Twelve seasons, three spinoffs, and countless rewatches later, The Big Bang Theory quietly created a unique trend with its viewers. At the start of the series, the sitcom’s brilliant sense of humor centered on science and geek lore. Real scientists fact-checked jokes, but with non-scientific viewers in mind. Diverse viewers were able to understand nerd culture simply, largely in part due to Penny (Kaley Cuoco) being the straight woman of the group.