Stephen Hawking Set to Guest Star on "The Big Bang Theory"

Being an avid watcher of a surprisingly wide variety of television show genres, including everything from the science fiction classic Star Trek: The Original Series to the musical comedy-turned-drama Glee, I have definitely come to notice some general trends in casting. Naturally, many shows bring in the occasional celebrity guest star to spice things up, and in moderation, this is a clever idea. However, the more frequently this is done, the more obvious it is the writers are in a bit of a pickle. Overuse of celebrity guest stars generally seems to come down to one of three reasons:

1. The show sets a standard of fame. This the only one of the reasons that really doesn't have any negative implications for the show in question, and rather is a very good thing for it. To explain this easily, think of some shows such as The Simpsons, Friends, and Frasier. These shows have all had numerous times in which celebrities have shown up at one point or another. Ever head somebody say you know you've made it in the business when you become a yellow Simpsons character? Well, that's pretty much true. It's exactly what this is all about; a show being so utterly successful, just being on it is a symbol of "superiority". 
2. The writers are simply flat out of ideas. When you're completely stumped as to what to write for the plot of your next episode, what's the one way you can always add some drama? Throw in a new character. New characters, especially one-shot ones, are great ways of coming up with interesting, albeit cliched, plot ideas and tension for pre-existing characters. This one in particular is most obvious in Glee, which has managed to round up Eve Jeffers, Kristen Chenoweth, Jonathan Groff, Idina Menzel, Neil Patrick Harris, John Stamos, Britney Spears, Gwyneth Paltrow and even Ricky Martin in under only three seasons. Many of these celebrities were featured in episodes revolving solely around them, and a large portion of them were given multiple solos in group performances onscreen.
3. The writers are desperate to boost the show's ratings. Most television shows are very much so guilty of doing this. Frankly, it's always been my opinion that a show can only be classified as "good" if it can maintain, not achieve, good ratings using only it's main cast. Any show that simply needs to overload on international superstars obviously does not have a strong enough central cast to keep the show solid. The Big Bang Theory has managed to keep up an average of over 15 million viewers per episode in its most recent season, and I'll go further into this in a moment.

Now, keeping this in mind, let's focus on the topic at hand. Stephen Hawking, whom you will all know as the "smartest man alive", has recently filmed a cameo scene for The Big Bang Theory, a 2007 comedy series focusing on four socially awkward scientists and their attractive, street-smart next-door neighbour. 

Stephen Hawking is set to have a "little run-in" with Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) in all-new The Big Bang Theory.

Image Source: BBC News - Entertainment & Arts

US magazine TV Guide states that the plot will see the 70-year-old physicist play himself in a 'run-in' with Jim Parsons' character Sheldon Cooper, the condescending, theoretical physicist and self-proclaimed most intelligent character on the show (shown above).

Now, it's blatantly obvious that you simply do not beat Stephen Hawking when you're talking about the best people in science you could ever hope for on national television. That much is a given. That said, this show has already had it's fair share of celebrity guest stars in the pasts. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the infamous demoter of Pluto from planetary status, has had a cameo of the show, coincidentally also being at odds with Sheldon Cooper in his role too. Additionally, the show has had a notable number of stars from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: The Original Series take some time out for them. LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy, and most notably Wil Wheaton (shown below) have featured on the show in varying roles.

Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) clashes with nemesis Wil Wheaton.

Image Source: SciFiMania.com

But has the show overdone it this time? I honestly do not believe so, however reports that Leonard Nimoy's feature episode will directly precedes the confirmed Stephen Hawking one suggest that the show is set to have celebrity guest stars on two consecutive episodes. This is not necessarily a bad sign, however it does still bring up the possibility that The Big Bang Theory is at risk of falling into the category of celebrity-reliant television series. As stated before, the series has thus far achieved a very successful latest season, rating higher on average viewers per million on each episode than its preceding seasons. Although Stephen Hawking's upcoming scene is certainly one to look forward to, I have no doubt that the show will write it cleverly, and leave its viewership rolling on the floor laughing until their sides hurt. The show has, as of yet, remained of a very high calibre, and it would be devastating to see it drive itself into the ground by not keeping its main cast solid.