Reason elevator was broken for all 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory was one of the most successful sitcoms of its generation, beloved by fans and running for a total of 12 seasons, from 2007 to 2019.

But one hallmark of the show throughout those 12 seasons was a recurring visual gag; that the elevator in the apartment building of the main characters Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny was always out of order.

The conceit of the show is that Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) all live on the fourth-floor of their building, so always have to take the stairs.

One of the show's co-creators recently revealed there's a very specific reason why the elevator was always broken.

Why the elevator in The Big Bang Theory was out of order for 12 seasons

One of the show's co-creators, Bill Pardy, revealed to assembled fans at WonderCon that the forever-broken elevator was actually inspired by his real-life experiences with the show's other creator, Chuck Lorre.

"When Chuck Lorre and I worked on [1997 sitcom] Dharma and Greg, we had this outside street set where characters could have a conversation," he remembered.

"We tried to do that at Big Bang and it was just too much real estate and we started talking about, ‘What if they always had to walk up the stairs?’"

So, as Pardy explains it, the elevator had to always be out of order, so the characters would always have an excuse to converse while walking up and down the apartment stairs.

However, like all great runnings gags in sitcoms - the problem was eventually fixed. In The Big Bang Theory's penultimate episode of its final season, we find out the elevator has indeed been fixed when Penny unexpectedly arrives in it to surprise Sheldon and Leonard.

Why was the elevator in The Big Bang Theory broken?

The conceit of the elevator was being broken wasn't just left a mystery that was never solved, however.

There was an actual in-show explanation for why it was always out of order.

It was revealed in season 3 episode 22 The Staircase Implementation, that it was the result of an experiment gone wrong. Sheldon had placed some scientific apparatus in it, only for the apparatus to explode, causing the elevator to stay broken for the duration of the show.

The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, after 12 seasons, but still lives on in its spin-offs. The first, Young Sheldon, was a prequel to the show, exploring the childhood of Sheldon Cooper, with the titular character being played by Iain Armitage.

One of the plot points of Young Sheldon's later seasons was the marriage between his older brother, Georgie to Mandy, a woman 12 years his senior. The character were so popular another spin-off, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, was commissioned. A second season is still airing, with a third just commissioned.

Featured Image: Netflix/CBS