Things Only Adults Notice In Young Sheldon
Debuting in 2017, “Young Sheldon” serves as the prequel and spin-off of the enormously successful sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” It was actually inspired by the show’s star, Jim Parsons, who played the socially awkward super-genius named Sheldon Cooper. Rather, it was inspired by a photo that Parsons showed series creator Chuck Lorre of his own real-life nephew. And with that, the story of little Sheldon’s uncomfortable childhood was born.
Centered on a child prodigy, the series is perfect for kids experiencing their awkward early years themselves, as it’s full of stories about fitting in and dealing with the pressures of growing up. But there’s plenty more going on in the series than kids probably realize, from adult humor and relationship dynamics and mature plotlines that go right over their heads. From behind-the-scenes factoids to troubling truths that lie underneath the more surface-level stories, there are some things that only adults notice about “Young Sheldon.”
It’s not really a kid’s show
“The Big Bang Theory” wasn’t exactly a children’s comedy, but it was squarely a family show, aimed at adults and teens, with enough broad laughs to entertain anyone. Its spin-off, “Young Sheldon,” could easily be mistaken for a show aimed at kids, though, considering it’s led by child actor Iain Armitage and set mostly around his character’s day-to-day life at home and at school. Kids may even be drawn in by its young cast and enjoy the relatable struggles of Sheldon as he tries to fit in, while his family and friends deal with all kinds of ordinary problems.
Adults in the audience, however, will recognize that “Young Sheldon” is far from a kids’ show. Perhaps surprisingly, it often revolves much more around adult family drama than one might expect for a show whose title character starts out barely able to ride a bike. This includes storylines involving marital problems, adult romance, and the fight to keep a family afloat through thick and thin. It features lighthearted moments and plenty of side-splitting laughs, but also often reveals a somber tone, packed with as much raw emotion as a heartfelt tearjerker.
Sure, there’s enough to entertain its younger viewers, but at its heart, “Young Sheldon” is a grown-up drama.
George has a connection to The Big Bang Theory
Kids watching “Young Sheldon” probably pay little attention to the actors playing the many different characters. They also likely aren’t very mindful of the cast of the show’s parent series, “The Big Bang Theory,” especially when it comes to one-off guest stars that have appeared through the show’s lengthy 12-season run. As such, kids likely missed one of the biggest, and perhaps most curious casting decisions that “Young Sheldon” ever made. In fact, they may not have even seen “The Big Bang Theory” episode “The Speckerman Recurrence” from way back in 2011.
That episode involves the unexpected arrival Jimmy Speckerman, who was a persistent nemesis during the high school days of Sheldon’s friend Leonard (Johnny Galecki). Back in those days, Speckerman bullied Leonard mercilessly, and now he’s back to make amends. Speckerman was played by actor Lance Barber. So, you can imagine the surprise from adults when “Young Sheldon” began airing, and Barber returned. He wasn’t playing Speckerman, though, but rather Sheldon’s father, George Cooper Sr., who became the heart and soul of the spin-off prequel series.
To make things even stranger, Barber actually returned to “The Big Bang Theory” as Cooper Sr. in the episode “The VCR Illumination” which amounted to something of a crossover
A family casting connection
The inclusion of Lance Barber isn’t the only curious casting that can be noticed by savvy adult viewers of “Young Sheldon.” Flashing back decades before the events of “TBBT,” the show puts new actors into old roles, and that includes the part of Sheldon’s mother, Mary. Previously, Mary had been played by actress Laurie Metcalf, who many will remember for her role as the title character’s sister Jackie in the ’90s sitcom classic “Roseanne” and now on “The Connors.”
For “Young Sheldon,” the show needed someone decades younger, and so in came Zoe Perry. It’s easy not to notice, but despite the difference in surname, Perry is actually the real-life daughter of Laurie Metcalf, making her perhaps the best possible actor to portray a younger version of Mary. Even better, some may remember that Perry, decades before, played a teenaged version of Metcalf’s character Jackie on “Roseanne.”
“I went in [to audition] knowing that I had this odd connection on my side,” Perry told THR in 2017. “Odd meaning that I am my mother’s daughter and there was a character already established by her … She’s been really supportive through the whole thing and I feel lucky that I get to share this with her in that way.”
