The Big Bang Theory’s 3rd Spinoff Must Avoid The Most Harmful Problem Of Young Sheldon’s Premise

The news that there will be a third spinoff from The Big Bang Theory gives the show’s creators a chance to avoid a problem that Young Sheldon and its follow-up faced. By all measures, Young Sheldon is a successful sitcom spinoff. The family comedy consistently earns high ratings, is well-liked by fans of the original series, and has made Young Sheldon’s cast of characters as memorably funny as the original show’s heroes. However, the show does have one issue that plagues not only Young Sheldon but also its upcoming spinoff, which focuses on Sheldon’s brother Georgie and his wife Mandy.

Ever since The Big Bang Theory’s series finale, the sitcom’s canon has been set in stone. Despite this, Young Sheldon has constantly tweaked, altered, ignored, and outright retconned details of the earlier show’s story. Sheldon’s father was consistently described as a buffoonish, philandering drunk in The Big Bang Theory, but he is an affable everyman and a kind father in Young Sheldon. Young Sheldon’s Meemaw changed a lot before her appearance in The Big Bang Theory, morphing from a carefree rebel into a stern, sedate presence. Fortunately, The Big Bang Theory’s third spinoff can avoid this issue.

The Big Bang Theory’s Next Spinoff After Georgie & Mandy Shouldn’t Be A Prequel

Young Sheldon’s Prequel Status Caused Confusing TBBT Canon Contradictions

In 2023, The Big Bang Theory’s creator Chuck Lorre announced that the sitcom would get another spinoff sometime in the future. Later that year, he clarified that the project was still in its infancy and warned that it would need to justify its narrative before it came to fruition. For the show to do so, the series must avoid the biggest mistake its predecessors shared. The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff shouldn’t be another prequel since this caused Young Sheldon’s biggest recurring problem. If the upcoming show isn’t set before the original series, it will gain more storytelling freedom.

While little is known about The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff, it is clear that the series will take place in the same universe as the original hit. This doesn’t mean much since Young Sheldon changed pretty much everything about the show’s world despite sharing the same continuity as its predecessor. The Big Bang Theory was a traditional multi-camera hang-out show with a laugh track, whereas Young Sheldon was a single-camera family sitcom with a narrator. In terms of tone, the show skewed closer to The Wonder Years or Malcolm in the Middle than The Big Bang Theory’s style.

Young Sheldon’s The Big Bang Theory Canon Problems Held Up The Spinoff

The Prequel Complicated The Big Bang Theory’s Existing Backstory

Although Young Sheldon developed its own tone, the show struggled with The Big Bang Theory’s existing canon. Whether it was Young Sheldon’s George Sr death, the show’s handling of Sheldon’s mother, or its attempts to flesh out Missy and Georgie’s personalities, the series constantly butted heads with its predecessor. When Young Sheldon introduced an intriguing supporting character in McKenna Grace’s Paige, viewers understandably wanted to know why Sheldon never mentioned his earliest academic rival, potential love interest, and eventual friend. When the show focused on Missy’s character arc, viewers wanted to know why her Big Bang Theory fate was so bleak.

This was perhaps best epitomized by Georgie and Mandy’s forthcoming Young Sheldon spinoff, a show that struggled to justify its existence thanks to The Big Bang Theory. Stars Emily Osment and Montana Jordan shared appealing chemistry and got little screen time in Young Sheldon, so the choice to give the pair a spinoff was understandable. However, The Big Bang Theory’s canon made Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff pointless before it even began, thanks to Georgie bitterly referencing an ex-wife in the earlier show. This one-liner was enough to derail their show’s premise, as Young Sheldon’s spinoff now needs to explain their separation.

The Big Bang Theory’s Next Spinoff Can Bring Back The Missing Ingredients Young Sheldon Dropped

The Sitcom Can Feel More Like The Big Bang Theory

Young Sheldon dropped The Big Bang Theory’s multi-camera setup and laugh track to develop an atmosphere of its own, but this was only necessary because the show shared the original sitcom’s main character. If the next spinoff set in the show’s universe is not another nostalgic prequel, then the series could bring back these elements. While some of Young Sheldon’s darker storylines benefited from the show’s new style, the traditional sitcom setup of The Big Bang Theory is overdue a comeback. The creators of the series agree, with Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff reviving the multi-camera style of the original show.

Bringing back the missing ingredients that Young Sheldon dropped would make the next spinoff feel like more of a spiritual sequel to The Big Bang Theory. This means that the show wouldn’t need to constantly reference characters and events from the original series, meaning it would be less likely to run into the canon concerns of Young Sheldon. Dropping the prequel approach would help, but The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff still could end up complicating the original show’s canon by bringing back its main characters. Viewers will expect some cameos, but these shouldn’t overwhelm the show’s new characters and setting.

What A Non-Prequel The Big Bang Theory Spinoff Could Be About

The Big Bang Theory’s Next Spinoff Could Focus On Several Stories

To successfully avoid Young Sheldon’s biggest issue, The Big Bang Theory’s next spinoff can’t be another prequel. However, as Young Sheldon season 7 ends its story, this leads to the question of what story the spinoff can tell. The most obvious answer would be for The Big Bang Theory’s next follow-up to focus on a new generation of scientists, much like That ‘90s Show centered on a new version of the original show’s gang. Alternatively, the show could center on the children of The Big Bang Theory’s original heroes, combining Young Sheldon’s appeal with the original show’s style.

A show that introduced viewers to Penny, Leonard, Amy, Sheldon, Bernadette, Howard, and Raj’s kids would be able to bring back their parents without relying on them as its main characters. This would also have some of Young Sheldon‘s appeal since the prospect of children trying to live up to their genius parents flips the spinoff’s child prodigy premise on its head. However, only time will tell if The Big Bang Theory’s creators take this route and avoid Young Sheldon’s biggest storytelling pitfall in the process.