Here’s Why ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Is Ending, Even Though It’s Still One Of TV’s Highest-Rated Shows

On Wednesday, CBS announced that our long national bazinga nightmare is coming to an end: The Big Bang Theory‘s upcoming 12th season will also be the show’s last. No reason at the time was given, only a declaration “to deliver a final season, and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.” But according to Entertainment Weekly, TV’s most-watched sitcom (that wasn’t canceled for “abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent” statements) is [nerd reference] because star Jim Parsons was planning to exit:

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 television history. (Via)

Parsons, along with co-stars Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg, make $1 million per episode, and the Emmy-winning actor “stood to make more than $50 million including profits” for two more seasons (there were “preliminary discussions”). But considering he was TV’s highest-paid star last year, money isn’t a concern. Maybe The Big Bang Theory will end with the characters on trial, too, this time for crimes against humanity.

— Lyle Rath (@LyleRath) January 27, 2016

The Big Bang Theory‘s final season premieres on September 24.