Sitting in the studio audience during the pilot–an unforgettable experience with my dad back in the spring of 2007–‘The Big Bang Theory’ was immediately clear for take-off into the stratosphere of successful network television sitcoms. And it’s still a smash success more than a decade later in 2019.

This NASA-like launch was significantly helped (perhaps fittingly) by eventual NASA astronaut on the show Howard Wolowitz, who is played by the very funny Simon Helberg. His character’s introduction into the show is simply among the best in sitcom history.

And Penny’s intro, played by the funny and beautiful Kaley Cuoco, falls into the very same category, just for slightly different reasons.

Well, I made sure to save this scene for my blog.

Now in its twelfth and final season, the show about men and women who are equal parts science geniuses and socially awkward nerds (plus Penny and Zack) is reaching its summit with less than twelve new episodes remaining.

After tonight, the official count is nine new ‘Big Bang Theory’ episodes.

And there are still plenty of questions to be answered regarding current storylines for major and supporting characters. These lingering unresolved questions will help ensure a thoroughly entertaining final stretch for the show. Relating back to the pilot, there are key questions that need to be answered before the show takes its final bow:

• What is Penny’s last name?
• Why has Howard been wearing an unexplained alien pin on his shirt during every single episode of the series?

Before we discover these fun tidbits in the next couple of months by sitcom royalty Chuck Lorre and Co., let’s venture to a preview of tonight’s episode. Amazingly, I was in the audience for the taping of the following episode, “The Donation Oscillation,” with my mom and dad just a couple of weeks ago!

‘The Big Bang Theory’ is just as funny and entertaining live as I remembered it to be:

Witty and laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Bazing–

It’s getting a little tougher to say it without getting teary-eyed.

‘The Big Bang Theory’ airs on CBS on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.