The Big Bang Theory was one of the most popular sitcoms in recent years, running for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019. With its huge success and devoted fanbase, many viewers wondered if a spinoff featuring some of the show’s beloved characters was in the works after The Big Bang Theory ended.
The Potential for a Spinoff
There was certainly potential for CBS and Warner Bros. Television to develop a spinoff from The Big Bang Theory given how successful the original show was. The Big Bang Theory consistently ranked as one of the highest-rated comedies on television during its 12-season run. At its peak in 2014, the show averaged over 20 million viewers per episode.
The Big Bang Theory also featured several standout characters that could have anchored their own spinoff shows. Sheldon Cooper (played by Jim Parsons), Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) were all beloved by fans and had enough depth to helm a spinoff focused just on them.
Attempts at a Spinoff
There were some attempts made at developing a Big Bang Theory spinoff over the years that the original show was on the air. Here are a few of the ideas that were floated for potential spinoffs:
- A prequel spinoff focused on a young Sheldon Cooper growing up in Texas was floated in 2012. This concept ended up coming to fruition years later with Young Sheldon premiering in 2017.
- A Leonard & Penny spinoff following the couple’s marriage was rumored in 2014 but never materialized.
- A Howard & Bernadette spinoff centering on the married couple was also rumored but never made it past early discussions.
However, despite these preliminary ideas for spinoffs, no Big Bang Theory spinoff focusing on the original adult characters ever made it to air while The Big Bang Theory was still running. Most spinoff discussions fizzled out in the development stage.
Young Sheldon Spinoff
Ultimately, only one Big Bang Theory spinoff has come to fruition so far – Young Sheldon. This prequel series focuses on the childhood of the adult Sheldon Cooper character in East Texas. Young Sheldon premiered in 2017 while The Big Bang Theory was still on the air and was later renewed for additional seasons after The Big Bang Theory ended.
Young Sheldon has proven to be a successful spinoff for CBS and Warner Bros. Television. As of 2023, it has run for 6 seasons and has been renewed for 2 more. The show has given viewers more insight into Sheldon’s backstory and featured some voice-over cameos from Jim Parsons as adult Sheldon. Several other Big Bang Theory characters have appeared on Young Sheldon as well.
Young Sheldon Ratings
| Season | Viewers (Millions) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 13.50 |
| 2 | 12.67 |
| 3 | 11.52 |
| 4 | 10.34 |
| 5 | 8.74 |
| 6 | 7.49 |
Future Spinoff Potential?
While Young Sheldon remains the only current Big Bang Theory spinoff, there is still a chance that another spinoff featuring the adult versions of the characters could be pursued in the future. Several years have passed now since The Big Bang Theory ended its run, so the timing may be right to revisit those characters in a new spinoff.
CBS and Warner Bros. Television may be hesitant to dilute the legacy of The Big Bang Theory by launching more spinoffs. But the huge popularity of the show demonstrated that there is still a loyal audience who would watch new stories featuring Leonard, Sheldon, Penny and the rest of the gang. The massive success of Young Sheldon also proves the viability of a Big Bang Theory spinoff.
While nothing firm is in the works yet, fans may not have seen the last of The Big Bang Theory universe on television. There are still opportunities to revisit these characters that so many viewers came to love over 12 seasons. So the possibility of another Big Bang Theory spinoff shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.
Conclusion
In summary, while The Big Bang Theory spawned the successful prequel spinoff Young Sheldon, no spinoff featuring the original adult characters came to fruition during The Big Bang Theory’s 12-season run. There was certainly potential for CBS and Warner Bros. to develop spinoffs based on characters like Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny given the massive popularity of the show. Several spinoff ideas floated around over the years but never made it past early development. For now, Young Sheldon remains the only existing spinoff. However, the potential for new Big Bang Theory spinoffs down the road still exists if the creators and networks want to revisit the characters that viewers loved for so many years.