ICYMI: The week in TV for May 12-18, 2019

By Jessica Wedemeyer 6:16am PDT, May 17, 2019

"The Big Bang Theory" ends after 12 years on CBS, hit sitcom's stars react

"The Big Bang Theory" came to an end on May 16 after 12 seasons on CBS. The two-episode finale kicked off with Sheldon and Amy learning that they'd won the Nobel Prize in Physics — but the big win isn't everything Sheldon thought it would be. As he struggles to avoid the onslaught of public attention brought about by the honor, he's faced with a series of major changes (Amy gets a makeover and the elevator finally works) that quickly push him over the edge, leading to increasingly selfish behavior on his part. On the second half of the finale, as the gang heads to Stockholm for the Nobel Prize ceremony, Penny and Leonard reveal that they're expecting. After spending most of the episode acting "like a selfish jerk" — as Leonard calls him when he fails to react positively to the pregnancy news — Sheldon finally abandons his "very long and somewhat self-centered" acceptance speech in favor of a short, heartfelt thank you to his friends. The episode — which also featured a very fun pop culture celebrity cameo — concludes with the whole gang eating delivery Chinese food back at the apartment. Later, the stars of the hit sitcom appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," where they dished on their favorite "TBBT" guest stars and revealed that Johnny Galecki is the only member of the cast who hooked up in his dressing room.

Why Jim Parsons walked away from "The Big Bang Theory"

During a May 1 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jim Parsons revealed why he chose to walk away from "The Big Bang Theory" after 12 seasons, effectively ending any conversations CBS was having about bringing back the incredibly lucrative sitcom for Season 13: "It was the first time in my life of doing this show that it occurred to me that I might want to not do another contract after [Season] 12 was up," he said. "I don't know if it's because I'm an Aries or just because maybe I'm in touch with myself. Whatever it is, once I had that thought, I was like, 'Well, that's your answer.' … There was no factor; there was no situation that I was like, 'Well, I've had enough of that.' … It was just… when you know, you know. … [You get] to a certain age and your life changes and suddenly you just think different." The actor added that learning his lines and portraying his onscreen alter ego, Sheldon Cooper, has become "more difficult for [me] in a way" because he's changed so much over the years.

Peggy Lipton dies at 72

Peggy Lipton's daughters, Rashida Jones and Kidada Jones, released a statement to the Los Angeles Times on May 11 announcing that the former "Mod Squad" star recently died of cancer at age 72. "She made her journey peacefully with her daughters and nieces by her side," they said. "We feel so lucky for every moment we spent with her. … We can't put all of our feelings into words right now, but we will say: Peggy was and will always be our beacon of light, both in this world and beyond. She will always be a part of us." The singer-actress and ex-wife of Quincy Jones revealed in 2005 that she'd been diagnosed with colon cancer the previous year.

RELATED: Stars who died in 2019

CBS boss defends bringing back "Bull" for Season 4

During a May 15 press conference, CBS exec Kelly Kahl defended the network's decision to renew "Bull" for a fourth season in spite of Eliza Dushku's allegations that star Michael Weatherly sexually harassed her during her time on the show. (She reached a $9.5 million settlement with CBS over the matter.) "Michael made a mistake," Kahl said, according to TVLine. "He owned that mistake. … He was apologetic at the time; he was remorseful. … [He was willing to] take whatever coaching or training necessary to create a positive environment on set. He took everything very seriously and wanted to move forward. … When we looked at the totality of the situation, we felt comfortable bringing it back on the air."

Lena Headey reacts to "Game of Thrones" King's Landing battle

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly that hit the Internet on May 12, Lena Headey reflected on the penultimate episode of "Game of Thrones," describing her initial reaction as "mixed" because she wanted her onscreen alter ego, Cersei Lannister, "to have some big piece or fight with somebody." Ultimately, though, she realized that Cersei's death along with her twin brother and lover, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Jaime, "seemed like the perfect end for her." Said the actress, "They came into the world together and now they leave together. … I think the important thing is that Jaime had a chance at freedom and finally liberated himself from Cersei. … [But] the biggest surprise is he came back for her. Cersei realizes just how she loves him and just how much he loves her. It's the most authentic connection she's ever had. Ultimately they belong together. … It's maybe the first time that Cersei has been at peace." As for her co-star, Lena said that she's never seen Nikolaj "so sweet and sentimental" before. "We kept cuddling going, 'I love you.' It was weird," she said. "There's a sense of loss that nothing like this will ever happen again. There was a great sense of grief and an enormous amount of gratitude going on." Aside from that, she described her last day on set as "walking up and down the stairs 20,000 times" and "a lot of crying."

Joe Mantegna pens emotional goodbye letter to "Criminal Minds"

Joe Mantegna took to Twitter on May 13 to share a lengthy goodbye to the fans of "Criminal Minds," on which he's starred as David Rossi since 2007. "As I wrap up my last day filming 'Criminal Minds,' I can't help but reflect in awe at what a truly wonderful experience it has been," he wrote. "Yes, I will miss playing David Rossi, and I'll miss the wonderful writing that brought him to life, but mostly I will miss seeing my fellow cast mates and our fantastic crew every day. It may seem a cliché to say we're like family, but it's so very true. In 15 seasons we've all grown a little older, hopefully a little wiser too. We laughed together, we cried together, and like a family we gained and lost members along the way. Some got married, some got divorced, some had children, some had more than one! Some of our family went on to other shows and jobs, and sadly, some we lost too soon to the heavens." He went on to express his pride in the show and asked his fans to join him on his next adventure. "In the end we owe it all of you, the fans. For being the most loyal, tolerant, and passionate fans we could have ever asked for. Thank for being there," he concluded.

"Madam Secretary" to end on CBS with 10-episode sixth season

CBS announced on May 15 that "Madam Secretary" will end with its upcoming 10-episde sixth season, which will air in the fall. Tea Leoni has starred as the titular politician since 2014.

Paul Teutul Sr.'s "American Chopper" reportedly on the chopping block

Page Six reported on May 14 that, according to a source, Discovery is canceling "American Chopper," which has yet to secure a renewal, and star Paul Teutul Sr. is moving to Delray Beach, Florida, where he plans to relaunch his YouTube channel. Another insider, however, said that "nothing is set in stone" with the reality show, which has been resurrected several times over the years. Meanwhile, a rep for the Orange County Choppers founder, who filed for bankruptcy in 2018, told the gossip column that the show hasn't been canceled, that Paul isn't moving to Florida, that his YouTube channel isn't relaunching but simply rebranding its name and that Orange County Choppers is "thriving."

Chris Harrison, Mike Fleiss respond to Kelly Ripa's "The Bachelorette" critique

"The Bachelor" franchise host Chris Harrison and creator Mike Fleiss quickly clapped back after Kelly Ripa said that the reality show "disgusts" her — characterizing it as "gross" and "creepy" — on the May 14 episode of "Live! With Kelly and Ryan." Tweeted Chris, "Look out #BachelorNation @KellyRipa is coming after you and your 'disgusting' Monday night habit." Tweeted the Bachelor Nation super-producer, "Easy, @KellyRipa … #TheBachelor franchise pays your salary!" (Both "The Bachelor" and "Live" air on ABC.) On May 15, another top ABC talent — "Grey's Anatomy" actress-producer Ellen Pompeo — took to Twitter to slam Fleiss and support Ripa, writing in part, "Your show does NOT pay #KellyRipa salary. Also we don't attack successful women on our network and men certainly cannot take credit for their success."