Confirmed: The Big Bang Theory to end with season 12

A picture from the sets of The Big Bang Theory. Pic/The Big Bang Theory's Official Instagram Account

Jim Parsons, Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg, Melissa Rauch, Mayim Bialik, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco's The Big Bang Theory will end in 2019 after season 12. The makers of the show - CBS and Warner Bros TV - took the decision since Parsons was ready to move on from the hit sitcom, reports ew.com.

Kaley Cuoco took to Instagram to share the news saying, "This ride has been a dream come true and as life changing as it gets. No matter when it was going to end , my heart would have always been broken in two. Drowning in tears, we promise to bring you the best season yet. To the fans, our crew, families, Chuck Lorre, Warner Brothers , CBS, and everyone who has supported us for so many years, thank you. We are goin out with a bang."

With a reported salary near $1 million per episode, Parsons - along with his four original co-stars Cuoco, Galecki, Nayyar and Helberg - stood to make more than $50 million including profits if he agreed to stay on the show for two more years, which is what CBS was trying to negotiate. But Parsons was ready to say goodbye to the ensemble sitcom that made him a household name. Since there is no show without Dr. Sheldon Cooper, next spring's 12th season finale of The Big Bang Theory will mark the end of the longest-running multi-camera series in TV history in the US.

In a joint statement, Warner Bros Television, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions, said, "We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of 'The Big Bang Theory' during the past 12 seasons. 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."

The Big Bang Theory universe originated with the story of how four nerds - Sheldon Cooper (Parsons), Leonard Hofstadter (Galecki), Howard Wolowitz (Helberg) and Raj Koothrappali (Nayyar) - react when a girl Penny (Cuoco) enters their lives as a friendly neighbour.

With all the idiosyncrasies, quirky behaviour, cultural one-liners - including a lot of Indian references courtesy British-Indian actor Nayyar - as well as dating fundas, the story that highlights the personal life of scientists and geeks was loved by one and all, making it a phenomenon.

The 12th and final season of the show will debut in the US in September. The show is aired in India on Zee Cafe and Colors Infinity.

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Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS