The Big Bang Theory has dropped a few bombshells on us over the last few seasons. During Season 9, we learned that the CBS sitcom will be expanding in a very big way. That’s because Howard and Bernadette are scheduled to have a baby. Now, we know exactly when that is going to happen, although fans of this new plotline may not be particularly pleased with the answer.
Recently, showrunner Steve Malaro revealed to TV Line that Bernadett’s pregnancy will be as realistic as possible for the show’s timeline—which means her pregnancy will last a lot longer than we expected. Here’s what he had to say:
It’ll still only be a few months in. We're taking it slow. The plan is to just let it roll out like a regular pregnancy.
A regular pregnancy lasts nine months, so depending on whether or not the show jumps ahead in time or picks up right after the finale for the fall premiere, Bernadette could theoretically still be early in her pregnancy when the show returns. Bernadette wasn’t even really showing during the recent finale of the long-running series, so although the announcement happened four months ago on the show, TV timelines could make this sort of thing drag on forever. Who knows? It could even be a full season sort of deal. I guess we’ll find out roughly how pregnant Bernadette is when CBS releases the first stills from the show next fall.
Still, having a baby is certainly going to change things for Howard and Bernadette and will likely change the dynamics on the show in one of the largest ways we've seen so far. The only thing I can think to compare it to is the time period when Sheldon and Amy were broken up, making things awkward for the group of friends. A baby won't necessarily make things awkward, but it will change the activities Howard and Bernadette might choose to do with the rest of the gang. They might not even be around quite as much, as a baby takes a lot of time. Then again, a sitcom isn't always striving to be realistic, so maybe the kid won't change things that much, after all.
The Big Bang Theory was renewed for Season 10 as part of a three season deal a few years ago. Certain cast members have already said Season 10 very well could be the last for the gang, so hopefully Steve Molaro and the rest of the creative team are at least considering the possibility. For now, Season 10 will return on Monday nights this coming fall and will shift back into its Thursday night timeslot after football has finished airing on CBS. You can see what the network has coming up this summer here.
