Whenever a major hit like The Big Bang Theory is set to wrap up, the desire to keep that train rolling somehow is never far behind. While we’ve certainly seen other series’ spinoffs go on to long and fruitful lives after the parent show was off the air, few could have guessed just how successful Young Sheldon would become for CBS. So, when the air date for the seventh season of the series was announced in November 2023, many fans were surprised that the 2024 TV schedule would see Season 7 also be the comedy’s last. It turns out that star Annie Potts was also shocked by the cancellation, but the show’s creators had a very different take on the news.
What Did Annie Potts Say About Her Shock At Young Sheldon Being Canceled?
Many comedy fans probably expected Young Sheldon to eventually head into at least its twelfth season, much like The Big Bang Theory had previously, before coming to a close. Unfortunately, they were left a bit stunned as stars like Iain Armitage posted inspirational messages about their show ending. Well, it turns out that Annie Potts, who has starred as Sheldon Cooper’s sassy grandmother, MeeMaw, for the entire run, was just as shocked by the cancellation as many fans. She recently told Assignment X that she thought the show was in the clear for more seasons, and said:
It’s sad, because I didn’t expect it. We’re the Number One show on network TV, and the Number One show on Netflix. Who cancels this?
The Designing Women legend and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire cast member makes a very good point, right? Not only is the show that follows tiny genius Sheldon and his family in Texas well before his time with Leonard, Raj, Howard, Amy, Penny and Bernadette the top network comedy in all the land, but it’s also third in total viewers overall.
Such a feat doesn’t automatically transfer to major viewership numbers in syndication or on streaming, but that happens to not be the case with this family sitcom (which will see the return of Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik as adult Sheldon and his wife, Amy, in the series finale) as it became a hit for those with a Netflix subscription toward the end of 2023, leading to Suits-like streaming success that had it crushing the charts for many, many weeks. This, of course, would make it seem as though Season 8, at the very least, was inevitable. But, the creators of the hit have a different view of the show ending.
What Have The Creators Said About Young Sheldon Ending?
It can be a daunting task to keep up with not only a spinoff, but everything that happened to a character in the series that launched their story. In a dozen seasons, TBBT told viewers some important things about Sheldon’s younger life, and it turns out that Season 7 marks the time in his youth when a couple of major events occur.
As executive producer Steve Holland revealed earlier this year, when talking about the decision to wrap the show up, there are two storyline reasons that gave Young Sheldon a natural out, as not only will he head off to CalTech soon, but this is also the time that we know his dad dies. With such big changes coming up for him, it makes sense that those behind the show would be in agreement that the end of the seventh season is the right time to say goodbye. So, this is really more of an agreed upon conclusion than your typical cancellation.
The series finale of Young Sheldon will air on May 16, with an hour long episode to tie everything up.
