It wasn’t surprising when news broke that CBS was ending Young Sheldon last year.
Sheldon (Iain Armitage) is growing up and is slowly but surely getting to the age we know he leaves his family behind to follow his dreams.
With the season well underway — and a big death on the horizon — CBS is already plotting an extension of the franchise.
This week, the network went straight-to-series on a sequel featuring Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) as they raise their family in Texas.
The new series marks the fourth in the franchise after The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, and an untitled spinoff at Max.
The series order means the network was confident enough to forego the traditional pilot order.
Georgie and Mandy’s relationship has been a focal point of Young Sheldon
Georgie and Mandy’s relationship has gone from strength to strength over the last couple of seasons as they’ve made some very adult decisions.
The follow-up finds them “navigating the challenges of adulthood, parenting and marriage.”
Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, and Steve Holland — the creative team from The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon — are back to usher in this next chapter in the iconic franchise.
“It has been a privilege to spend the last seven years with Sheldon and the Cooper family and now this wonderful journey will continue with Georgie and Mandy,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement confirming the pickup.
“Chuck and both Steves have done a masterful job developing these characters and entertaining generations of fans with relatable, heartwarming stories brought to life by Montana and Emily.”
“We eagerly look forward to the next chapter in this beloved universe,” the statement concludes.
Could other Young Sheldon cast members appear?
It’s unclear which other cast members from Young Sheldon are on board for the latest chapter, but we should expect sporadic appearances from Armitage as the series progresses.
We know Sheldon’s journey takes him away from his family, so it will be interesting to see how they navigate him not being around to comment on everything happening around them.
Sadly, Lance Barber won’t be back as George Cooper Sr. because we already know that Sheldon, Georgie, and Missy’s father will pass away sometime during the final season.
The storyline was confirmed years ago on The Big Bang Theory, but it will still be difficult to watch for longtime fans.
There will be one major change from Young Sheldon
The sequel series will revert to multi-camera and film in front of a studio audience as the original series did. It will be a departure for fans who never watched The Big Bang Theory.
CBS has been expanding some of its biggest franchises recently. We have a new NCIS spinoff focused on a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs and even a Tony & Ziva reunion series in the works at Paramount+.
Young Sheldon airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on CBS.