CBS decided to end Young Sheldon after season 7, even though the show was still very popular. Sheldon’s story concluded with a two-episode finale on May 16, 2024.
The second episode, Memoir, moved between Young Sheldon’s story and the future narrator, Sheldon. It confirmed there would be no more seasons.
Fans may find this unexpected because Young Sheldon had strong ratings on CBS and was its most popular comedy in the 2022-2023 season.
However, talks about ending the show were ongoing for some time.
The Big Bang Theory also ended in 2019 while still victorious. CBS wanted to extend the show, but Jim Parsons’ choice to leave after season 12 led the cast to finish it.
Young Sheldon is different because the main cast wanted to keep going. However, certain factors were beyond their control, leading to the end of the series, even at its peak.
TBBT’s Storyline Ends Young Sheldon
Sheldon has only one year of college left after returning from Germany.
The Big Bang Theory’s storyline forces Young Sheldon to end with Season 7. Since it serves as a prequel, the show had a set ending from the moment it started in 2017.
The final season had already reached that point in the timeline.
Changing the timeline would create a central plot hole. According to The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon has only one year of college left when he returns from Germany in Young Sheldon Season 7.
After that, he moves to Pasadena to begin his post-grad studies at Caltech. The spin-off only had enough time to wrap up his story.
Since Sheldon leaves for Germany and then moves to Caltech, his character’s journey naturally reaches its conclusion. When his story ends, the show also ends, but the Young Sheldon universe may continue.
Young Sheldon No Longer Follows Its Original Story
Focus Shifts to the Cooper Family.
CBS created Young Sheldon to build on The Big Bang Theory’s success. The best way to achieve this was by giving its most popular character his show.
Sheldon frequently shared childhood stories in The Big Bang Theory, which became the foundation for a prequel set in Texas.
In recent years, Young Sheldon has moved beyond its original concept. The show no longer revolves solely around Sheldon.
Instead, it now highlights the entire Cooper family. Sheldon’s story may end, but the Cooper family’s journey continues.
Some cast members criticized the network for canceling Young Sheldon, but their concerns failed to recognize that the story does not end with the show.
Young Sheldon’s Last Three-Year Renewal Ends
CBS gave Young Sheldon a three-year renewal in 2021.
The show became a hit when it premiered. CBS responded to its success by approving multi-year renewals.
In 2021, the network issued a rare three-year renewal, securing its run through the 2023-2024 season. Continuing beyond that required new contracts, but CBS avoided the complex negotiation process.
However, the spin-off proves this concern was minor. Iain Armitage is leaving as a full-time actor, but the franchise continues with a sequel.
While Armitage will not return, at least two cast members will join the spinoff, focusing on Georgie and Mandy.
Other leading actors will likely return because replacing everyone would be impossible. CBS signed new deals, proving trust in the show’s high success.
Young Sheldon’s Young Cast Is Outgrowing Their Characters
Sheldon and Missy are close to turning 14.
CBS introduced Young Sheldon with Sheldon and Missy at nine years old. At that time, Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord were the same age in real life.
Since the story only goes until Sheldon turns 14 and moves to California for his studies, the network has slowed their aging in the show.
After seven years, Sheldon and Missy are almost 14 in season 7, but Armitage and Revord are already 15 in 2024. The age gap became more evident in season 6 and even drew criticism.
The new spin-off about Georgie and Mandy will fix the problem because they are older, making aging less obvious. Reagan might get less screen time, but Meemaw and others could still show up.
Young Sheldon Is Already in Syndication
Young Sheldon’s 100th episode was titled “A Solo Peanut, a Social Butterfly, and the Truth.”
In 2022, Young Sheldon aired its 100th episode, which helped it secure better syndication rates.
By then, the show was already running repeatedly, entering local market syndication in September 2021, covering about 90% of the U.S.
Later, it also joined off-network syndication on TBS. Because of this, Warner Bros. Television can now negotiate profitable deals, as the show has far exceeded 100 episodes.
The show finished with 141 episodes, making syndication last longer. That also impacts the spinoff.
Since Young Sheldon airs as a rerun, viewers can watch it with The Big Bang Theory and keep up with Georgie and Mandy’s series, linking both stories.
Another The Big Bang Theory Spin-Off Is in Progress
The Big Bang Theory franchise will continue to grow.
Young Sheldon has kept The Big Bang Theory universe alive since the original show ended in 2019.
It has slowly moved away from its parent series, but Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s franchise stays relevant because of the prequel’s success.
Since the universe remains popular, another spin-off is now in the works. The new series, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage suggests a lot through its title.
The Big Bang Theory had jokes about Georgie’s failed marriages. Since he marries Mandy in Young Sheldon’s final season, fans knew from TBBT that their marriage would not last. However, the title hints they may marry again.
Mary Cooper (Zoe Perry), Meemaw (Annie Potts), and possibly Missy (Reagan Revord) might come back after Young Sheldon finishes.
Young Sheldon Is Available on Streaming Platforms
Available on Netflix Outside the U.S.
CBS airs Young Sheldon on primetime and syndication. Viewers can also stream it on WarnerMedia’s Max. The show, like its parent series, is available on demand.
Outside the U.S., Netflix includes Young Sheldon in its catalog. In 2021, Netflix added the family comedy for viewers in Australia, Canada, and the U.K.
WarnerMedia keeps the show relevant and profitable, making a renewal beyond Season 7 unlikely. However, the franchise will continue.
Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff is developing, and another Big Bang Theory spinoff is also planned, possibly for Max.
Ending Young Sheldon allows WarnerMedia to expand the series while still earning from its streaming availability.
Young Sheldon Ended After a Tough Time for the Coopers
Young Sheldon Ended After George’s Death.
CBS avoided showing when Sheldon found his dad with another woman for years. That makes sense.
Even though The Big Bang Theory made George look bad, the prequel shows him as a good father.
It would have become much darker if the show followed the original story. Ignoring the affair was possible, but Young Sheldon had to include George’s death. Sheldon was 14 when it happened.
Moving forward without the Cooper father would have been hard. Ending Young Sheldon with a shorter season 7 let the network finish on a strong note without dragging it out after George died. That also set up George and Mandy’s First Marriage.
Georgie appeared in The Big Bang Theory and seemed bitter toward Sheldon. He stayed to care for the family while Sheldon left for better opportunities.
That made it the right time to close Young Sheldon and move to a new chapter.
The Young Sheldon Finale Got Positive Feedback
Nearly Nine Million People Watched
The Young Sheldon finale summed up the series nicely and closed some gaps fans had noticed.
It showed George Cooper’s funeral and his family beginning to move forward. Sheldon also left home for Caltech, marking the end of his journey and the show.
A flash-forward revealed that an adult, Sheldon Cooper, was writing his memoir. The so-called plot holes were Sheldon’s “memories,” as he told Amy. He had no intention of including his father’s burial in his memoir.
The Young Sheldon finale confirmed what many cast members had said since CBS ended the show.
Nearly nine million viewers watched as the funeral took place and Sheldon set off for Caltech, which he called his “real home.”
A Screen Rant review stated that the Coopers were the most substantial part of the show.
It praised how George’s death and funeral blended both drama and humor. Given its constraints, the show had the best possible ending.
Young Sheldon Ending With Season 7 Was the Right Choice
Some fans may have wanted Young Sheldon to continue, but season 7 was the best place to stop.
The reaction to the finale proved this, but even if episode 14, “Memoir,” had not been a strong ending, season 8 would not have added anything new.
The show had naturally concluded whether the final episode was successful or not.
In the flash-forward at the end of “Memoir,” Sheldon tells Amy that Young Sheldon was adult Jim Parsons remembering his past. The loss of George Sr. marked the moment when Sheldon saw his childhood end.
His father’s death changed everything, taking away both his presence and Sheldon’s innocence. Sheldon viewed the loss as the start of a new chapter in life.
After George Sr. died, Sheldon was no longer a child but a teenager moving toward adulthood. The show could have continued to explore his teenage years, but that would have strayed from its original focus.
While Sheldon was 14 when Young Sheldon ended, his father’s death solidified that he was no longer a child in his own eyes.
Another reason season 8 would not have worked is that, by the end of season 7, the Cooper family had become more critical than Sheldon.
The Big Bang Theory spinoff had expanded beyond its original purpose, and the new characters needed space to develop without being tied to Sheldon or his future.
That’s why the next spinoff, George & Mandy’s First Marriage, is a good idea. It tells the Cooper family’s story from Young Sheldon without focusing on Sheldon or The Big Bang Theory.
Ending with season 7 was the best decision for Young Sheldon. The show reached nearly the same popularity as The Big Bang Theory, and its ratings suggested it could have continued.
However, another season would not have served the story or its characters well.
Shifting the focus to the Cooper family in a new series is the best way to continue the legacy of the Texas-based prequel.