The Proton Regeneration Season 11, Episode 6 -  Aired November 2, 2017

The Proton Regeneration

When Sheldon learns that Professor Proton's show is being redeveloped, he decides to audition for the role and ends up in competition with Wil Wheaton. Meanwhile, Penny takes care of Halley when Howard and Bernadette are put on bed rest.

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Guest Stars: Bob Newhart as Professor Proton - Arthur Jeffries, Wil Wheaton as Himself, Pamela Adlon as Halley (O.S.), Cat Hammons as Nurse

Writers: Steven Molaro (Story), Dave Goetsch (Story), Alex Yonks (Story), Steve Holland (Teleplay), Andy Gordon (Teleplay), Jeremy Howe (Teleplay)

Director: Mark Cendrowski

Viewers: 14.14 million Households Rating: 8.8/16 Adults 18-49 Rating: 2.7/11

Available on iTunes

Episode Notes

  • The title refers to the casting of a new Professor Proton for a redevelopment of the show. Regeneration is the term used to describe when a new character is made The Doctor in Doctor Who.

> Sheldon's Knock

When Sheldon goes to Wil Wheaton's house to talk him out of hosting the new Professor Proton show, Sheldon knocks on Wil's door. Unlike his usual routine of repeating the person's name each time, on the third knock Sheldon said "This is Sheldon, by the way."

Episode Quotes

Sheldon: Until next week, this is Professor Proton saying, 01000010 01111001 01100101. That's "Bye" in ASCII binary, or good-binary.

Amy: Well, what was wrong with it? You know, did you find it borderline psychotic? I mean, I liked that about it, but you guys discuss.

Sheldon: They're going to start making Professor Proton's science show again.
Bernadette: I thought he passed away.
Howard: He did. He was cremated, and his remains were put in a baking soda volcano.

Sheldon: Well, it should be a scientist I respect. You know, someone with a pleasing voice and symmetrical facial features.
Bernadette: Is he talking about himself?
Penny: If he's talking, he's talking about himself.

Sheldon: You can't be Professor Proton. You're not a scientist.
Wil Wheaton: Well, I was never on a starship, but pretending I was bought me this house. And if I'd pretended a little longer, it would have a swimming pool.

News Stories

Title Date Posted
1106 'The Proton Regeneration' Press Release October 20, 2017

CBS has released the synopsis for the sixth episode of The Big Bang Theory's eleventh season, "The Proton Regeneration". This will be the first episode of the season aired on Thursday nights when the show moves back on November 2.  Full story

Recap

As the gang enjoy dinner in the apartment, Howard is manically eating food. After Bernadette warns him to slow down, Howard points out he’s got to fast for twelve hours before his surgery so he’s only got two minutes left to eat. Howard is getting a vasectomy the next day and, as a result, Raj is also stress eating. Sheldon interrupts to say he’s read that they’re casting for a new version of the Professor Proton science show. After Raj suggests Meryl Streep for the role, Sheldon says the host should be a scientist he respects with a pleasing voice and symmetrical features, ie. him.

Howard in the waiting room of a hospital with Bernadette and Raj, who is very nervous for his friend. After a guy walks into the room in great pain, a terrified Howard tries leave but Bernadette stops him and tries to calm his nerves. When Howard is called by the nurse, he tries to walk the wrong way before Bernadette corrects him. Elsewhere, Amy is helping Sheldon, who’s wearing a lab coat, as he prepares to film his audition tape for Professor Proton in their apartment. After Sheldon shows off the facial expressions he’s been working, Amy starts recording. When Sheldon begins to describe a difficult and dangerous science experiment, Amy thinks he should make the science more accessible for the target audience.

Back at home, Bernadette helps a limping Howard into bed and assures him he’ll be fine after a couple of days’ bed rest. After Bernadette leaves to check on Halley, Raj reads through the post-care guide which mentions checking “the area” for redness and swelling.

In the apartment, Leonard, Penny, Amy and Sheldon watch Sheldon’s audition for Professor Proton back on a laptop. When he asks them what they think, Amy says she’s already told him she loved it but wondered if they thought it was “dangerous”, “confusing” and “three to four times too long”. Leonard gives Sheldon the stock “It looked like you were having so much fun” answer, that they used to give Penny after her plays. When Amy asks Leonard to spell out what was wrong with it, Leonard reminds Sheldon of Professor Proton’s show and advised Sheldon not to show so much contempt for children. After Leonard tells Sheldon he can always reshoot it, Sheldon thinks he could get help from someone who’s acted professionally - just not Penny. Later, Sheldon goes to Wil Wheaton’s house to ask for acting tips. After Wil refuses to give him Patrick Stewart’s telephone number, Sheldon walks in to Wil’s house and says he can do it instead.

At Howard and Bernadette’s house, Howard is ringing a bell - well, an app on his phone - to get Bernadette’s attention. When she comes to his aid, Bernadette takes Howard’s phone away. After Howard asks her to lie down with him, Bernadette explains she has tasks to do, including a prenatal checkup and picking up food, and will be taking Halley with her. Howard wonders if Bernadette is taking on too much, but she insists she’s fine.

As Leonard, Penny and Amy walk up the stairs of the building, Leonard reads that they have cast Professor Proton. When they reach the top floor, they hear Sheldon screaming “Wheaton!” so they all turn around and head back down the stairs. Meanwhile, Howard limps out of the bathroom to find Bernadette in bed. She informs him that she’s been put on bed rest by her doctor for overdoing it.

As Sheldon sleeps in bed, he dreams of Arthur Jeffries appearing as his “Obi-Wan” again in the “Swamp of Dagobah”. Sheldon thinks he’s there because he heard the news, but as a figment of his imagination Arthur doesn’t “hear news”. When Sheldon explains how Wil Wheaton has been cast in a remake of Professor Proton’s show, he does not care at all.

Penny visits Howard and Bernadette to see how they’re doing. As Halley starts crying, Howard tries to get out of bed. After Penny mentions that she thought Raj was helping out, Howard explains he had to work and also got fed up of Howard’s Indian servant jokes. When Penny offers to go check on Halley for them, Bernadette insists Howard can manage. Penny offers to take the day off and care for her. When Bernadette tries thinking of somebody - anybody - else who can do it, Penny realizes they don’t trust her to take care of their baby.

As Sheldon, Leonard and Raj are eat lunch at the university cafeteria, Leonard asks Raj if he would consider getting a vasectomy. Sheldon groans as he reads comments online about Wil Wheaton being cast as Professor Proton and they’re all positive. Sheldon got the phone number of the production company and wants them all to call and register their displeasure. Leonard asks if the important thing isn’t that there would be a TV show to get children interested in science, but Sheldon doesn’t care what kids like, he only cares about something he liked when he was a kid. When Raj points out the reboot could be great, Sheldon says he’d feel even worse because he’s being disloyal to his mentor and friend, Arthur.

As Howard and Bernadette lie in bed, Howard remarks how nice it is to spend a couple of days in bed together. Bernadette agrees since the house won’t be quiet for long with two crying babies. They decide to enjoy the quiet time while they’ve got it, but then they wonder if it’s too. Concerned that Penny might not be managing with Halley, they call her into to check on her. Penny jokes that she got Halley to sleep by dipping her pacifier in bourbon, then clarifies by saying she doesn't share her bourbon.

When Sheldon goes to Wil Wheaton’s house, he hands him a pizza flyer he found in his fence and claims Wil owes him a favor now. Sheldon wants Wil to turn down the role of Professor Proton, but Wil says no. Wil promises to make the show great and inspire a generation of children to go into science, but Sheldon is unpersuaded. After giving Wil one more chance to drop out, Sheldon explains that they could go back to being enemies as they were when they first met. Wil doesn’t see much of difference and closes the door on Sheldon, who refuses to leave until Wil threatens to stick his dog on him.

When Amy goes in to Howard and Bernadette’s kitchen, she finds Penny preparing breast milk for Halley. Penny quickly realizes that Amy was sent by Howard and Bernadette to check up on her. Penny wonders how irresponsible her friends think she is. Upstairs, Howard says he’s getting hungry so Bernadette uses Howard’s bell-ringing app to get Penny’s attention.

An annoyed Penny asks them what they want, so Bernadette requests a small snack. Penny wonders if they wouldn’t rather have their spy, Amy, get the snack since they don’t trust her. Howard and Bernadette insist that they trust Penny, to get them a snack at least. After Halley starts crying, Penny goes to check on her. Over the baby monitor they hear Penny comforting Halley, changing her diaper, saying how much she loves her. As Howard and Bernadette start to feel bad about judging Penny, they hear Halley say her first words and call Penny “momma”. Over the intercom, they hear Penny say she’ll go rub it in Bernadette’s face.

Sheldon is dreaming of Arthur in the Swamp of Dagobah again, although Arthur can’t see why they can’t sometimes meet in a deli. Sheldon tells him he failed to stop Wil Wheaton being Professor Proton, so Wil is now back on his enemies list, forever, totally cut off. Arthur wonders if anyone can sign up for that list.