By the turn of the new century, sitcoms were gradually losing steam when it came to being the dominating force on the small screen due to the rise of prestige shows, starting with HBO’s The Sopranos. Although there have been exceptions, for the most part, sitcoms from the 2000s don’t hold a candle to the ones from the ’90s, except Chuck Lorre’s The Big Bang Theory.
While it has been almost six years since the main show concluded, the IP is still going strong with its hit spin-offs, and according to new reports, the parent show is still dominating the charts.
The Big Bang Theory continues to dominate the charts
Even though the consensus of sitcoms being a thing of the past is not uncommon, especially after studios started leaning toward more cinematic storytelling in TV, on the flip side, TBBT has shown no signs of stopping. Moreover, in addition to the success of Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, CBS and Chuck Lorre are now set to expand on Stuart’s story.
Although the success of its spin-offs doesn’t settle the debate surrounding TBBT and Friends‘ popularity, as the latter is generally considered to be the bigger among the two, the 2024 numbers paint a very different picture.
On top of its spin-offs’ dominance, The Big Bang Theory itself is thriving in the streaming era, as Nielsen reported (via Deadline) TBBT was the most binged streaming title of 2024, clocking at an average of 265.5 episodes per viewer.
While half-hour programs tend to be more binge-able, the level of dedication from audiences in viewing to programs across the board was astonishing
This adds to a total of 29.1 billion minutes of watch time, and while it remains unclear how many of them were unique episodes, this does display the dominance of TBBT even in the age of prestige shows.
The Big Bang Theory‘s success is tied to Chuck Lorre’s simple approach
The reasoning behind TBBT and its spin-off bloom can be tied back to Chuck Lorre’s approach to the medium. Despite the rise of prestige TV in the last two decades, the Two and a Half Men showrunner has done little to change his ways, as at the end of the day, the showrunner loves telling stories that deliver a healthy dose of laughter.
He detailed (via EW):
I try and pursue things that I’m excited about that I think are wonderful, that working with people that I love and admire and telling stories that I think are great stories to tell, and the potential of making people laugh is a wonderful thing to do. When you come home at night, did you make people laugh? That’s not a bad day.
Given its wide appeal, it’s unsurprising to see why this formula has been doing wonders for Lorre, and with more spin-offs on the way, it doesn’t seem he is going to relinquish the title of king of sitcoms anytime soon.
The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
