NEW YORK — The Camden family is passing into TV history, with the WB network announcing that "7th Heaven" will end after 10 seasons.

"7th Heaven" was quietly the most popular show in the WB's history, even as the relentlessly hip network trained its spotlight elsewhere. Nineteen of the 20 most-watched shows in the WB's history were "7th Heaven" episodes.

Series creator Brenda Hampton said she anticipated this would be the last season, but it was still difficult to break the news to the cast and crew.

"At this point, we're all very much a family," she said. "However, just like the Camden kids, I think we've all grown up and it's simply time to leave home."

No one gave a reason for the cancellation, but production costs tend to increase as shows get older and salaries rise. Contracts for most of the people involved in "7th Heaven" reportedly run out at the end of the season.

The show also proclaims itself the longest-running family drama in TV history, with this final season enabling it to pass "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie" in longevity. This season, "7th Heaven" stands as the WB's most popular series after "Gilmore Girls," with an average of 5.1 million viewers a week.

The WB hasn't announced a date for the finale; the ratings "sweeps" month of May is most likely.