CBS ANNOUNCES THE NEW SPECIAL "UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY: A BIG BANG FAREWELL" TO AIR THURSDAY, MAY 16

FOLLOWING THE SERIES FINALE OF TELEVISION'S #1 COMEDY, "THE BIG BANG THEORY," AND THE SECOND SEASON FINALE OF "YOUNG SHELDON," JOHNNY GALECKI AND KALEY CUOCO WILL TAKE FANS BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING MULTI-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES IN A SPECIAL RETROSPECTIVE

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - CBS announces the new special UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY: A BIG BANG FAREWELL, to air following the series finale of television's #1 comedy, THE BIG BANG THEORY, as well as the second season finale of YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, May 16 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. During this 30-minute special retrospective, series stars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco take viewers behind the scenes of the longest-running multi-camera comedy series in television history.

In the special, Galecki and Cuoco will lead fans on a trip down memory lane, sharing some of the best-kept backstage secrets and personal memories from the past 12 years. They will reveal their favorite moments playing beloved characters Leonard and Penny, and revisit some of the most memorable stories from "The Big Bang Theory Stage." In addition, the special will feature a tour of the iconic sets, including Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. This special farewell will include unforgettable clips and interviews to celebrate this beloved series.

After a record-breaking 279 episodes, the series finale of THE BIG BANG THEORY will air on Thursday, May 16 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

The series, which debuted in 2007 and airs in syndication around the world, has received 52 Emmy Award nominations with 10 wins to date and seven Golden Globe nominations.

In addition to centering many of its episodes in the worlds of science and technology, THE BIG BANG THEORY enjoys support from the scientific community at large, including having a bee species (Euglossa bazinga), a jellyfish species (Bazinga Rieki) and a monkey at the Columbus Zoo (Dr. Sheldon Cooper) named in the show's honor.

In 2015 the first-ever UCLA scholarship was created by and named for a television series, The Big Bang Theory Scholarship Endowment, which supports undergraduate students in need of financial aid who are pursuing their higher education and majoring in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

THE BIG BANG THEORY stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. It is executive produced by Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Steven Molaro and Steve Holland. The series THE BIG BANG THEORY is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc., in association with Warner Bros. Television.