The Surprising Truth Behind Young Sheldon: Chuck Lorre Breaks His Silence on Big Bang Theory Backlash

A year after it wrapped up, Chuck Lorre candidly shares why Young Sheldon was easily ordered by CBS. Premiering in 2017 — two years before The Big Bang Theory ended, the prequel is the franchise’s first attempt to expand. Inspired by Sheldon’s many stories about his childhood, not to mention the semi-regular appearance of his mother, Mary, Young Sheldon introduced viewers to the full Cooper family. Despite its success, it’s no secret that The Big Bang Theory universe is often criticized for its storytelling quality and brand of comedy, posing questions why it continues to be backed up by CBS.

Lorre gets candid about the real reason why Young Sheldon was quickly greenlit despite the divisive nature of The Big Bang Theory at Banff World Media Festival (via THR). The producer points out that, ultimately, it all boils down to whether a show is going to be profitable for the network. Read his full quote below:

“I don’t know if you’re allowed to say his name anymore, but I walked in Les Moonves’ office about 10 years ago and said, ‘I have an idea for a show about Sheldon when he’s 10 years old in East Texas.’ And he went, ‘Go do it, now.’

“You never get a green light because it’s deep. You get a greenlight because they think they can make a profit,”

Why Greenlighting Young Sheldon Was Actually Good For The Big Bang Theory’s Image

Young Sheldon Made Up For Some Of The Big Bang Theory’s Mistakes

Ordering Young Sheldon made sense for everyone involved. It allowed Lorre to expand his foothold on CBS, while the network was able to continue taking advantage of The Big Bang Theory‘s success. However, it’s also no secret that the franchise has many naysayers, with some questioning why it is still alive despite its poor storytelling quality, not to mention divisive humor. Admittedly, The Big Bang Theory‘s brand of comedy was problematic, especially in its earliest years. That said, Lorre and his writers seemed to have learned their lesson and refined their craft in Young Sheldon.

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Unlike its parent series, the prequel was a single-camera show, which means that it didn’t have a laugh track. This allowed Young Sheldon to become more of a family dramedy than a straight-up comedy. By the time it ended in 2019, it barely had any narrative threads with The Big Bang Theory, as it fully outgrew its original premise as Sheldon’s origins story. In fact, there was a prominent argument that it could have been better if it totally severed ties with the nerd-centric sitcom, so Young Sheldon wasn’t forced to kill the Cooper family patriarch, George.

Our Take On The Big Bang Theory Franchise’s Continued Popularity

The Big Bang Theory Franchise Lives On

The Big Bang Theory was certainly a product of its time, with some of the people involved in the series retroactively acknowledging some of its more inappropriate creative choices. However, the main show and its spinoff continues to be popular, and proof of that is Young Sheldon‘s sequel, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage debuting to solid ratings for CBS and Stuart Fails To Save The Universe’s impending debut on Max. Meanwhile, The Big Bang Theory was 2024’s most binged show on streaming. At this point, the best Lorre can do is to make sure that their new shows are better than their predecessors.