It's one of the most popular shows in the world...and soon, it could match, or even pass, one of America's most famous sitcoms.
CBS's smash hit "The Big Bang Theory" is on pace to become the most-watched sitcom on TV since Friends went off the air in 2004.
According to the Zap2It entertainment website, "The Big Bang Theory" is currently netting roughly 20.3 million viewers this season in the Nielsen's Live +7 ratings.
The show, which details the lives of six gifted, but nerdy scientists and their attractive, blonde, sarcastic down-to-earth neighbor/friend named Penny, is raking in about 19.05 million viewers and 6.5 in the 18-49 viewers this season.
In fact, it is trailing only "NCIS", at 21.2 million viewers, and Sunday Night Football, with 20.9 million, in viewers and second to only "SNF" (8.0) among the under-50 demographics.
If it stays on pace, "Big Bang's" numbers could eventually match the final season of "Friends," which drew 20.8 million viewers in its final season in 2003-04. The only comedy to have come close to those numbers was "Everybody Loves Raymond" which netted 17.4 million people in its final season in 2005.
""Big Bang's" numbers will probably come down a little between now and May -- there will be more repeats in the spring, and ratings for all shows tend to fall a bit when daylight saving time begins. But if it stays close to its average now, it should end 2012-13 as the most-watched comedy since "Friends" ended," the web site writes.
A new episode of the "Big Bang Theory" is scheduled to air this Thursday, Jan. 3. The episode will feature the return of Sheldon's beautiful assistant Alex, whose attraction to Leonard could cause friction between himself and girlfriend Penny.
To watch episodes of the Big Bang Theory, click here.