This is the sad reason why Big Little Lies will not return for a third season

Say it isn’t so!

When Big Little Lies first came to our screens, it was clear from the get-go that the Sky Atlantic adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s bestselling book and its female-led cast were going to be a smash hit.

The second series, released this summer, has only raised the game, progressing the story of the ‘Monterey Five’ and bringing Meryl Streep into the already-iconic girl gang of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz.

From court cases and Nicole-Meryl slaps to terrifying Alexander Skarsgard flashback scenes, this series has been non-stop drama. It’s hardly surprising therefore that fans are already calling for confirmation of a third season, something that unfortunately it has been announced is unlikely to happen.

But it’s not down to a lack of demand, instead the opposite, with HBO President Casey Bloys revealing that making a filming schedule work around six of the busiest actresses in the world would be impossible.

‘The reality is, they are some of the busiest actresses working in Hollywood. I just think it's not realistic,’ he explained to TV Line. ‘I love this group of people - I would do anything with them.’

He continued: ‘We have deals with some of them -- Nicole is doing her next show with us. Look, if they all came to me and said, “We worked out all of our schedules!” - then sure. But I just don't think it's realistic.’

Tell us there’s still hope!

Big Little Lies series two airs its final episode on Sky Atlantic on June 22 - see you there.