Tips for Decorations, Food, Beverages, and More!

This week marks the end of an era in sitcom television. The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), which debuted on September 24, 2007, will air its finale on May 16, 2019 on CBS. It’s hard to believe that this group of self-described nerds whom we have welcomed into our homes via TV each week will only live on in the world of reruns. Thankfully, there are many stations that run this show daily multiple times a day! As we prepare for seeing how this final episode unfolds, this seems like a great opportunity to plan a Big Bang Theory finale viewing party. 

Decorations & Attire Ideas:

• Label the right end of your couch or sofa with a sign that says: Sheldon’s Spot (The Cushion Saturation, S02, E16).
• Display a variety of LEGO sculptures, bonus if you have the retired Big Bang Theory LEGO living room set (#21302).
• Arrange your science fiction or other pop culture figures as if they’re watching the final show, bonus if some are “mint in box” (The Transporter Malfunction, S05, E20).
• Set out some board games (i.e. Operation, CLUE, Pictionary), bonus if you have TBBT version of CLUE.
• Wear a favorite pop culture t-shirt, similar to one in Sheldon’s collection.

Food & Beverage Ideas:

Since the finale airs on a Thursday, consider keeping to Sheldon’s food schedule and serve foods that have been featured on TBBT through the years, which leaves it wide open – literally. Soup/salad, burgers, pizza, or “anything can happen.”

• Thursday night was at one time Souplantation night, but Sheldon changed this to Big Boy night when they started eating at the Cheesecake Factory (The Hamburger Postulate, S01, E05). 
• This later changed to pizza night, where Sheldon orders one with sausage, mushrooms and light olives (The Cooper-Nowitzki Theorem, S02, E06). 
• The guys decided to make the third Thursday of every month “Anything Can Happen Thursday”(The Hofstadter Isotope, S02, E20 and in The Anything Can Happen Recurrence, S07, E22). The finale airs on a third Thursday, so pretty much anything you serve would technically meet Sheldon’s approval.
• Another food idea is spaghetti with cut up hot dogs (The Spaghetti Catalyst, S03, E20). 
• Consider serving strawberry Quik, which is one of Sheldon’s favorite beverages (The Launch Acceleration, S05, E23).

Activity/Game & Song Ideas:

• Play “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock”, bonus if you can explain the rules as clearly as Sheldon (The Lizard-Spock Expansion, S02, E08).
• Recreate the infamous ball pit “BAZINGA” scene (The Einstein Approximation, S03, E18). 
• Assemble a LEGO set (The Proton Transmogrification, S07, E22).
• Play Operation, Pictionary, or have a pie-eating contest (The Re-Entry Minimization, S06, E04).
• Sing “Soft Kitty”, bonus if you attempt to sing it as a round (The Adhesive Duck Deficiency, S03, E08).

How to Cope After the Finale:

After the finale airs, take comfort in knowing that this show lives on in the TV world of reruns. Check your local TV listing for days and times when it airs in your neighborhood. When you’re watching your favorite episodes, consider playing Big Bang Theory BINGO or taking part in a TBBT inspired workout. If you have friends or family who have not watched TBBT, host a binge viewing session starting with the Season 1, Episode 1 (Pilot) and introduce them to the Big Bang Theory cast and their antics. 

Another way to get your Big Bang Theory fix is watching the show Young Sheldon, also on CBS. Young Sheldon first aired on September 25, 2017, and is narrated by Jim Parsons who is Sheldon Cooper on TBBT. The cast on this show is great – we especially like the interactions young Sheldon (Iain Armitage) has with his sister, Missy (Raegan Revord), and his MeeMaw (Annie Potts). The Big Bang Theory website also features official merchandise, including some of Sheldon’s shirts.

In a previous post, I described 7 Reasons Why The Big Bang Theory is a Show You Should Watch. From the quotes to the made-up games to the classic Sheldon scenes, this TV sitcom has become part of pop culture history. Even with the show, at least new episodes, coming to an end, this list remains unchanged as to why it continues to be one of our all-time favorites.

EDITED / UPDATED May 12, 2024: The spin-off show Young Sheldon ends on May 16, 2024, after 7 seasons. There is talk that another spin-off show may happen in the future. Broken website links in this original post have been removed and the LEGO number of the retired TBBT set was added.

What is your favorite Big Bang Theory episode? What will you miss most about this show coming to an end? Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments!

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