There are only nine episodes left before the Big Bang Theory ends its impressive 12-season run as one of the top comedies on television. To pay tribute to the beloved CBS sitcom, the Burbank, California, studio where the show is filmed has been renamed in its honor.
Stage 25 on the Warner Bros. lot will now be known as the Big Bang Theory Stage. The big reveal was announced during a Television Critics Association press tour event at the studio on Thursday, February 7, reported Deadline .
Prior to the Big Bang Theory taking over Stage 25, it was home to television favorites such as Maverick , V , and What I Like About You . Furthermore, legendary films such as Casablanca , Bonnie and Clyde , Blade Runner , and Batman Returns were also filmed there.
The Warner Bros. lot has been in use for Hollywood productions for an astounding 95 years, but this is only the fifth stage that has been renamed after a TV series. The other dedicated stages celebrate the shows Ellen , ER , Friends , and Two and a Half Men .
In addition to scoring high ratings and earning critical praise, the Big Bang Theory is the longest-running multi-camera series in the history of television. By the end of the 2019 TV season, nearly 280 episodes will have been filmed.
“It’s been a family for a long, long time…. We’re going to be so miserable after this,” stated co-creator Chuck Lorre at the dedication ceremony.
Co-creator Billy Prady, Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara, other top executives, and the entire cast of the Big Bang Theory — Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard), Kunal Nayyar (Raj), Melissa Rauch (Bernadette), Mayim Balik (Amy), and Kevin Sussman (Stuart) — were on hand for the event, which included a champagne toast.
“We shoot right across from the Friends Stage and I was always amazed at the mark they made on tv history. Our show being given the same honor has completely overwhelmed me, and I’m just forever grateful to be part of it,” series star Cuoco wrote on Instagram beside a photo of herself standing with the official bronze plaque that will most likely be displayed at the entrance to the stage.
“I’ve called Stage 25 at Warner Bros. an incredible place to work and my home away from home. In addition to those titles, after today’s stage dedication, it is now officially called ‘ The Big Bang Theory Stage’ and I will love it and all the memories made inside those walls always,” added Rauch on her Instagram page beside some photos from the renaming bash.