The Big Bang Theory could end sooner than you think

The series has been renewed for another run (set to air over 2016/2017) but showrunner Steve Molaro has given the first hint that next year's season could be the end of the road for the much-loved sitcom.

Asked by The Hollywood Reporter whether producers are planning series 10 to be The Big Bang Theory's last, Molaro replied, "I think so," before adding: "I can't speak to the future or on behalf of the cast or where we'll be then but it's certainly possible that it could go past that.

"The reality is that maybe season 10 is the ending point. The real answer is I don't know and all I can do right now is go episode to episode and try to make each one the best that we can. There's still so many episodes to go. Even if hypothetically season 10 was the end, I wouldn't be focusing on that yet. That seems like something that would be dealt with way down the line."

Were the series to go out with a Big Bang next year, there's still plenty Molaro wants to do before Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Raj, Penny, Amy and Bernadette bid adieu.

"There are things floating around that we talk about and say, 'Someday, that might happen. There are still a lot of characters out there in this world that we've never met that I'm still excited, over the next season and a half, to get a chance to do something about. We've never met Penny's mom, Leonard's dad, Sheldon's Meemaw or Howard's dad — and that's a big tentpole that's still floating out there."

The Big Bang Theory airs in the UK on Thursdays at 8:30pm on E4