TV Guide E4 Thursday

Bart faces a tough test at school when he gets a bullying new teacher who seems to want to crush his spirit, so the spiky-haired tearaway becomes determined to fight back. Meanwhile, the family attends a hippie-style community festival. With the guest voice of Willem Dafoe

Homer finds himself caught in the throes of a midlife crisis, so he takes up bass guitar and forms a band with some of the other dads in Springfield. However, things get awkward when their singer - none other than Apu - proves so successful that he quickly outgrows the rest of the group, leading to jealousy and resentment

Phil is determined to finally scare Claire on Halloween, while Gloria feels self-conscious about her age for the first time when someone correctly assumes she is Jay's wife. Mitch and Cam head to the WeHo carnival after Lily decides to go to her first Halloween party alone

Gloria rents a cabin in the mountains in which she hopes she and her family will be able to enjoy a picture-perfect white Christmas. However, when the clan arrives, unhelpful weather and a random eccentric guest conspire to ruin the festive cheer. Meanwhile, Mitch and Cam resolve to make up for their bad carolling experience last year, and Jay has a huge announcement that catches Claire off-guard. Comedy, starring Sofia Vergara

The American comedy returns after a mid-series break. Jay struggles with the age gap between the parents of Joe's latest play date, while Cam he tries to act as matchmaker between Lily and her crush, only to discover that he's completely misunderstood the direction of her affections. Elsewhere, Claire and Phil attempt to split the bill with cheque-dodging friends on a double date, and Haley, Alex and Luke run into Goodfellas star Ray Liotta while searching for a last-minute birthday surprise for Mitchell

Sheldon returns to Texas in disgrace when he discovers his friends tampered with the Arctic expedition data after growing tired of his quest for a scientific breakthrough. Elsewhere, Leonard becomes frustrated as constant interruptions hamper his attempts to woo Penny

Sheldon and Howard stake their most coveted comic books on a bet over the species of a cricket, while Leonard and Penny struggle to recover from an awkward first night together. Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Simon Helberg and Kaley Cuoco star

Sheldon succeeds in getting Penny to conform to his high standards, so Leonard adopts a similar strategy for his romantic gain. Meanwhile, Howard and Raj meet two women at a goth nightclub and things appear to go well - until they are taken to a tattoo parlour

Cam blames Mitch when he forgets the words to his favourite country song and decides he needs to reconnect with his roots. Alex is up for a prestigious government job that requires a family interview, causing everyone to overcompensate and jeopardise her chances, while Haley and Dylan think it might be time they grew up a little

Penny is stunned when Sheldon announces he is about to go on his first-ever date, and is even more surprised to find herself tagging along. Meanwhile, Leonard and Raj take a trip to the hospital after Howard's new robotic arm creates problems

Sheldon tries to extend his lifespan, concerned he will not be around long enough for his consciousness to be downloaded into a robot body, and the friends encounter Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak (guest starring as himself) at the Cheesecake Factory

Sheldon breaks up with Amy and turns to cats in his search for an alternative to human companionship. However, when he starts to bulk-buy pets, Leonard decides enough is enough and calls for reinforcements to help bring his friend back to his senses. Comedy, starring Jim Parsons

An embarrassing secret from Howard's past comes to light as he tries to win back Bernadette, while Sheldon and Raj engage in a battle of wills when they have to work in the same office. Guest starring Katee Sackhoff and George Takei

Leonard is depressed that everyone seems to be paired off except him, and resorts to desperate measures to get a girlfriend. Meanwhile, Sheldon looks for a way out of his relationship with Amy, who wants him to meet her mother. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons

Raj's sister Priya visits the gang, causing tension when Leonard tries to cover up the fling he once had with her. After discovering his friend's secret, Sheldon struggles to keep quiet, leading the guys to reveal information they have all been keeping from one another

Leonard vows to be more self-assured around women, believing his problem attracting a girlfriend stems from a lack of confidence. An FBI agent interviews the gang to assess Howard's suitability for a team working on a new surveillance satellite. Guest starring Eliza Dushku

The friends set up camp outside a cinema to get tickets for a new cut of Raiders of the Lost Ark - but find themselves resuming hostilities with Sheldon's old foe Wil Wheaton, the former Star Trek: The Next Generation actor. Meanwhile, Penny and Bernadette invite Amy to a sleepover

Penny's father pays a visit and Leonard discovers she told her parents they were back together, so he plays his boyfriend role to the hilt - much to her dismay. Meanwhile, Raj gets drunk and makes a pass at Howard's girlfriend Bernadette. Guest starring Keith Carradine

Amy finds she has romantic feelings for Penny's former boyfriend Zack, while Raj and Howard begin competing to prove which of them would make the better superhero. Comedy, guest starring Brian Thomas Smith

The guys have fun at the expense of Penny's boyfriend Zack, but later try to make amends by enlisting his help with the New Year's costume competition at the comic-book store. Comedy, starring Kaley Cuoco and Simon Helberg

Leonard's ingenious idea for a new smartphone app puts pressure on his friendship with Sheldon, who vies with him for control of the project. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki and Simon Helberg

Tension mounts when the pals attend a weekend science conference. Howard becomes argumentative after Bernadette runs into a former boyfriend, and the fallout causes chaos with the hotel room arrangements. Rick Fox guest stars, with Simon Helberg and Melissa Rauch

Sheldon agrees to participate in a series of short lectures at the university, but is worried the students dislike him. Following Amy's advice, he asks Penny to give him acting lessons to help him engage with his audience. Elsewhere, Raj fantasises about his best friend's partner. Comedy, starring Jim Parsons

Leonard is forced to consider how far he is willing to push himself in the name of science when a wealthy benefactor makes an indecent proposal. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki, with Jessica Walter (Arrested Development) and Joshua Malina (The West Wing)

Howard is torn between his relationship with Bernadette and pleasing his mother - and comes up with a solution that leaves everyone unsatisfied. Leonard rekindles his romance with Raj's sister Priya, while Amy uses Penny's emotions as the basis for a research project

Sheldon decides to make a new set of friends as he is depressed that the group's social world revolves around Leonard rather than himself. Meanwhile, Amy and Bernadette try to persuade Penny to go on a date. Comedy, guest starring LeVar Burton, with Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik

Leonard faces the difficult decision of choosing between his relationship with Priya and his friendship with Penny, while Sheldon is irritated by one of Howard's magic tricks. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons

Sheldon is distraught when his online gaming account is hacked, so his friends decide to find out who is responsible. However, they make the disastrous mistake of confronting the culprit in person. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco

Amy and Sheldon start a gossip experiment to see how quickly rumours spread among the gang, while Howard tells his friends he is planning to propose to Bernadette - not realising Raj is wrestling with his own feelings for her. Comedy, starring Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik and Johnny Galecki

Sheldon is infuriated when Priya uses her legal knowledge to find a loophole in the room-mate agreement - but his spirits are lifted by a night on the town with Amy, Penny and Bernadette. Comedy, starring Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco

Amy and Penny use Bernadette to spy on Leonard and Priya after the couple invite her and Howard to dinner. An experimental drug helps Raj overcome his fear of talking to women, but proves more effective than he had expected. Comedy, starring Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons