As you know, The Big Bang Theory ended in Season 12 - and it was argued that the famous sitcom had already run its course.

But if Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, who played the show's two main characters, Penny and Leonard, had their way, the show would have gotten another season.

In fact, they were not the only ones who wanted Season 13.

CBS executives did not want to give up on their ratings giant of a series so easily, and were considering greenlighting at least one more season.

Most of the cast, including Cuoco and Galecki, expected Season 13 to happen. They were surprised when series co-creator Chuck Lorre called the show's core cast into a meeting and dropped the news that Season 12 was the last.

But if both the studio and the stars wanted The Big Bang Theory to continue, why did it end?

Well, actually, not all of the stars wanted to continue. Jim Parsons, who played Sheldon and was as important to the cast as Cuoco and Galecki, grew tired of the show, despite being one of the highest paid TV actors at the time, and wanted out. He was adamant about his decision. And Chuck Lorre, in turn, decided that the show could not continue without its full cast.

Sheldon was one of the show's central characters, and with his departure, Amy would have had to go as well, since the characters were married, and it would have made little sense for Sheldon to suddenly leave Pasadena, given his strong attachment to his friends and his aversion to change.

Other actors were surprised to say the least upon hear the news. As Cuoco described the scene to Variety:

"Jim said, 'I don't think I can continue on.' And I was so shocked that I was literally like, 'Continue on with what?' Like, I didn't even know what he was talking about. I looked at Chuck: 'Wow. I thought we were — I'm so blown away right now."

But in the end, ending the series on Season 12 worked out well for everyone involved. Kaley Cuoco, in particular, later called the ending of The Big Bang Theory a blessing.

And as we have covered before, there is a strong argument that by Season 12 the series' premise and overarching story were already past their expiration date, resulting in controversial plot twists.