Ranking How Well The Big Bang Theory’s Other Main Characters Would Work For A Young Sheldon-Style Spinoff

Young Sheldon proved to be a successful The Big Bang Theory prequel, but not all remaining Pasadena gang members have a childhood worthy of a prequel. When The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, the cancelation came as a shock, considering how popular it still was. Ultimately, the decision to end the comedy stemmed from Jim Parsons’ decision to leave as Sheldon Cooper. While The Big Bang Theory was technically an ensemble, the socially-inept genius was its true lead. The rest of the cast knew that, so they opted to wrap up the show instead of continuing without him.

Despite that, the franchise lived via Young Sheldon — its very first spinoff that tackled Sheldon’s famed childhood in Texas. While it started as supplementary viewing to the nerd-centric sitcom, it eventually found its identity in its seven-year run. Young Sheldon ended at the top of its game, with some of its strongest and best episodes towards the end of its time on the air. With that, talks about who else from the Pasadena gang can get the same prequel treatment have been going on. That said, while the rest of Sheldon’s friends in California were interesting, they had different childhoods.

6 Young Leonard

Johnny Galecki

In Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s original The Big Bang Theory pilot, only Sheldon and his best friend, Leonard made it to the actual show. The pair’s friendship was the backbone of the original series, and while that wasn’t as focused on in its latter seasons, especially as Sheldon’s relationship with Amy became more serious, Leonard remained central in other ways. His love story with Penny, albeit ending in controversy, considering their divisive pregnancy arc, was still central to the show. That said, Leonard’s most overlooked plot, however, involved his relationship with his parents, particularly his mom, Beverly.

Admittedly, it would be great to see Galecki reprise his role as Leonard in another The Big Bang Theory show, even in a voiceover capacity. If the proposed series follows the format of Sheldon’s prequel, it may even be able to settle the Leonard is dead theory that stemmed from the Young Sheldon finale. The problem with this, however, is that Leonard’s New Jersey childhood sounded miserable. The Big Bang Theory didn’t reveal as much about it as it did with Sheldon’s backstory, but based on his stories, he had a really lonely time growing up.

The nerd-centric sitcom offered a preview of the kind of environment Leonard had before moving to California. Beverly was emotionally manipulative and negligent. His dad was almost non-existent because his mom overpowered him. Leonard didn’t seem to have any kind of relationship with his siblings; at least Sheldon still had ties to Missy and even Georgie. The biggest argument against Young Leonard came via the Young Sheldon season 2 finale, which showed a version of the character in 1992 looking sad. While some drama is good to elevate comedy, Leonard’s backstory may not be funny enough to warrant a sitcom.

5 Young Amy

Mayim Bialik

Amy was a late addition to the cast of The Big Bang Theory, only arriving in the season 3 finale after Howard and Raj plugged Sheldon’s details into an online dating site to find his perfect match. The result was the socially-inept genius’ eventual life partner. By season 4, Amy was promoted to a series regular as she developed a dynamic with the rest of the Pasadena gang. Throughout the character’s time on the sitcom, she had one of the most transformative arcs.

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When she first debuted, she was essentially the female version of Sheldon. They were both smart but lacking in terms of their social and emotional skills. Because of this, it’s safe to say that Amy likely had similar experiences with his husband growing up in California. Since Young Sheldon already extensively tackled this via Sheldon, there’s little motivation to see it done again with another character. Even with a different family dynamic than the Cooper family won’t be enough reason to do a Young Amy.

4 Young Raj

Kunal Nayyar

While The Big Bang Theory finale gave everyone a rather happy send-off, things were different for Raj. Despite the opportunity to give him the ending he deserved when the show introduced Anu, the sitcom eventually cut the pair’s romance out of the blue, supposedly because the producers weren’t satisfied with the kind of reaction they were hoping to get. This resulted in a rather disappointing send-off for Raj on all fronts. As his friends moved to new eras of their lives by getting married, having kids, or winning the Nobel Prize, he was left pretty much stagnant.

Raj deserves a The Big Bang Theory spinoff of his own, so his story could continue and have a better ending. That said, a prequel may not be the best option for this. As established in the Young Sheldon finale with all the young cast of The Big Bang Theory, the character’s childhood doesn’t seem to have enough mystery to use as a premise for an entirely new show. Raj grew up in India, and while the show would feature some familiar faces from his family, it would be separated from the franchise’s main setting to establish fun connections.

3 Young Penny

Kaley Cuoco

Sheldon and Leonard may have been the leads from the original The Big Bang Theory pilot from Lorre and Prady, but the show wouldn’t have even received an order from CBS had it not been for the addition of Kaley Cuoco’s Penny. The only female main character of the show in its first three seasons was a fan-favorite because of her fun personality and caring nature. Primarily, however, she served as the viewers’ point-of-view. Because of Penny’s prominence, her childhood was tackled in The Big Bang Theory several times, setting the stage for an eventual spinoff like Young Sheldon.

Penny does have an interesting enough childhood to warrant a separate show. Growing up in Nebraska as a wannabe actress, she surely has some fun experiences, especially after The Big Bang Theory established the kind of family she had back home. Like Sheldon, it was clear from the kind of dreams Penny had that she was not meant to stay in the Midwest. The fact that Cuoco is open to being involved in The Big Bang Theory franchise makes a Young Penny a viable option for another prequel.

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At this point, the only reason that a Penny childhood spinoff isn’t the first option for Lorre’s next project is because there are other The Big Bang Theory characters whose childhoods sound more interesting. It has all the elements to succeed like Young Sheldon. However, considering the character’s popularity, it’s difficult to imagine anyone not being at least interested in seeing this storyline.

2 Young Bernadette

Melissa Rauch

Like Amy, Bernadette was a late addition to The Big Bang Theory, only becoming a series regular in season 4. She was introduced as Penny’s co-worker at The Cheesecake Factory, who eventually became involved with Howard. The couple became the first couple to tie the knot in The Big Bang Theory, quite a surprising feat, considering the Pasadena gang’s resident astronaut being known for his endless attempts to hit on pretty much any woman. On her own, however, Bernadette was interesting. While The Big Bang Theory didn’t give her many personal narratives, what’s known about her childhood is interesting enough to be explored.

Bernadette was a California native, and in her childhood, she joined various beauty pageants — a narrative that was only briefly teased in The Big Bang Theory but would be a fun recurring storyline for a prequel. Young Bernadette can see her joining competitions at a young age while also balancing her school life. Unlike Amy and her male friends, Bernadette did well in both her social and academic life. Beyond that, she didn’t have the best relationship with her mother, but Mrs. Rostenkowski was present during her time growing up as she ran an illegal daycare center in their basement.

1 Young Howard

Simon Helberg

Ultimately, the best option for another Young Sheldon-style spinoff is Howard. While family members of the Pasadena gang members appeared in The Big Bang Theory, the Wolowitz family was unique because Howard’s mom didn’t have to travel to Pasadena to make her presence felt. Since they had always lived in the area, the nerd-centric sitcom and Howard lived with his mom, the nerd-centric sitcom was able to incorporate her as frequently as possible. Interestingly, however, Mrs. Wolowitz never actually appeared physically in The Big Bang Theory — something that the proposed prequel can finally address in case it pushes forward.

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Beyond Debbie’s appearance, Howard’s childhood is a gold-mine for a potential spinoff. Young Howard can explore his history when his mysterious father was still around. It’s worth noting that the family patriarch suddenly disappeared, and The Big Bang Theory never really explained why or what happened to him. If the new show picks up after that, it could tackle the evolution of Howard and his mom’s relationship, which was one of the most fascinating aspects of his story in the nerd-centric sitcom.

While it was typically used for comedic purposes, the spinoff can further flesh it out the same way Young Sheldon did with George’s story. When the Cooper family patriarch was first mentioned in The Big Bang Theory, it was through Sheldon and Mary’s unflattering stories of him. That said, Young Sheldon debunked pretty much all the bad things about him and made him one of the most beloved characters in the franchise. Young Howard could do the same with Mrs. Wolowitz.

The Big Bang Theory: This sitcom follows a group of socially awkward scientists and their interactions with each other and the people around them. Centered on physicists Sheldon and Leonard, the series humorously explores friendship, romance, and the quirks of life among an eclectic group of academics.

Cast

Johnny Galecki , Jim Parsons , Kaley Cuoco , Simon Helberg , Kunal Nayyar , Melissa Rauch , Mayim Bialik , Kevin Sussman , Carol Ann Susi , John Ross Bowie , Laura Spencer , Wil Wheaton , Brian George , Christine Baranski , Brian Posehn , Laurie Metcalf , Joshua Malina , Ian Scott Rudolph , Aarti Mann , Brian Thomas Smith , Alice Amter , Pamela Adlon

Character(s)

Leonard Hofstadter , Sheldon Cooper , Penny , Howard Wolowitz , Raj Koothrappali , Bernadette Rostenkowski , Amy Farrah Fowler , Stuart Bloom , Debbie Wolowitz , Barry Kripke , Emily Sweeney , Wil Wheaton , Dr. V.M. Koothrappali , Dr. Beverly Hofstadter , Bert Kibbler , Mary Cooper , President Siebert , Captain Sweatpants , Priya Koothrappali , Zack Johnson , Mrs. Koothrappali , Halley Wolowitz

Release Date

September 24, 2007

Seasons

12

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