The shrieking hyenas known as CBS viewers have spoken, and they have decreed: GIVE US ALL YOUR BAZINGAS. BAZINGAS BAZINGAS BAZINGAS. Last night, The Big Bang Theory aired not only its highest rated episode of the season, but also the highest rated episode of the show’s entire six-season run. This is why we can’t have nice things, America, like Alison Brie on time. According to TV by the Numbers:
The Big Bang Theory matched its largest audience ever and equaled its season-high adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for Thursday, Nov. 8…The Big Bang Theory swept its time period, finishing first in households (10.4/16), viewers (16.54m), adults 25-54 (6.8/17), adults 18-49 (5.0/15), and adults 18-34 (3.5/15). If the ratings hold, The Big Bang Theory was the night’s #1 program in households, viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-49, and adults 18-34. The Big Bang Theory posted series-high household ratings, matched series-high viewer delivery, posted its best delivery in adults 25-54 since Feb. 9, 2012, and matched its season-high adult 18-49 performance. (Via)
How did this happen? Blame TBS. The “Very Funny” network began airing reruns of The Big Bang Theory in September 2011, meaning everyone who was too smart to watch the show when it originally aired or too lazy to head down to the local haunted Blockbuster to rent the DVDs has now caught up. Same thing happened with How I Met Your Mother, which had its best season, ratings-wise, last year after hitting the syndication $$$day.
To add insult to the injury that is 16 million viewers for Big Bang, 3.8 for Parks:
The CBS sitcom, produced by Warner Bros. Television, is expected to generate $50 million from the sale of merchandise this year. That could grow to even more as Warner Bros. Consumer Products rolls out a new line of licensed products tied to the show overseas.
That kind of licensing revenue is considerable for any TV property, but even more notable for a sitcom. Studios typically hold back on major product pushes unless they have the kind of rabid fanbase that shows like The Walking Dead or properties from DC or Marvel enjoy.
But it’s not surprising that Big Bang has joined the ranks of properties ripe for merchandising opportunities. The comedy often references pop-culture properties, and its main characters regularly display logos for DC superheroes like the Flash in their attire. (Via)
When I was in high school, I once scribbled a dumb idea on a greasy napkin about a novelist suffering from a serious case of writer’s block, until he came up with the idea to create the most soulless, pandering, lazy science fiction franchise ever, solely because he knew that nerds = money.
That was before I knew people did this in real life, see: Theory, Big Bang.
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I think that you are giving TBS way too much credit. I’m not saying that its not a popular show, but I thin last night not having a 30 Rock up against it really helped. I never watch this show, but I did last night because when the choice is 30 minute comedy, or The Voice, even a bad 30 minute comedy wins, and only one network gave me that choice last night.
exactly
The fact that NBC was rerunning the Voice instead of their usual “not really great anymore anyway but we still all watch it” fare probably helped.
Somehow I blame this on Florida. I dunno.
Yeah I agree with Van, if anything this should prove to NBC that the only shot they have at making an inroads is to air a quality alternative, because even The Voice will allow a greater audience to Big Bang, hell even I watched Big Bang last night as opposed to singing crap
What 18-34 year old’s are submitting themselves to Nielson monitoring? I swear their extrapolating this data from a handful of weirdos.
*they’re
I was having a good week until this.
i watched it last night for the first time in a long time and i liked it. to be brutally honest I didn’t know what halperting was until I watched my first office clip on tumblr. I didn’t really see whats so funny about it or any of the nbc comedies for that matter
The most interesting thing about The Big Bang Theory is that those four guys and Kelly “I was super hot when I was jailbait but now I’m only attainable cute” Cuaco is that they could buy and sell our asses for years because of this show. And that, my friends, is the greatest tragedy of all.
Unless you’re into human trafficking. Then, it’s probably right in your wheelhouse.
I don’t blame the cast so much; I have no reason to believe they’re anything other than perfectly nice people who essentially hit the actor lottery. It’s the writer and producers that I’d like to hand over to Ramsay Bolton.
I thought the first couple of seasons were very good. Back when they hadn’t run out of science jokes yet. Now it’s very relationshippy only slightly better than static.
It really isn’t a bad show. It isn’t good, but it works when there is nothing on and you don’t have anything in the dvr. There are some legitimately funny moments.
It’s not a terrible show. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. In this day and age, I do believe networks would call that a win?
Like everyone says, it’s a not a great show but has its moments. Plus, you really don’t need to pay attention to the plot or the jokes to understand it.
My wife and I have BBT on in the background before our kid goes to bed and watch 30 rock and Parks and Rec later so we can actually pay attention and get the subtle jokes they make rather than having the TV telling me when to laugh.
Typical family gathering:
Old person in my or my wife’s family: Have you guys watched that Big Bang Theory?
Us: No
Old person in my or my wife’s family: It’s pretty dang funny.
Us: No, no it’s not.
Old person in my or my wife’s family: Have you seen an episode?
Us: No, no we have not.
Yes, my wife and I speak in unison.
I take exception to the notion that nerds watch this show because the characters wear comic character logos.
Nerd blackface.
HA! This.
It’s a funny show. Complain about 2 Broke Girls or Two And A Half Men if you want a real multi-camera bitchfest.
I agree with you, dude. The hipster movement is alive and well on Uproxx. It’s hated because it’s the most popular sitcom on TV. Jim Parsons is a terrific Sheldon. And every joke isn’t a “wink wink, nudge nudge, we’re talking about anal sex” joke like on Broke girls and 2.5 Men.
See this is what happens when people confuse ratings with popularity. We like good television shows that constantly keep us entertained the entire show not just for 5 minutes then bland then 2 minutes then bland. This show was never meant for this long of a run and frankly can’t compete in the comedy department to a lot of shows.
@Nilf: I’m not talking about ratings. My favorite comedies right now are 30 Rock and Louie and The League. Their ratings cannot compare to Big Bang. But nothing wrong with popcorn comedy to make me laugh.
Regarding your comment about 5 minutes entertainment then 2 minutes of bland: I like a good set up to a joke. Not every single line of dialogue has to be knee-slapping funny. The League and Happy Endings and are slowly falling into that realm. Forcing lame jokes when the good ones could use a little background.
I think the people that like this show seriously misunderstand the demographic at which it’s aimed.
I am an engineer, I play video games, and I wear glasses, so I have been asked at least once by every middle aged person in my life how much I love the Big Bang Theory. None much guys, none much.
Big Bang is not a bad show. Everyone loves to hate on something as soon as it becomes popular, but that wasn’t always the case with this show. I don’t think it needs the laugh track especially since a lot of the easier one-liner style jokes are pretty telegraphed anyway. Yes, it’s been made more broad since its second season, but I’m not going to fault a network for actually trying to make money, since it is a business.