The Big Bang Theory quickly became one of the most popular sitcoms of the 21st century so far. Following a group of “nerds,” we saw them as they dealt with their relationships with women, with science, and with one another. One of the show’s more successful characters was so well-liked by fans that he got his own spin-off in the show Young Sheldon.
Sheldon Cooper was one of the highlights of The Big Bang Theory. The super smart string theorist with a eidetic memory while possessing little to no understanding of how to navigate social encounters won people over with his frank nature and also with his own growth over the many seasons of the show. He spoke often about his childhood throughout the show, such as his mother’s religious attitude, his siblings, and his beloved Meemaw. There seemed to be enough background here that a prequel spin off was created following the early years of Sheldon’s life.
The show began in 2017, with its first episode airing as a special preview on CBS on Sept. 25 before the first season got fully underway on Nov. 2. It was renewed through to its seventh season by CBS back in March 2021. Season six began in 2022 and ended on May 18, 2023, and if the next season follows the trend of previous seasons, season seven should also be released around September to October.
You can catch Young Sheldon on its home channel of CBS, or if you’re in the UK on channel E4. You can also catch it streaming on HBO Max, with seasons one to five available currently and season six debuting on Sept. 7, 2022. You can also catch the show on Netflix, but only in the following countries: Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon is played by Jim Parsons, who also has a role as a voice-over to introduce each episode of Young Sheldon, but the young Sheldon Cooper is played by Iain Armitage. Armitage has had roles on a number of shows such as Big Little Lies and has lent his voice to kids’ entertainment such as Scoob! and The Paw Patrol Movie. However, his most prominent role is without a doubt, is his portrayal of young Sheldon.
The show follows the difficulties he faced growing up as a child with an IQ far exceeding that of his peers and even of the majority of adults around him. It also contains many heartwarming elements as his family tries to do their best to accommodate and support him, despite not quite knowing what to do with their genius family member half the time. We also get to see plenty of Meemaw and Sheldon time, which only affirms what we knew of her from older Sheldon, that she is an absolute treasure of a woman.