After 12 years as one of the world’s most popular sit coms, The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) will air its final episode in May 2019, 12 seasons and 279 episodes since it began.
And if you are looking for someone to blame (or thank) for bringing the show to its end, please look no further than Jim Parsons, who plays lead nerd Sheldon Cooper.
According to Deadline, insider sources claimed TBBT’s co-creator, Chuck Lorre, didn’t want to continue with a 13th season unless its three lead actors – Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki (Leonard) and Kaley Cuoco (Penny) – wanted to as well, and Parsons didn’t.
Despite negotiations from CBS to change the 45-year-old actor’s mind, he was “ready to move on,” and Lorre and Parsons surprised the cast and crew with the news just a day before making their public statement on May 23.
According to Nellie Adreeva of Deadline: “I hear Lorre gave the floor to star Jim Parsons, who made a tearful announcement that he would not be continuing on the series beyond the upcoming 12th season.”
Although Parsons instigated the show’s end, following the public announcement, he did share an emotional and lengthy tribute to the cast, writers, crew and fans on his Instagram.
“It is hard (really impossible, actually) to really accept that this is a picture of the first of the final 24 episodes we will shoot for The Big Bang Theory,” he wrote.
“I feel such an intense gratitude for our devoted viewers who are the ACTUAL reason we have been graced with the opportunity to explores these characters for 12 years of our lives.”
Then thanking his cast mates, he wrote: “I will miss all of you and all of this more than I can say and more than I can know at this time.”
Throughout TBBT’s 12-year-run, Parsons also expanded his acting work in film roles like Hidden Figures and Visions, and is also currently the narrator and executive producer of The Big Bang Theory spinoff, Young Sheldon.
Ok, so not everyone loves The Big Bang Theory… Jessie Stephens and Laura Brodnik have a bit of a tiff on our podcast, The Binge.