TBBT Production Designer Regrets the Amount of Money Spent on Finale
The Big Bang Theory certainly went out with a bang.
The final episode of the beloved CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory ( TBBT) aired almost four years ago, in May 2019. But it has provided plenty of fodder for discussion that still keeps fans on their toes.
For starters, it's often considered one of the best endings in television history. And then there are all the record-breaking numbers, some of which are quite surprising.
The finale may have had the biggest floral budget of any TV show. TBBT production designer John Shaffner told Metro that a whopping $60,000 was spent to make the Nobel set look realistic.
When Amy Farrah Fowler and Sheldon Cooper give their acceptance speeches, a large floral composition can be seen in the background. And it was meant to replicate the real thing.
"The decor has always been the tradition of the Nobel Prize. There's a huge floral display that wraps around all behind where the orchestra would play and in front of where the choir would sing," Shaffner described.
Shaffner recalled how he and the large team of florists created the huge floral backdrop that covered the entire wall and columns. And we can't help but wonder if the Nobel Prize designers spend the same amount of energy and money on floral decorations.
Sadly, it looks like all the resources were wasted after all. Apparently, the shots with the impressive flower composition were left on the cutting room floor and TBBT viewers didn't get to enjoy the costly decorations.
"And when I watched the final episode, you didn't really see much of them!" John Shaffner said with regret.
Well, at least the set created the right mood for the stars, which may have contributed to their brilliant acting.
If you add to this crazy flower budget the huge salaries of the main cast, who by the last season were getting $1 million per episode (which is more than the actual Nobel Prize), and all the production costs, the final episode budget goes off the charts.
But for the big bosses at CBS, it was definitely worth it. With more than 18 million viewers, it was the most watched episode of the day in the U.S., despite airing alongside such hits as Grey's Anatomy, Superstore, Paradise Hotel and iZombie.
In Canada, it became the most-watched episode of 2019.