By David Bauder, Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --As the time approaches to say goodbye to Sheldon, Amy, Leonard, Penny and the gang, the CBS comedy “The Big Bang Theory” hit a season high in popularity last week.
The 14.2 million viewers who tuned in to Thursday’s episode will surely be topped, since television’s most popular comedy calls it quits after 12 seasons this spring.
Not everyone gets to go out on top, and the cast and crew of “The Big Bang Theory” gathered last week for a celebratory ceremony. The Burbank, California, studio on the Warner Bros. lot where the show is filmed was dedicated to the comedy. While there for a champagne toast, creator Chuck Lorre credited the crew for never “mailing it in” during 12 years.
The affection underlying all of the characters’ relationships, even if they aren’t very good at expressing it, is something that viewers can sense, Lorre said.
“They’re not blood relatives but they behave like a family,” he said. “That’s aspirational. That’s what we all want.”
The Lorre-created spinoff, “Young Sheldon,” was the second most-watched comedy of last week, also with a season high in viewers, the Nielsen company said. So that bodes well for the character popularized by Jim Parsons to continue long after Parsons has stopped portraying him.
And the message in a fortune cookie given to set visitors last week was another reminder that the characters will never really go away. “If you don’t believe in goodbyes, there’s always syndication,” it said.
With the comedies and the Grammy Awards, CBS easily won the week in primetime with an average of 7.7 million viewers. NBC had 4.9 million, ABC had 4.1 million, Fox had 2.8 million, Univision had 1.54 million, ION Television had 1.51 million, Telemundo had 1.2 million and the CW had 1 million.
Fox News Channel was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 3.14 million viewers in primetime. MSNBC had 2.02 million, HGTV had 1.36 million, History had 1.26 million and Hallmark had 1.21 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.4 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 8.8 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.7 million.
Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Feb. 4-10. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.
1. “The Grammy Awards,” CBS, 19.88 million.
2. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 14.16 million.
3. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 12.14 million.
4. “State of the Union,” Fox News, 11.29 million.
5. “State of the Union Analysis” (10:30-10:38 p.m. ET), Fox News, 10.72 million.
6. “America’s Got Talent Champions,” NBC, 9.83 million.
7. “State of the Union Intro” (9-9:06 p.m. ET), Fox News, 9.44 million.
8. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 9.38 million.
9. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 8.8 million.
10. “State of the Union Response,” Fox News, 7.9 million.
11. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 7.62 million.
12. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 7.38 million.
13. “The Masked Singer,” Fox, 7.14 million.
14. “Grammy Awards Red Carpet,” CBS, 7.06 million.
15. “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 6.86 million.
16. “State of the Union Analysis,” NBC, 6.46 million.
17. “Bull,” CBS, 6.38 million.
18. “Ellen’s Game of Games,” NBC, 6.31 million.
19. “The Bachelor,” ABC, 6.25 million.
20. “Man with a Plan,” CBS, 6.2 million.
ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox; NBC is owned by NBC Universal.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More