The Big Bang Theory: General Information

The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steve Molaro, who is also one of the head writers. It premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.

Set in Pasadena, California, the show is centered on five characters: two roommate Caltech geniuses, experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter and theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper; their neighbor across the hall Penny, an attractive blonde waitress and aspiring actress; and Leonard's and Sheldon's equally geeky and socially awkward co-workers and friends Howard Wolowitz, an Aerospace engineer and a non-PhD from JPL, and Rajesh Koothrappali, a particle astrophysicist postdoc also working at Caltech. The geekiness and intellect of the four guys are contrasted for comic effect with Penny's social skills and common sense. Three other supporting characters have also been promoted to main cast status for a few episodes: Leslie Winkle, a Caltech colleague of Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj; Bernadette, a microbiology student who works with Penny part time as a waitress; and Amy Farrah Fowler, a friend of Sheldon's.

The show is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions. In August 2009, the sitcom won the best comedy series TCA award and Jim Parsons won the award for individual achievement in comedy. In 2010, the show won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy, while Jim Parsons won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. On January 16, 2011, Parsons was awarded a Golden Globe by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical, an award that was presented by co-star Kaley Cuoco. On September 18, 2011, Jim Parsons was again awarded an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

When the third season premiered on September 21, 2009, it ranked as CBS's highest-rated show of that evening in the adults 18–49 demographic (4.6/10), along with a then series-high 12.83 million viewers. On May 19, 2010, it was announced that CBS would be moving the show to Thursdays at 8:00 ET for the 2010 - 2011 schedule. On January 12, 2011, it was announced that the show has been renewed for an additional three years, extending it through the 2013-2014 season. The fifth season premiered on September 22 in its usual time slot with two back-to-back episodes.

Source: Wikipedia