There are several reasons that CBS ended Young Sheldon after season 7 despite its continued popularity. Sheldon said goodbye with a two-episode season finale that aired on May 16th, 2024. The second episode, Memoir, cut back and forth between Sheldon in the timeline of Young Sheldon, and the narrator Sheldon in the future – effectively ending any possibility of a revival for another season. This may come as a shock, considering that Young Sheldon remains a massive ratings-hit on CBS, even becoming its number-one comedy for the 2022-2023 season, but its potential ending has long been being discussed.
When The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, it was also still very popular. CBS wanted to order at least one more season of the show, but Jim Parsons’ decision to exit the series as Sheldon Cooper after season 12 basically forced the rest of the cast to wrap up the series. Things are different for Young Sheldon, however, since the main cast has been vocal about wanting to continue doing the spin-off. That being said, several elements are not within their control, and that ultimately spelled the end of the family comedy even though it is at the peak of its popularity.
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9 TBBT’s Canon Forces Young Sheldon To End
Sheldon only has one year left in college when he returns from Germany.
The primary driving force behind Young Sheldon‘s season 7 ending is The Big Bang Theory‘s established canon. Because of its prequel nature, the spin-off has a pre-determined end the moment it premiered in 2017. Sadly, the final season was already approaching that point in the timeline. Deviating from the narrative schedule is far too big of a plot hole to ignore. According to The Big Bang Theory lore, Sheldon only has one year left in college when he returns from Germany in Young Sheldon season 7.
After that, he moves to Pasadena to begin his post-grad studies at Caltech. That left the offshoot just enough time to send him off. The fact that Sheldon was leaving the series to go to Germany, and then to Caltech, there was no longer a story to tell when it came to this specific character. When Sheldon’s story ends, this series ends, but that does not mean the end for the Young Sheldon universe.
8 Young Sheldon Has Outgrown Its Original Story
It has increased its focus on the rest of the Coopers.
The idea for Young Sheldon came from CBS’ attempt to further capitalize on the popularity of The Big Bang Theory, and there was no better way to do that than by awarding its most recognizable character his own show. Sheldon’s penchant for sharing anecdotes about his childhood in The Big Bang Theory became the launching pad for the narrative, resulting in a prequel that is set in Texas.
In the last couple of years, however, Young Sheldon has clearly outgrown its premise. Instead of Sheldon being the focal point of the series, it has diversified its storytelling and increased its focus on the rest of the Coopers. The end of Sheldon’s story, though, does not mean the end of the Cooper family’s story. While there were complaints about the network canceling Young Sheldon from the cast, the complaints were short-sighted because things do not end with the end of Young Sheldon.
7 Young Sheldon Reaches The End Of Its Last Three-Year Renewal
Young Sheldon scored a three-year renewal in 2021.
When it debuted, Young Sheldon was a hit right out of the gate. CBS was understandably thrilled about this, awarding the show multi-year renewals. In 2021, the network gave the prequel a rare three-year order, guaranteeing its run until the 2023-2024 TV season. Moving beyond that timeframe means that everyone involved would have to get back to the negotiating table for brand-new contracts. It seemed that CBS didn’t want to deal with what potentially could be a rigorous process.
However, the spin-off shows that this is only a minor consideration. While Iain Armitage is leaving the franchise, at least as a full-time star, the franchise continues on with a sequel series. And while Armitage will not be returning, at least two of the cast members are coming for the spinoff series, because it centers on Georgie and Mandy. Other actors from the series are also expected to return for the spinoff, as it would make little sense to introduce an entirely new cast of characters for this story. This does mean new contracts, but CBS was willing to do so thanks to the franchise’s popularity.
6 Young Sheldon’s Young Actors Are Growing Out Of Their Roles
Sheldon and Missy are just about to turn 14.
CBS kicked off Young Sheldon with Sheldon and Missy both nine years old. This matched with Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord’s real-life age at that time. However, knowing full well that the show can only run until Sheldon is 14 years old, which is when he begins his post-graduate studies in California, the network has slowed down the characters’ aging process.
After seven years, Sheldon and Missy are just about to turn 14 in Young Sheldon season 7, when both Armitage and Revord have already turned 15 in 2024. The age difference has become more noticeable in season 6 and was even a point of criticism. This will also be resolved with the spin-off about Georgie and Mandy, as they are both old enough that their ages don’t matter as much, and they won’t go through as many visible changes as they age. This might mean less screen time for Reagan, however, characters like Meemaw could always still return as well.
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5 Young Sheldon Is Already In Syndication
Young Sheldon’s 100th episode was “A Solo Peanut, a Social Butterfly and the Truth.”
Back in 2022, Young Sheldon released its 100th episode, which helped in securing higher rates for syndication. At this point, the show was already in constant re-runs, with the series entering syndication in local markets, covering roughly 90% of the United States back in September 2021. Subsequently, it entered off-network syndication on TBS. Considering this, Warner Bros. Television can continue shopping the show with a lucrative deal now that it is already well past 100 episodes.
By the time the show ended, it was sitting at 141 episodes and those will play on for a long time thanks to the syndication deals. This also will play into the spinoff series. As long as Young Sheldon is playing in constant reruns, fans can watch it (and The Big Bang Theory) and then follow along with the Georgie and Mandy series that takes place between those two franchise shows.
Young Sheldon’s 100th episode revealed that Georgie and Mandy were unexpectedly pregnant.
4 Another Big Bang Theory Spin-Off Is Already In Development
It guarantees that The Big Bang Theory franchise will thrive moving forward.
Young Sheldon has kept The Big Bang Theory universe alive since the nerd-centric sitcom ended its run in 2019. Despite gradually breaking away from its parent show, Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s franchise remains relevant years after its mothership show wrapped up thanks to the success of the prequel. Knowing full well how popular the universe is, there are plans to further expand it via another spin-off. The series is titled Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage and that title says a lot.
There were jokes on The Big Bang Theory about Georgie’s failed marriages. With him marrying the older Mandy in the Young Sheldon final season, fans knew from TBBT that their relationship was doomed. However, now it appears that isn’t the case if the title means they get married more than once. What this also means is that Mary Cooper (Zoe Perry), Meemaw (Annie Potts), and possibly even Missy (Reagan Revord) could appear and keep their roles going after Young Sheldon.
3 Young Sheldon Is Available On Streaming Services
Young Sheldon is also available on Netflix outside the US.
Aside from being part of CBS’ primetime programming, not to mention being in syndication, Young Sheldon is also accessible through streaming services. It is currently available to watch on demand on WarnerMedia’s Max service, Max like its parent series. Beyond that, however, it is also available on Netflix outside of the US. In 2021, the streaming giant has included the family comedy in its catalog for Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Given this, WarnerMedia can keep the show relevant and profitable so that it doesn’t really have any real motivation to continue Young Sheldon beyond season 7. Of course, there will be plenty of chances for the franchise universe to continue on. Not only are Georgie and Mandy getting their own show, but there are still plans to make another spinoff from The Big Bang Theory itself, possibly for exclusive Max streaming. Ending Young Sheldon allows Warner to expand the series and still make money off this one in streaming.
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2 Young Sheldon Finished WIth A Dark Period For The Coopers
Young Sheldon Finished With George’s Death
CBS spent years dancing around Sheldon’s story about catching his dad in bed with another woman, and understandably so. Despite how he was painted in The Big Bang Theory, George is actually a decent dad in the prequel, and staying true to canon will drastically change the usually lighthearted show. While it can get away with ignoring the affair, Young Sheldon couldn’t escape George’s death, which took place when Sheldon was 14.
It would have been difficult for the show to move forward without the Cooper patriarch. Ending it with a shortened Young Sheldon season 7 allowed the network to end on a high note but not push on too much further after Sheldon lost his dad. That is also a nice reason to switch to George and Mandy’s First Marriage. Georgie showed up on The Big Bang Theory, and he clearly had a grudge against Sheldon for leaving for brighter pastures while he had to stay home and support the family. That makes it important to leave Young Sheldon for the new story.
1 The Young Sheldon Finale Was Received Incredibly Well
Almost Nine Million Viewers Tuned In
The Young Sheldon finale perfectly encapsulated the show and helped wrap up some plot holes fans noticed. The finale saw the George Cooper funeral and his family starting to move on from this great loss. It also showed Sheldon leaving home for Caltech, ending his story and this series in general. It also had a flash forward that explained that an adult Sheldon Cooper was writing his memoir. The plot holes were not really holes at all. They were what Sheldon described to Amy as his “memories.” He wasn’t going to bury his dad in his memoir.
The Young Sheldon finale proved what many of the cast members have said since CBS announced it was canceling the popular sitcom series. Almost nine million people tuned in to watch the finale, with the funeral and Sheldon Cooper’s journey to his “real home” at Caltech. In the Screen Rant review of the Young Sheldon, the best part of the series “is the Coopers. The way George’s death and the subsequent funeral is handled is a masterclass in balancing drama and humor.” The show ended in the best way it could, considering the limitations.
Why Young Sheldon Ending With Season 7 Was Perfect
While there are undoubtedly some fans who would have liked to see Young Sheldon continue, ending at season 7 was the perfect finishing point for the show. This is evidenced by the response to the finale, but even if season 7, episode 14, “Memoir” hadn’t been such a fitting send-off, Young Sheldon wouldn’t have gained anything by continuing with season 8. The TBBT spinoff had reached the natural conclusion of its narrative regardless of whether the final episode was a hit or flop, and there are a few reasons.
Firstly, as Sheldon told Amy in the flash-forward at the end of “Memoir”, Young Sheldon was the adult Jim Parsons recollecting his childhood. Arguably, the death of George Sr. was when, from Sheldon’s perspective, his childhood ended. It was a pivotal moment for his character, not just because he lost his father, but also because he lost his innocence. Sheldon clearly saw the death of his dad as the point that his life entered its next phase.
Following losing George Sr., Sheldon was no longer a child, but a teenager on his way to becoming a young adult. While the show could have continued and followed Sheldon all the way through adolescence, this would have gone against the central premise in many ways. Teenaged Sheldon would be an interesting story, but it’s not the one that Young Sheldon was created to tell. Yes, Sheldon was technically a teenager since he was 14 years old when Young Sheldon ended, but the death of George Sr. was the moment that crystallized the fact he was no longer a child as far as his own perceptions of his life go.
The other reason for Young Sheldon season 8 being a bad idea was that, by the end of season 7, the rest of the Cooper household were far more pivotal to the show than Sheldon himself. The spinoff of The Big Bang Theory had outgrown its premise as a prequel to another show, and the new characters introduced needed room to grow without being constrained by the need to keep their narratives tied to Sheldon or his adulthood. This is why the next spinoff, George & Mandy’s First Marriage, is the logical way to extend the story of the Coopers. It will allow the characters Young Sheldon introduced to flourish in their own right, away from Sheldon or the events of TBBT.
All in all, season 7 was the perfect point to end Young Sheldon. The show became almost as popular as The Big Bang Theory itself, and as far as ratings and viewership are concerned, it could easily have continued on to season 8 and beyond. However, this wouldn’t have done justice to its story or the characters it introduced. Parting ways with Sheldon to tell more stories of the Cooper family in a show dedicated to characters Young Sheldon introduced is the most fitting way for the Texas-based prequel of The Big Bang Theory to continue.
A spinoff of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon follows the youth and coming-of-age of Sheldon Cooper during his childhood in Texas as he pursues science and academia. The show also follows his parents, siblings, and Mee-Maw, painting a picture of the world where Sheldon grew up.
- Cast
- Iain Armitage , Zoe Perry , Lance Barber , Montana Jordan , Raegan Revord , Annie Potts , Jim Parsons , Wallace Shawn , Craig T. Nelson , Matt Hobby , Wyatt McClure , Emily Osment , Doc Farrow , Ed Begley Jr. , Melissa Peterman , Ryan Phuong , Rex Linn , Brian Stepanek , Wendie Malick , Nancy Linehan Charles , Danielle Pinnock , Valerie Mahaffey , Sarah Baker , Rachel Bay Jones , Will Sasso , Mckenna Grace , Ava Allan , Isabel May , Grady Lee Richmond , Dan Byrd , Katherine Von Till , Reba McEntire , Andrea Anders , Mary Grill , Jason Alexander , Billy Gardell , Nick Alvarez , London Cheshire , Julia Pace Mitchell , Bill Fagerbakke , Taylor Spreitler , Steve Burns , Pam Cook , Chris Wylde , Richard Kind , Caleigh Kilpatrick , Dave Foley , John Hartman
- Release Date
- September 25, 2017
- Seasons
- 7
