'The Big Bang Theory' so called?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 19, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405 "2012-05-19T07:42:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Stelios](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stelios)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/1 "2012-05-19T07:42:57Z")
Title says it all. Hardly a portentious question but, well, ignorance is ignorance. Why is ‘The Big Bang Theory’ called ‘The Big Bang Theory’? As far as I can tell (although I’ve only just started watching it) the title doesn’t have anything to do with the show.
Cheers all!
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### Author:  [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/2 "2012-05-19T08:09:40Z")
All the episode names follow the same convention - it’s always a vaguely scientific sounding name: “The [Something to do with the episode] [Some scientific word]”. More examples [here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Big_Bang_Theory_episodes)
I believe they may also be playing on a double meaning of the word “bang”, which Leonard wants to do to Penny.
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### Author:  [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/3 "2012-05-19T08:48:04Z")
I was under the impression is was to make people think that they were watching something that isn’t a typical low quality piece of shit sitcom when it in fact is exactly that.
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/4 "2012-05-19T10:17:20Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#):
>
> I was under the impression is was to make people think that they were watching something that isn’t a typical low quality piece of shit sitcom when it in fact is exactly that.
+1
But its a show where the main character is an astrophysicist who wants to bang his neighbor, so they named it after a famous astrophysical theory that has the word “bang” in it. Seems pretty straightforward.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/5 "2012-05-19T10:48:53Z")
Moved from GQ to Cafe Society.
**samclem**
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/6 "2012-05-19T11:04:19Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#):
>
> I believe they may also be playing on a double meaning of the word “bang”, which Leonard wants to do to Penny.
Correct. It’s why they mostly deal with boyfriend/girlfriend dynamics, that was the intent of the show from the start.
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### Author:  [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/7 "2012-05-19T13:14:59Z")
The characters are 2 physicists, an astrophysicist, and an engineer for humorous relief.
The Big Bang relates to the central theory of how the universe came to be - notice the theme song is all about where we came from, starting with… the big bang. If the double entendre can exploited for laughs, well, why not?
Chuck Lorre mentioned in an interview that the last 2 seasons have been more concentrated on the boyfriend-girlfriend dynamics. but the first few seasons were very heavily interwoven with both fairly accurate science and serious reference to “nerd” pop culture - comic books and super heroes, video games charcters and themes, science fiction, etc. - stuff that apparently does not exist if you watch any other sitcom. It was a brilliant and refreshing change from the usual pablum. (But it’s still sitcom TV).
Of course, it was IIRC Chuck Lorre’s vanity card in one show’s credits that set off the whole Charlie Sheen meltdown episode, so it’s earnd its place n popular culture for that, at least.
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### Author:  [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/8 "2012-05-19T13:41:06Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#):
>
> Correct. It’s why they mostly deal with boyfriend/girlfriend dynamics, that was the intent of the show from the start.
\*\*
One of the original Teasers for the show had Shelldon, Leonerd and Penny covering this. \*\*
Leonerd flat out asks the OP, and Shelldon answers taking the Highbrow, over-explaining per his style. Penny interupts “Oh I thought it was, [Gyration into or towards Leonerd] something else.” Shelldon then verbally Objects to that translation of the title, and then asks for the producers to the effect of “I’m not comfortable with that, _AT ALL_”
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### Author:  [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/9 "2012-05-19T13:44:23Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#):
>
> All the episode names follow the same convention - it’s always a vaguely scientific sounding name: “The [Something to do with the episode] [Some scientific word]”. More examples [here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Big_Bang_Theory_episodes)
>
> I believe they may also be playing on a double meaning of the word “bang”, which Leonard wants to do to Penny.
Not to play Sheldon here, but
\*\*
Leonerd : “Even my name has “Nerd” in it!” \*\*
was an actual line in one of the episodes.
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### Author:  [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/10 "2012-05-19T13:47:29Z")
It’s because Leonard’s whole universe is his hot, dense date.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/11 "2012-05-19T14:17:54Z")
> [@vd](#):
>
> It’s because Leonard’s whole universe is his hot, dense date.
WIN!
Even better as the theme song started playing in my head.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/12 "2012-05-19T17:21:18Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#):
>
> I was under the impression is was to make people think that they were watching something that isn’t a typical low quality piece of shit sitcom when it in fact is exactly that.
Yeah, its fans have totally been fooled into thinking it is a documentary about cosmology. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-show-the-big-bang-theory-so-called/622405/13 "2012-05-19T22:02:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> It’s because Leonard’s whole universe is his hot, dense date.
Funny, but Penny is dense only by comparison with the other characters on the show. She’s probably a bit above-average as sitcom characters as a whole are concerned.