The Big Bang Theory could have continued with a 13th season but the cast never got an offer for it.
Jim Parsons’ tenure as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory has been his career-defining one which made him a household name. From 2007 to 2019, the show successfully ran for 12 seasons and continues to make audiences laugh to this day. In addition to Parsons, the energetic cast including Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, and Mayim Bialik added to the fun and amusing nature of the show.
A still from The Big Bang Theory | CBS
A show running for 12 seasons is a rare feat and The Big Bang Theory managed to sustain audience viewership and consistency throughout its 12-year run. While a potential 13th season never happened, with CBS instead opting to do Young Sheldon, Parsons and the cast were not against returning to continue the main show.
Jim Parsons And The Big Bang Theory Cast Did Not Get The Offer For Season 13
The cast of The Big Bang Theory would have jumped at the chance to do a 13th season | CBS
The Big Bang Theory is certainly up there among the echelons of the best sitcoms ever made. The show. Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper), Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard), and Mayim Bialik (Amy) entertained audiences with their funny dynamics and antics in the show.
The hit sitcom ran for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019 with Parsons and Bialik recently reprising their roles for the finale of Young Sheldon. After the show ended, people have wondered about whether CBS ever planned to continue the show with a 13th season (which did not end up happening). Parsons talked about this aspect in a 2020 interview.
In an appearance on the HFPA In Conversationpodcast, the actor revealed that CBS would have reportedly done another season if the cast agreed to do it. However, the cast never got an offer to return and there were no disputes about money or their contracts. Parsons said,
I believe fully they would have done more seasons of Big Bang if we had agreed to as a group. The fact was we really never got an offer. So there was never a moment that I actually said no to an amount of money or a contract. There was nothing.
The actor further admitted that he is happy with how the series ended and does not get the ‘jolt’ of playing the character anymore. It was fun for him while it lasted and Parsons knows that extending the show unnecessarily would ruin the incredible legacy that it created.
Bringing Back Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik In Young Sheldon Was Always The Plan
Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik return as Sheldon and Amy in the finale of Young Sheldon | CBS
After the end of The Big Bang Theory, the character of Sheldon Cooper was brought back with the prequel series Young Sheldon with Iain Armitage playing the younger version of Jim Parsons‘ character. Parsons serves as the narrator of the whole series till the end and he reprises his role in the show’s finale along with Mayim Bialik‘s Amy.
In an interview with Deadline, the executive producer of Young Sheldon, Steve Holland, stated that it was always the plan to bring back the two actors as it felt like a natural progression of the show. While they were ecstatic about the two actors returning, they also had to balance the narrative so that the adult Sheldon did not unnecessarily dominate the last episode. Holland said,
I think in the back of our minds, it was always the thing we wanted. Certainly, Jim, because he’d been narrating the whole thing. As we got to the finale, I think Chuck Lorre had pitched the idea of bringing back Mayim and Jim, which was really exciting and so much fun. But then it was like a balancing act for us. We wanted to make sure that we honored this cast and not let adult Sheldon and Amy dominate the last episode.
Audiences loved seeing Parsons and Bialik back in their iconic roles. Bringing back the two actors was such a classy move, bringing the whole narrative full circle and ending Sheldon’s narrative on a big high.
Fans can watch both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon on Max.
