“The Big Bang Theory” scored record ratings Thursday night in an episode titled, “The Egg Salad Equivalency”. The CBS sitcom is enjoying increasing success atop the ratings heap, as the show continues to grow it’s audience at a time when most shows see their ratings wane. “The Big Bang Theory” is not only raking in audience numbers, Jim Parson’s character Dr. Sheldon Cooper’s catchphrase “Bazinga” just inspired the name of a newly discovered species of Brazilian bee. “Big Bang” producer Steven Molaro has yet to share the news with Parsons, but says, “We are always extremely flattered when the science community embraces our show”, according to Starpulse yesterday. “Big Bang” is also being credited with inspiring the upcoming new TBS reality competition show “King of the Nerds”.
“The Big Bang Theory” drew 19.25 million viewers Thursday night at 8 p.m. EST on CBS, which was an all-time ratings high for the comedy series. The show also nabbed a commanding first place in important advertiser-desired 18-49 demographic with 14.9 million viewers.
The sitcom was both the highest-rated and most-watched program of the night, growing 9 percent from three weeks ago to match a series high rating and setting a new record for total viewership, as reported by The Wrap.
Comcast writer Adam Bruckman noted that the show, centered around a group of brilliant but socially awkward scientists, accomplished a ratings achievement this week that is almost unheard of for a prime-time series in its sixth season.
Scripted series in their sixth seasons don’t typically increase their audiences. Most hit shows that last this long tend to see their ratings remain stable or dip a little. Bruckman credit’s the syndication of “Big Bang” on TBS and local stations with one reason it continues to be, “America’s sitcom-of-the-moment”.
Meanwhile, Brazilian biologist Andre Nemesio claims he named a species of Brazilian orchid bee “Euglossa bazinga” in honor of Jim Parson’s character Dr. Sheldon Cooper. The bee had fooled scientists for some time by its similarity to another species, according to the N.Y. Daily News.
Sheldon is renowned for exclaiming “Bazinga” whenever he makes a joke or tricks his friends on the show. “Sheldon would be honored to know that Euglossa bazinga was inspired by him. In fact, after ‘Mothra' and griffins, bees are his third-favorite flying creatures”, Molaro said.
If that weren’t enough, exec producer Ben Silverman revealed that “The Big Bang Theory” played a big part in the decision to bring new show King of the Nerds to TBS, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The reality competition pits 11 contestants against one another in a game of smarts and “fandom” in an effort to win $100,000 and the “King” title. The new show debuts at 10 p.m. EST on Jan. 17 on TBS.
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