Nov 112019
 

The Big Bang Theory never was a favorite sitcom for me but seemed to have a consistent 12 season run thanks in large part to the (mostly) fun ensemble cast.

 

 

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series
— Limited Edition —
(2007-19)

Genre(s): Comedy
Warner Bros. | NR – 5675 min. – $199.99 | November 12, 2019

Date Published: 11/12/2019 | Author: The Movieman


SERIES INFO:
Writer(s): Chuck Lorre (created by)
Cast: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Rauch, Mayim Blalik


DISC INFO:
Features: Featurettes, Gag Reels
Slip Cover: Yes
Digital Copy: Yes
Formats Included: Blu-ray, DVD (bonus disc)
Number of Discs: 25


Audio (Seasons 1-2, 4-12): English (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
Audio (Season 3): English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Codecs: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C


Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.

THE SERIES — 3.75/5


Series Synopsis: The Big Bang Theory follows the irresistible trajectory of genius best buddies Leonard (JOHNNY GALECKI) and Sheldon (JIM PARSONS). Joined by street-smart Penny (KALEY CUOCO), aerospace engineer Howard (SIMON HELBERG), astrophysicist Raj (KUNAL NAYYAR), microbiologist Bernadette (MELISSA RAUCH) and neurobiologist Amy (MAYIM BLALIK), the friends solve quotidian conundrums posed by academia, family and video games. What they prove, across 12 beloved seasons, is that the element that matters most in the universe is friendship.

Review: The Big Bang Theory was a series that was hit-or-miss with me. Because I kind of stride between the worlds of geek-dom with only some focal points (like DC and Batman), some of the humor never quite hit the mark while others I did manage to chuckle at, though this was never a series I necessarily laughed-out-loud at either. Also, it is strangely old fashioned in terms of the style where the more “modern” comedies had done away with the laugh tracks (well, live audience that sound like it anyway) in place of some more raw and dry humor (Scrubs immediately comes to mind).

That said, this ensemble cast had some amazing chemistry. Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco was the 21st century Ross/Rachel and will they/won’t they storylines while Jim Parsons, especially as his Sheldon character’s popularity exploded, became more and more a central fixture with each season, although at times his antics did wear a bit thin, at least until the relationship with Mayim Blalik’s Amy really helped advance the character.

It is pretty impressive that The Big Bang Theory lasted 12 seasons and although the quality of the material certainly varied, I wouldn’t say it ever got terrible as I did still generally enjoyed the ensemble and the great friendly chemistry they had with one another. And even with all those years, still maintained a loyal fan base and quite a large viewership. So while that brand of humor wasn’t always my thing, I do respect how it endured.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.75/5 (Averaged Out)


This massive 25-disc release comes with a sturdy, lengthy outer box and each disc is contained in a book with the discs sliding from the top, each season on a page (as there were only 2-discs per season). Also in this box is a booklet with behind-the-scenes and publicity photos and episode guides. There is also a singular redemption code for the Digital HD copy for the entire series.

 

Here is a breakdown of the features for each season:

SEASON 1 (2.25/5):

  • Quantum Mechanics of The Big Bang Theory (17:16) — A behind-the-scenes look into geek chic.
  • Gag Reel (7:36)

SEASON 2 (2.5/5):

  • Physicist to the Stars (10:12) — Featurette on real-life physicist/UCLA Professor David Saltzberg’s consulting relationship to the show.
  • Testing the Infinite Hilarity Hypothesis in Relation to The Big Bang Theory (15:33) — Season Two’s unique characters and characteristics.
  • Gag Reel (8:54)

SEASON 3 (2.5/5):

  • Takeout with the Cast of The Big Bang Theory (10:25) — Join the gang for Chinese food and discussion of favorite season 3 moments.
  • Set Tour with Simon and Kunal (7:40) — The two actors give viewers a tour of the major set pieces.
  • Gag Reel (7:51)

SEASON 4 (3.5/5):

  • The Big Bang Theory Live! (15:31) — Experience the excitement of a live show taping.
  • Actor on Actor: The Big Bang’s Theory on Relativity — Cast members interview each other about favorite season moments. Includes Simon, Melissa and Kunal (8:15), Jim and Mayim (8:24) and Kaley and Johnny (6:29).
  • Music Video (2:02) of the Barenaked Ladies Series Theme Song along with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video (3:23).
  • Gag Reel (10:22)

SEASON 5 (3.0/5):

  • The Big Bang Theory @ 100 (10:05) — Cast and producers celebrate the 100th episode.
  • Professors of Production (15:01) — A behind-the-scenes look at the various departments that bring the show together each week
  • The Big Bang Theory’s Laws of Reflection (11:37) — The cast reflects on their favorite memories of season 5..
  • Gag Reel (8:37)

SEASON 6 (3.75/5):

  • The Big Bang Theory: The Final Comedy Frontier (11:11) — Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Massimino join the cast to analyze the ups and downs of Howard’s space mission.
  • Houston, We Have a Sit-com (9:52) — The cast makes a surprise long-distance call.
  • The Big Bang Theory at PaleyFest 2013 (28:11) — Highlights of the Q&A with the cast and creators.
  • Electromagnetism: The Best Relationship Moments in Season 6 (30:26) — Series couples reveal their picks.
  • Gag Reel (9:16)

SEASON 7 (4.0/5):

  • String Theory Serenade (7:01) — Comedy folk duo Garfunkel and Oates (Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome) lend their unique brand of songwriting to help Wolowitz serenade his quarantined bride Bernadette.
  • 2013 Comic-Con Panel (29:10) with the usual Q&A with the cast and creators.
  • Johnny Galecki Crashes the BBT Writers Panel (3:29) where the star makes an appearance during a writers’ Q&A.
  • James Earl Jones: The Un-Conventional Guest Star (5:39) — When James Earl Jones made a guest appearance, everyone knew it was going to be a blast, but no one suspected he would be laughing the hardest.
  • BBTea Time (3:08) — What happens when Kaley, Mayim, and Melissa encounter a precocious threesome who bear a striking resemblance to their younger selves?
  • The Big Bang Theory’s May the 4th (15:15) — In honor of Star Wars Day, BBT enlists the help of FX studio ILM to imbue Professor Proton (Bob Newhart) with the powers of a Jedi master.
  • The Big Cendrowski (16:06) — Series director Mark Cendrowski takes the audience on a guided tour of the non-stop action he and his cast endure every week.
  • Gag Reel (8:51)

SEASON 8 (3.75/5):

  • Shooting Stars: BBT on BBT (5:00) — Behind the scenes of Billy Bob Thornton’s quest starring role.
  • 2014 Big Bang Theory Comic-Con Panel (28:20) — Writers discuss the upcoming season.
  • It’s a Quark… It’s an Atom… It’s the #BBTSuperfans! (12:29) — Three superfans from across the globe to see a live taping of The Big Bang Theory.
  • Constellation Prize: Chuck, Jim & Kaley Make the Hollywood Walk of Fame (3:52) — Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting and Chuck Lorre get immortalized on Hollywood’s famous Walk of Fame.
  • Here’s to You, Carol Ann Susi (9:47) — Remembering Carol Ann Susi, the actress who played Mrs. Wolowitz and passed away in 2014.
  • Gag Reel (7:17)

SEASON 9 (3.75/5):

  • #JustAstBBT — The cast answers fan questions from Twitter.
  • The Big Bang Theory: 2015 Comic-Con Panel (26:07) — Kinal Nayyar moderates the writers and producers in a panel that gives you the inside story on how your favorite episodes and moments came to be.
  • Love is Rocket Science (11:27) — How do you define love? The cast answers this and many more questions about the tectonic relationship shifts that happened in season 9.
  • The Big 200 (5:33) — Walk the red carpet with the cast as they celebrate their entrance into the exclusive club of television shows that have reached two hundred episodes.
  • The Big Bang Theory Gives Back (5:08) — The cast and producers, led by creator Chuck Lorre, welcome the first BBT scholars onto their set to celebrate the new scholarship they created at UCLA.
  • Gag Reel (8:45)

SEASON 10 (4.0/5):

  • Best of The Big Bang Theory 2016 Comic-Con Panel (39:13) — Writers’ panel at the 2016 SDCC.
  • #JustAskBBT (5:17) — The cast answers fan questions from Twitter.
  • The Ever-Expanding Universe of The Big Bang Theory (11:22) — Show creator Chuck Lorre, executive producer Steve Molaro and the cast discuss the highlights of season 10 and how family played a key role in this season’s storylines.
  • Mad Props (7:59) — Prop master Scott London reveals the origins of some of the most iconic props from the first 10 seasons.
  • Who’s the Baby Now? (7:33) — Lorre, Molaro and the cast discuss the show’s newest addition, baby Halley Wolowitz.
  • Gag Reel (8:20)

SEASON 11 (3.75/5):

  • The Big Bang Theory: 2017 Comic-Con Panel (33:31) — The cast and writers answer questions for the fans at the 2017 SDCC.
  • The Maturation Imperative (11:05) — Show Creator Chuck Lorre, Executive Producers Steven Molaro and Steve Holland along with the cast discuss highlights from the season.
  • A BBT History of Time (5:05) — The show pays tribute to one of the most prominent guest stars, Stephen Hawking.
  • The Big Bang Theory: The Blueprint of Comedy (5:43) — Find out what goes into making a scene ready for air, examining a specific scene from an episode.
  • Gag Reel (7:01)

SEASON 12 (4.25/5):

  • The Big Bang Theory’s Impact (7:33) — Show creator Chuck Lorre and the cast honor the first class of recipients of The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment, who will be graduating from UCLA in Spring 2019.
  • The Big Bang Theory Cast Visits Ellen (12:29) — The cast visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about the series finale as well as the impact the show has had.
  • Best of The Big Bang Theory Comic-Con 2018 Panel (39:25) — The writers and some of the cast answer questions for the fans at the 2018 SDCC.
  • The Sweet Spot (12:42) — Meet the man who has been warming up and entertaining the live studio audience before every taping of the show’s 279-episode run.
  • The Last Days of The Big Bang Theory (14:11) — Behind the scenes featurette of the emotional series finale as the writers, cast, and crew say goodbye to fans and take their final bows.
  • Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell Special (21:17) — Series stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco lead fans on a trip down memory lane, sharing some of the best-kept backstage secrets and personal memories from the past 12 years.
  • Gag Reel (7:05)

BONUS DISC (DVD):

  • The Big Bang Theory: A Retrospective (28:32) — Final reflections from the cast and producers.
  • BBT’s Greatest Hits: 12 Years of Comedy in 24 Minutes (25:03) — The cast and crew highlight the many guest stars who have been on the show.

All the Stars in the BBT Universe (12:20) — A collection of the funniest moments from every blockbuster season.

 

VIDEO – 4.25/5


Presumably these are the same transfers from the individual releases but even so, like most modern comedy series, they generally look very good in 1080p high-definition. The video is well defined, noticeably better with the later seasons it seems, and colors are vibrant throughout in keeping with the light-hearted nature of the show.

AUDIO – 3.75/5


As with the video, the audio codecs are likely the same as well. Seasons 1-2 and 4-12 include DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks while, for whatever reason, season 3 was only Dolby Digital 5.1. Either way, this isn’t the kind of show that needed an all encompassing loss track, only showcase crisp and clear dialogue primarily through the center speaker with the front and rears mostly relegating the ambient noises and music. Nothing noteworthy but probably on par with how it aired.

 

OVERALL – 4.25/5


The Big Bang Theory never was a favorite sitcom for me but seemed to have a consistent 12 season run thanks in large part to the (mostly) fun ensemble cast, though Sheldon played by Jim Parsons sometimes outwore is welcome, but I know he was a fan favorite. This 25-disc collection is nicely put together by Warner Brothers and includes a nice array of bonus features, although strangely there were no audio commentaries.

 Leave a Reply

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)