Star Turned Down Big Money to Extend Big Bang Theory

Fans of The Big Bang Theory must soon be content with seeing only a younger version of Jim Parsons' character in a spinoff: The hit show's 12th season, premiering Sept. 24 on CBS, will be its last, though Parsons reportedly could have prevented that. Per Entertainment Weekly, Parsons' desire to leave the show couldn't be swayed by an expected $50 million in salary and profits from two more seasons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Fellow stars Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg would have pulled in the same. On Instagram, Cuoco said she was "drowning in tears" and promised the show would go out "with a bang," reports CNN. At the Guardian, Stuart Heritage is the opposite of drowning in tears. "Our long collective nightmare is finally over," he writes. (More TV shows stories.)