The Big Bang Theory was a hit sitcom show for many reasons. One of fans' favorite parts of the show is its fascinating intro and catchy theme song, performed by The Barenaked Ladies. But what many fans probably don't know is that there are a lot of small things within the intro that they've probably missed.
From typos to scientific inaccuracies, here are 10 things you probably missed in The Big Bang Theory's intro credits.
91,0009C/1200BC100100BC
Eagle-eyed fans will point out that there are actually two typos in the BC portion of the intro's timeline. The first comes up when 91,000BC is accidentally written as 91,0009C. The second comes at 1200BC and 1100BC, which appear to have been accidentally smooshed together and written improperly, leading to the creation of "1200BC100100BC"...a mistake that surely would have driven Sheldon completely insane.
The lyric "The Earth began to cool, the autotrophs began to drool..."
The most commonly pointed out "flaw" in the theme song is the lyric, "The Earth began to cool, the autotrophs began to drool..." When taken literally, this line doesn't make sense. Autotrophs are flora, such as plants and algae. Plants don't drool, so this is commonly seen as a mistake.
However, the line doesn't actually mean that plants were drooling. Instead, it's meant to show the progression of time. The cooling of planet Earth took millions of years, as did the evolution from single-celled organisms to multicellular organisms. So it's very possible that this flaw isn't a flaw at all.
The Chimpanzee
After the initial intro, the opening credits turn into a running slideshow. It begins showing the evolution of life on Earth, and after showing a wooly mammoth, it shows a chimpanzee, followed by the famous "March of Progress" illustration which depicts the evolution of homo sapiens. However, despite what's commonly believed, humans didn't evolve from chimps. Instead, both homo sapiens (humans) and Pan troglodytes (chimpanzees) evolved separately from a common ancestor.
"We built a wall, we built the pyramids!"
The entire theme song is sung in chronological order, depicting the evolution of life on Earth and the history of mankind. However, one lyric says, "We built a wall...we built the pyramids!" This line goes against the chronological order of the rest of the song because the pyramids in Egypt are actually much older than the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall can be dated back to about 700BC, whereas the pyramids date back to around 2500BC. It's a tiny mistake, and unless viewers are history buffs, it's likely nobody ever noticed.
The Pyramid
When the line "we built the pyramids" is sung, an image of a pyramid is shown... However, this isn't actually an image of a pyramid, instead, it's the back of a one-dollar US bill. And this depiction has a vastly different meaning than an ordinary image of a pyramid. In fact, the image is actually of an unfinished pyramid, and the top triangle with the eye is known as the "Eye of Providence" and is a Christian symbol that represents God eternally watching humanity.
The symbol is also somewhat controversial as it is heavily associated with freemasonry, cults, and a boatload of conspiracy theories involving the Illuminati and the creation of America.
There are More Photos Than Your Brain Can Handle
After zooming through the solar system, the show's opening credits turn into a giant slideshow. And in just 15 seconds, viewers see over 100 unique images. As the intro progresses, the images change at a faster and faster rate. There are so many images in such a short period of time that it's impossible for the human brain to process them all, especially the ones towards the end that only get a fraction of a second's worth of screen time.
Some of the Photos are Very Unexpected
Some of the photos used in The Big Bang Theory's intro hold vast historical significance, and are seen in school textbooks around the world - things like the statues of Easter Island, da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, Joan of Arc, and more. However, some of the other images included may surprise viewers. The intro includes images of a subdivision, birth control, break dancing, a disco ball, and even the original Sony PlayStation, among many others.
The Theme Song is Actually a Full Song
It's common knowledge that the theme song is sung by the hit band The Barenaked Ladies, but many people don't know that what's featured in the intro credits is just the first part of a whole song. The song, titled "The History of Everything," mentions everything from Australopitchicus to Descartes, and even the inevitable collapse of the universe that will destroy Earth and everything else that's ever existed.
"It All Started With a Big Bang!"
During pre-production, The Big Bang Theory was originally titled Lenny, Penny, and Kenny, and Sheldon's name was originally "Kenny." Many fans claim the show's title was changed by creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady because the "Big Bang" served as a double entendre.
Not only does it make sense because the show follows the lives of a group of scientists, but also because it would allude to the relationship between Penny and Leonard. It's a good thing they changed the name too, because Lenny, Penny, and Kenny is nowhere near as interesting.
The Changing Ending
By the time The Big Bang Theory concluded in 2019, Bernadette Rostenkowski and Amy Farrah Fowler had become beloved characters. But it's important to remember that they weren't added until later in the show's run. Both Bernadette and Amy were introduced in season 3, with Bernadette appearing in the season's fifth episode, and Amy being introduced on the season finale.
The new characters meant that the couch scene at the end of the opening credits had to be changed to include them. However, while the change did happen, it wasn't made until season 6, a full two seasons after both characters had become stars in the show.