The Big Bang Theory kicked off Day 2 of San Diego Comic-Con with a writers panel in Ballroom 20, and Hypable was there to catch the hilarious discussion!
The Big Bang Theory “Writers Room” panel began with a filmed introduction by Stephen Hawking, who recited the opening lines of the Big Bang Theory theme song. Then, following a reel of the greatest moments from season 6, the panelists were announced.
Executive producer and showrunner Steve Molaro came first, followed by Bill Prady and several co-excutive producers and David Saltzberg, the scientific advisor to The Big Bang Theory. Melissa Rauch (Bernadette) was then brought out as the surprise moderator.
“Where do the story ideas come from?” she asked. “We often make them up,” said Molaro, also citing inspiration from his stuffed-nose beset wedding night which led to a sneezing plotline for Bernadette this season. “I always wanted a tiara,” said Steve Holland. In addition, Maria Ferrari also drew from her clumsy high school attempts at seduction to help a plot of Amy’s, and David Gauch had dressed up as the Dopler Effect in college.
The first question came from a young boy named Jonah, asking if the show would ever take the geeky gang to San Diego Comic-Con. “There are two problems,” said Prady, “We don’t start filming to August… and everyone is in crazy places… and then the other problem is that we shoot on a stage and we’re not very good at filming out in the real world. It remains a really good idea that we have yet to do.” Eric Kaplan jokingly suggested a feature film starring the Comic-Con crowds.
Next up came a question, from a fan in a full-body costume and a voice muffler, about cast similarity to their characters. Not satisfied by the answers, the fan whipped off his helmet – and revealed himself, to enormous cheering, to be Johnny Galecki (Leonard).
Asked about how the cast always seems to be having fun on set, Rauch admitted, “There is no improvising. We do find it just as funny as you do.”
“Sometimes the writer’s write on the fly so it’s really new to us,” Galecki added, “And then sometimes we’re just charmed by ourselves.”
As for season 7, Molaro said that fans will see Leonard on his ship in the Black Sea. And Koothrapali’s new ability to speak to women without alcohol will be played with as well. Regarding the ladies, “Bernadette and Amy may take their first trip together without Penny,” Reynolds hinted. Molaro also indicated that someone would recieve tenure as per the competition among the geeky gang earlier in the season.
“Do you think Sheldon and Amy will engage in coitus?” Rauch asked, voicing the seemingly-eternal question. “It’s a possibility,” was the answer.
“Amy will continue to try to get her way,” Molaro did admit.
“They’re kind of an irresistable- force, immovable object thing to write,” said Prady. “It baffles me how much Amy has gotten Sheldon to move.”
Another fan – a PhD candidate in geology – lovingly asked why geologists were picked on by Sheldon. “Well, you can admit, it’s not really a science,” joked Molaro. As far as being thrown rocks at, “They’re probably not that good at throwing.”
Family was also a theme of the panel. A fan in a Green Lantern shirt asked if the Koothrapalis would ever visit the gang in Pasedena – “It’s a possibility,” said Molaro. Rauch asked about seeing Mrs. Wolowitz. “They’d need to make wider screen televisions!” came the quip. The topic of Sheldon’s family was raised as well. “We always talked about Sheldon and Leonard having the mother that the other wanted and needed,” said Galecki. “As far as I’m concerned, the more family the better.” Prady qualified though, that the introduction of say, Sheldon’s brother, would need to work in the story.
Another fan asked how Sheldon coped with Comic-Con. “Sheldon would probably believe there was a citizen’s arrest,” to deal with line cutters, said Prady.
Concluding the panel, Johnny Galecki spoke up to thank the fans. “This show has the best fans in the world and the fact that we all gather here [just before shooting,]” he said. “You guys are the shot in the arm that is like no other to start every new season, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The Big Bang Theory season 7 will premiere on Thursday, September 6 at 8 pm on CBS.
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