BBT: The Big Problem With a Georgie Spinoff (And Which Characters Would Be Better)

Young Sheldon serves as a spinoff to The Big Bang Theory and is scheduled to end after the sitcom’s current seventh and final season. But the story won’t end there. Another spinoff has already been confirmed, centered around eldest Cooper son Georgie (Montana Jordan), his girlfriend (eventual wife) Mandy (Emily Osment), and their baby daughter.

While fans are happy that the prequel story will live on, there’s a problem with a Georgie spinoff. The tertiary characters may not be able to hold their own as lead ones.

The Problem With a Georgie Spinoff From Young Sheldon

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The spinoff will be created by Chuck Lorre, who developed both shows, along with Steven Molaro, co-creator of Young Sheldon, and Steve Holland, who has written for both shows and served as a producer. It promises to be a relatable and heartwarming show about a young couple just trying to get by raising their child.

But in Young Sheldon, Georgie has always been part of an ensemble cast dynamic. Sheldon (Iain Armitage) has been the focus, but it’s the interactions among all family members, including George (Lance Barber), Mary (Zoe Perry), Missy (Raegan Revord), Meemaw (Annie Potts), and Georgie that matter. Georgie offers comic relief, but the reactions to some of the most ridiculous things he says, whether it’s Sheldon’s eye-rolling or George’s frustration, make the lines hit the way they should. Mandy, meanwhile, has only been in the background. Her storylines up to this point, aside from the pregnancy, have been minimal at best.

We already know that the show will be a single-camera set-up versus the traditional sitcom format. There’s no confirmation that other characters will return to reprise their roles, but it would make sense for at least a few cameo appearances, if not supporting roles.

In Season 7, the couple lives with the Coopers, and Georgie works with his grandmother in her illegal gambling den run out of the back of a laundromat. A spinoff without Meemaw seems unlikely unless her story takes a much different turn by the end of Young Sheldon. Fans also find it hard to believe that Mary won’t be involved, particularly after losing her husband, an inevitable event before the end of Young Sheldon and Sheldon going off to college. Following George’s death, Georgie may become the provider for the entire family, including his mom. In fact, he recalled as much in a guest appearance in The Big Bang Theory, played by Jerry O’Connell in present day.

Meanwhile, with Missy being a teenager, unless the spinoff picks up after a time jump, she would still be living at home and likely communicating with her older brother in some fashion. With that said, Revord commented online that she “wasn’t invited” to participate in the spinoff but will be “cheering for Montana.” It’s still early days of development, though, so this could change.

The bottom line is that a spinoff with Georgie and Mandy would only work if the rest of the family members were around in an ensemble cast format like Young Sheldon. What would also make it watchable would be if O’Connell handled the narration in the same way Jim Parsons does in Young Sheldon.

The Spinoff Will Need to Remain Within Big Bang Theory Canon

The creators have said in the past that while they are trying to stay true to the larger Big Bang Theory canon, some creative license might have to be taken. In The Big Bang Theory, when Georgie visits Sheldon, he talks about his multiple exes, which means he and Mandy eventually get divorced. People magazine obtained exclusive photos confirming the couple will get married in an upcoming episode of Young Sheldon.

In another appearance in The Big Bang Theory, Mary, played by Laurie Metcalf (Perry’s real-life mother), calls Georgie Sheldon’s “idiot brother” and references a girlfriend he wanted to give Mary’s grandmother’s ring to, but she refuses. It’s also revealed that Georgie becomes a local tire sales celebrity. If this trajectory is followed, the spinoff could focus on Georgie’s time with Mandy and the early days of launching his business. (With Mandy’s parents working in that field, he may take over).

But there’s another important detail: adult Georgie reminds Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory that he cared for their mother and Missy after their father’s death, and Sheldon took off to college. If the spinoff were to stay true to this storyline, Mary and Missy would remain a big part of Georgie’s life for years to come.

Depending on how it’s handled, a Georgie and Mandy spinoff could work, but it’s questionable whether it can draw in the same viewership numbers as the other two shows. The characters have an interesting story, but it might not be one that can carry the weight of an entire show. There’s nothing particularly compelling about a young couple raising a baby in the ‘90s, but there is about their interactions with the family members viewers know and love.

Which Young Sheldon Characters Would Be Better for a Spinoff?

Rather than follow Georgie’s life, there could be more compelling stories to tell. Seeing how Mary manages through losing her husband could be interesting, with both Georgie and Mandy reprising their roles, potentially still living with their mother while they figure out their lives. This could happen with the spinoff anyway, with Mary becoming a supporting character while Georgie takes the reins.

Missy’s witty and sarcastic remarks steal every scene, and her journey to adulthood would be fascinating to explore. She went from being shallow and materialistic to taking over caring for the family while Mary was in Germany with Sheldon. But fans know she remains very much the same into adulthood. She has a tough life, with Sheldon first mentioning her in the pilot episode of The Big Bang Theory, noting that she works as a hostess at Fuddruckers. She appears in a later episode that season, played by Courtney Henggeler, where Sheldon’s friends fawn over Sheldon’s gorgeous twin.

Later in Season 7 of The Big Bang Theory, we learn that Missy is married and about to have a baby. When Sheldon and Amy get married, Missy is in attendance and pregnant again but separated from her husband. Seeing Missy come into her own as an adult could also be interesting.

One of the most fun-to-watch characters, however, and one with a story fans are most curious about, is Meemaw. She delivers her own blend of cynicism and snark, the antithesis of her uptight daughter. Sheldon has a great affinity for his grandmother, and fans know she’s still alive as she comes to visit Sheldon in a memorable episode of The Big Bang Theory, albeit looking much different (played by June Squibb).

After losing her home to a tornado and moving in with Dale (Craig T. Nelson), Meemaw is also sinking deeper and deeper into her illegal gambling venue. With no insurance coverage for the house and mounting bills to pay (not to mention needing a place to live), the story of her trying to run the casino and keep it a secret from authorities could be interesting to explore. What happened to Meemaw in these pivotal decades? What happened to Dale? Does she ever see Dr. Sturgis (Wallace Shawn) again? Fans would love to follow this story, and Potts would have no trouble carrying a comedy spinoff on her own.

A Georgie and Mandy Sitcom Has a Shot

If the Georgie and Mandy spinoff features all these characters in guest or supporting roles, it could work. It’s a smart idea to keep a hugely successful franchise alive. But it will come down to how well Georgie and Mandy can command the screen and, arguably more importantly, which characters from Young Sheldon return to reprise their roles. The more, the merrier. It takes a village to raise a family, after all, and George and Mandy may need one for this sitcom to take off. Episodes of Young Sheldon Season 7 air weekly on CBS through May 16, 2024. Stream past seasons on Max and Netflix.