8.1/107,623 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/24/2007
Brilliant physicist roommates Leonard and Sheldon meet their new neighbor Penny, who begins showing them that as much as they know about science, they know little about actual living.
Director: James Burrows
Writer: Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady
8.2/106,132 votes#2 - The Big Bran Hypothesis
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/1/2007
Leonard volunteers to sign for a package in an attempt to make a good impression on Penny, but when he enlists Sheldon for help, his attempt at chivalry goes terribly awry.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
7.6/105,492 votes#3 - The Fuzzy Boots Corollary
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/8/2007
Leonard asks a woman out after he finds out that Penny is seeing someone.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.0/105,535 votes#4 - The Luminous Fish Effect
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/15/2007
Sheldon's getting fired forces him to explore what life has to offer outside physics, leaving Leonard to take drastic action to snap his friend out of his funk.
Director: Mark Cendrowski, Bob Koherr
Writer: N/A
7.8/105,269 votes#5 - The Hamburger Postulate
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/22/2007
Fearing he's wasting his time on Penny, Leonard ends up making a connection with Leslie.
Director: Andrew D. Weyman
Writer: N/A
8.3/105,481 votes#6 - The Middle-Earth Paradigm
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/29/2007
Penny hosts a Halloween party, putting Leonard, Sheldon, Wolowitz, and Koothrappali through a new test of their social skills.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.1/105,176 votes#7 - The Dumpling Paradox
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/5/2007
With Wolowitz AWOL with one of her friends, Penny's recruited to fill in for him on the guys' Halo team
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.1/105,206 votes#8 - The Grasshopper Experiment
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/12/2007
Raj's parents set him up on a blind date, but just when he discovers he can talk to her, she shows interest in Sheldon.
Director: Ted Wass
Writer: N/A
7.9/105,016 votes#9 - The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 3/17/2008
When they're invited to present at a physics conference, Sheldon's reluctance to share the credit leads to a tiff between him and Leonard, and Penny's intervention only exacerbates the situation.
Director: Joel Murray
Writer: N/A
8.0/105,135 votes#10 - The Loobenfeld Decay
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 3/24/2008
Leonard and Sheldon each lie to avoid seeing Penny's concert, but Sheldon's is a bit too complicated for his own good.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.2/105,116 votes#11 - The Pancake Batter Anomaly
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 3/31/2008
With his friends knowing how sour he acts when sick—and avoiding him as a result—Sheldon is nursed by Penny, who hasn't a clue what she's in for.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
7.8/104,838 votes#12 - The Jerusalem Duality
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 4/14/2008
With Sheldon rattled over meeting Dennis, a 15-year-old physicist who's smarter than he, Leonard helps him look for a way to debunk Dennis's research.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.2/104,989 votes#13 - The Bat Jar Conjecture
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 4/21/2008
Sheldon finds himself booted from the gang's Physics Bowl team and replaced with Leslie, so he forms his own team, hoping to prove he's superior.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.0/104,901 votes#14 - The Nerdvana Annihilation
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 4/28/2008
When delivery of another collectible leads to Penny's lashing out at Leonard, he decides it's time to give up his habit, much to his friends' protestation.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.2/105,145 votes#15 - The Pork Chop Indeterminacy
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 5/5/2008
The rest of the gang fall for Sheldon's twin sister, and Leonard's plan to win her heart is derailed when Sheldon declares he'll be the one to decide who can date her.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.3/104,842 votes#16 - The Peanut Reaction
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 5/12/2008
Penny wants to throw a surprise party for Leonard, but Sheldon's indulgence at an electronics store throws her off-track.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
8.5/105,077 votes#17 - The Tangerine Factor
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 5/19/2008
Penny's break-up spurs Leonard to summon the courage to ask her out, and each goes to Sheldon for advice on their upcoming date.
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Writer: N/A
The Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 1
Every episode of The Big Bang Theory Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 1!
Physicists Leonard and Sheldon find their nerd-centric social circle with pals Howard and Raj expanding when aspiring actress Penny moves in next door.
Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "The Big Bang Theory" season 1. It scored 8.1/10 based on 7623 votes. Directed by James Burrows and written by Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, it aired on 9/24/2007. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "The Big Bran Hypothesis".