Product Details

• Actors: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai
• Dubbed: Portuguese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: Unknown
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: September 2, 2008
• Run Time: 355 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (869 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000W91RUG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #21 in Movies & TV > DVD > Comedy
• Learn more about "The Big Bang Theory: The Complete First Season" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The delightful sitcom The Big Bang Theory revolves around a character type rarely seen on television: The alpha geek. Physicists Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) get their lives shaken up when an attractive young woman named Penny (Kaley Cuoco) moves in to the apartment across from theirs. The key to the show, though, is not that they both fall haplessly in love--Leonard does, but Sheldon remains impermeably aloof and caustic about anything resembling romance or human relationships in general. While the push and pull of Leonard's yearning for Penny motivates much of the series' ongoing plot, the show's real drive comes from Sheldon's fantastic combination of obsessive-compulsive neurosis and grandiose obliviousness. He's a brilliant comic creation, imperious and dorky, a seamless collaboration of clever writing and an inspired performance by Parsons. Whether Sheldon loses his job for insulting his new boss, or finds his ego bruised by a child prodigy, or finds himself unable to bear being part of a lie that Leonard has told, he attacks the world with a relentless need to assert his supremacy--and the results are deeply funny.

The triumph of The Big Bang Theory is that everyone is written with genuine affection; what could have been a lifeless parade of stereotypes--Two Nerds and a Hot Chick--becomes instead a charming collision of cultures. The familiar stuff (computer games, comic books, social incompetence) has the grit of specificity; the show understands the difference between Halo and Halo 3, knows what the Bottle City of Kandor is, and grasps the infinite variety of ways in which a conversation can go terribly awry. (Penny gets less nuance, but Cuoco still gives her a distinctive personality.) Kudos as well to supporting players Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, who bring their own variations on geekiness to the table, and to great appearances by some of Galecki's former cohorts on Roseanne--Sara Gilbert as geekette Leslie and Laurie Metcalf as Sheldon's fundamentalist mother. All in all, one of the most winning sitcoms in years. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

University physicists Leonard and Sheldon know whether to use an integral or a differential to solve the area under a curve. But they don’t have a clue about girls. Or dating. Or clothes. Or parties. Or having fun. Or, basically, life. So when a pretty blonde named Penny moves in the apartment across the hall, the guys decide to get an education outside of the classroom. Boys, you have a lot to learn. With series creators Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (The Gilmore Girls) concocting the right mix of logic and lunacy and stars Johnny Galecki (Roseanne) and Jim Parsons (Judging Amy) turning geekdom into Phi Beta fun, The Big Bang Theory is big on laughs. And life.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

273 of 293 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, original, and very VERY funny January 9, 2008

By A. Gammill VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

I admit, I didn't want to like this show. After all, it replaced my favorite CBS sitcom from the previous year, The Class. But I gave it a chance, and I'm really glad I did.

The Big Bang Theory tells the story of 4 young geniuses, as they find it will take more than book-smarts to navigate the unchartered waters of relationships in the real world. Into their world of role-playing games and physics in-jokes comes Penny, a beautiful waitress who somewhat reluctlantly becomes the guys' guide to life outside their academic shells.

What really sets the show apart from other half-hour comedies is the writing. You'd probably need an advanced degree in math or science to know whether some of the jokes are based on real concepts, but it doesn't matter. Just watching the two leads (flawlessly played by Johhny Galecki and Jim Parsons) try to co-exist with Penny living across the hall is pure comic gold. Jim Parsons (as uber-nerd Sheldon) may be the funniest comic actor on t.v., and it will be a shame if he doesn't nab an Emmy nomination for his work here.

If you haven't been watching The Big Bang Theory, give it a try. And if you have seen it, I hope you'll join me in voting for a DVD release of this bright and funny show.

117 of 133 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun for Geeks...and Everyone Else June 1, 2008

By Karen Joan VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

The TV sitcom is not dead. Chuck Lorre has resurrected the universe of comdey with The Big Bang Theory, Monday nights at 7:00 PM CST. Hysterically, laugh out loud, belly-bustingly funny, this show is not to be missed.

The premise is fresh and fun: two young, genius, nerdy, socially awkward science professors named Sheldon and Leonard share an apartment. Across the hall, in moves Penny - a sweet, beautiful, blond bombshell who waitresses at the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard immediately falls for her. Penny cares for Leonard, but she loves him like a brother...

It is a phenomenon how unbelievably funny this show is. The writing is smart, creative, and consistent. The characterizations are masterful and avoid being over the top. The acting and comic timing are inspired. This cohesive ensemble cast jelled from day one, and has never looked back. As comical and wacky as this show is, every time I watch it, I think "I KNOW these people. I know people just like them." (Yes, I am a science and engineering geek. I have a Master's Degree in physics.) Somehow, in the midst of all the zany hilarity, the world created by these talented folks is real, comfortable, and familiar. The details in this show are amazing, and add to the realism. Clearly everyone involved in this effort cares, and that is what makes Big Bang work so well.

If you haven't seen Big Bang, give it a try. Your sides will ache from laughing so hard. As an added bonus, the theme song is catchy and sung by Bare Naked Ladies. And don't forget to hit pause as Chuck Lorre's placards pop up at the end of each episode.

76 of 86 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, witty, and creative: What else could you possibly want? April 3, 2008

By miceatwork

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Clear the decks on Monday nights on CBS at 8:00 EST. You will not regret it. Okay, I absolutely love this show. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen on television. Every episode is a little gem. The writing is bright and hilarious and the acting and casting are superb. I cannot remember any new sitcom that I have ever watched that hit the ground running like this one did or where the cast jelled so quickly as a tight ensemble. I had almost completely sworn off network television sitcoms after those halcyon days of Seinfeld had finally passed. (May you rest in peace, beloved characters Jerry, George, Elaine, Kramer, and "Newmie.") Then a friend told me about this hilarious new sitcom, THE BIG BANG THEORY, about two science geeks named Sheldon and Leonard. When I finally got around to watching the show at the third episode, I was astounded at how unbelievably funny this show actually was. The writing was smart and creative and the acting and comic timing were simply superb. Amazingly, the cast seemed to hit the ground running and immediately was a cohesive ensemble from the very first episode (which I got to see later in reruns). Even the supporting cast choices were inspired, such as Sara Gilbert for the uber utilitarian and throroughly heartless brain girl ("Leslie Winkle), Laurie Metcaf as Sheldon's no-nonsense east Texas mother ("Mrs. Mary Cooper"), and that great character actor who played "Ray-Ray" on "My Name Is Earl" as Sheldon's fictitious cousin fresh out of non-existent substance abuse rehab ("Leopold Houston"). Everybody involved in this show--from the writers, directors, actors, set and costume designers, etc.)--have created a wonderful little world where you feel you are watching the actual lives of real people you know and care about.... The writers are true masters of characterization and, as is the case with pulling off a great con, the secret is in the details. I love how references to things like Howard's allergy to peanuts, Koothrapalli's phobia about talking to women, Sheldon's anal retentive obsession with labeling everything,and Leonard being lactose intolerant keep popping up in the episodes. And, the final test for me for rating the greatness of a sitcom is is how many of the tag lines (great one-liners) I incorporate into my own conversation. I find a lot of lines from the show keep popping up in my everyday speech: "If you have time to lean, you have time to clean," "You could always power down," "Good-bye, Honey Puffs. Hello, Big Bran," to list just a few. Needless to say, I am thrilled that these wonderful comic episodes are coming out on DVD. I am going to preorder them as soon as I finish this review. Read more ›

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars much more than just a theory . . . June 25, 2009

By trebe TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

Focusing on the lives of physicists, and geeky ones at that, does make for an atypical television series, but a great cast, original characters, and high quality writing, combine to produce a modern comedic gem. Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, it understandably took a little while for the creative team to develop the personalities of the characters. But once the basic parameters were set, The Big Bang Theory began to boldly go where no comedy has gone before.

With characters that always seem to be evolving, the series explores some unusual topics, and frequently heads into uncharted territory, usually making it impossible to predict what may happen. This is one of the main reasons why this unique, goofy, show is so hilarious and captivating. The creative team taps into facets of pop culture that may be associated with geeks and nerds (and teenage boys in general), and find ways to weave them into their stories, often in an exaggerated way. Science fiction, comic books, superheroes, video games, television, action figures, paint ball fights, Star Wars, and the Star Trek universe, are just a few of the subjects that are featured.

The cast is marvelous, with Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter, the shy guy enchanted by his new neighbor. Jim Parsons is Sheldon Cooper. If you look up the word neurotic, Sheldon's photo just might be there. Simon Helberg is Howard Wolowitz, the delusional sleaze, who does still have his good points. Kunal Nayyar is Rajesh Koothrappali, who can't speak to a beautiful woman unless he is under the influence of alcohol. Kaley Cuoco is Penny, the girl from Omaha who moved next door, works at the Cheesecake Factory . . . . and changed their universe....

Since Sheldon is off the scale when it comes to weirdness (what Penny would later come to describe as `whackadoodle'), and Wolowitz and Raj are arguably more `abnormal', Leonard seems the most sensible of the bunch. Sheldon is totally unique, so bizarre in his beliefs, behavior and speech, that he seems at times to be from another planet. Jim Parsons is a amazing comic talent, with a bright, bright future.

Penny has a multi-faceted role. One is as the primary female character, another is that she usually represents as close to a 'normal' persons' point of view as we will get. As a link to reality, she is often the reference that shows just how wacked out the guys really are. The times when she joins them in their world (such as when she fragged Sheldon on Halo night), are often some of the program's funniest moments. By the end of the season, everything about the show is clearly peaking. In `The Pancake Batter Anomaly', Sheldon gets sick, and Penny gets stuck taking care of him, rubbing Vaporub on his chest, and singing `Soft Kitty'. In `The Bat Jar Conjecture', it's Sheldon's team versus the rest of the gang and Leslie Winkle (Sara Gilbert), in the Physics Bowl. Sheldon's knockout of a twin sister arrives and makes waves, in `The Pork Chop Indeterminacy'. Sheldon gets a look in the mirror, in `The Jerusalem Duality' when a young genius arrives on campus. In `The Nerduana Annihilation', when Leonard buys the time machine used in the classic 60's film `The Time Machine' on eBay, Penny's astute description is that `It looks like something that Elton John would drive through the Everglades'. In the season finale, there's a glimmer of hope for romance for Leonard, in `The Tangerine Factor' when Penny agrees to go out with him.

The Big Bang Theory is simply one of the most engaging comedies to come along in years. Each episode seems to fly by, and leave you wanting more. Some commentary tracks would have been cool, but the only bonus is the `Quantum Mechanics of The Big Bang Theory' a look at the creators, cast, and genesis of the show. There are only seventeen episodes in the First Season due to the writers' strike.

Things only get better in the second season, as the show's creative team continue to develop the characters, and introduce new elements to the mix, keeping things fresh and extremely funny. As Sheldon Cooper might say, it is a foregone conclusion that the third season will be characterized by the same outstanding writing, and brilliantly quirky humor found in the first two seasons, continuing to keep The Big Bang Theory, at the cutting edge of contemporary comedy. Read more ›