Young Sheldon (2017)
TV show · 2017 · Comedy, Family, Drama · English
Curator score: 4.6/10 (148.6K ratings)
Tagline: It all started with a big bang—or rather, in East Texas.
The early life of child genius Sheldon Cooper, later seen in The Big Bang Theory.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 4.6/10
- IMDb: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
- Metacritic: 63
- TMDB: 8.0/10
Production: Warner Bros. Television, Chuck Lorre Productions
Cast: Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, Annie Potts, Emily Osment, Jim Parsons
Where to watch: Netflix, TBS, Netflix Standard with Ads, Max
Curator Review
Verdict: A warm, easy-to-watch family sitcom with a strong sense of place and a gentler emotional register than The Big Bang Theory. It works best as a character comedy about the Cooper family, though the premise can feel limited if you want sharper jokes or less sentimentality.
Best for: Fans of wholesome, low-stakes network sitcoms; Viewers who like family ensemble dynamics and coming-of-age stories; People curious about Sheldon’s backstory but not expecting a major reinvention of the character
Skip if: You want fast, joke-dense comedy with a more cynical edge; You dislike sentimental storytelling or voiceover-driven nostalgia; You are looking for a show that stays fully focused on Sheldon rather than the whole family
Overview: Young Sheldon is more successful as a family dramedy than as a pure prequel gimmick. Iain Armitage captures the character’s precision without turning him into a one-note imitation, and the show gets a lot of mileage from the contrast between Sheldon’s intellect and the ordinary rhythms of East Texas life.
Worth noting: The series is at its best when it broadens beyond Sheldon and lets the Cooper family breathe. Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Annie Potts, and the rest of the ensemble give it warmth and texture, and the show gradually becomes more about family bonds, faith, grief, and growing up than about nerd-culture punchlines.
Bottom line: That said, the formula can be repetitive, and the emotional beats are often very carefully engineered. If you like CBS-style comfort TV, it’s an easy recommendation; if you want a sharper or more surprising sitcom, it may feel mild. The later seasons lean more into continuity with The Big Bang Theory, but the show remains most appealing when it stands on its own as a sweet, old-fashioned ensemble series.
Recommended similar titles:
- The Middle (2009 · Curator 7.0/10 (61.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus)
A similarly warm, middle-American family sitcom with strong ensemble writing, gentle humor, and a focus on everyday resilience.
- Malcolm in the Middle (2000 · Curator 8.1/10 (161.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu)
Another smart-kid family comedy that balances chaos, sibling dynamics, and a child’s perspective on an imperfect household.
- Everybody Hates Chris (2005 · Curator 8.5/10 (46.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Tubi TV)
A coming-of-age family comedy with strong narration, period flavor, and a grounded look at childhood and home life.
- Friday Night Lights (2006 · Curator 9.2/10 (79.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
For the small-town atmosphere, family bonds, and heartfelt character work, even though it is more drama than comedy.
- The Big Bang Theory (2007 · Curator 6.0/10 (946.6K ratings) · Where to watch: TBS, Max)
The obvious companion piece, especially if you want the adult version of Sheldon’s world and the show’s broader comic style.
- Everybody Loves Raymond (1996 · Curator 1.3/10 (654 ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus)
A classic family sitcom with domestic realism, recurring tensions, and a strong comfort-TV appeal.
- Modern Family (2009 · Curator 9.5/10 (540.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock Premium, Philo, TBS, Peacock Premium Plus)
If you like ensemble family dynamics and easy-to-binge network comedy, this offers a sharper, more varied version of that appeal.
- Gilmore Girls (2000 · Curator 1.3/10 (1.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Philo, Netflix Standard with Ads)
For viewers who enjoy comfort TV with family dynamics, small-town rhythms, and a strong sense of character.
- My Name Is Earl (2005 · Curator 7.8/10 (117.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu)
A quirky, heart-on-its-sleeve network comedy with a strong sense of community and redemption.
- Atypical (2017 · Curator 0.6/10 (1.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
A coming-of-age family dramedy centered on a neurodivergent protagonist, balancing humor, growth, and family relationships.
- Abbott Elementary (2021 · Curator 9.8/10 (52.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, fuboTV, Max)
A current, character-driven network comedy with ensemble warmth, workplace rhythm, and broad mainstream appeal.
Topics: family sitcom, coming-of-age, dramedy, small-town, nostalgic, network TV, wholesome, ensemble cast, academic prodigy, 2000s setting
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/young-sheldon/71728
Young Sheldon (2017)
TV show · 2017 · Comedy, Family, Drama · English
Curator score: 4.6/10 (148.6K ratings)
It all started with a big bang—or rather, in East Texas.
Overview The early life of child genius Sheldon Cooper, later seen in The Big Bang Theory.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.6/10
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Metacritic: 63
TMDB: 8.0/10
Production Warner Bros. Television, Chuck Lorre Productions
Cast Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, Annie Potts, Emily Osment, Jim Parsons
Where to watch Netflix, TBS, Netflix Standard with Ads, Max
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, easy-to-watch family sitcom with a strong sense of place and a gentler emotional register than The Big Bang Theory. It works best as a character comedy about the Cooper family, though the premise can feel limited if you want sharper jokes or less sentimentality.
Best for
Fans of wholesome, low-stakes network sitcoms
Viewers who like family ensemble dynamics and coming-of-age stories
People curious about Sheldon’s backstory but not expecting a major reinvention of the character
Skip if
You want fast, joke-dense comedy with a more cynical edge
You dislike sentimental storytelling or voiceover-driven nostalgia
You are looking for a show that stays fully focused on Sheldon rather than the whole family
Overview
Young Sheldon is more successful as a family dramedy than as a pure prequel gimmick. Iain Armitage captures the character’s precision without turning him into a one-note imitation, and the show gets a lot of mileage from the contrast between Sheldon’s intellect and the ordinary rhythms of East Texas life.
Worth noting
The series is at its best when it broadens beyond Sheldon and lets the Cooper family breathe. Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Annie Potts, and the rest of the ensemble give it warmth and texture, and the show gradually becomes more about family bonds, faith, grief, and growing up than about nerd-culture punchlines.
Bottom line
That said, the formula can be repetitive, and the emotional beats are often very carefully engineered. If you like CBS-style comfort TV, it’s an easy recommendation; if you want a sharper or more surprising sitcom, it may feel mild. The later seasons lean more into continuity with The Big Bang Theory, but the show remains most appealing when it stands on its own as a sweet, old-fashioned ensemble series.
Recommended similar titles
2009 · Curator 7.0/10 (61.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A similarly warm, middle-American family sitcom with strong ensemble writing, gentle humor, and a focus on everyday resilience.
2000 · Curator 8.1/10 (161.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu
Another smart-kid family comedy that balances chaos, sibling dynamics, and a child’s perspective on an imperfect household.
2005 · Curator 8.5/10 (46.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Tubi TV
A coming-of-age family comedy with strong narration, period flavor, and a grounded look at childhood and home life.
2006 · Curator 9.2/10 (79.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For the small-town atmosphere, family bonds, and heartfelt character work, even though it is more drama than comedy.
2007 · Curator 6.0/10 (946.6K ratings) · Where to watch: TBS, Max
The obvious companion piece, especially if you want the adult version of Sheldon’s world and the show’s broader comic style.
1996 · Curator 1.3/10 (654 ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus
A classic family sitcom with domestic realism, recurring tensions, and a strong comfort-TV appeal.
2009 · Curator 9.5/10 (540.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, Peacock Premium, Philo, TBS, Peacock Premium Plus
If you like ensemble family dynamics and easy-to-binge network comedy, this offers a sharper, more varied version of that appeal.
2000 · Curator 1.3/10 (1.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Philo, Netflix Standard with Ads
For viewers who enjoy comfort TV with family dynamics, small-town rhythms, and a strong sense of character.
2005 · Curator 7.8/10 (117.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
A quirky, heart-on-its-sleeve network comedy with a strong sense of community and redemption.
2017 · Curator 0.6/10 (1.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A coming-of-age family dramedy centered on a neurodivergent protagonist, balancing humor, growth, and family relationships.
2021 · Curator 9.8/10 (52.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu, fuboTV, Max
A current, character-driven network comedy with ensemble warmth, workplace rhythm, and broad mainstream appeal.
Topics
family sitcom, coming-of-age, dramedy, small-town, nostalgic, network TV, wholesome, ensemble cast, academic prodigy, 2000s setting
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