The Big Bang Theory tugged at viewers’ heartstrings with last year’s episode ‘The Spock Resonance.’ This event paid a touching tribute to the late Leonard Nimoy. But there was more to this sitcom half-hour than you might’ve first suspected.
Meta
Leonard’s son Adam Nimoy appeared in the episode as himself and was seen interviewing Sheldon for his documentary film, For the Love of Spock.
But here’s the thing. The film is real, and Sheldon appears in the final cut. Along with the actor who plays him, Jim Parsons. Pretty creative that the documentary found a way to include both Jim Parsons and his famous character, right?
Star Trek Devotion
“We had intended on interviewing the creators of The Big Bang Theory,” Adam Nimoy told Digital Spy. “We knew that they were very much devoted to Star Trek.” Obviously, there are countless Trek references on the show.
“I believe one of the reasons why Star Trek in general, and Spock in particular, continue to resonate now is… there are constant references being made in current popular culture and one of the best examples of that is The Big Bang Theory.”
Sheldon Cooper
Credit: http://bigbangtheory.wikia.com/wiki/Leonard_Nimoy
“So I approached one of the producers, Bill Prady, about interviewing him and possibly interviewing Jim Parsons, because of his character’s obsession with Spock…”
Prady came back to Nimoy with a suggestion. Prady wanted Nimoy to interview Parsons, but he also wanted to write For the Love of Spock into an episode of the Big Bang Theory.
“He had the idea of an episode where Sheldon would be interviewed on the show, and I thought it was an interesting idea,” Nimoy told us.
“It certainly made sense for the documentary. We would be able to use that in the documentary, they were very kind and courteous about allowing us to use all that footage.
“It was a wonderful experience. They were just a fabulous group of people to work with, so it was sort of a win-win all round, and I’m just so grateful to them for welcoming us.”
Conclusion
I think it is very cool that the cast and crew of The Big Bang Theory were kind enough to help Adam Nimoy honor his late father. It just goes to show how friendly the people that work on The Big Bang Theory really are. Of course, the show does owe a lot to Star Trek. The pop culture references written in are usually great jokes and plot points. “I can grow my own Leonard Nimoy!”
I am a fledgling Star Trek fan myself, so this is probably a documentary that I should check out. If you are a Star Trek fan, a fan of Leonard Nimoy, or a Big Bang Theory fan, you should check out For the Love of Spock.
Have you already seen the documentary? What did you think of it? Did you enjoy the episode of the Big Bang Theory? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
Live long and prosper. And…don’t fight in the comments section, please. Respect Nimoy.
