Super-boffin Stephen Hawking to star in Big Bang Theory

British boffinry supremo Stephen Hawking will guest star in US hit comedy show The Big Bang Theory next month. The programme's maker CBS confirmed it had signed up the famed theoretical physicist, well known for writing bestseller A Brief History of Time. The broadcaster said Hawking, 70, will appear in an episode that airs …

[Annihilator]

Cool

TBBT usually do well with cameos (George Smoot and Woz spring to mind) so should be good.

“In fact, we’re not exactly sure how we got him. It’s the kind of mystery that could only be understood by, say, a Stephen Hawking.”

Indeed, I think Hawking would understand quite well how he ended up on the show...

[Haku]

Re: Cool

Definitely cool.

Other cameos I can remember are from the Star Trek universe; Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, George Takei and Levar Burton.

Almost surprised William Shatner hasn't made an appearance, he does get about, cameo wise.

[David Evans]

Re: Star Trek Cameos

Leonard Nimoy has an upcoming cameo. So far only his DNA has been in it...

[Beachrider]

Shatner is over 80, now...

Although he appears to be robust, Bill Shatner is getting on in years...

[IE User]

Shatner won't come

The correct answer was: TOS over TNG, but Picard over Kirk

Bill's ego is in no way compromised by his age.

[Fractured Cell]

Re: Cool

Unless he hasn't actually got control of his chair/voicebox, and it is all being operated by remote control by some nefarious black hat...

[Rodrigo Valenzuela]

Re: Cool

And don't forget Neil deGrasse Tyson

R

[Chad H.]

I can only hope

That Hawking is on Wil Weaton's Bowling team....

[Fractured Cell]

Re: I can only hope

Don't you mean wHil wHeaton?

[Annihilator]

Re: I can only hope

Everybody loves cool wHip...

But to stay on TBBT topics, I can only hope you meant Wheeeeeeeaatooonnnn!

[Naughtyhorse]

Bazinga!

Not to mention stan lee.

well i thought i should as no one else did

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this mean that the lift will get fixed?

Does this mean that the lift will get fixed?

[P.W. Dragoix]

Is this a sign?

Maybe it is the end of the world, after all.

[Rodger Young]

Perhaps Prof. Hawking can give Sheldon tips...

...on how to butch up.

[James Hughes 1]

Re: Hawking has better delivery than Sheldon...

You know it's not a documentary, don't you?

[SteveK]

If he's 'paying a visit', I hope they've fixed the lift by then. Or perhaps his wheelchair has Dalek-style levitation these days?

[Anonymous Coward]

Past cameos?

How quickly even nerdy geeks have forgotten Katee Sackhoff. I weep for the species.

[GrantB]

Re: Past cameos?

Please, best BBT cameo ever: Summer Glau

[Dozer]

Re: Past cameos?

Or Morena Baccarin??

[Hephaestus]

Re: Only in America (or Iran) does it need "Theory" in title "The Big Bang Theory"

"Theory" deserves to be in the title, as it is "The Big Bang Theory". The word theory in science is not just something we think is correct, it is the best expression of the observable facts with regard to a subject. A theory is the highest point in scientific terms. (Well a proof is above that, but it is really restricted to maths)

Not to be confused with the common use of the word to express a semantic theory, which is then muddled up with a hypothesis to create the term, it is just a "theory"

[TaliPhoenix]

Re: Only in America (or Iran) does it need "Theory" in title "The Big Bang Theory"

You are correct; whilst in English it is common for a single word to have multiple potential meanings, in various scientific fields such as Physics [and all its sub fields], most words have a single meaning.

In this case "Theory" means "A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world."

[Liberally ripped from wikipedia, but you get my point.]

[Martin Budden]

I can't stand that show.

The characters are all grumpy all the time. Where's the fun in that?

[J.G.Harston]

Well, Leonard has started drinking Newcastle Brown, I was wondering what the next British import was going to be.

[gaz 7]

J.G Harston

Glad someone else spotted that Leonard drinks Dog - I thought I was the only one who'd spotted it. In my view the best cameo (well after Katee & Summer obviously)

[Anonymous Coward]

But will it feature the apple slogan "Sequences Shortened" During conversation?

[LoopyChew]

Stephen Hawking also made a "surprise" phone call to Jim Carrey during an interview on Conan O'Brien, too. I remember that because awesome.

Knowing his sense of humor (from lectures and his appearances in media), I'm not surprised at this in the least, and am happy for TBBT fans. (I watch and occasionally enjoy, and I think I'll enjoy this.)

[Wize]

And don't forget TV Offal

Such a great show in its day.

[Marvin O'Gravel Balloon Face]

Did I really see a smoking monkey in that show last night?

How on earth did they get away with that?

[Anonymous Coward]

business a bit slow between theories I suppose.

big bang peddles the dumb idea that twits that read rubbish comics are also top scientists. Wonder what professor x will make of it all?

[Swarthy]

Re: business a bit slow between theories I suppose.

Thin Skin Much?

Yes, TBBT plays on stereotypes. The anal-retentive ubergeek, the engineer who lives with his mother*, the nerd who's too shy to talk to women*... these are Geek stereotypes, and as such have som not-insignifficant basis in truth.

On the flip-side, this is a show about geeks, *in the starring roles*; not as the scrawny kid who gets picked on that the star defends, showing that he is a good person. They are not the geeks that turn sour and become a villain, nor is it the portrayal of a geek that learns to shed their geekdom for popularity and "success". In short, this is the most positive portrayal of geeks in mainstream media I have ever seen.

And yes, we geeks do enjoy our comic books and sci-fi.

*I'm not gonna touch the other stereotypes in those

[Ugotta B. Kiddingme]

Re: business a bit slow between theories I suppose.

"In short, this is the most positive portrayal of geeks in mainstream media I have ever seen."

Indeed. THAT, in a nutshell, is why the show is so popular.

[Naughtyhorse]

Re: business a bit slow between theories I suppose.

spoken like a true whiny middle management techie wannabe

Bazinga!

[Doug Glass]

SH

Shelly boi just about fainted we he got some of Nimoy's DNA so he'll have to either pee in his pants [again] or prove once and for all he really does have working testicles.

Funniest thing about this show is the geeky-bois of the world don't realize it's a joke on all egg heads.

[James Hughes 1]

Re: SH

On the other hand Leonard got to shag the fit girl from next door, AND the fit girl from India. Is that a joke?

On the other other hand. It's a fecking comedy show. Not a documentary.