10 Big TV Shows That Were Cancelled This Year (And Why)

5. The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory is one of the biggest TV shows of the last 10 years, with the sitcom at its peak averaging around 20 million viewers per episode. It has been declining slightly in that regard for a little while now, but it still pulls in a viewership most series and networks would kill for. So why is it ending?

While Chuck Lorre and indeed CBS might've liked The Big Bang Theory to run and run, their hand was forced when star Jim Parsons announced his intention to leave the series and pursue new opportunities. Lorre and CBS were in renewal talks at the time, but without Parsons the show had no future, because his Sheldon Cooper is the face of the series.

It's likely that a cancellation would've happened at some point - the show had been running too long, it was in a creative decline, it'd lost viewers in the key 18-49 demo, and it's expensive to make - but Parsons' departure has severely expedited the process, with Season 12 set to wrap things up next year.