'The Big Bang Theory' Season 10: Will It Be Finale for Hit CBS Geeky Sitcom?

It's been 10 years since the first time we met now iconic characters like Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter and Penny, and in that time, The Big Bang Theory has turned into an icon in the same geek culture it thrives in. Now, as Season 10 approaches, the question remains: after this one, will the highest-paid actors on television return for another round of the CBS sitcom?

According to Digital Spy, Kunal Nayyar recently said the end of the show could be near. Noting it was "very rare" for a network sitcom to last this long right now, he says they all realized that, while the cast and crew felt "lucky" to be part of this, this "could be the end," though he wasn't part of the team that made that kind of decision.

He might be indirectly involved, however, as Deadline recently reported that the cast is currently going through new contract talks. Of course, this means the cast will ask salary increases, which is pretty impressive: already the show's three main stars, namely Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, are considered the highest-paid actors on television, making $1 million per episode.

So far, it seems the entire cast would like to continue working on the show instead of focusing on other projects, but it remains unclear how much higher CBS is willing to go when it comes to salary terms.

Also, the stories have seemed to wrap up in the last few seasons. Arguably the main conflict of the show, which was Penny's indecision regarding her relationship with Leonard, has been resolved for a while: The two characters are now living together and happily married. Even man-child Sheldon has taken huge steps when it comes to his own life, going deeper in his relationship with Amy (Mayim Bialik).

The other main couple in the show, Howard and Bernadette (Simon Helberg and Melissa Rauch), has been married for a couple of seasons, and by the end of the past season they were expecting a child together. It's only Rajesh who hasn't gotten his life "straight" at this point, currently between two ladies.

It doesn't seem like the show could really go on for much longer without compromising its premise: these aren't the "left out" nerdy characters anymore.

The cast and crew of TBBT will begin shooting Season 10 in August, returning to CBS next fall.