CBS announces The Big Bang Theory one-hour series finale airdate

This one’s going to be tough: The final episode of The Big Bang Theory will air May 16.

CBS is giving the comedy a full hour to say goodbye to its fans after 12 seasons. The producers have yet to hint about how they’ll end the No. 1 sitcom on broadcast TV, though star Kaley Cuoco (Penny) and Jim Parsons (Sheldon) told EW in January that they seem to feel the same way most fans do — fix the dang elevator. “That’s one of my wishes for the final episode,” says Parsons. “The elevator gets fixed, at least for a minute, and then we all get stuck in it.”

“It would be a great show ending for me!” adds Cuoco.

Johnny Galecki (Leonard) just hopes the final episode includes lots of emotional moments, because “none of us are going to be able to keep from crying during the last taping. We’ve got to justify it in the writing somehow.”

CBS also announced the finale dates for the rest of its shows:

Monday, April 1: Magnum PI, 9-10 p.m. ET
Thursday, April 11: FAM, 9:30-10 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 14: God Friended Me, 8-9 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 21: Madam Secretary, 10-11 p.m. ET
Monday, April 22: The Neighborhood, 8-8:30 p.m. ET
Monday, May 6: Man with a Plan, 8:30-9 p.m. ET
Thursday, May 9: Mom, 9-9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, May 10: MacGyver, 8-9 p.m. ET and Blue Bloods, 10-11 p.m. ET
Monday, May 13: Bull, 10-11 p.m. ET
Tuesday, May 14: FBI, 9-10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, May 15: Survivor, 8-10 p.m. ET and Survivor Live Reunion Show, 10-11 p.m. ET
Thursday, May 16: TBBT, 8-9 p.m. ET; Young Sheldon, 9-9:30 p.m. ET; S.W.A.T., 10-11 p.m. ET
Friday, May 17: Hawaii Five-0, 10-11 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 19, NCIS: LA, 10-11 p.m. ET
Tuesday, May 21: NCIS, 8-9 p.m. ET and NCIS: New Orleans, 10-11 p.m. ET
Wednesday, May 22: Seal Team, 10-11 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 1: Ransom, 8-9 p.m. ET

Related content:

• The Big Bang Theory: the A to Z of the sitcom
• Jim Parsons explains why he was ready to leave TBBT
• The TBBT actors have a blast in EW’s exclusive portraits