The cast of “The Big Bang Theory” stopped by PaleyFest 2013 in New York, a celebration of television that includes informative panels with actors and show creators, and discussed how much has changed since their first appearance at the festival in 2009.

As reported by The Associated Press, the March 7 episode of “The Big Bang Theory” was watched by more than 20 million viewers. Episodes of the show are consistently at the top of the Nielsen ratings and among viewers in the coveted 18-49 demographic. While “The Big Bang Theory” has enjoyed a four-year run of tremendous success, the show did not start out as such a ratings behemoth.

At the 2009 PaleyFest, “The Big Bang Theory” was just another television sitcom and had yet to break into the top-40 rated shows in America, reports AP. The same cannot be said in 2013, and the reason for the success is due to syndication. “The Big Bang Theory” has been featured heavily in syndication, appearing on several networks including TBS and Fox, and is the No. 1 syndicated show on television, reports The Daily Journal.

Because episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” are constantly on television, the show has been able to bring in viewers who did not initially tune in to the program. Simon Helberg, who plays Howard Wolowitz on the show, said at PaleyFest, “We're shoving it down people's throats, and then they're learning that they love that,” reports AP.

Jim Parsons, who plays eccentric physicist Sheldon Cooper on the show, is also stunned by the success, saying the staggering number of people who tune into “The Big Bang Theory is, “Impossible to fathom about viewers and numbers and things like that,” reports AP.

The cast, as well as co-creator Chuck Lorre, did not reveal much about the future of “The Big Bang Theory” or any character developments that may happen in the sixth season. The only tidbit that the actors shared involved a letter from Howard’s missing father that will be a main plot point for Thursday’s episode, “The Closet Reconfiguration,” which will air on CBS.

The Hollywood Reporter has a list of 15 revelations made by the actors and creators during their appearance at PaleyFest. Some of the little-known facts include the origins of “Bazinga!” and “Soft Kitty,” how some of the show's best scenes were created as well as the possibility that Shelden’s “Meemaw” might make an appearance on a future episode of “The Big Bang Theory.”