Chuck Lorre Rejecting 1 Big Bang Theory Story Makes the Perfect Young Sheldon Replacement Possible

One The Big Bang Theory‘s untold story that Chuck Lorre shot down is the perfect launching pad for its Young Sheldon replacement series. In 2017, CBS decided to expand the nerd-centric franchise with the debut of its very first spinoff. Set in Medford, Texas, in the ’90s, Young Sheldon was meant to be Sheldon’s origin story, and for the most part, it was. Inspired by the socially-inept genius’s penchant for sharing anecdotes from that time, including some absurd narratives about his family, the comedy eventually became network TV’s number 1 sitcom after Jim Parsons’ exit from The Big Bang Theory spelled its end.

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Young Sheldon ended with season 7 after outgrowing its original premise. As its story diversified, the rest of the Cooper family became as important as the boy genius to its story. In fact, they became fan-favorites of their own that Georgie now spearheads the third The Big Bang Theory prequel spinoff — Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. While it has its own appeal, the ongoing show has barely any ties to the original project, leaving fans of the Pasadena gang wanting a spinoff that has stronger ties to it. Luckily, The Big Bang Theory franchise has a clear way to address this.

Chuck Lorre Didn’t Want To Introduce Howard’s Dad In The Big Bang Theory

In order to flesh out their characters, the respective families of the main friend group in The Big Bang Theory were also brought in, although some were featured more prominently than others. Among them, the Wolowitzes had arguably the most interesting dynamic, as Howard lived with his mom until his death. However, it’s the mystery about his dad that continues to be unresolved until the point. Interestingly, The Big Bang Theory had a chance to finally clear the air on what happened to Mr. Wolowitz, including why he unexpectedly abandoned his family and what happened to him after.

In Jessica Radloff’s The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, co-producer of the nerd-centric sitcom, Steve Molaro, revealed that there were actually conversations about introducing Howard’s dad. By then, his mom was already an established character in the series, even though she never physically appeared. Despite the interest from so many people, including Simon Helberg, Lorre shot down the idea. Molaro said:

“There were a number of times we talked about it in the room or came up with stories that would involve that, but it got to the point where Chuck just didn’t want to do it”

Considering how a big part of Young Sheldon was fleshing out Lance Barber’s George Cooper after years of being the butt of Sheldon and Mary’s jokes in the flagship, it’s interesting why the producer didn’t want to address the Wolowitz family mystery. For context, the closest The Big Bang Theory got to tackling the plot was when Howard’s half-brother, Josh, showed up at his and Bernadette’s door in “The Fortification Implementation.” Unfortunately, Matt Bennett’s appearance as the younger Wolowitz was a one-time thing, as he never returned beyond that introduction.

Mr. Wolowitz’s Mystery Is The Perfect Launching Pad For Young Howard

Helberg admitted in Radloff’s book that he was disappointed that the mystery was never solved before The Big Bang Theory ended. Between this and the persistent interest in seeing another spinoff that revolves around one of the main characters of The Big Bang Theory, Lorre and his team doing Young Howard seems like the next organic expansion for the evolving franchise. The prequel can show the Wolowitzes during Howard’s childhood, back when he still had both his mother and father around, up until the family patriarch left and even beyond that.

Similar to how the Young Sheldon ending included a flashforward scene, Young Howard can also feature a sequence set after the events of The Big Bang Theory, revealing Howard finally solving the case of his missing father. Because not much was revealed about why he really left, Lorre and his creative team will have creative freedom, posing an easier task than what they faced in Young Sheldon. It’s no secret that because of Sheldon’s throwaway stories about his family in the flagship, his prequel had no choice but to tackle certain plots that didn’t really fit the show’s own storytelling.

For what it’s worth, Young Sheldon season 2 already teased what Howard’s life was like around the same time, and it did seem like he was as cheeky in his youth as he was in adulthood. Exploring more of that while also properly addressing the lingering mystery about his dad sounds like the perfect narrative combo for The Big Bang Theory‘s next origin story.

The Big Bang Theory & Young Sheldon stream on HBO Max.

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