A great pilot to a fun tv show that became a 12 year long hit. It is a great introduction to the characters. I loved Howard showing Penny his game character with the tiger. Sheldon already shows us how much he loves the place where he sits. I must say though that Sheldon seems a bit less socially awkward or even socially confused. I mean later he shows no interest or even real understanding of sexual attraction and yet in this episode he made this joke about Leonard's grandma not being attractive enough. I don't think such a joke would happen in a season or two. But still we can see that for them most part the characters fit well to what they become later.
12 Reviews
Great way to start off
peterhill-8490016 March 2015
When I first discovered TBBT (The Big Bang Theory) it was at a friend's house at dinner. I was instantly drawn into the bizarre world of this dysfunctional yet entertaining friendship between four guys and their new neighbor, Penny.
So I tracked down the first ever episode and boy was I pleased I found it. It's a delight to watch as we're introduced to the awkward and unsociable, Sheldon Cooper, or Leonard who's trying too hard to win over Penny. Then there's the adorable Rajesh who can't speak to women and then Howard who's the comedic womanizer.
This first episode is a ton of fun but is just the tip of a very large iceberg.
So I tracked down the first ever episode and boy was I pleased I found it. It's a delight to watch as we're introduced to the awkward and unsociable, Sheldon Cooper, or Leonard who's trying too hard to win over Penny. Then there's the adorable Rajesh who can't speak to women and then Howard who's the comedic womanizer.
This first episode is a ton of fun but is just the tip of a very large iceberg.
The First Episode...
taylorkingston18 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I love this episode. It's a great series premiere and it's just so funny. All of the cast play their characters very well and it's just a very good concept for a Pilot episode.
In this episode, thirty-something-year-olds Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper are friends, who live together in Pasadena, California. They are brilliant. They have a combined IQ of 360. They work as physicists at Cal Tech. They are great friends with engineer, Howard Wolowitz, and astrophysicist, Raj Koothrappali. When a beautiful girl moves across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon, they are friendly and go and meet her. She's an actress named Penny from Nebraska. She's works at The Cheesecake Factory, waiting to get her big break. Leonard is nice and offers to have dinner at their place, since they just ordered take-out. Leonard develops a crush for Penny, as you knew he would. And when he tries to impress her by getting money she's owed from an ex-boyfriend, he and Sheldon both lose their pants.
Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Amazing.
In this episode, thirty-something-year-olds Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper are friends, who live together in Pasadena, California. They are brilliant. They have a combined IQ of 360. They work as physicists at Cal Tech. They are great friends with engineer, Howard Wolowitz, and astrophysicist, Raj Koothrappali. When a beautiful girl moves across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon, they are friendly and go and meet her. She's an actress named Penny from Nebraska. She's works at The Cheesecake Factory, waiting to get her big break. Leonard is nice and offers to have dinner at their place, since they just ordered take-out. Leonard develops a crush for Penny, as you knew he would. And when he tries to impress her by getting money she's owed from an ex-boyfriend, he and Sheldon both lose their pants.
Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Amazing.
A Hit from the Get Go
Hitchcoc12 January 2018
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.
Sheldon Cooper Is My Idol
EdIsInHell22 December 2018
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.
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.
A Flying Start
eevee_j12 November 2010
There are many aspects of the pilot show which serve excellently to comically drive the narrative and introduce the characters. Leonard and Sheldon are shown to dress awkwardly, their apartment is decorated with models of atoms and flip-boards and this fits them perfectly. Penny's colourful character and juxtaposition to their world works excellently. The topics and lexis of the physicist's conversation is shown as obviously abnormal through Penny's reactions and humour at their quirky ways, which we can relate to. Through the editing and use of cutting scenes with atoms, the beginning of their new, different story has a fantastic start.
Best pilot for a sitcom
abhishekbhatt-9088124 December 2019
The New Next-Door Neighbor
claudio_carvalho5 July 2023
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"
"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"
Pilot for "The Big Bang Theory" should be the start of another hit for Chuck Lorre
tavm25 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A couple of geniuses, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) return to their apartment after leaving a fertility clinic (they had changed their minds about donating sperm) and meet a new next-door-neighbor named Penny (Kaley Cuoco). Leonard, smitten with her, invites her for lunch at his place to the consternation of roommate Sheldon. I'll stop there and mention how funny many of the lines provided by Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre (of "Two and a Half Men" fame) are, especially those written for Sheldon who's hilarious whether analyzing his roommate's more-than-friendly interest in Penny or putting his intellectually superior attitude in overdrive. Should be another hit for CBS Monday Nights!
Solid, safe start
decc018 June 2022
Manages to walk the tightrope of predictability/stereotyping and setting up the series mostly well. Yes it's cringe, yes it becomes less cringe. A little messy and although some backstory in Season 3 helps it shouldn't have taken that long.
The Sheldon show right from the off
studioAT20 June 2017
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.
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.
Give me my 30 minutes back
cman-cpp6 July 2019
I can't for the life of me see what did anyone see in this show. This is a comedy right ? Like it supposed to be funny ? I mean think it should be funny cause the laugh track reminds me this every 5 seconds. But where are the jokes ? Where is the humor ? Some moments are so bad It physically hurts to watch.
"I am a scientist" line just made me want to DIE, like right on the spot there. I can't find the words to describe how much I didn't laugh.
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