The broken elevator in Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny’s apartment building has been an important staple in The Big Bang Theory since its very inception. Not only it has been an exciting detail in the backdrop of the sitcom that fans always found interesting, but it also served as a major plot device throughout its run, as it led to the inclusion of the iconic staircase.
The staircase made room for some of the most memorable scenes in the entire sitcom, but after the conclusion of the show, it needed to be demolished.
The Big Bang Theory Co-Creator Was Saddened by the Staircase’s Demolition
With the stairs being the only accessibility in the apartment building, this made room for some interesting conversations while characters walked up the staircase. This contributed to many memorable moments between the characters, including Jim Parsons‘ Sheldon and Kaley Cuoco‘s Penny, and was also the main reason behind the elevator plot device.
While it wasn’t until season 3’s The Stairway Implementation that the focus was finally brought to the broken elevator, its existence in the backdrop added another dimension to the show.
Considering how sentimental the staircase has been to the showrunners, seeing the set being demolished at Warner Bros. was really emotional for showrunner Bill Prady.
I think one of the things that I’m going to find incredibly sad: so, Stage 25 at Warner Bros. we built the Hallway and it is floors 2, 3 and 4 redressed. The stairs that go down, in order to make those stairs the floor of Stage 25 is concrete and they brought in jackhammers, and they jackhammered out the floor and they dug!
They poured steps down there, so at some point this summer [after the show ends] I guess they’re gonna come and fill that in. That’s all I think about right now, is watching them fill that in. So, that’s not quite an answer to your question, but it is a story about stairs.
While it’s unfortunate that the set, which made room for many interesting character interactions, was demolished, the showrunners did make sure to incorporate a crucial detail in the sitcom finale.
The Finale Finally Gave a Resolution to the Broken Elevator
Even though the stairway coming down was emotional for the showrunners, it did pave the way for the resolution to the iconic broken elevator. In the sitcom finale, The Change Constant, when the door of the elevator finally opens, it sees Penny standing inside who declares that the elevator is fixed. Not only it was cathartic for the viewers, but it also ameliorated the finale, as the fixed elevator further honed the feeling of TBBT‘s end.
Before filming the finale, both Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco shared their want to see the elevator getting fixed, stressing it was the perfect way to wrap up things.
The Big Bang Theory can be streamed on Max.
