Sheldon Cooper’s younger years will not be charted for much longer.
CBS confirmed the news many expected this afternoon:
Young Sheldon will end with its seventh season.
“As a prequel to one of the biggest comedies, Young Sheldon proved lightning can strike twice,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment.
“It set itself apart with a remarkable cast that felt like a family from the first moment we saw them on screen and brought characters to life with unique heartfelt stories that drew audiences in from the start.
“We extend a sincere thank you to executive producers Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro and Steve Holland and the entire writing and producing teams for six wonderful seasons.
“We look forward to seeing their final season unfold and giving it a proper send off with the best episodes yet for their fans to enjoy.”
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“Being able to tell the origin of Sheldon Cooper, and expanding the story to include the entire Cooper family has been a wonderful experience,” said executive producers Steve Holland, Steven Molaro and Chuck Lorre in a joint statement.
“We are grateful to our fans for embracing this chapter of the Coopers these past six seasons, and on behalf of the entire YOUNG SHELDON family, we’re excited to share this final season with you.”
As previously reported, Young Sheldon Season 7 will premiere on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 8/7c.
Now, we know when the series finale will air.
The final installment of the Big Bang Theory prequel is set to air Thursday, May 16, 2024.
We’re getting a one-hour goodbye, which should bring the show’s central conflicts to a halt as Sheldon gets closer to the person we met on The Big Bang Theory Season 1.
The series, which launched in 2017, has been one of the most comical shows on broadcast TV.
But we can’t deny it’s been building to a conclusion.
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Holland hinted as much in an interview with TVLine earlier this year.
“We’ve certainly started to talk about it,” the EP dished.
“There are certainly things we know we want to hit next season, and there are certain things where, if it’s the end versus if it’s just [another season], those things might be different.”
The series centers on Sheldon Cooper, a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science, which isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king.
And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him.
For 12 years on TBBT, audiences came to know the iconic, eccentric and extraordinary Sheldon Cooper.
This single-camera, half-hour comedy takes viewers through his childhood, as he embarks on his innocent, awkward and hopeful journey toward the man he will become.
The series stars Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Annie Potts, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, and Jim Parsons (as the voice of Sheldon).
Lorre, Molaro, Holland, Nick Bakay, Parsons, and Todd Spiewak serve as executive producers.
News of the series’ endgame comes as producers are prepping another series set in the TBBT universe.
Back in April, a new comedy set in that universe was teased for Max.
With the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, it’s thought the series was put on the back burner because development couldn’t be completed.
The good news is with the strikes resolved, work on the third entry in the franchise can resume.
As for Young Sheldon, the series has been getting dangerously close to key storylines we’ve heard about on TBBT.
Now that we know we’re getting a shorter episode order than before, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
What are your thoughts on the decision to end the show?
Hit the comments.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.