Summary

• Annie Potts' criticism of Young Sheldon's cancelation is proven by new CBS viewership data that reveals that it remained TV's number 1 comedy when it ended.
• The emotional finale of Young Sheldon wrapped up the Coopers' story, but the spinoff won't include all family .
• CBS could have continued the Coopers' story seamlessly without launching a new show by simply rebranding Young Sheldon as a proper ensemble show.

Weeks after it ended, Meemaw actor's criticism over Young Sheldon season 6 finale, as the prequel reached the point in the timeline where Sheldon was supposed to leave Texas and move to California. Despite that, however, the confirmation about the show ending didn't come until several months later.

After significantly fewer episodes, the Young Sheldon finale delivered an emotional send-off for the Coopers. Tackling the aftermath of George's tragic death, the first half of the series-capper was devoted to his funeral. After that, the prequel shifted its storytelling to ending Sheldon's story in Texas and transitioning him into his new life at Caltech. The ending was objectively good, especially in light of several disappointing finales. That said, there has been an argument that Young Sheldon shouldn't have ended with season 7. Potts has echoed that sentiment and a fresh update proves she is correct.

CBS Proves Annie Potts' Young Sheldon's Cancelation Problem

Young Sheldon Ended Being TV's Number 1 Comedy

Before the show entered its final month, Potts openly criticized Young Sheldon's cancelation, citing how it was a bad business move, considering how popular the series was. She also revealed that they were ambushed by the decision to end The Big Bang Theory prequel. Several weeks after the project officially wrapped up its run, the official viewership data from the shortened 2023-2024 TV season confirms her claims, with Young Sheldon being the most-watched comedy of the year (via TV Line). Overall, it posted 9.3 million weekly viewers, a far cry from the second place, Ghost, with 8.2 million.

Since The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, its spinoff took over its place as TV's number 1 comedy. By the time Young Sheldon wrapped up, it had won that accolade five years in a row, which is a testament to its consistency. Even as the series evolved beyond its original premise and transitioned to become more like an ensemble show, it was able to maintain its success and viewership. Looking at these numbers, it's difficult not to agree with Potts' sentiments.

How Young Sheldon Could Have Continued After Sheldon's Move

CBS Didn't Have To Launch A New Show To Continue The Coopers' Story

CBS is continuing the Coopers' story in Texas after Young Sheldon via Georgie and Mandy's spinoff, Georgie And Mandy's First Marriage. That said, there was actually a more seamless way to move the family forward without launching a new show that would have a different format. For context, the sequel will have a multi-cam set-up compared to its parent show being a single-cam comedy. By a slight rebranding to The Coopers, which would accurately reflect the project's storytelling anyway, CBS would have been able to keep the remainder of the cast after Sheldon moved to California and George's death.

In Georgie And Mandy's First Marriage, none of the other Cooper family will be returning as series regulars aside from Montana Jordan and Emily Osment. This means that despite the storytelling potential for Meemaw and Missy, their stories will likely never fully play out on the screen. The pair and Mary may pop in as guest stars, which is something that the creatives behind the new show have previously alluded to. That said, they won't be the focal point of a major storyline after Young Sheldon again. That's disappointing, considering that all of them are fan favorites.

What Young Sheldon May Have Looked Like After Losing Sheldon And George

Young Sheldon Left So Many Stories Unexplored

It may be odd for Young Sheldon to rebrand to The Coopers after Sheldon left, but ABC transforming Roseanne to The Conners is a perfect example of why this can actually work. If anything, the proposed CBS show has a better chance of succeeding, considering that the shift won't involve any behind-the-scenes drama. Besides that, there's also a wealth of stories that The Coopers can tell following this major break in storytelling. Since diversifying its narratives, Young Sheldon gradually made each family member equally important to the show, hence why Georgie and Mandy's romance started.

Had CBS gone down this creative route, Georgie and Mandy's arc could have continued within The Coopers. There won't be a change in format, which is a good thing, considering that it could maintain the tone that Young Sheldon set. Meanwhile, Meemaw and Dale's love story can also flourish, especially since The Big Bang Theory prequel left them finally getting used to living together. It would also be great to see what becomes of the rest of Connie's community service penalty.

While Georgie moves forward with his new responsibility and Sheldon focuses on his studies at Caltech, the mother and daughter are left to simply pick up where they left off.

Finally, and perhaps the most intriguing part of The Coopers, are the individual and collective stories of Mary and Missy. While Georgie moves forward with his new responsibility and Sheldon focuses on his studies at Caltech, the mother and daughter are left to simply pick up where they left off. Only now, George is dead, and the house is almost empty. The Big Bang Theory previewed their continued strained relationship — something that The Coopers could have developed properly if given the chance to bring both characters on a full-time basis.

Sheldon's Exit Would Have Time-Proofed Young Sheldon

After Sheldon's Departure, Young Sheldon Could Have Continued Indefinitely

There's no denying that Iain Armitage was so great in the role of Sheldon. He made the character his own while also honoring the legacy of Jim Parsons. That said, Sheldon was the reason why Young Sheldon was forced to end. Had it not been for his established timeline in The Big Bang Theory, the project could have continued. Ideally, he would be part of the show's full run, but Young Sheldon had long outgrown its original premise. It wouldn't have been difficult to move forward with the prequel without the boy genius.

Once Sheldon left, however, CBS could have continued the Coopers' story in Young Sheldon indefinitely because not much was known about their life in Texas without Sheldon. As previously laid out, there's no scarcity of storylines that they can explore, especially as the family continues to grapple with the unexpected death of George. There's still about a decade before Sheldon meets Leonard in Caltech, as established in The Big Bang Theory, allowing him to still regularly come home to his family and be a recurring guest star.

Georgie And Mandy's First Marriage will premiere as part of CBS' 2024-2025 TV schedule.

Source: TV Line