Young Sheldon to air next year

Channel 4 has bought the rights to air The Big Bang Theory prequel  Young Sheldon for E4.

The comedy, about the geeky nine-year-old Sheldon Cooper as he struggles to be understood by his family, classmates and neighbours, will air next year.

Jim Parsons, who made the character famous, provides the voiceover for the 13 half-hour episodes, with Iain Armitage playing the younger version.

A preview episode airs on CBS in the States tonight ahead of a full season launch in November.

Unlike the original multi-camera sitcom, Young Sheldon is not filmed in a studio – and early reviews suggest it is aiming to play on more dramatic elements of a strained family dynamic as well as offering a nostalgic trip back to the 1990s, which may come as a shock to fans of the broad comedy of Big Bang Theory.

The original is one of E4’s biggest hits.Series 10  attracted an average audience of 2.4 million viewers an episode and a 9.5 per cent share of the viewing audience – more than double the channel’s slot average

Created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, Young Sheldon also stars Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Annie Potts, Montana Jordan and Raegan Revord.

Published: 25 Sep 2017