Tonight is the series finale of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ on CBS. That’s right– the show is in its twelfth and final season, and tonight will be the series’ final episode, which will end with a bang.
News that the show was coming to a close surfaced last year, with CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions saying in a joint statement, “We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past 12 seasons… We, along with the cast, writers and crew, are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season, and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.”
The show’s twelve seasons make it the longest-running multi-cam series in television history, with 279 episodes.
ET Online quotes showrunner Steve Holland as saying that the final episodes of the series will be an emotional roller coaster for cast and fans alike. “We’re excited and nervous and, like everybody who’s watching, we love these characters so much and we want to give them a send-off that they deserve.” He continued, “I hope [fans are] prepared to laugh, I hope they’re prepared to be sad and to be nostalgic and to have to, at some point, say goodbye,” the executive producer said. “We don’t want to just have a fan service finale that’s only upbeat, but we love these characters and we all wish them the best and want the best for them.”
Season 12 of The Big Bang Theory has averaged a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 12.74 million viewers. That places it at the top of the list for CBS’ scripted shows, followed by Young Sheldon with a 1.69 rating in the 18-49 demographic, and NCIS with a 1.22 rating.
While Jim Parsons will be finishing his stint as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, he continues to play the narrator role on Young Sheldon. He recently told TV Line, “I will still speak from [Sheldon]’s vantage point…In fact, I’ve already done voiceovers [on Young Sheldon] from ages that are older than I ever got with Sheldon [on Big Bang]. He spoke of his children last season, and obviously we haven’t seen that yet. I will get to hear where [the writers’] imaginations take that character… that I never would’ve gotten to find out otherwise.”
Discussing a big group hug that all the cast shared prior to taping the final episode of the show, Parsons shared with TV Line, “That was tough. That was the first… miniature death. Because everything’s a last, suddenly. And that was the first of the evening’s lasts.”
The Big Bang Theory premiered on September 24, 2007, and originally chronicled the lives of five characters living in Pasadena, California: Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, Penny, Howard, and Raj. From 2011 to 2014, The Big Bang Theory was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Parsons took home the Emmy four times. To date, the series has won 56 awards from 216 nominations.
Be sure to tune into the finale of The Big Bang Theory tonight on CBS at 8pm ET/PT.