The much-anticipated The Big Bang Theory reunion may be happening sooner rather than later. As one of the most popular sitcoms in the last decade, the nerd-centric show’s success was a mix of various elements, especially timing. When it premiered in 2007, geek culture was on the rise, with superhero films like DC’s The Dark Knight and Marvel’s Iron Man dominating the box office the next year. Presented as a show that followed social outsiders, The Big Bang Theory’s best asset, however, was its cast and their chemistry, which translated to their respective characters.
The Big Bang Theory ended after 12 seasons in 2019. Its cancelation was brought about by Jim Parsons’ decision to exit the series as Sheldon Cooper. There were discussions about potentially continuing without him, but they were brief since the crew and the rest of the cast understood that without him, the show would just not be the same. With that realization, everyone chose to wrap it up with a complete cast. Calls for a The Big Bang Theory reunion have been part of the social conversation for quite a while now, but it seems to be more prevalent recently.
The Big Bang Theory Reunion Calls Explained
The Big Bang Theory has never lost its popularity.
When The Big Bang Theory was canceled, it was still a big hit for CBS, topping ratings and maintaining its place as TV’s number 1 comedy. Announcing that it was ending after 12 seasons more surprising was comments from the network that they were planning to renew the show for at least one more year, which would guarantee it for season 13. Because of these factors, there has always been an alternate scenario where the show went on, and because of this, some form of petition for a reunion or revival has always existed.
Calls to bring together The Big Bang Theory cast have become louder in 2024, however, due to several factors. Firstly, the show’s finale is nearing its fifth anniversary, which may be deemed as enough time has passed since the original run wrapped up and a potential new project. Secondly, the announcement of a Young Sheldon spinoff following Georgie and Mandy is bringing up ideas for any of the Pasadena gang members to have their own offshoot. Finally, Kunal Nayyar’s recent Night Court season 2 appearance opposite Melissa Rauch highlights just how great the cast is at situational comedy.
Young Sheldon Season 7 Finale Can Reunite The Big Bang Theory Cast
It’s the perfect tie-in between Young Sheldon and TBBT.
There hasn’t been any concrete indication that a The Big Bang Theory reunion is currently in the works. For context, reunions don’t often happen less than a decade after a show ends. The Friends special on MAX took place almost two decades after the ABC series went off the air. That being said, there’s another way for The Big Bang Theory cast to get together without staging an entirely new project thanks to Young Sheldon. Premiered in 2017, it was billed to be Sheldon’s origins story, but it was also CBS’ way of capitalizing on The Big Bang Theory’s popularity.
When The Big Bang Theory ended, the Young Sheldon season 2 finale honored its parent series with the debut of young iterations of the rest of the Pasadena gang. Despite the prequel breaking established canon repeatedly, CBS and the writers behind it maintain that it remains tethered to the nerd-centric sitcom, which is the primary reason it is ending in the first place. Young Sheldon can wrap up with a flash forward to the future, showing adult Sheldon and the kind of life he is living with his wife, Amy, and their kids.
Young Sheldon can wrap up with a flash forward to the future, showing adult Sheldon and the kind of life he is living with his wife, Amy, and their kids.
Considering the voice cameo from Howard in Young Sheldon, it’s safe to say that the Cooper-Fowler household is still friends with the gang. This means that while some of them may have new living arrangements, especially as life happens and families are expanded, they still get together once in a while. Flashing Sheldon’s story in Young Sheldon forward to the future can reveal why exactly he is recounting certain events of his childhood and update the public about how he and the rest of the Pasadena group have been since The Big Bang Theory capped things off five years ago.
How A Young Sheldon Series Finale Reunion Can Make TBBT Better
The Big Bang Theory season 12 had some disappointing plots.
Understandably, bringing in all seven core actors of The Big Bang Theory to film a tag scene for Young Sheldon may be a toll order. Each one of them has been busy with their own ventures, so scheduling may be difficult. That being said, the proposed reunion isn’t just purely going to benefit the prequel, it can also do wonders for the nerd-centric sitcom, especially in some of the disappointing ways it ended for certain characters.
For example, Raj was left without any partner when The Big Bang Theory wrapped up — a divisive creative development, considering that he was the group’s most romantic member. The sitcom had been sidelining him for years and not giving him a great send-off crystallized that. Seeing him happy with a partner years into the future would somehow make up for his disheartening finale fate.
Seeing an older The Big Bang Theory cast would also do wonders for Penny and Leonard’s controversial pregnancy arc. On paper, the Hoftsatfders’ final storyline was compelling, but the show failed in its execution. Instead of spending time exploring why Leonard and Penny had differing stances on having kids, it just coasted through the nuances of the topic and rushed to its resolution. At the very least, the proposed Young Sheldon finale The Big Bang Theory reunion can make amends by reassuring the public that Penny is really thrilled about having a child despite the show failing to establish that.
Will There Be A Proper The Big Bang Theory Reunion
It can still happen in the future.
There have been mini-collaborations between certain cast members of The Big Bang Theory. Before Nayyar and Rauch’s reunion in Night Court season 2, Simon Helberg starred in Mayim Bialik’s film, As They Made Us in 2022. Both of them also made separate voice cameos in Young Sheldon. All of these indicate that they continue to have a great relationship with each other. Considering the nerd-centric sitcom’s popularity thanks to its availability in streaming and re-runs, there will always be interest in a proper The Big Bang Theory reunion. It may not happen now, but it could happen in the future.
