The Big Bang Theory is basically nerdvana for fans of all ages, and interestingly the show was very self-aware of the impact it had on the global nerd culture. TBBT was the longest-running multicamera sitcom in television history was a haven of pop culture references, new and old.
From John Carpenter and Indiana Jones to The Walking Dead and Slumdog Millionaire, the show is filled with countless pop culture references. And while some of them are too easy to spot, here are some of the less talked about references which you may have missed.
Blossom
Blossom on the famous nineties sitcom of the same name. Interestingly, TBBT has made several references to Blossom which was always fun for fans. In fact, in Season 1, much before Bialik was cast on the show, Raj had suggested Blossom's name for their Physics Bowl team as the boys talked about who they should add in their team. The Blossom reference is heard again in season 6 of the show when Sheldon and Amy are discussing Halloween costume ideas and one of the couple’s costume idea on Amy’s list is Blossom and Joey from the show.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
In a very subtle nod to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s controversial history with the Beatles, the show brought in a blink-and-a-miss mention of the legendary couple. When Sheldon befriends a younger student named Ramona and she starts helping him out with his work and controlling his itineraries and basically takes over his life, Howard refers to Sheldon and Ramona as John and Yoko.
Leonard corrects him and says they should be referred to as Yoko and Yoko. This obviously refers to the unfair stereotype Yoko has often faced as being the reason why John left the Beatles, and in this context, the boys would be the band, and Sheldon and Ramona would be the estranged couple.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
A Star Wars reference in The Big Bang Theory is hardly surprising because the boys basically worship the franchise. However, this one may have escaped the notice of many eagle-eyed fans. In The Pants Alternative episode in Season 3, Sheldon embarrassed himself during the award show where he was being honored and wakes up the next morning having no memory of his drunken behavior. Leonard and Penny tell him that the video of his speech is up on YouTube and it is then revealed that Sheldon’s name is ‘ob1’ which is, of course, an homage to the legendary Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi
Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton has some adorable appearances on the show as Sheldon’s arch nemesis-turned-friend who gets along surprisingly well with the squad, and since he appears as himself it’s fitting that he would also be part of some Star Trek references on the show.
In The Habitation Configuration episode in Season 6, the show finally shows his home, fictional of course, but his front door bears the numbers 1701. Trekkies would know that it is a reference to his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation where the famous Enterprise’s number on the hull was NCC-1701-D.
Jon Bon Jovi
Fans had no idea that Amy, the neuroscientist was so rock n roll until they heard her play Bon Jovi on a harp. Amy has a flair for covering famous show tunes and ballads on her harp, which makes Sheldon quite uncomfortable because some of them take him back to his unpleasant childhood. For girlfriend-boyfriend sing-along night Amy plans to play something on her harp, and she plays Bon Jovi's I'm A Cowboy on the instrument as she sings out loud, and asks Sheldon to in, but of course, Sheldon doesn't.
Red Lantern
In Season 3 when the guys find the ring from Red Lantern tee the entire episode, and fans have obviously pointed out the significance.
The Red Lantern Corps is a fictional supervillain organization which has appeared in the Green Lantern universe and their power originates from rage, and Sheldon was visibly frustrated and angry the entire episode as he was beaten up and bullied by Raj and Howard, and even gave in to some villainous schemes, so it makes perfect sense that he would be wearing a Red Lantern tee the whole time.
Jack ‘The King’ Kirby
The show has often sneaked in some homages within the episodes, and while some of them were really obvious, some of them were really hard to spot. In Season 3, during the episode where Stan Lee makes a guest appearance, Sheldon has to go to court for a traffic violation. The judge who presides over the case is called J. Kirby, which is a nod to the legendary comic book writer and editor Jack “The King” Kirby, who actually worked under Lee to create many successful characters like Thor, The Hulk and Iron Man.
A Self Reference
Like every iconic show, TBBT obviously made a sneaky reference to its own rather historic run, in the season finale episode. In the finale, Sheldon and Leonard spend a massive amount of time re-constructing the DNA model that has always been at their apartment.
And Leonard tells Sheldon that he really enjoyed the last 139 hours which they spent on fixing the model. And Johnny Galecki later revealed that 139 hours is also the original runtime of the show since it ran for twelve whole seasons and is the longest running multi-camera sitcom of all time.
Spock
This one is mainly for the Gen-Z fans of TBBT who may have grown up watching the show but are not all that familiar with many of the references made on the show, especially Star Trek and Indiana Jones. Sheldon has often been quoted remarking ‘fascinating,’ when he finds something amusing or when he learns something new. This was popularized by Spock in the Star Trek franchise who’s a first officer in the Starship Enterprise and is basically worshipped by Sheldon as he relates to him on a really deep level.
John Carpenter's The Thing
When the squad goes to the North Pole for research, one night after work they talk about picking a dinner movie and one of the options is John Carpenter’s The Thing, but this is no coincidence, because the film is about a group of American research scientists who go up to the South Pole and encounter a vicious creature. And though Leonard and the boys were in Arctic which is the North Pole and not the South, the premise of the American scientists in a cabin on extreme ends of the earth is very similar.