PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2009: 26TH ANNUAL WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL: THE BIG BANG THEORY {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media’s 26th William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Cinerama Dome at the Arclight, Los Angeles, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television’s creative community. This evening honors "The Big Bang Theory," the comedy series about a quartet of nerdy scientists in Pasadena and their attempts to master the cooler aspects of life and love. Craig Hitchcock (executive director at The Paley Center for Media, L.A.) introduces moderator Cynthia Littleton (deputy editor, Daily Variety). Littleton provides background about the show before introducing executive producer/creator Chuck Lorre. Upon taking the stage, Lorre introduces an episode of the series, "The Vegas Renormalization," which is screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 101443.)
Following the screening, Littleton introduces the panelists: Lorre; executive producer/creator Bill Prady; and cast members Kunal Nayyar (Rajesh Koothrappali); Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz); Kaley Cuoco (Penny); Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper); and Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter).
Panelists touch on such topics as: how such a "sleeper" show attained its current popularity; the paucity on TV of "underdog" stories; how the recent writers' strikes affected the program's momentum; Lorre's homage in the show to producer/actor Sheldon Leonard; why the original pilot wasn't picked up, and the revisions that ultimately sold the concept; strategies used to help the characters evolve; the quest to make scripts "simpler"; the unique manner in which the show was pitched to the network; Brady having based the "nerdy" characters on people from his past; the cast being called "a series of miracles"; why the actors spend as much time off-set as on-set; if putting physicists in a flattering light will make science seem "cool" to kids; whether Galecki and Parsons hesitated at playing "nerds"; Galecki and Parson's initial feelings about each other; why producers insisted on having a theme song; and why the character of Penny doesn't have a last name.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: if Cuoco is "secretly geeky"; the cast's reception at Comic-Con; phrases on the show that have become "water cooler" moments; whether flashbacks of the characters' college years are in the works; if Sheldon will ever get a love interest; the best and worst things about taping in front of a live audience; if any of the actors ad-lib; whether "geek consultants" assist on the more minutiae-oriented scripts; and which actor most closely resembles his/her character.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: April 16, 2009 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:46:54
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 100011
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Craig Hitchcock … Host
- Cynthia Littleton … Moderator
- Chuck Lorre … Panelist
- Bill Prady … Panelist
- Kunal Nayyar … Panelist
- Simon Helberg … Panelist
- Kaley Cuoco … Panelist
- Jim Parsons … Panelist
- Johnny Galecki … Panelist
- Sheldon Leonard