What is the name of the 'The Big Bang Theory' episode featuring Stephen Hawking?

The Big Bang Theory episode featuring Stephen Hawking is called “The Hawking Excitation.” It is the 21st episode of the sitcom’s fifth season and first aired on CBS on April 5, 2012.

In the episode, Stephen Hawking is scheduled to lecture at Caltech and Howard Wolowitz is asked to help maintain the equipment on Hawking’s wheelchair. Sheldon Cooper desperately wants to meet his scientific hero, so Howard makes the introduction conditional on Sheldon completing a series of embarrassing tasks.

Hawking appears as himself near the end of the episode and examines Sheldon’s work on the Higgs boson. The storyline builds around Sheldon’s confidence and intellectual pride, making Hawking’s cameo especially effective as a comic reversal.

Hawking was a fan of the show and reportedly watched a rehearsal after filming his scene. He later appeared or contributed to several other episodes, but “The Hawking Excitation” is the episode most directly centred on his in-person guest appearance.