Young Sheldon will come to an end next year (Picture: Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images)
Spin off shows rarely get the love given to the Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon and fans are gutted it is coming to an end after seven seasons.
Young Sheldon followed a younger version of Jim Parsons’ character from the hit sitcom as he navigates being a child prodigy in a fictional Texas town, this time portrayed by Iain Armitage.
Launching in 2017, Young Sheldon even won the National Television Award for comedy earlier this year as well as numerous nominations during it’s run.
The Big Bang Theory ended two years after this, having aired it’s 12th season to a dwindling – but still impressive – viewership with some scenes not ageing well.
Iain began portraying young Sheldon when he was just nine years old and dedicated fans have had an emotional ride seeing him grow into a teenager before them.
Now aged 15, Iain is likely ready to say goodbye to the show as CBS announced the new season set to air February, 2024, will be the last.
Iain Armitage has grown from a nine year old into a teenager on the show (Picture: Erik Voake/CBS via Getty Images)
Jim Parsons originally played the character and provides the voiceover (Picture: Instagram/Iain Armitage)
The show has lived in the shadow of it’s big brother – or should we say older self- as The Big Bang Theory has been frequently criticised for not ageing very well in parts.
Jim, the og Sheldon, even provides the voiceover narration for the series which fans have claimed is better than the original.
Despite this slightly cringe reputation, Young Sheldon found its own audience and managed to carve out its own corner of the saturated sitcom market.
Viewers took to X – formerly Twitter – to lament over the loss, as one cried: ‘I’m actually so devastated I love this show with all my heart.’
Another shared: ‘There’s a lot of snobbery about this sitcom, but the cast are exceptionally good, and the explorations of faith, marriage, community, and sibling dynamics are truly excellent. There’s so much good writing in it, much more so than TBBT.’
The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019 after 12 seasons (Picture: Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)
‘I got a confession I really like Young Sheldon, I think it’s a great show,’ said a third.
‘You can’t take away my 3-hour TikTok binges of Young Sheldon clips, you simply can’t do this to me,’ said someone else, which seemed to be a universal experience for the For You Pages of casual viewers.
Some fans were brutally reminded that Sheldon’s father dies when he is 14, as the youngster will be in this final season, for a possible heart-wrenching ending.
Others weren’t so kind when hearing the news as despite critically good responses, the show is looked down on as an unnecessary spin off from a polarising franchise.
Clearly not a viewer, someone else asked: ‘This didn’t end 5 years ago??’
After seven seasons, Young Sheldon will conclude(Picture: CBS)
‘And then he realised… he was an longer a Young Sheldon … he was a big bang theory… *sniff*,’ laughed another less sympathetic voice.
Some users joked about a sequel where Sheldon is in his 30s, surrounded by his ‘nerdy friends’ or an ‘old’ Sheldon spin off.
‘Do you think it’ll end with Sheldon saying “bazinga” before cutting to black,’ asked one person referencing the character’s catchphrase.
Another simply said: ‘Unrelated but this is exactly what I imagine Kurt Hummel looked like as a kid.’
Don’t be too sad Young Sheldon fans as co-creator Chuck Lorre has confirmed that another program in the Big Bang universe is in the early stages of development – maybe we’ll get ‘Old Sheldon’ after all.
Young Sheldon’s final season will begin in February, 2024, to watch on E4 or stream on Channel 4.
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