‘Big Bang Theory’ Ending With Season 12 in May 2019

The Big Bang Theory will be saying “Bazinga” for the last time in season 12.

Producers Warner Bros. Television announced Wednesday that the CBS comedy’s upcoming 12th season, concluding in May 2019, will be its last.

With its upcoming season Big Bang will end its run as television’s longest running multi camera comedy ever with 279 episodes.

“We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past twelve 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,” WBTV and Chuck Lorre Productions said in a joint statement, first released by The Hollywood Reporter.

The cancellation news comes after months of speculation that CBS hoped to extend the show’s run further, though that is no longer the case.

CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl revealed in early August that there were behind-the-scenes conversations taking place for a possible 13th season of the beloved comedy series.

“We don’t believe it’s the final year,” Kahl said at the time. “We are in preliminary discussions to renew the show with the studio that produces it, Warner Bros.”

Despite the statement from the CBS executive, the creative minds behind the show had their minds on reaching the finish line in season 12.

“We never really figured to be at year 11, let alone what’s going to happen after 12,” Lorre said during a 2017 Television Critics Associaton event. “One could easily presume that would be the end of the series but I’m just amazed we’re here.”

Big Bang showrunner Steve Holland shared in the past that the writers were tackling the upcoming installment as the end.

With season 12 as its last, The Big Bang Theory will wrap up its run likely in May 2019. As previously reported, series star Kaley Cuoco opened up recently about how it would feel to bid adieu to Big Bang, which premiered in 2007.

“I can’t really picture it … and I don’t think there really will be ‘my life’ without it,” Cuoco told PEOPLE. “I think it will always be there. It will always be running. I think we’ll always have those fans and it’s always going to be a part of me.”

However, series star Johnny Galecki also said he and the rest of the cast were comfortable with ending things after the twelfth season.

“The only manner in which the cast has discussed wrapping [the show] has been that we’re all going to be very sad when that day comes,” Galecki shared with E! News in a previous interview. “But I think at this point everyone’s very comfortable with 12 seasons being a good time to go home and see our families.”

Big Bang Theory has earned 52 Emmy nominations with 10 wins, though never for outstanding comedy series. It also ranked as TV’s No. 1 comedy until the 2017-18 TV season

Its final season will premiere Monday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS before moving to its regular time slot Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.