Young Sheldon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Young Sheldon |
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| Genre | Coming-of-age sitcom |
| Created by |
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| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Steve Burns |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 141 (list of episodes) |
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| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Timothy Marx |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 18–21 minutes |
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| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 25, 2017 – May 16, 2024 |
| Chronology | |
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Young Sheldon is a fun American sitcom television series. It was created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro. The show aired on CBS from September 25, 2017, to May 16, 2024. This series is a spin-off and prequel to another popular show, The Big Bang Theory.
Young Sheldon tells the story of child prodigy Sheldon Cooper as he grew up. The show is set in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It follows Sheldon and his family in East Texas. Iain Armitage plays young Sheldon. Other main actors include Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, and Annie Potts. Jim Parsons, who played the adult Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, narrated the series. He also helped produce the show.
The idea for the series came from Jim Parsons in November 2016. CBS officially ordered the show in March 2017. Young Sheldon first aired as a special preview on September 25, 2017. It then began airing weekly on November 2, 2017. CBS announced in November 2023 that the series would end after its seventh season. The final episode, which was an hour long, aired on May 16, 2024. Many critics gave the series good reviews.
In January 2024, news came out about a new spin-off show. This new series focuses on Georgie Cooper and Mandy McAllister. CBS officially approved the show, called Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, in March 2024. Its first episode was broadcast on October 17, 2024.
Contents
Sheldon's Early Life Story
Sheldon's High School Years (1989–1991)
The story of Young Sheldon begins in the fall of 1989. Nine-year-old Sheldon Cooper starts high school in Medford, East Texas. Sheldon is a child prodigy with a very smart mind. He often found it hard to fit in with others socially. However, he was always excellent at his schoolwork.
His family life is a big part of these early years. His mother, Mary, is very religious. Sheldon, with his scientific way of thinking, sometimes had different ideas. His father, George Sr., tried his best to understand his smart son. Sheldon's twin sister, Missy, often had typical sibling arguments with him. But they also shared a close bond. His older brother, Georgie, sometimes felt less important because Sheldon got a lot of attention.
During these seasons, Sheldon began taking college physics classes. He audited them with Dr. John Sturgis at East Texas Tech. His grandmother, Constance, also known as Connie or "Meemaw," was a big supporter. She even started a friendship with Dr. Sturgis. The Cooper family faced challenges, like managing their money. George Sr. also had a busy schedule as a football coach. Sheldon's social life grew through his friendship with Tam Nguyen. Tam was a classmate who introduced him to comic books and games. The show also introduced Paige Swanson, another very smart kid. She was both a friend and a friendly rival to Sheldon.
College Life and Family Changes (1991–1993)
Sheldon finished high school at age eleven as the top student. In the fall of 1991, he started college full-time at East Texas Tech. These seasons explored more about the family and how characters grew. Dr. Sturgis went through a difficult time. This affected his friendship with Meemaw and Sheldon's studies for a bit. George Sr. felt more pressure as the head football coach. He also had disagreements with Mary.
Georgie started to grow up more as a teenager. He struggled with school and eventually left high school at seventeen. He began working full-time. This decision caused some family arguments. But it also showed his natural talent for selling things. Missy dealt with normal teenage challenges. She remained a strong emotional support for Sheldon. Sheldon's college experience brought new situations. He met students and teachers who didn't always understand his unique personality. During this time, Georgie met Mandy McAllister. They became close friends and later started a family.
Big Changes and New Beginnings (1993–1994)
The final seasons showed big life changes for the Cooper family. Georgie and Mandy's friendship became very important. Mandy became pregnant with their child. The couple later got married. Mandy gave birth to their daughter, Constance, in early 1993. They nicknamed her "CeeCee" after Meemaw. This event made Georgie and the family face new adult responsibilities.
George Sr.'s health became a worry in the seventh season. The family also dealt with other stressful events. A tornado, for example, made extended family members live together temporarily. George Sr. received an offer for a great coaching job at Rice University. This would have meant the family moving to Houston. However, before he could accept, George Sr. sadly passed away from a heart attack. This happened while he was at work in season seven, episode twelve. The family was waiting for him to come home for a family photo. Mary, Meemaw, and the children had to cope with this sudden loss.
The series ended with Sheldon's academic success. He was accepted into graduate studies at the California Institute of Technology. At age fourteen, he made the hard choice to leave his family in Texas. He moved to California to follow his scientific dreams. The final episode showed adult Sheldon writing his childhood story. He thought back on his past. His wife, Amy, also appeared. There were hints about their children. This brought a nice ending to Sheldon's growing-up years. It also connected to his future life shown in The Big Bang Theory.
Meet the Characters
Main Characters
- Iain Armitage as Sheldon Lee Cooper. Sheldon is a child prodigy who is very good at math and science. He decided to study physics around the time the show starts. Sheldon is very smart but sometimes doesn't understand social rules. He often acts like he knows more than everyone else. Still, Sheldon truly loves his family. He is Georgie's younger brother and Missy's twin brother. He started high school at nine and college at eleven. He earned his degree and moved to California at age fourteen in the last episode. There, he began his advanced studies at Caltech. Iain Armitage also appeared in The Big Bang Theory through old video footage.
- Jim Parsons is the voice of the adult Sheldon Cooper. He tells the story, looking back at his childhood.
- Jim Parsons also appeared as adult Sheldon in the series finale. He was shown writing his life story. Years after The Big Bang Theory ended, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Amy Farrah Fowler, and their two children.
- Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper (née Tucker). Mary is the mother of Sheldon, Missy, and Georgie. She is very protective of her children. She is a devoted member of her church. Sometimes her religious beliefs are different from Sheldon's scientific ideas. But she loves her son deeply and wants to keep him safe. Zoe Perry's real-life mother, Laurie Metcalf, played Mary in The Big Bang Theory.
- Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr.. He is the father of Sheldon, Missy, and Georgie. George Sr. was a Vietnam veteran and the head football coach at Medford High. He didn't share Sheldon's high intelligence. This sometimes made others wonder if Sheldon was really his son. He often had disagreements with his children. He especially found it hard to understand Sheldon. But he always tried to be a caring father. In the final episodes, he was offered a great coaching job. But he sadly passed away from a heart attack soon after. Lance Barber also appeared in an episode of The Big Bang Theory as a different character.
- Montana Jordan as George Marshall "Georgie" Cooper Jr.. Georgie is the older brother of Sheldon and Missy. He sometimes felt annoyed by all the attention Sheldon received. He didn't do well in school. He often got teased by his family, especially Sheldon and Meemaw. He and Sheldon didn't always get along. He was tired of being compared to his smart brother. Georgie played on the football team at Medford High. At age seventeen, he left school to work full-time. He discovered he was very good at sales. This talent later made him a rich owner of a tire store chain. Jerry O'Connell played adult Georgie in The Big Bang Theory. In season 5, he met Mandy McAllister. They later had a baby together and got married. Georgie started to act more grown-up and responsible.
- Raegan Revord as Melissa "Missy" Cooper. Missy is Georgie's younger sister and Sheldon's twin sister. She sometimes teased Sheldon, but not as much as Georgie. She isn't as smart as Sheldon, but she is very good at understanding people's feelings. Missy sometimes felt ignored because her mother focused a lot on Sheldon. She and Sheldon didn't always get along. But she found her twin brother to be a good friend to talk to. She even said she didn't feel complete without him. She also showed love for her brother, even if she denied it. Missy was popular at school and had many friends. She found a talent for baseball in Season 3. Courtney Henggeler played adult Missy in The Big Bang Theory.
- Annie Potts as Constance "Connie" Tucker. She is Sheldon, Missy, and Georgie's grandmother. They call her "Meemaw." She is a fun person who can be sarcastic. She often teased those around her, especially her son-in-law, George. But she was patient with Sheldon. She sometimes found it hard to understand him. She lovingly called him "Moonpie." She also told Mary to trust Sheldon to find his own way. June Squibb played older Connie in The Big Bang Theory.
- Matt Hobby as Pastor Jeff Difford (seasons 3–7; recurring seasons 1–2). He is the friendly pastor at the Cooper family's church. Like Mary, he sometimes had different ideas from Sheldon's non-religious views. He often encouraged Sheldon to think about faith using logic.
- Wyatt McClure as William "Billy" Sparks (seasons 5–7; recurring seasons 1–4). Billy is the son of the Cooper family's neighbors, Herschel and Brenda Sparks. In the first episode, he seemed to be Sheldon's rival. But he became much friendlier later in the series. He had a crush on Missy.
- Emily Osment as Amanda "Mandy" Elizabeth McAllister (seasons 6–7; recurring season 5). Mandy was a weather forecaster. She and Georgie had a daughter named Constance, nicknamed "CeeCee." They later got married.
Other Important Characters
- Wallace Shawn as Dr. John Sturgis. He is a college physics professor. Sheldon took his first college class with him. He and Meemaw were friends, encouraged by Sheldon. He had a difficult time and needed some rest. After that, he worked at a grocery store for a while before returning to the university. Sheldon said Dr. Sturgis was the only adult who truly understood him.
- Ryan Phuong as Tam Nguyen (seasons 1–4, 7). Tam was Sheldon's best friend in childhood and a classmate. Tam introduced Sheldon to many fun things outside of science. These included comic books and role-playing games. Robert Wu played adult Tam in The Big Bang Theory.
- Melissa Peterman as Brenda Sparks. She is Billy's mother. She was Mary's rival at first but later became her friend. Brenda worked at the bowling alley that Meemaw often visited.
- Doc Farrow as Assistant Coach Wayne Wilkins. He was Sheldon's P.E. teacher. He later became the head football coach at Medford High.
- Mckenna Grace as Paige Swanson (seasons 2–6). Paige is another child prodigy. She was a friend to Sheldon, but Sheldon also saw her as a rival. He showed kindness to her when she talked about her difficult home life.
- Craig T. Nelson as Dale Ballard (seasons 3–7). Dale was Missy's baseball coach. He became Meemaw's new friend after Dr. Sturgis. He owned a sports store and hired Georgie and George to work there.
- Reba McEntire as June (seasons 3–5, 7). June was Dale's former wife. She was a local hairdresser and became friends with Meemaw.
- Dan Byrd as Pastor Rob (seasons 5–6). He was a young pastor hired by Pastor Jeff. He and Mary seemed to get along well, which made George feel uneasy.
- Rachel Bay Jones as Audrey McAllister (seasons 6–7). She is Mandy's mother.
- Will Sasso as Jim McAllister (seasons 6–7). He is Mandy's father. He owns an auto service shop that Georgie later takes over.
How the Show Was Made
Creating the Series
In November 2016, there were talks about making a spin-off show. This new show would focus on Sheldon Cooper as a young boy. The idea came from Jim Parsons, who played adult Sheldon. The show was planned to be a family comedy. It would be produced by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro.
On March 13, 2017, CBS officially ordered the Young Sheldon series. Jon Favreau directed the first episode. Jim Parsons, Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, and Todd Spiewak were executive producers. On September 27, 2017, CBS ordered a full season of 22 episodes. The show was renewed for a second season on January 6, 2018.
CBS renewed the series for a third and fourth season on February 22, 2019. Production for the third season stopped early in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This left the season with 21 episodes. Production for the fourth season began in September 2020. It finished in March 2021.
On March 30, 2021, CBS renewed the series for a fifth, sixth, and seventh season. The seventh and final season premiered on February 15, 2024. It finished filming on April 16, 2024. The series finale aired on May 16, 2024.
Who Plays Whom?
In March 2017, Iain Armitage was chosen to play young Sheldon. Zoe Perry was cast as his mother, Mary Cooper. Zoe Perry is the real-life daughter of Laurie Metcalf, who played Mary in The Big Bang Theory. Lance Barber played George Cooper Sr., Sheldon's father. Raegan Revord was cast as Missy Cooper, Sheldon's twin sister. Montana Jordan played George Cooper Jr., Sheldon's older brother.
Jim Parsons narrated the series as adult Sheldon Cooper. In July 2017, Annie Potts was cast as Meemaw, Sheldon's grandmother. In March 2024, it was announced that Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik would appear in the series finale. They reprised their roles as adult Sheldon and Amy from The Big Bang Theory.
Connecting to The Big Bang Theory
Jim Parsons provided the voiceover for Young Sheldon. In the Season 4 episode "Graduation," Mayim Bialik (as Amy, adult Sheldon's wife) had a brief voice-over role. She and Sheldon talked about their son, Leonard. He was named after Leonard Hofstadter and Leonard Nimoy. Amy and Sheldon made their only on-camera appearances together in the series finale. They were in their home office in a future year.
Bob Newhart appeared as Professor Proton in both series. This character was made to look younger in Young Sheldon. Iain Armitage, Lance Barber, and Montana Jordan made guest appearances in The Big Bang Theory. They were seen in a scene playing an old VHS tape. Other actors appeared in both shows but as different characters. This included Lance Barber and Kaley Cuoco, who voiced pool water in Young Sheldon. Elon Musk also made cameo appearances as himself in both series.
The second-season finale of Young Sheldon aired right after The Big Bang Theory's final episode. The Young Sheldon episode included many references to the parent series. In one scene, young Sheldon promised his father he would mention him in his Nobel Prize speech. In The Big Bang Theory finale, adult Sheldon did mention his father in his speech. Another scene showed Nobel Prize winners being announced. This was shown over a montage of the main characters from The Big Bang Theory as children.
The Show's Opening
The show's opening sequence features Steve Burns' song "Mighty Little Man." In the first two seasons, the background showed mountains and a desert. Sheldon, often in a bow tie and cowboy boots, walked out. He stood proudly, noticed a cow, and backed away. Then he resumed his proud look as the logo appeared. Sometimes, a tumbleweed appeared instead of the cow.
From Season 3 onwards, the title sequence changed. It included the entire Cooper family. Sheldon also appeared in different costumes, like Albert Einstein or an astronaut. Season 5 featured a black bull instead of a cow. In Season 7, the sequence was slightly changed to include Mandy and Constance (CeeCee). Georgie now shoos the bull away instead of the family backing away.
Where to Watch Young Sheldon
TV Broadcasts
Young Sheldon began airing weekly on CBS on November 2, 2017. It followed The Big Bang Theory. It first premiered as a special preview on September 25, 2017. The one-hour series finale aired on May 16, 2024.
Reruns of Young Sheldon aired on Nick at Nite from 2020 until 2022. They also aired on CMT from 2023 until 2024. On September 27, 2021, the series began airing in local markets across the United States. The series also started airing on TBS on September 27, 2021.
In the United Kingdom, Young Sheldon aired on the free-to-air channel E4. Season 1 premiered on February 22, 2018. Season 7 premiered on July 21, 2024. The series also aired in Israel on Yes Comedy and in Southeast Asia on Warner TV Asia.
Streaming Online
In May 2020, it was announced that the first three seasons would stream on HBO Max. These seasons were added on September 2, 2020. The sixth season was added in September 2023.
In October and November 2021, Netflix in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom picked up the streaming rights. The first four seasons of Young Sheldon were added to Netflix in the United States on November 24, 2023. The series was also added to Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand, with all seasons available.
Home Media Releases
The first season of Young Sheldon was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 4, 2018. The second season was released on September 3, 2019. The third season came out on September 1, 2020. The fourth season was released on September 7, 2021. The fifth season was released on September 6, 2022. The sixth season was released on DVD on September 5, 2023.
The seventh and final season was released on DVD on September 24, 2024. A complete series set was also released on that day. Individual Blu-ray sets for the sixth and seventh seasons were also released on September 24, 2024.
Music in the Show
The first and last scenes of the series featured the song "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits. The show often used popular Country, Rock, and Pop songs from the 1980s and early 1990s. Sometimes, even older songs were included.
More Stories from the Cooper Family
In January 2024, news came out about a spin-off series from Young Sheldon. This new show focuses on Georgie Cooper (played by Montana Jordan) and Mandy McAllister (played by Emily Osment). It is called Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. On March 5, 2024, CBS officially ordered the series. The first episode premiered on October 17, 2024.
Images for kids
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The official title card for Young Sheldon.
See also
In Spanish: El joven Sheldon para niños
