'Young Sheldon' Premiere Adds to 'Big Bang' Universe
by EG
This week's premiere of The Big Bang Theory spin-off, Young Sheldon, started to flesh out the backstory of one of the series' beloved characters. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Steve Molaro explained his vision for where the show is going. Check it out below.
[This story contains spoilers from the series premiere of CBS' Young Sheldon as well as the season 11 premiere of The Big Bang Theory.]
Present-day Sheldon Cooper is now engaged to longtime girlfriend Amy on CBS' The Big Bang Theory. But in 1989 East Texas, a 9-year-old Sheldon (Iain Armitage) has entered high school, much to the chagrin of nearly his entire family — save for his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry) — on the network's prequel series Young Sheldon.
The spinoff, from exec producers Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro and Emmy winner Jim Parsons — the latter who narrates his alter ego — explores the childhood of Big Bang's favorite genius, including his dynamic with twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord), older brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) as well as father George (Lance Barber).
Monday's series debut included several nods to the flagship — Sheldon's love of trains and Professor Proton (Bob Newhart) — as well as some family drama to come (which we won't spoil here).
Below, showrunner Molaro breaks down the Young Sheldon series premiere and looks to what's next for the series — including Sheldon's love of comics and Meemaw's arrival.
Are you approaching the writing of the show the same way as Big Bang or does its prequel status change things?
Sheldon being a little kid definitely changes things. We need to write for 9-year-old Sheldon a little differently. Where Jim Parsons can get away with more harsh jokes, the younger version of Sheldon is more innocent and optimistic.
What are some of the larger themes you're looking to explore?
While the show centers around Sheldon growing up in East Texas, it’s very much about his family as well. The impact of having an exceptional child is a big part of the show.
There are several nods to the flagship — most notably Sheldon's love of trains and Professor Proton as well as the way he speaks — how did you determine where you started when filling in his backstory?
We knew Sheldon graduated high school at age 11. That was the starting point that lead to the realization that he probably was in high school with his older brother, and how awful that must have been for his brother.
One of the notable things missing here is Sheldon's love of comic books. Why hold that back and when is that coming?
We thought it would be fun to have Sheldon not love comic books yet and get to see how and why he falls in love with them. That happens in episode four.
Read the rest of the interview at The Hollywood Reporter.
What did you think of the premiere of Young Sheldon? Let us know in the comment section below.