<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website </Td> </Tr> <P> The Big Bang Theory is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro . All three also serve as head writers . The show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007 . In March 2017, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, bringing its total to twelve, and running through the 2018--19 television season . The eleventh season premiered on September 25, 2017 . The twelfth season is set to premiere on September 24, 2018 . </P> <P> The show originally centered on five characters living in Pasadena, California: Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, both physicists at Caltech, who share an apartment; Penny, a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon's similarly geeky and socially awkward friends and co-workers, aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali . Over time, supporting characters have been promoted to starring roles including: physicist Leslie Winkle, neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski, and Stuart Bloom, the cash - strapped owner of the comic book store the characters often visit . </P> <P> The show is filmed in front of a live audience and is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions . The Big Bang Theory received mixed reviews from critics throughout its first season, but reception was more favorable in the second and third seasons . Later seasons saw a return to a lukewarm reception, with the show being criticised for a decline in comedic quality . Despite the mixed reviews, seven seasons of the show have ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings; ultimately reaching the no . 1 spot in its eleventh season . The show was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series from 2011 to 2014 and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series four times for Jim Parsons . It has so far won 7 Emmy awards from 46 nominations . Parsons also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series in 2011 . The series has so far won 56 awards from 216 nominations . It has also spawned a prequel series in 2017 based on Parsons' character, Sheldon Cooper, named Young Sheldon which originally aired on CBS . </P>

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