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Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
	Johnny Galecki	...	Leonard Hofstadter
	Jim Parsons	...	Sheldon Cooper
	Kaley Cuoco	...	Penny
	Simon Helberg	...	Howard Wolowitz
	Kunal Nayyar	...	Raj Koothrappali
	Christine Baranski	...	Dr. Beverly Hofstadter

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Storyline

It's approaching Christmas, and Leonard's mother is coming for a visit, something Leonard fails to tell Penny. Sheldon surmises it's because Beverly Hofstadter will not approve of Penny as a suitable mate for her son. Leonard has not even yet told Beverly that Penny is his girlfriend. Conversely, when Beverly arrives, Leonard finds out that Sheldon knows more about what's going on in her life than he does. When Leonard does find out news about the senior Hofstadter household, he becomes emotionally distraught as what he deems important news to him was previously withheld. But more importantly, Leonard sees this action as a further demonstration of the poor relationship he has with his family. Meanwhile, Penny believes she has a way for Beverly to be a bit more emotionally expressive. Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

Certificate:

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Parents Guide:

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Release Date:

14 December 2009 (USA) See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chuck Lorre Productions, Warner Bros. Television See more »

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

20 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16 : 9

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Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second Christmas episode in the series; the others are episodes 2.11 The Big Bang Theory: The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (2008), 6.11 The Big Bang Theory: The Santa Simulation (2012), 7.11 The Big Bang Theory: The Cooper Extraction (2013), 8.11 The Big Bang Theory: The Clean Room Infiltration (2014), and 10.12 The Big Bang Theory: The Holiday Summation (2017), See more »

Goofs

At the bar when Penny and Beverly are drinking and Penny orders the final shot, she drinks it as soon as it's poured. The angle changes and the shot glass is suddenly filled again, even though no alcohol is poured into it, allowing Penny to drink it again before they leave. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Penny: Ah, I always tear up when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes.
Sheldon Cooper: Tears seem appropriate. Enlargement of the heart muscle, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is a serious disease which could lead to congestive heart failure.
Leonard Hofstadter: [to Deck the Halls] Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Penny: You really didn't like it, Sheldon?
Sheldon Cooper: No, on the contrary. I found the Grinch to be a relatable, engaging character. And I was really with him right up to the point that he succumbed to social convention and returned ...
[...]
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Crazy Credits

"CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #272 Is this a great world, or what? Happy holidays! From Chuck Lorre" See more »

Connections

References Frosty the Snowman (1969) See more »

Soundtracks

Deck the Hall
(uncredited)
Traditional tune
Lyrics by Thomas Oliphant
Performed by Kaley Cuoco
[Penny hums the song's tune in the car as Leonard is driving his mother to the airport]
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