Young Sheldon proved to be a successfulThe Big Bang Theoryprequel, but not all remaining Pasadena gang members have a childhood worthy of a prequel. WhenThe Big Bang Theoryendedin 2019, the cancelation came as a shock, considering how popular it still was. Ultimately, the decision to end the comedy stemmed from Jim Parsons' decision to leave as Sheldon Cooper. WhileThe Big Bang Theorywas technically an ensemble, the socially-inept genius was its true lead. The rest of the cast knew that, so they opted to wrap up the show instead of continuing without him.
Despite that, the franchise lived viaYoung Sheldon— its very first spinoff that tackled Sheldon’s famed childhood in Texas. While it started as supplementary viewing to the nerd-centric sitcom, it eventually found its identity in its seven-year run.Young Sheldonendedat the top of its game, with some of its strongest and best episodes towards the end of its time on the air. With that, talks aboutwho else from the Pasadena gang can get the same prequel treatmenthave been going on. That said, while the rest of Sheldon’s friends in California were interesting, they had different childhoods.
6Young Leonard
Johnny Galecki
In Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s originalThe Big Bang Theorypilot, only Sheldon and his best friend, Leonard made it to the actual show. The pair’s friendship was the backbone of the original series, and while that wasn’t as focused on in its latter seasons, especially as Sheldon’s relationship with Amy became more serious, Leonard remained central in other ways. His love story with Penny, albeit ending in controversy, considering their divisive pregnancy arc, was still central to the show. That said,Leonard’s most overlooked plot, however, involved his relationship with his parents, particularly his mom, Beverly.
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Despite the clamor for Kaley Cuoco to be involved in The Big Bang Theory universe, there’s a reason why Chuck Lorre can no longer do a Young Penny.
Admittedly, it would be great to see Galecki reprise his role as Leonard in anotherThe Big Bang Theoryshow, even in a voiceover capacity. If the proposed series follows the format of Sheldon’s prequel, it may even be able to settle theLeonard is dead theorythat stemmed from theYoung Sheldonfinale. The problem with this, however, is that Leonard’s New Jersey childhood sounded miserable.The Big Bang Theorydidn’t reveal as much about it as it did with Sheldon’s backstory, but based on his stories, he had a really lonely time growing up.
The biggest argument againstYoung Leonardcame via theYoung Sheldonseason 2 finale, which showed a version of the character in 1992 looking sad.
The nerd-centric sitcom offered a preview of the kind of environment Leonard had before moving to California. Beverly was emotionally manipulative and negligent. His dad was almost non-existent because his mom overpowered him. Leonard didn’t seem to have any kind of relationship with his siblings; at least Sheldon still had ties to Missy and even Georgie. The biggest argument againstYoung Leonardcame via theYoung Sheldonseason 2 finale, which showed a version of the character in 1992 looking sad. While some drama is good to elevate comedy, Leonard’s backstory may not be funny enough to warrant a sitcom.
5Young Amy
Mayim Bialik
Amy was a late addition to the cast ofThe Big Bang Theory, only arriving in the season 3 finale after Howard and Raj plugged Sheldon’s details into an online dating site to find his perfect match. The result was the socially-inept genius' eventual life partner. By season 4, Amy was promoted to a series regular as she developed a dynamic with the rest of the Pasadena gang. Throughout the character’s time on the sitcom, she had one of the most transformative arcs.
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Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage will host a Cooper family reunion after Young Sheldon, highlighting Sheldon’s tragedy that is barely explored.
When she first debuted, she was essentiallythe female version of Sheldon. They were both smart but lacking in terms of their social and emotional skills. Because of this, it’s safe to say that Amy likely had similar experiences with his husband growing up in California. SinceYoung Sheldonalready extensively tackled this via Sheldon, there’s little motivation to see it done again with another character. Even with a different family dynamic than theCooper familywon’t be enough reason to do aYoung Amy.
4Young Raj
Kunal Nayyar
WhileThe Big Bang Theoryfinale gave everyone a rather happy send-off, things were different for Raj. Despite the opportunity to give him the ending he deserved when the show introduced Anu, the sitcom eventually cut the pair’s romance out of the blue, supposedly because the producers weren’t satisfied with the kind of reaction they were hoping to get. This resulted in a rather disappointing send-off for Raj on all fronts. As his friends moved to new eras of their lives by getting married, having kids, or winning the Nobel Prize, he was left pretty much stagnant.
Raj grew up in India, and while the show would feature some familiar faces from his family, it would be separated from the franchise’s main setting to establish fun connections.
Raj deserves aThe Big Bang Theoryspinoffof his own, so his story could continue and have a better ending. That said, a prequel may not be the best option for this. As established in theYoung Sheldonfinale with all theyoung cast ofThe Big Bang Theory, the character’s childhood doesn’t seem to have enough mystery to use as a premise for an entirely new show. Raj grew up in India, and while the show would feature some familiar faces from his family, it would be separated from the franchise’s main setting to establish fun connections.
3Young Penny
Kaley Cuoco
Sheldon and Leonard may have been the leads from theoriginalThe Big Bang Theorypilotfrom Lorre and Prady, but the show wouldn’t have even received an order from CBS had it not been for the addition of Kaley Cuoco’s Penny. The only female main character of the show in its first three seasons was a fan-favorite because of her fun personality and caring nature. Primarily, however, she served as the viewers' point-of-view. Because of Penny’s prominence, her childhood was tackled inThe Big Bang Theoryseveral times, setting the stage for an eventual spinoff likeYoung Sheldon.
The fact that Cuoco is open to being involved inThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise makes aYoung Pennya viable option for another prequel.
Penny does have an interesting enough childhood to warrant a separate show. Growing up in Nebraska as a wannabe actress, she surely has some fun experiences, especially afterThe Big Bang Theoryestablished the kind of family she had back home. Like Sheldon, it was clear from the kind of dreams Penny had that she was not meant to stay in the Midwest. The fact that Cuoco is open to being involved inThe Big Bang Theoryfranchise makes aYoung Pennya viable option for another prequel.
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At this point, the only reason that a Penny childhood spinoff isn’t the first option for Lorre’s next project is because there areotherThe Big Bang Theorycharacters whose childhoods sound more interesting. It has all the elements to succeed likeYoung Sheldon. However, considering the character’s popularity, it’s difficult to imagine anyone not being at least interested in seeing this storyline.
2Young Bernadette
Melissa Rauch
Like Amy, Bernadette was a late addition toThe Big Bang Theory, only becoming a series regular in season 4. She was introduced as Penny’s co-worker at The Cheesecake Factory, who eventually became involved with Howard. The couple became the first couple to tie the knot in The Big Bang Theory, quite a surprising feat, considering the Pasadena gang’s resident astronaut being known for his endless attempts to hit on pretty much any woman. On her own, however, Bernadette was interesting. WhileThe Big Bang Theorydidn’t give her many personal narratives, what’s known about her childhood is interesting enough to be explored.
Young Bernadette can see her journey joining competitions at a young age while also balancing her school life.
Bernadette was a California native, and in her childhood, she joined various beauty pageants — a narrative that was only briefly teased inThe Big Bang Theorybut would be a fun recurring storyline for a prequel. Young Bernadette can see her joining competitions at a young age while also balancing her school life. Unlike Amy and her male friends, Bernadette did well in both her social and academic life. Beyond that, she didn’t have the best relationship with her mother, but Mrs. Rostenkowski was present during her time growing up as she ran an illegal daycare center in their basement.
1Young Howard
Simon Helberg
Ultimately, the best option for anotherYoung Sheldon-style spinoff is Howard. While family members of the Pasadena gang members appeared inThe Big Bang Theory, the Wolowitz family was unique becauseHoward’s mom didn’t have to travel to Pasadena to make her presence felt. Since they had always lived in the area, the nerd-centric sitcom and Howard lived with his mom, the nerd-centric sitcom was able to incorporate her as frequently as possible. Interestingly, however,Mrs. Wolowitz never actually appeared physically inThe Big Bang Theory— something that the proposed prequel can finally address in case it pushes forward.
Wow, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Mary Is Worse Than Young Sheldon & Big Bang Theory’s Version
Even in her limited involvement in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, its version of Mary is worse than Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory’s.
Beyond Debbie’s appearance, Howard’s childhood is a gold-mine for a potential spinoff.Young Howardcan explore his history when his mysterious father was still around. It’s worth noting that the family patriarch suddenly disappeared, andThe Big Bang Theorynever really explained why or what happened to him. If the new show picks up after that, it could tackle the evolution of Howard and his mom’s relationship, which was one of the most fascinating aspects of his story in the nerd-centric sitcom.
When the Cooper family patriarch was first mentioned inThe Big Bang Theory, it was through Sheldon and Mary’s unflattering stories of him. That said,Young Sheldondebunked pretty much all the bad things about him and made him one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.
While it was typically used for comedic purposes, the spinoff can further flesh it outthe same way Young Sheldon did with George’s story. When theCooper familypatriarch was first mentioned inThe Big Bang Theory, it was through Sheldon and Mary’s unflattering stories of him. That said,Young Sheldondebunked pretty much all the bad things about him and made him one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.Young Howardcould do the same with Mrs. Wolowitz.
The Big Bang Theory
Cast
The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.
