All good things must come to an end, and if you are a fan of the famous CBS comedy sitcom The Big Bang Theory, the show is sadly coming to an end after twelve funny and exciting seasons. The show promises to make the final season the best one yet.

Despite recent remarks by CBS that it was in talks for more seasons of the highly-rated series, the network, producing studio Warner Bros. TV and executive producer Chuck Lorre recently announced that the comedy will end its run in May 2019 with its upcoming twelfth season. The Big Bang Theory still will rank as the longest-running multi-camera series in television history per WBTV, spanning twelve seasons and a record-breaking 279 episodes!

The final season of Big Bang will officially kick off on Monday September 24, 2018, which is the eleventh anniversary of the pilot episode, which aired back in 2007. After the season premiere on Monday, the show will then transition to broadcasting on Thursday nights.

The announcement about The Big Bang Theory coming to an end comes just weeks after CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said at TCA that “We don’t believe it’s the final season; we are in preliminary discussions to renew the show with the studio that produces it, Warner Bros.”

Eleven seasons in, The Big Bang Theory remains one of the biggest shows on television. Season 11 averaged 18.9 million viewers, even with Season 10. It was the second most watched series of last season, edging Sunday Night Football and only behind the now-cancelled Roseanne. Among adults age 18-49, Big Bang slipped a bit but still ranked as the second highest-rated entertainment program behind only NBC’s This Is Us. However, to go beyond 12 seasons, Warner Bros. TV would have had to negotiate new contracts with the actors.

The show’s original quintet is the highest-paid actors on TV with paychecks of around $1 million an episode!

There are many rumors and theories to the real reason why Big Bang is coming to an end. A huge reason is the mounting criticism that has come about ever since the show first aired. Despite its enormous popularity, The Big Bang Theory has always been a divisive show; however, it seems the longer it has gone on, the worse the criticism has become. While many thought playing off the stereotypes of a “dumb blonde” (Penny) and socially awkward “geeks” was offensive to begin with, many more have attacked the show for the humor not even being smart, despite the premise of the show.

Overall, fans are preparing themselves for the final season of Big Bang. It will be the final season fans will get to see their favorite science brainiacs change the world and change the hearts of their fans. Get ready to go out with a big bang!