‘7th Heaven’ will end after a decade

“7th Heaven,” the WB family drama that has been running Mondays at 8 p.m. since it launched in 1996, will conclude its run at the end of this television season in May, the network announced Friday.

The series, about a Christian family and the complexities of growing up in contemporary America, stars Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks.

Creator Brenda Hampton said Friday that the Camden family has evolved so much over the years that she could easily write three or four more years of stories for them. But as all shows age they become more expensive, and the WB decided this week “to have the show go out on top, like so many other great TV programs have done in recent years,” said David Janollari, president of entertainment at the WB.

The discussions to conclude the series began this week, Hampton said, adding that “the reality of having been on television for 10 seasons is just hitting us.”

“It’s the first time in 10 years that this weekend I won’t be thinking, ‘Oh, what story comes after that; what are we doing next season?’ ” she said. “While it’s sad to be ending the show, it’s also a feeling of freedom and excitement about what’s next and just gratitude to the network for having kept us on for that long. I don’t know that any other shows will be allowed to go for that long anymore because it’s gotten so expensive. So I guess it’s downright miraculous.”