Bazing-oh no: It looks like Big Bang Theory season 12 is going to be its last one.
CBS and Warner Brothers Television released a joint statement saying that the show will end in May 2019 after 12 years.
“We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past twelve seasons,” they said. “We, along with the cast, writers and crew, are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season, and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.”
Why Big Bang Theory season 12 will be the last
The end of the show isn’t completely out of left field. Star Johnny Galecki hinted that the end was near during TCA in early 2018.
“…I think at this point everyone’s very comfortable with 12 seasons being a good time to go home and see our families,” he said at the time, adding that the cast will be “very sad when that day comes.”
Kaley Cuoco echoed his statements to People during an appearance in March.
“I actually can’t, to be honest,” Cuoco said when asked if she can envision a life without The Big Bang Theory. “I can’t really picture it. And I don’t think there really be my life without it — I think it’ll always be there, I think it’ll always be running, I think we’ll always have those fans. It’s always going to be a part of me.”
Big Bang Theory season 12 will be its last, but it’ll live on
The success of BBT — which includes 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins — made A-list stars of Cuoco and Galecki. Both had co-starring roles on television shows like Roseanne (Galecki) and 8 Simple Rules (Cuoco), but the show catapulted them to new heights — and big paychecks.
It also made a star out of Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper on the show. He — along with Cuoco, Galecki, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar — have been rumored to earn $1 million per episode since season 8.
Those paychecks will come to an end after Big Bang Theory season 12, but don’t worry: The show will likely be on for years to come in syndication — and the stars will look back at their time on the show fondly.
“..it’s just such a rarity in the land of TV to get to do something so long,” Parsons told Metro in May. “And this business is so fickle and audiences are hard to keep.”
“As we go to work everyday over the past 11 years you don’t feel that surprised. You feel grateful and you are happy to do your job. But you have to go and do your job,” he added. But as we have got into years 9, 10 and 11, going into 12, it is impossible not to look at it and go, ‘Oh my God’.”
