It was a pretty zazzy day for the cast and creators of The Big Bang Theory!
The long-time CBS comedy reached a milestone moment on Thursday afternoon as “Stage 25” on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank – the same stage where the series has filmed every episode for the past 12 seasons – was renamed and dedicated to The Big Bang Theory.
“It feels a little bit surreal,” Big Bang executive producer and final season showrunner Steve Holland gushed exclusively to ET just moments after the plaque was revealed to a room full of press.
“We knew it was coming, but when they revealed the plaque and saw it for real – it just feels amazing,” he said. “I mean Casablanca was shot on this lot and now we’re now part of Warner Bros. history. It’s just incredible.”
At the start of Big Bang’s final season last September, Holland revealed to ET that he and the writers knew the “shape” of the series finale, but they had yet to lock in exactly how the comedy will take its final bow. With only ten more episodes left in The Big Bang Theory’s final season, Holland dished that they definitely know how the series will end – they just need to write it first.
“We write everything in order and we’re writing episode 19 right now and [the finale] is episode 24. We’re shooting 17, writing 19, so it’ll still be a few more weeks away before we get to that.”
“But we know what the finale will be. We’ve known what the big pieces are for a while, but now we know what the smaller pieces are, as well, and what we’re driving towards,” he continued. “We have it worked out and we’re excited and nervous and, like everybody who’s watching, we love these characters so much and we want to give them a send off that they deserve.”
Many fans – including Big Bang’s leading lady Kaley Cuoco – aren’t ready to say goodbye to our geektastic group. “Everyone’s doing rebooting. We might as well do it in, like, a year!” the blonde beauty quipped to ET’s Nancy O’Dell on the Golden Globes red carpet in January.
So what are the chances that a Big Bang Theory reboot – or spinoff! – could be hitting our screens next year?
“That’s above my pay grade,” Holland answered with a chuckle. “Part of me thinks that this show is such a special thing that you maybe want to leave it as a whole piece, but if someone came up with a great take on it and people were interested to do it, who knows?”
The one thing Holland does know is that Big Bang’s fans have a very “emotional” journey ahead in these next ten episodes.
“I hope they’re prepared to laugh, I hope they’re prepared to be sad and to be nostalgic and to have to, at some point, say goodbye,” he said. “We don’t want to just have a fan-service finale that’s only upbeat, but we love these characters and we all wish them the best and want the best for them.”
The Big Bang Theory’s 12th and final season airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
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