‘He’s Too Important For The University To Fire Him Now,’ Say Execs


NEW YORK—As part of a preview of the network’s fall slate of shows, CBS revealed Monday that season 12 of the long-running sitcom The Big Bang Theory will explore why Sheldon Cooper keeps his job after sexually harassing six research assistants. “The story arc, which spans the entire season, shows that while there might be some credibility to the accusations, he’s far too important for the university to fire him now,” said Thom Sherman, the network’s senior executive vice president of programming, explaining that the September 24 season premiere, “The Accusation Attenuation,” featured six graduate students and several corroborating witnesses reporting Cooper for sexual harassment during his tenure as a theoretical physicist, the university’s investigation into the matter, and its ultimate dismissal of the charges. “As the season progresses, the incredibly thoughtful and cautious deans take the allegations extremely seriously before concluding, in the end, that all the women were likely lying. Not only are many of the accusations several years old, which obviously calls into question their timing, but also several of them are from opportunistic researchers who are plainly after Sheldon’s job. Viewers will surely enjoy a poignant yet hilarious scene in episode six, ‘ The Uncertainty Principle,’ where Sheldon has trouble communicating the right threats to a physicist candidate whose career he’s planning to ruin. And the rest of the cast gets involved, of course, with Amy standing by her husband and attempting to discredit the accusers, while Howard, Leonard, and Raj eventually join the effort and convince two of the research assistants to recant their reports after repeatedly posting their personal information online. In the end, there’s just not enough evidence to take down someone as important in his field as Sheldon.” CBS also announced that the upcoming second season of The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff show, Young Sheldon, would explore how Sheldon Cooper became frustrated with women early on as the girls who attend his high school repeatedly refuse to have sex with him.