One of the Best Big Bang Theory Moments Was Totally Unscripted
There's no doubt about it, Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre's sitcom The Big Bang Theory was a huge success. Being filmed in front of a live audience meant there was lots of natural laughter along the way.
The Big Bang Theory introduced its audience, both live and at home, to many moments of heartbreak, embarrassment, and everything else in between. Though the scriptwriting was indeed excellent, some of the best moments weren't scripted at all, and here's one of them.
Sheldon's roommate agreement
The Big Bang Theory is so popular because it's all about people who don't typically fit in well with the general public. Because of the excellent casting and relationships between actors, there were lots of off-script moments that the producers kept in, especially moments of emotion. These include the cast's tears in the show's finale and Galecki laughing too much in some scenes.
Arguably the best unscripted section that fans loved occurred in Season 4 Episode 9 when Sheldon was rewriting the roommate agreement. In this episode, Penny and Leonard reunite, which sets Sheldon off rewriting the roommate agreement to involve her. He writes through the night, but just as he finishes it, Leonard comes home and tells him that he and Penny have already gone their separate ways – again.
An inimitable moment
The wonderful unscripted moment occurs just as Leonard tells Sheldon of their most recent separation. We see Sheldon stare at his roommate, throw the huge pile of papers up in the air, and gently shake his head without breaking his gaze.
The best part of the scene is that one of the papers lands gently balanced between Sheldon's shoulder and his head where it remains still. It's purely organic and Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, manages to continue the scene and deliver his last line while keeping a straight face. It's only when he turns to storm out of the room that the paper finally falls. Props also to Jonny Galecki for not bursting out into laughter like he has so many times in the past.
Fans of the show lapped up this hilarious moment. The 39-second clip has been watched 178,000 times and there is lots of praise for the Sheldon actor for managing to keep things together enough to finish the scene. One of the best things about this scene is that you'd never be able to replicate it again. The paper landing on Sheldon is a truly hilarious moment – and fans are so grateful it made the cut and didn't end up as an outtake due to the actors' inability to continue. Fair play to them, we say!