CBS has had a great thing going over the last decade with The Big Bang Theory, so it didn't come as a huge shock when the network ordered a spinoff all about the most popular character. Young Sheldon will tell the story of Sheldon Cooper's life as a child in Texas. Now, the fact that the spinoff will be a prequel naturally puts a limit on what characters from The Big Bang Theory can drop in, but we now know of one who will have a prominent role: Shledon's grandmother. Young Sheldon has officially cast Annie Potts (recently seen on The Fosters) as the legendary Meemaw.
Annie Potts will play Meemaw in the upcoming first season of Young Sheldon. THR reports that Potts is on board as a series regular, so we'll see plenty of her in the role. As Meemaw, she'll be a foul-mouthed heavy drinker of a Texan who also happens to love her grandson very much. Despite the fact that Sheldon is a bit of an oddball, she'll be quite supportive of him and his unique gifts. Meemaw is Sheldon's maternal grandmother, so we'll probably see plenty of Annie Potts interacting with Zoe Perry, who will play Sheldon's mom.
Meemaw has been mentioned many times over the years on The Big Bang Theory as just about the only member of Sheldon's family that he can stand. She finally appeared in the flesh in Season 9, when she was played by June Squibb. She wasn't the biggest fan of Amy when she first met Sheldon's lady love, but she eventually spilled the beans that Sheldon happened to be holding onto an engagement ring. It should be interesting to see if we get any shades of June Squibb's performance in Annie Potts' as Meemaw.
Annie Potts joins a talented ensemble of actors.Young Sheldon will follow Sheldon at the tender age of 9, when he is starting high school in East Texas. Iain Armitage of Big Little Lies will play Sheldon. George Cooper will be played by Lance Barber, with Raegan Revord on board as Sheldon' twin sister and Montana Jordan as Sheldon's older brother. The series should give longtime Big Bang Theory fans the chance to learn more about Sheldon's history. Judging by the trailer, Young Sheldon should also bring the laughs for people who aren't even familiar with The Big Bang Theory.
Unfortunately, we still have a while to wait before we get to see Annie Potts and the rest as Sheldon's family in Young Sheldon. The new sitcom doesn't premiere until Monday, September 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS. After the September premiere, it will move to its regular time slot on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on November 2. Check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover your viewing options as we wait for fall TV season to begin.
