In March 2014, the series was renewed for an
eighth, ninth and
tenth season through the
2016–17 television season. Like the previous season, the first six episodes of the ninth season aired on a different night due to
CBS acquiring the rights to
Thursday Night Football games. In May 2015, CBS announced at its annual upfront presentation, that the series would begin its ninth season on Mondays, before returning to the Thursday slot once the football games ended. Filming for the ninth season began on August 5, 2015, according to posts on
Twitter by several of the cast members including
Melissa Rauch and
Kunal Nayyar.
Laurie Metcalf reprised her role as Sheldon's mother Mary in the first and twenty-fourth episodes, and
Keith Carradine returned as Penny's father Wyatt in the third episode. Sheldon's maternal grandmother Constance, whom he calls "Meemaw", made her first long-awaited appearance in the fourteenth episode and was portrayed by
June Squibb and Leonard's father Alfred also made his first long-awaited appearance in the twenty-fourth episode and was played by
Judd Hirsch. This was the first season to feature every main cast member of the show, including former main cast member
Sara Gilbert, who made a guest appearance in the 200th episode. == Cast ==