Emily Osment reveals which Young Sheldon characters will show up in Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage (Interview)

Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage officially has a release date, coming to our screens on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024! The Young Sheldon follow-up series starring Montana Jordan and Emily Osment will air during its predecessor's time slot at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. And while the fall is still a time's away, we already have some teases about the spin-off thanks to the leading actress herself.

Hidden Remote had the opportunity to speak with Osment ahead of the new series' release. The actress revealed that the show is in pre-production with table reads, wardrobe fittings, hair and makeup tests, and more. In about a week and a half, filming will officially begin with a live studio audience, just like how The Big Bang Theory did it. How exciting is that?

In our interview, Osment shared which characters from Young Sheldon will pop up in the pilot episode, what the "first" in Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage alludes to, and what she's excited for viewers to see. Read on below for all the details!

Hidden Remote: Can you talk about when you found out Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage was happening, and your reaction to the news?

Emily Osment: We had just gotten off [a] Zoom [call] where we found out that it was going to be our last season of Young Sheldon. And I got a call a couple minutes later from [creator] Chuck Lorre asking [about] my interest in maybe carrying on this character for another show. And no one says no to Chuck Lorre. It's just a bad idea. Montana [Jordan] and I were very grateful that our experience on Young Sheldon was not going to be the end of our friendship. And we were so looking forward to working together more consistently. And it's just a dream. I'm so excited to start this with him and with Rachel [Bay Jones] and with Will [Sasso]. It's just going to be tremendous.

HR: Does the spin-off pick up right where Young Sheldon left off or is there a time jump?

Osment: I think it's probably a couple of months [after]. It's not that large of a jump. I think it's really important for us to pick up after the passing of George and still have that be fresh because it's fresh for our audience. And I think it's wise for us to deal with the fallout of that, of the loss of the father. So we get into that a little bit in the pilot and I'm sure we'll broach it even more as the series goes on.

HR: How would you say is the spin-off going to balance honoring Young Sheldon, while making the new series stand out on its own?

Osment: Oh, I think that's a question for the writers. All I can say is I know that Annie Potts [Connie/Meemaw] and Zoe Perry [Mary Cooper] will be joining us for the pilot, which is wonderful. And I know that Mandy definitely needs those two characters. Meemaw was such a wonderful support system for her, especially when she was pregnant and dealing with her mother. She needed Meemaw. And so Meemaw will be there for this transition as well, which I think is really important. [TVLine reports that Missy Cooper actress Raegan Revord will show up in the second episode.]

HR: Speaking of, Mandy and Audrey's relationship has been complicated. Will they learn how to communicate better?

Osment: I hope not. I hope it gets a lot worse. I think that is very funny. I hope that they fall on their face and they're [trying to manage] their relationship quite a few times before they figure it out because the turmoil is where the funny is.

HR: Young Sheldon was more of a drama-comedy while The Big Bang Theory leaned more into the comedy aspect. Where where does Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage fall?

Osment: I think we have a very good track record with [creators] Chuck Lorre, Steve Mallaro, and Steve Hall and finding the levity in serious situations, and vice versa. You have the comedy, you have the real moments, you have the authenticity. It's very relatable. It's why they've had so much success. It's because it's real life and real life is funny and it's very tragic at the same time.

HR: Like you mentioned earlier, George's death is still fresh for audiences and the family. So how is that going to shape the story?

Osment: I'm not sure. I think the first few episodes are probably going to be focused on getting these new characters off the ground and establishing relationships with Audrey and Jim, and focusing on Mandy and Georgie. And where they land in their lives.

HR: Mandy has previously mentioned that she would be interested in going back to work. Do you know if we might see that conversation come up again?

Osment: I hope so. I think I think that would make her even more relatable than she already is. A young mother wanting to continue her career, whether that's an education, or going back to school, or finding a job that she can manage with having a baby. I just think that's the thing that so many women go through everyday. And I would love to see her be inspired by something that takes her away from the family a little bit so she can find her footing as a person. Because even when we are a mother, we are also people outside of that.

HR: What's your favorite aspect about Mandy, and what are you most excited to do with her character in the new series?

Osment: I love how lovingly perplexed she is by Georgie. She loves him so much, but he's just from a different part of the universe to her. So there's a lot of things lost in translation or just misunderstood. But it's always with love and it's always very funny. And I'm excited to see how they manage their age gap and raising their child together.

HR: So this is called Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. And based on The Big Bang Theory lore, Georgie is supposed to be married and divorce twice. But, is there a chance that Mandy and Georgie are endgame?

Osment: Mandy and Georgie are forever. I think that's what's so hilarious about this title is that it alludes to their first marriage ending. But it doesn't ever rule out the fact that they could also be each other's second marriage.

HR: Based on behind-the-scenes photos, the "First" is underlined in the title. So I don't know. I feel like they're trying to emphasize that.

Osment: Exactly. Yeah. There you go.

HR: I know you haven't started filming yet, but what are you most looking forward to in terms of having a live audience this time?

Osment: [A live audience] just brings such a wonderful extra little bit of energy to the show. And it's so fun. It's live theater once a week. And that's why we do it, for the live reaction and that little boost you get from not knowing how the audience is going to react.

HR: What are you most excited for fans to see in the new show?

Osment: I'm excited for all the new characters that we get to meet. We're going to have some more characters join us for this season. And I'm excited and thrilled to see who they're going to bring on to make this world even bigger. And it's all a surprise to me as well. It's going to be great.

Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage premieres Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Stream the next day on Paramount+.