Critical Commentary - "Young Sheldon"

I love "The Big Bang Theory", but I have to admit that when CBS announced plans last spring to air a spin-off prequel series called "Young Sheldon", I wasn't real enthused.  I saw it as a blatant attempt for CBS and the show's producers to milk the cash cow to the extent that it probably wouldn't be any good.  Still, as fans of "Big Bang", we had to give it a shot, and we are slowly becoming captivated by the show.

Nine year old Iain Armitage in the title role is cute and pretty good, and he is growing on me with each passing episode.  

To me, though, the real stars of the show are the two female leads.

Zoe Perry plays Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mom, and she is very good in it.  It is a bit of casting that could be called a gimmick, but that has worked out well.  The gimmick being that Miss Perry is the real life daughter of actress Laurie Metcalfe who has for years played Sheldon's mother on TBBT.

Perry and Metcalfe

However, the real star is veteran actress Annie Potts who plays Meemaw, Sheldon's Grandmother.

She gets the best lines and delivers them with perfect facial expressions.  Meemaw also provides a voice of reason to family that is definitely facing challenges from having a kid like Sheldon in its midst.

One question that loomed in my mind when this series was announced and that concerned Sheldon's father.  For years on Big Bang, whenever Sheldon referred to his father, it was usually in the negative, and he was often referenced as a bit of a drunken lout.  Well, the producers of "Young Sheldon" have softened that image a bit, and George Cooper is seen as a guy who is trying his best but just isn't sure what to do when trying to raise a prodigy like Sheldon.

Finally, Jim Parsons, who earns more than $1 million per episode for portraying Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" provides voice over narration for "Young Sheldon".  How much more  money is he getting for that gig?

In summary, "Young Sheldon" is not yet on the level of "The Big Bang Theory", but it's getting better week-by-week, and it has been permanently set to record on our DVR.  It's comic portrayal of a young family, parents and siblings, trying to deal with a genius in their midst like Sheldon is worth watching.