Kaley Cuoco and the rest of the cast of The Big Bang Theory had to perform in front of an enthusiastic studio audience for the show’s 12-season run. As the series got more popular with each passing season, it became more and more difficult for these audiences to get tickets to the taping. Cuoco felt that the program’s fanbase made them feel like The Hunger Games of TV shows.
Interestingly, Jennifer Lawrence’s fan-favorite book-to-movie adaptation series had some insane fanbase. They tried hard to buy tickets and go to conventions and fan meets to see the stars of the film. Cuoco comparing her show to the $3 billion franchise’s fandom is not farfetched when considering the extent to which TBBT fans went for taping tickets.
Kaley Cuoco Thought The Big Bang Theory Fanbase Were Much Like The Hunger Games Fans
The Big Bang Theory became immensely popular during its initial seasons, attracting a large and dedicated fanbase for the sitcom. The fans never missed a chance to meet their favorite stars in person. It meant that the tickets for the live taping of the show became increasingly difficult to obtain with each passing season.
When asked by Entertainment Weekly about how the studio audience had evolved over the show’s run, Kaley Cuoco shared an interesting experience. She noted that the energy of the studio audience was always high. While she didn’t know what it took for fans to attend a live taping, she was told that many had waited a long time to secure the tickets.
Cuoco recalled receiving a message on social media from a fan who revealed they had purchased tickets for a 2019 episode taping years in advance. Reflecting on the fans’ dedication, she compared the show’s fandom to that of Jennifer Lawrence‘s The Hunger Games.
The Flight Attendant actress praised the show’s audience, sharing that they were unbelievable. She stated that there would never be another live-taping experience quite like The Big Bang Theory. Cuoco shared with EW:
These audiences are insane. Their energy is high. I don’t know how it works [to get them here]. It’s like Hunger Games. They wait a long time to come. I’ll read comments on my social, and I’ll come across one that says, “I have tickets for a 2019 episode.” They’ve had them for years. I don’t think there will be anything like a Big Bang audience taping ever again. Our audience is unbelievable.
Kunal Nayyar added that attending the show was like going to a concert for fans, where they wait a long time to get a ticket. Cuoco also mentioned seeing fans in the iconic Bazinga! T-shirts and she and Johnny Galecki would often take time to chat with some of these devoted fans.
How Difficult Was It To Attend The Live Taping Of The Big Bang Theory?
The Big Bang Theory live-taping tickets were never easy to come by. The fans would have had to check randomly under “Available Show Dates” on tvtickets.com for the tickets. There were no clear patterns and the tickets would be sold out within a matter of minutes.
There were many fans who tried for months and gave up on their dream to see their favorite stars. However, the few fans who got their hands on the tickets had considered themselves lucky. A fan shared their experience of seeing the live taping on Quora and shared this about grabbing tickets:
It requires persistence and patience to obtain tickets to a taping of The Big Bang Theory. There are so many Big Bang Theory fans that when tvtickets.com, the website where the general public can get free tickets to The Big Bang Theory tapings, releases tickets for The Big Bang Theory, they are sold out within minutes.
Fans have also shared accounts of visiting the backstage as part of charities with the cast members. The enthusiastic accounts from fans prove that Cuoco may not be wrong in calling the TBBT live taping a rare experience for the cast.
The Big Bang Theory is now available to stream on Max.
