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The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory

Smart is the new sexy.

2007–2019Ended12 seasons279 episodes~22 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

Physicists Leonard and Sheldon find their nerd-centric social circle with pals Howard and Raj expanding when aspiring actress Penny moves in next door.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Big Bang Theory?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Big Bang Theory streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Big Bang Theory?

The Big Bang Theory earns 8 badges, led by Universally Loved and Cultural touchstone.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Big Bang Theory worth watching?

The Big Bang Theory's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all shows, from 962K ratings across 2 sources. 86% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of shows

87th percentile among Comedy84th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)88th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

80 /100

88th percentile of all shows

89th percentile among Comedy84th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

86% liked it

85th percentile of all shows

82nd percentile among Comedy81st percentile among 2000s
86% rated it 7–1014% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

949K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Comedy99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show successfully turned nerd culture into a mainstream phenomenon, even as opinions differ on whether that portrayal was affectionate or exploitative.

Fans praised

  • Sharp, witty dialogue blending science and pop culture
  • Jim Parsons' iconic, Emmy-worthy performance as Sheldon
  • Genuine character growth and heartfelt relationships over 12 seasons

Detractors panned

  • Lazy, derivative writing propped up by a relentless laugh track
  • Flat, stereotype-reliant characters that mock rather than celebrate nerd culture

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Jim Parsons' performance widely called iconic; ensemble chemistry praised

DialogueDivisive70

Witty banter and scientific references vs. predictable one-liners

Emotional impactDivisive70

Heartfelt friendships and Sheldon's growth resonate with fans

HumorDivisive65

Genuinely laugh-out-loud vs. forced, reference-heavy gags

CharactersDivisive65

Lovable geeks vs. one-note stereotypes; Raj and Bernadette divisive

PacingDivisive60

Snappy early episodes; later seasons felt drawn out

OriginalityDivisive55

Fresh premise initially, but became formulaic over time

Plot and storyDivisive50

Early seasons praised; later seasons lost scientific edge for relationship drama

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 27 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 18 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 19 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men even

Episodes

12 seasons

Season 12 · 2018 · 24 episodes · 7.1 average across 24 rated episodes

  • S12E1

    The Conjugal Configuration

    Sep 24, 201820 minTMDB rating 9.9Season best
  • S12E2

    The Wedding Gift Wormhole

    Sep 27, 201821 minTMDB rating 7.3
  • S12E3

    The Procreation Calculation

    Oct 4, 201820 minTMDB rating 6.9
  • S12E4

    The Tam Turbulence

    Oct 11, 201819 minTMDB rating 6.9
  • S12E5

    The Planetarium Collision

    Oct 18, 201819 minTMDB rating 6.7
  • S12E6

    The Imitation Perturbation

    Oct 25, 201820 minTMDB rating 7.3

Watch experience

What is The Big Bang Theory like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
PlayfulWarm
Told as
Resets each episode · 10% of showsOne continuous story
ToneThe show holds its material with a warm, affectionate irony, mocking its characters' quirks without cruelty.
The rideConsistently light and upbeat comedies; occasional slightly more serious moments in later seasons do not alter the overall feel.
StructureThe series uses conventional sitcom storytelling with a standard three-act structure in each episode; no overarching narrative devices are employed.
Episode formatAlmost every episode is a self-contained comedic scenario that returns to the status quo, though some serialized character development occurs across seasons.
Season formatEach season continues the same story and cast with ongoing character and relationship development across twelve seasons.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers with a warm, comforting feeling of spending time with familiar, beloved characters.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12% (this title): Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% (this title) · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Buddy comedy: A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).

12% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe typical episode follows the socially awkward scientists as they navigate everyday social situations and romantic entanglements, often resulting in comedic misunderstandings.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

FriendshipRomantic love · 10% of showsIdentity
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on the bonds formed between a group of intellectually-gifted but socially awkward scientists and their neighbor Penny, exploring how friendship and romantic love develop and transform them.
StanceThe series gently questions social norms and intellectual isolation, but does so in a way that ultimately celebrates its characters' oddities rather than condemning them.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
PopOrchestral classicalBackground music · original score
SettingPasadena, California; apartments and university physics department
MusicTheme song by Barenaked Ladies is a memorable pop-rock piece.

Content guide

Is The Big Bang Theory okay for kids?

TV-PG

The Big Bang Theory is rated TV-PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (7/100), sexual content at moderate (40/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at minimal (8/100). Overall it is heavier than 35% of TV-PG shows.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceNR
  • Ireland15
  • New ZealandPG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • Austria16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • Hungary12
  • IndiaU
  • LTN-7
  • MexicoB
  • MYP13
  • NetherlandsAL
  • NorwayA
  • PhilippinesPG
  • Poland16
  • Portugal12AP
  • RO12
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland16
  • THน 13+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 13% of all showsHeavier than 35% of TV-PG shows
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG show
heavier than 10%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a TV-PG show
heavier than 77%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 58%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 66%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a TV-PG show
heavier than 11%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is sexual content, heavier than 77% of TV-PG shows.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The Big Bang Theory have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Big Bang Theory?

Cast

Jim Parsons won the Emmy for this show.

Johnny Galecki
as Leonard Hofstadter
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jim Parsons
as Sheldon Cooper
Emmy win: Primetime Emmy — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kaley Cuoco
as Penny
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy SeriesTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Simon Helberg
as Howard Wolowitz
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Kunal Nayyar
as Raj Koothrappali
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Melissa Rauch
as Bernadette Rostenkowski
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mayim Bialik
as Amy Farrah Fowler
Kevin Sussman
as Stuart Bloom
Carol Ann Susi
as Debbie Wolowitz
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
John Ross Bowie
as Barry Kripke

More like this

What are shows like The Big Bang Theory?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like The Big Bang Theory include Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997), The IT Crowd (2006) and Lab Rats (2012).

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293 other shows share the rarest tag below, relationship: friends to lovers. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.