For fans of 8 Simple Rules, the upcoming season is vindication. The show got off to a humble start but has become a staple of Monday night sitcoms on CBS. This season threatens to link Penny and Leonard in a relationship. Kaley Cuoco filled us in the third season scoop over the summer at CBS’s fall TV preview party.

Crave Online: How much fun are you having on Big Bang Theory?

Kaley Cuoco: I’m having so much fun. It’s a great show, it’s doing well. How can you not have fun on a hit show? I’m very, very lucky.

Crave Online: With the big group scenes and the dialogue you have, is there any special fun on the set?

Kaley Cuoco: I actually prefer [it]. I love when all of us are in the same scenes together. It happens a good amount but not all the time and it makes me really happy, because the five of us just have so much fun working off each other.

Crave Online: How gratifying is it that it became a hit after a slow build?

Kaley Cuoco: It was a slow build, yeah. No one liked us at the beginning. They didn’t and it’s okay. We reeled them in. We brought them to the geek side and now they’ve accepted us with open arms.

Crave Online: What do you think it was that hooked people?

Kaley Cuoco: I don't know. I think they realized it wasn’t “cute girl next door to two geeks.” It was so much more than that. It was real people dealing with real emotions. I think it’s actually really touched peoples’ hearts, especially actors like Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki. I mean, those characters have touched people so deeply and they’re really sweet.

Crave Online: Any show takes time to build so how do you think it’s grown since the first season?

Kaley Cuoco: You know, I firmly believe, only because I’ve been doing this for so long, every show takes three years. 90% of them don’t get three years. It just does. It takes a long time to build a community, build a friendship with your characters. It’s hard for people to grasp on and make them care about you. We’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity but a lot of shows don’t get it. I think a lot of good shows don’t make it on the air so it’s just a process. You have to grow. You have to learn who you are as a character. You’re all of a sudden playing a new person with a whole other life.

Crave Online: How has Penny grown since the beginning?

Kaley Cuoco: You know, I think they gave her a lot to do second season. She just loves these guys and loves hanging out with them. I think she’s kind of becoming one of them which is really sweet and they finally fully accepted her, thank goodness.

Crave Online: And it’s not just a cult hit anymore, it’s a broad audience.

Kaley Cuoco: I still think it is kind of a cult show but it’s weird because I have, like, 10-year-olds come up to me and say they love it and then, like, 80-year-olds. I mean, people love the show and every time I think about it, it gives me a chill. It’s just really sweet.

Crave Online: What do you think the show did to win everyone over?

Kaley Cuoco: It has a lot of heart. People like Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki and the writing that was in season two I think was the best season. It was so good, it was heartfelt. The love between Penny and the guys I think was really heartfelt. I think at first season, no one believed the cute girl was going to like them and all this silly stuff. I think the characters have really grown and they just love each other. It’s really nice to see.

Crave Online: You’re going to mess with the setup this season, right?

Kaley Cuoco: I hear that, yeah. I guess Leonard and Penny are going to date for a little while and I think that’s going to put a little jab between the guys and Leonard. I hope our relationship doesn’t last long. I want it to kind of go off and come back, how life really is and I think Chuck wants that to happen too.

Crave Online: Have you picked up any geek interests through the show?

Kaley Cuoco: No, just a lot of Guitar Hero and Rock Band and I’m getting really damn good on it to be honest.

Crave Online: Are you Expert?

Kaley Cuoco: Uh, yeah. Can I play Expert? Can you play Expert?

Crave Online: I’m up to Hard.

Kaley Cuoco: I’m pretty damn good. I like to play the drums. I actually like to sing on Rock Band. I prefer to take the mic.

Crave Online: What songs are you jamming on?

Kaley Cuoco: You know what? I don’t even know half of them. I just read it off the TV and I am awesome. I’m a good reader.