Will Sheldon Ever Find Love on The Big Bang Theory?

Show runners for the CBS hit reveal that our nerdy hero might not be getting any action...ever

Bad news for Big Bang Theory fanatics who have been rooting for a Sheldon-Penny pairing. Not only is that pairing off the table, but a love life for Sheldon—period—seems pretty well dead, too.

Bang executive producers Bill Prady, Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn talked about their show at the Television Critics Association winter press tour this morning, and they all but crushed fangirl dreams of a romantic future for Jim Parsons' character Sheldon.

So why is Sheldon stayin' single for the time being and perhaps forever? Here's what we learned:

When asked whether the fan contingent that wants Sheldon to be with Penny was totally operating from fandom left-field and if that concerned producers, Chuck Lorre quipped, "It should concern the fans." (We're not sure, but we think that's a gentle diss of the Peldon fans.)

Lorre then went on to explain himself further, saying that, "[Sheldon] has chosen not to play in the relationship game. Either way. [What Sheldon says is,] 'Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, whatever, this is not for me. I'm a scientist. All I'm interested in is science and what George Lucas does.' The character has chosen a lifestyle for himself that is unique." Fellow exec producer Aronsohn commented, "That Sheldon engages other humans" at all is the accomplishment.

So does that mean it's a rule of the series that Sheldon will never have a romance? According to cocreator Prady, "There are no real rules, but I agree with Chuck [Lorre]. [Sheldon's] kind of made this choice that work and all of that, that's what he's doing, and that's where he finds his passion."