Young Sheldon is an American coming-of-age sitcom television series created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro for CBS. The series, set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is a spin-off prequel to The Big Bang Theory and follows main character Sheldon Cooper growing up with his family in East Texas. Iain Armitage stars as young Sheldon, alongside Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, and Annie Potts. Jim Parsons, who portrays the adult Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, narrates the series and is also an executive producer.
Development of the prequel series began in November 2016, from an initial idea that Parsons passed along to The Big Bang Theory producers. The following March, Armitage and Perry were cast, and the series was ordered by CBS. Young Sheldon premiered as a special preview on September 25, 2017, and was picked up for a full season that began airing weekly from November 2, 2017. In March 2021, CBS renewed the series through to a seventh season.
Premise
The series, which begins in the fall of 1989, follows Sheldon Cooper's early life as a child prodigy in the fictional town of Medford, Texas. As he grows up, he tries to fit into a world of people, including his own family and friends, who struggle to cope with his unusual intellectual capabilities and social ineptitude. Many episodes reference historic or pop cultural events from the early 1990s, some of which are unique to the US.
Cast and characters
Main
Iain Armitage as Sheldon Lee Cooper, a child prodigy well-versed in various branches of mathematics and science. He states that he decided to pursue physics around the same time as the show began. While academically gifted, Sheldon lacks a full understanding of social cues, and his superior intellect gives him a sense of superiority over everyone which often leads to him being obnoxious and rude, while being completely oblivious of the effect upon other people, including his family. Nevertheless, Sheldon has proven to love his family. He is Georgie's younger brother and Missy’s fraternal older twin brother. He begins attending high school at age 9 and college full time at age 11. Armitage appears as part of videotaped footage playing the character in The Big Bang Theory through an episode in the final season. Jim Parsons is the voice of adult Sheldon Cooper, who provides the perspective of an adult recalling his childhood.