The Big Bang Theory was one of the most popular television sitcoms of all time.
It introduced us to Sheldon Cooper and is singlehandedly responsible for making smart the new sexy. And we could not have been happier to watch it all happen.
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To help celebrate the show’s memory, here are 10+ details about The Big Bang Theory characters that fans didn’t know.
Leonard’s glasses don’t have any lenses in the frames.
Actor Johnny Galecki said he wanted Leonard to wear glasses. The only problem was that they’d create a glare whenever Galecki had to look up to speak to his much taller co-star, Jim Parsons.
“I quickly popped out the lenses and that’s the movie magic behind that.”
Leonard and Sheldon are named after famous actor/producer Sheldon Leonard.
Originally, Sheldon was going to be named Kenny and the show would have been called: Lenny, Penny, and Kenny . I know, it’s horrible.
When Sheldon Leonard Bershad passed away, the creators changed the name to honor the fallen icon.
Amy’s apartment number has a very important mathematical significance.
It might be difficult to recall, but Amy’s apartment number was “qA 314.”
3.14 is the beginning sequence for the mathematical constant of Pi, a clever nod that any math whiz worth their salt would have noticed in an instant.
All Sheldon can think about is the number 73.
Sheldon loves the number 73. In fact, he loves it so much that it adorns several shirts he owns. Fans never really understood why until the show’s 73rd episode:
“73 is the 21st prime number. Its mirror, 37, is the 12th and its mirror, 21, is the product of multiplying 7 and 3,” according to Sheldon.
Penny doesn’t actually have a last name.
One glaring detail that was always omitted from the end credits was Penny’s last name .
It was never mentioned on the show and since the series ends with Leonard and Penny getting married, fans will likely never find out!
The laundry room reveals a lot.
Pay careful attention whenever you see Sheldon washing his laundry. If you take a close look at his clothes, you’ll notice that they’re garments that he wore in previous episodes.
Talk about dedication to continuity!
Sheldon’s favorite lullaby, “Soft Kitty,” is actually a song.
“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur…”
The Big Bang Theory nearly ended up choking on their own furball! A lawsuit was filed over copyright infringement and the song was nearly pulled entirely from the show.
Jim Parsons is actually playing the theremin.
It might sound like nothing more than a collection of electronic whirring and humming, but the theremin is one of the most difficult instruments to master.
Credit to Jim Parsons for showcasing such unique musical talent!
Penny was originally called Katie and she was played by actress Amanda Walsh.
“In the first pilot, the character of [Katie] was not as appealing as that proverbial girl next door . It was not the actress [Amanda Walsh] but rather the conceit of the character.”
Jim Parsons is far less geeky than Sheldon Cooper.
“I have never seen Doctor Who ,” he said in an interview with RadioTimes.com. “I know what it is of course, but I have never watched an episode.”
What’s next, Jim? Next, you’ll be saying that you don’t actually understand the faults in Einstein’s theory of relativity!
Sheldon’s wedding tuxedo was inspired by *The Flash*.
Everyone knows that Sheldon’s favorite superhero is The Flash . So it only makes sense that Sheldon would pay homage on his big day!
Look closely and you’ll see Sheldon is wearing Flash cufflinks and Flash socks!
Sheldon has a species of Bee named after him.
The species is affectionately known as ” The Bazinga Bee .” It’s fitting, to say the least.
Hopefully, these are the kind of bees that just worry about playing hilarious pranks on their fellow hive mates. You know, as opposed to the kind that spread fear and pestilence.
The 4A Flag is always visible.
One of the greatest running gags on The Big Bang Theory was Sheldon’s TV show Fun with Flags .
Sheldon even crafts an insignia for their apartment, which he shows Leonard the day of their very first meeting.
Sheldon’s cardinal rule is never fly the physical flag upside down, but the magnet version is a different story.
Whenever Sheldon and Leonard are arguing, the fridge magnet always appears with the insignia upside down.
An upside-down flag is an international distress signal.
Melissa Rauch (Bernadette) doesn’t actually sound like that in real-life.
The voice is supposedly inspired by Melissa’s own mother (minus the New Jersey accent, so she says).
“Sometimes I’ll get recognized and people will hear my voice and go ‘Oh, that’s not you?'”
Sheldon’s shirts reflect his moods.
Many have speculated the hidden meaning behind Sheldon’s assortment of t-shirts. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that they not only foreshadow his mood , but the events of the episode as well!
Red for anger, orange for greed, yellow for fear, etc.
Amy plays the harp!
Amy Farrah Fowler is a woman of many skills and talents. Like Sheldon, her left and right brain hemispheres are equally matched.
The harp isn’t just for show, either! Amy (Mayim Bialik) really did learn how to play for the show. I wonder if she knows anything other than Bon Jovi covers?
Sheldon’s YouTube username is an homage to *Star Wars*.
This is one of those “if you blink you’ll miss it” type moments. When Sheldon is watching the viral YouTube video of his drunken escapade from the night before, his username becomes visible for a split second.
“OB1” appears on the screen, a clear reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi .
Howard really isn’t the “good Jewish boy” he claims to be.
Let’s run the list, shall we?
First of all, we never see Howard observe any Jewish customs like Passover or Yom Kippur . He eats pork on a regular basis, and then there’s the whole marrying a Catholic girl thing.
The gang really is making memories.
If you scan the bookshelf against the wall, you’ll notice a few familiar photographs. Most notably is Howard and Bernadette dressed up as Smurfs.
This is a subtle reference to a previous Halloween episode.
Sheldons are in short supply.
Early on, we learn that Sheldon has a mindbending IQ score of 187. To better put that in perspective, on average about 1:100,000,000 people have this IQ score.
That means that there are roughly 70 people alive today with an IQ of 187 and only 1000 people total since the dawn of time.
Howard only plays with female toys.
Howard’s room is something to behold. It looks more like the room of a 9-year-old boy as opposed to a grown man’s.
Pay close attention to his toy collection and you’ll see that Howard is a fan of the femme fatales. Feminist or creep? You decide!
Sheldon doesn’t have a photographic memory.
This is a common misconception. What Sheldon has is known as an eidetic memory.
Eidetic memory is the ability to recall memories and view them like photographs, whereas a photographic memory is the ability to recall pages of text or numbers in exact detail.
Does Leonard’s sister have a name?
The majority of Leonard’s immediate family remained a mystery for the bulk of the series. The sibling he seemed to have the most strained relationship with was his sister.
Never once do we hear Leonard refer to her as anything other than “Dr. Hofstadter.”
Leonard and Sheldon are terrible with money.
Take a look around their apartment: Do you know how much some of that memorabilia costs?!
Also, how can two university-employed scientists barely make ends meet? Their neighbor across the hall works part-time at The Cheesecake Factory and somehow manages to keep the lights on? Something doesn’t add up.
Howard sits in Sheldon’s spot…a lot.
We all know the many reasons why Sheldon so carefully chose his preferred spot on the couch.
However, in several episodes when Sheldon is at his desk or working on the whiteboard, Howard plants himself down on the end of the couch without so much as a peep from Sheldon.
Wil Wheaton’s address is a reference to *Star Trek: The Next Generation*.
Wil Wheaton plays an evil version of himself. He’s most famously known for playing Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation .
The call sign for the Starship Enterprise in STNG was NCC-1701-D. If you look at the numbers on Wil’s house, the address is the same: 1701.
Sheldon’s first kiss wasn’t with Amy.
Sheldon has kissed a total of five women (four by his own admission). They are his meemaw, mother, sister, and of course, Amy.
However, there is a glaring omission from the list: Leonard’s mother! If you follow the timeline, that makes Leonard’s mom Sheldon’s first kiss!
Everyone has seen Penny naked…except Howard!
Leonard doesn’t really require an explanation, but you might have forgotten about Raj and Penny’s one-night stand (sort of).
Sheldon also had to help her to the hospital when she fell and hurt herself in the shower.
Bernadette’s voice got gradually higher as episodes went on.
If you rewind back to the first moment where we meet Bernadette, her voice is noticeably lower, almost normal even.
As her character grew and became more and more prominent, so, too, did her voice!
