‘Young Sheldon’ … Makes for Mellow Watching

Sheldon Cooper from the ‘Big Bang Theory’ is one of the most iconic characters in television history. He’s intelligent, believes he’s better than everyone else yet fails at basic human engagement, especially when it comes to women.

Often dragged by his mates for being straightforward and not reading a room right, there was something about Sheldon that we all loved. But his background was always given to the fans in bits and pieces.

How did a man from East Texas become the genius that he is today?

This is discovered in the new series ‘Young Sheldon’ starring Iain Armitage. The show takes viewers back in time (specifically to 1989) to when Sheldon was nine years old, too smart for his age and skipped four grades to enter high school.

It’s the oddest thing – a boy who knows absolutely nothing about puberty becoming involved with high schoolers and diving headfirst into the School of Life.

We all know what teens are like: The cliques of bullies stomping around school, know-it-alls, jokers, cheerleaders, musicians and the likes…

But at least Sheldon is not alone. He’s fiercely protected by his mother Mary Cooper (played by Zoe Perry) who would do anything for her child, even though she battles to understand him. The two often clash due to their separate religious beliefs, but you know what they say about a mother’s love. It’s truly unconditional.

Cooper’s father George (played by Lance Barber) is more rough. The football coach isn’t exactly the brightest and hasn’t got a good reputation with his wife’s mother, but it’s evident that he cares about his gifted son and would come to his rescue when necessary.

A relationship that’s quite sad, though, is between Cooper and his brother Georgie (Montana Jordan). Sheldon’s older brother has a tough exterior and strongly resembles their father. It’s unfortunate that Georgie resents his brother because he is mocked by others for not having the same kind of intelligence. And this intensifies his insecurities as he tries his best to gain approval from others, but rarely does.

Someone who’s often overlooked is Sheldon’s twin sister Missy – a bit of a minor character, but demands attention when she’s in the room.

Although she’s not as smart as Sheldon is, she has a love for her brother that no one can explain.

It’s truly a wholesome family show that has already garnered enough popularity for a second season. Jim Parsons, who acts as the adult Sheldon, gave producers the idea in November 2016 and months later, the series was born – gaining about 18 episodes of fun-filled Cooper comedy.

It’s probably not going to be the kind of show that you want to rush home for, it’s more mellow – something like ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ or ‘Malcolm In The Middle’, but expect appearances from high profile people like Elon Musk and Ray Liotta.