Rumor has had it over the past several months that a Big Bang Theory spinoff is in the works at CBS, but the network never went so far as to confirm an order for the series. Now, CBS has officially given the order for a Big Bang spinoff all about Sheldon's childhood, fittingly titled Young Sheldon. The project is slated to go into production for the 2017-2018 TV season, and we already know who will be tackling some of the key roles.
Young Iain Armitage has landed the part of 9-year old Sheldon Cooper, who is already showing signs of the brilliance, arrogance, and social tone-deafness that would come to define him as an adult. He's in high school at the age of 9, and he'll presumably struggle to fit in with his East Texas family and peers.
Iain Armitage is best known on the small screen for his work on HBO's Big Little Lies, although he did break into network TV thanks to a role on NBC's Law & Order: SVU. CBS hasn't yet released too many details about Young Sheldon, but we can bet that Sheldon will be a much funnier role for Armitage than the character he played on SVU. He's not the only actor who has officially landed a key role in Young Sheldon, either.
Zoe Perry will tackle the role of Sheldon's mom. Laurie Metcalf plays Mary Cooper in the present on The Big Bang Theory, and it's easy to see why Perry is a good fit to play Mary in the past. She could pass for a younger Laurie Metcalf easily enough without forcing us to suspend too much disbelief. Perry is a veteran of broadcast TV, playing characters on Grey's Anatomy, The Family, and NCIS. She's better known for her dramatic work than comedy, so it should be interesting to see how she does with such a key role in Young Sheldon.
CBS has not confirmed who will play the rest of the Cooper family, but THR reports that Raegan Revord will play Sheldon's twin sister Missy, Montana Jordan will play Sheldon's older brother George Jr., and Lance Barber will play Sheldon's dad. Assuming these casting rumors are accurate, Young Sheldon will mark the first time that we see the entire Cooper family together.
Young Sheldon has received a straight-to-series order from CBS, so the show will forgo the traditional pilot process. No episode count has been confirmed, but production is slated to begin later this month. Interestingly, Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons is set to contribute to Young Sheldon as narrator. We can't say at this point if he'll ever somehow appear in the flesh on Young Sheldon. It's possible that he'll only lend his voice in the early days to help launch the series, but it's also possible that Young Sheldon will have a sort of How I Met Your Mother format with adult Sheldon telling the story of his childhood. We'll have to wait and see.
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