Has the sun exploded? It must have, because The Big Bang Theory has finally, after seasons upon seasons of withholding its comedic goodness from the Web, posted its two most recent episodes… online.
There are a lot of whispers surrounding The Big Bang Theory‘s absence online thus far, but most surround the notion that the TV show’s producer, Chuck Lorre, stood between his programming and the Internet. Lorre posted his feelings on the subject back in 2008, but that was in the midst of the WGA strike, which aimed to protect union writers in part by granting them compensation for online content. Though the strike’s outcome did promise writers with a little compensation for new media distribution, Lorre’s hesitation to post his projects online seemed to linger.
The first sign of hope came when Lorre’s other hit CBS comedy, Two and a Half Men, began posting episodes online earlier this season, and his latest series, Mike & Molly, posts free full episodes every so often, though not consistently. But would the network ever feel comfortable distributing its prized possession and one of its highest rated comedies online… for free?
Today, the answer is “yes.” No word on whether or not the trend will continue, but I’m sure fans everywhere hope this media explosion morphs into a brand new universe for CBS: one in which episodes are made available on a weekly basis and all fears of missing out when it airs Thursday nights are forgotten.
Watch both available episodes of The Big Bang Theory right here, right now.
