Big Bang Theory props were microchipped so they couldn't be stolen

Every prop on The Big Bang Theory was microchipped so Warner Brothers could keep track of their location, according to the show’s set designer Ann Shea.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk one year since the beloved sitcom came to an end, Ann disclosed that the likes of Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco were unable to take physical memontos from the show as they all had to be packed up and sent off to be archived.

‘Warner Brothers was so strict,’ she began. ‘Normally heads of department would have access to the stage so we can go work on the weekends, but they closed the stages down months in advance on the weekend and they microchipped every single item on all of the sets and made sure they could track it.

‘We were instructed to give everything we had for archives and so we did. It took months and months of packing and logging.’

Ann added: ‘Warner Brothers doesn’t typically give away stuff to the actors, so if the actors did get anything, all I can say is they dealt with Warner Brothers directly.’

Although the cast was restricted from helping themselves to goodies from the set, Ann made hundreds of replica door numbers to give to the cast and crew.

Last week, Big Bang Theory production designer John Shaffner told us that CBS and Warner Brothers had two more seasons of the show planned before Jim Parsons pulled the plug.

Speaking about how he learnt the sitcom was to end, Shaffner recalled: ‘It was midway through the season,.

‘We were on a hiatus week and we came back and did our production meeting where we went through the script very quickly.

‘And then we got up and left and they started doing the table read and somewhere during that time word had got out that it was the last year.

‘The news that it was ending had been leaked because Warner Brothers had prepared a proper roll-out of explaining it to everybody, but the cast didn’t know.

‘What had occurred was Jim Parsons had been in touch with Chuck Lorre over the hiatus week and had said he couldn’t come back and do anymore. And Chuck had always said if one member of the cast left the show then the show would have to end.

‘Warner Brothers and CBS wanted to sign for about two more years.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Warner Brothers for comment.

The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Netflix in the UK.

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