We’ve known a Young Sheldon season 7 was happening for a long time now, and we absolutely can’t wait to see what’s in store next for the Cooper gang! Though the series is billed a comedy, it’s certainly more dramatic than its flagship series, The Big Bang Theory.
The Cooper family has a lot to deal with, and we see that more and more each season. The next one we’ve got our eyes set on now is season 7. Here’s everything we know about the next, and final, chapter of the story ahead of its release!
- Young Sheldon season 7 release date (and end date) set following writers and actors strikes
- Young Sheldon season 7 is the final season (Episode count and where to watch)
- Cast: Who can we expect to see return?
- What is the new season about?
- Will there be any The Big Bang Theory cameos? (Spin-offs and more)
Young Sheldon season 7 release date (and end date) set following writers and actors strikes
After a long wait, CBS has finally revealed the release date for the seventh season! Young Sheldon season 7 premieres Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Though we come bearing bittersweet news. The network has been on top of it with the news, and also shared when the series finale is. That’s right, we’ve reached the end (more on that below). The one-hour series finale of Young Sheldon airs Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Could the storyline focus on what we’ve been dreading (more on that below, and here!)
How the strikes affected the season
Initially, the sitcom was supposed to return Thursdays in the fall 2023 television schedule, which is the regular timeslot of the series. At the time, this was due to the writers strike, followed by the actors strike that began on May 2 and July 14, respectively.
It’s unclear whether any filming had started before the writers strike went into effect. But whether any filming has been done or not yet, CBS still chose to push the seventh season’s release date. That probably means they didn’t have enough material to air the first few episodes that would have taken us into around December before the show took its regular winter break, returning in January.
However the good news is that starting on Sept. 27, 2023, the writers strike ended and writers were able to get back to work! The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who represents the big studios, were able to reach an agreement. That means the strike is over and the Young Sheldon writers’ rooms started back up again, having reopened the week of Oct. 2. The new contract is in effect from Sept. 25, 2023 to May 1, 2026.
Nov. 9, 2023 marked the end of the actors strike as well! The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the AMPTP first came to a tentative agreement for a three-year contract. Though the guild voted to approve it and the actors strike is over.
Young Sheldon season 7 is the final season (Episode count and where to watch)
Saying goodbye to the Coopers
On Nov. 14, 2023, the bittersweet news was made official – Young Sheldon season 7 is the final season of the popular sitcom-drama. When episodes return on Feb. 15, 2024, that’s going to mark the beginning of the end of the Cooper prequel story. It’s so hard to think about, but the series has been going on for a long time and been such an enjoyable watch. And that’s all we can ask for! As mentioned above, the season 7 and series finale airs Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Back in March, executive producer Steve Holland shared there had been talks about whether season 7 would be the last, and hinted that it could be. Here’s what he told TVLine:
"We certainly have a plan in place of where we’re aiming [to get] next season with some understanding, and some flexibility, that this may or may not be the end."
Now that the news is official, executive producers Holland, Chuck Lorre, and Steve Molaro released a joint statement, per a press release. We shared it below:
"Being able to tell the origin of Sheldon Cooper, and expanding the story to include the entire Cooper family has been a wonderful experience. We are grateful to our fans for embracing this chapter of the Coopers these past six seasons, and on behalf of the entire Young Sheldon family, we’re excited to share this final season with you."
Leading cast member Iain Armitage who plays the titular character took to Instagram to share his thoughts about the news, as well as his love for the show, cast, and crew. And Missy actress Raegan Revord commented “Can’t stop crying. My family forever! ❤️” in response. Check out his sweet message below:
Season 7 episode count and where to watch the show
The seventh season is going to be a total of 14 episodes. And we already have the synopsis (and photos) from the premiere! We shared the description from CBS below:
"Half a Wiener Schnitzel and Underwear in a Tree” – News of the tornado reaches Sheldon and Mary in Germany. Also, with the Cooper house in chaos, Missy steps up."
Plus, CBS has shared the first sneak peek of the season, which includes Mary announcing that she and Sheldon need to head home due to the tornado to help Meemaw out. As you can expect, Sheldon is not thrilled about leaving with the first day of school the next day.
Though it’s a shorter one compared to its predecessors due to the strike delays, this is good news. Most shows are getting only 10-13 episodes, but this makes sense as comedies are easier to turn around when it comes to filming and post-production. Plus with this being the final season of the series, it’s going to need a bit more time to wrap things up. The show’s predecessors have been 22 episodes long in the past. The exception was season 4 that had a total of 18 episodes due to the pandemic.
Young Sheldon seasons 1-6 are all streaming on Max. Season 7 will hold the show’s regular timeslot of 8 p.m. ET on Thursday nights on CBS when it comes back in February 2024. New episodes will begin streaming the next day on Paramount+, then eventually move to Max with the rest of the seasons.
Young Sheldon has a TV-PG rating, meaning parental guidance is recommended and the series may be unsuitable for younger children. While the story is pretty clean, there are some more mature themes that are discussed at times.
Cast: Who can we expect to see return?
The sitcom has a great main cast, as well as a number of guest stars we've gotten familiar with over the years. Plus, it looks like Mandy and baby Constance are part of the main title sequence in the final season! Check out the cast list and social media post below:
Main cast members:
- Iain Armitage as Sheldon
- Jim Parsons as the voice of adult Sheldon
- Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper
- Lance Barber as George Cooper
- Montana Jordan as Georgie
- Raegan Revord as Missy
- Annie Potts as “Connie”/Meemaw
- Emily Osment as Mandy McAllister
Recurring cast:
- Craig T. Nelson as Dale Ballard
- Matt Hobby as Pastor Jeff Difford
Guest cast expected to return:
- Melissa Peterman as Brenda Sparks
- Wyatt McClure as Billy Sparks
- Wallace Shawn as John Sturgis
- Ed Begley Jr. as Dr. Grant Linkletter
- Wendie Malick as President Linda Hagemeyer
- Dan Byrd as Pastor Rob
- Rachel Bay Jones as Audrey McAllister (Mandy’s mom)
- Will Sasso as Jim McAllister (Mandy’s dad)
One character we love to see all the time is troubled teen Paige, played by actress McKenna Grace. It’s not known yet if she’s going to be in the seventh season. The last time we saw the character was in season 6 episode 13, “A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam.” Missy runs away from home and her friend Paige tags along. She’s definitely one of my favorites and I’d love to know what eventually happens to the character when she’s older. Perhaps Jim Parsons’ voice over can give us a hint to that.
What is the new season about?
We don’t have the full details about the seventh season, though we've seen that it's picking up where we left off at the end of season 6. Sheldon and Mary are in Germany and we'll see them there for a while, Meemaw's biggest issue right now is figuring out how to rebuild her home. And her and Georgie are still working the gambling room. And the Cooper home is full with Mandy and CeeCee moving in. We also have some guesses as to how the show could end.
At the end of season 6, Sheldon and Mary headed to Germany for his summer study abroad, so we’re going to see some of their time there. But now it may be cut short when the tornado news reaches them. There’s also the aftermath of the tornado that hit Medford, Texas – which includes the complete destruction of Meemaw’s home. That means the Cooper home is very full right now. And finally, Georgie and Mandy decided to get married and are now engaged.
In The Big Bang Theory, season 7 episode 9, we’re told that George dies when Sheldon is 14 years old. So unfortunately, this storyline is inching closer and closer. The one big storyline Young Sheldon viewers are waiting for is the fact that based on the story established in The Big Bang Theory (the show’s flagship series), George cheats on Mary and he dies when Sheldon is 14. We now have confirmation that Georgie and Mandy are getting married which is great, but there's also bittersweet news. The storyline we're dreading to see is going to happen as well. And that's Geroge's death. The executive producers of the show have confirmed it is happening in the final season. Though it's one of the plots we don't want to see, it's coming.
Will there be any The Big Bang Theory cameos? (Spin-offs and more)
Over the seasons, we haven’t had any cameos in person from the original cast members from TBBT, however they’ve done voiceover cameos. This makes sense as the comedy is a prequel to TBBT. The ones who made voiceover cameos are Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Mayim Bialik. We would love to see more in the final season! All 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory are streaming on Max.
In April 2023, Max announced that another The Big Bang Theory spinoff is coming to the streamer at some point. A release date, cast, and synopsis have not been announced yet. The company hasn’t even made it clear whether the new show will be a prequel like Young Sheldon or a sequel to the flagship series. All we do know at the moment is that co-creator of TBBT Chuck Lorre is attached to the project and it’s currently in the very early stages.
A Young Sheldon spin-off could be coming
And while we're bidding Young Sheldon farewell, some of the characters may stick around a little longer. A spin-off centered around Mandy and Georgie could be in the works, as CBS is working on giving the new show a 13-episode order to air in the 2024-2025 season, per Deadline. At the moment, Young Sheldon executive producers Steve Holland, Steven Molaro, and Chuck Lorre are in discussions and deals with Jordan and Osment "are still being worked out."
Stay tuned to Hidden Remote as we bring you updates and details about Young Sheldon season 7!