No bazinga about it: The Big Bang Theory dominated TV Guide Magazine’s Fan Favorites Awards with wins for Favorite Comedy, Ensemble and Actor (Jim Parsons). “Well, hot damn!” says Parsons, who has spent the past six seasons as theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper on the smash CBS comedy. “I’m really touched, and I’m just so happy people like watching it. One of the fun things about playing him is, he makes a lot of mistakes and says a lot of inappropriate things, but he is able to get away with it ­because he’s ­coming from such an honest place.”

The honesty and geniality of the characters have propelled The Big Bang Theory to TV’s No. 1 comedy in its sixth season. And what started as a five-piece ensemble featuring Parsons, Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), ­Simon Helberg (Howard) and Kunal Nayyar (Raj) has evolved into a comedy powerhouse with the additions of Mayim Bialik (Amy) and Melissa Rauch (Bernadette) as series regulars since Season 4. “I feel like I stepped into a big, lucky pot with this show,” Rauch says. “They were just all so lovely, and each one of them went out of their way to make me feel at home.”

And there might be an addition to the current ensemble: The May 2 episode hints at the possibility of a baby for Howard and Bernadette when the couple dog-sits for Raj. “That experience makes her wonder if they could actually be a ­family someday,” executive producer Steven Molaro teases. The episode also features an appearance by TV legend Bob Newhart. “Besides being such a comic genius, he is just the most positive energy to be around,” Parsons says. “He is an easy laugher and a ray of sunshine.”

The cast knows the important role the fans have played in the show’s breakout year, not only by turning on the TV every Thursday night (and throughout the week for the now-ubiquitous repeats in syndication) but also for the raw enthusiasm the lucky few who attend tapings at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, bring with them.

“They let the writers know if it’s up to par, they let us know if our performances are on pitch and they give the crew a shot in the arm after a long week of work,” Galecki says. “They really are a tangible character on the stage for us. We trust them implicitly and really, ­truly couldn’t do the show without their guidance.”

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