The Big Bang Theory May Not Be Ending After All

Ever since The Big Bang Theory was renewed for Seasons 11 and 12 in 2017, the rumor was that Season 12 would be the show's last. Conventional wisdom was that paying the cast was getting prohibitively expensive and the show was running out of gas creatively. Even the people making the show seemed okay with wrapping it up, with star Johnny Galecki saying in January, "I think at this point everyone's very comfortable with 12 seasons being a good time to go home and see our families."

But CBS has no plans for this to be the final season of what was long TV's top-rated comedy until Roseanne came back.

"As long as [co-creator] Chuck [Lorre] and his team think they have stories tell, we're on board," Thom Sherman, CBS Senior EVP of Programming, said on a call with reporters Wednesday. "We hope to get at least two more years out of them. [The Big Bang Theory] is not slowing down anytime soon."

Check Out Everything to Know about CBS' Fall TV Lineup

It sounds like CBS wants The Big Bang Theory to go until the scientists are at retirement age. The ball's in Chuck Lorre's court now.

The Big Bang Theory Season 12 will air Thursdays at 8/7c this fall on CBS.

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS.)

Additional reporting by Keisha Hatchett