| BIG BANG THEORY :: Set in Pasadena, California, the show is centered on five characters: two roommate Caltech geniuses, experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter and theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper; their neighbor across the hall Penny, an attractive blonde waitress and aspiring actress; and Leonard’s and Sheldon’s equally geeky and socially awkward co-workers and friends Howard Wolowitz, an Aerospace engineer and a non-PhD from JPL, and Rajesh Koothrappali, a particle astrophysicist post doc also working at Caltech. The geekiness and intellect of the four guys are contrasted for comic effect with Penny’s social skills and common sense. Three other supporting characters have also been promoted to main cast status for a few episodes: Leslie Winkle, a Caltech colleague of Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj;Bernadette, a microbiology student who works with Penny part time as a waitress; and Amy Farrah Fowler, a friend of Sheldon’s. |