The 10 Shows To Watch If You Like ‘Young Sheldon’

With young sheldon  recently ending on a satisfying yet poignant note, fans of the spin-off series might be looking for something else to fill the void. Centered around a deeply intelligent though also egotistical and socially awkward young boy (Iian Armitage) and his journey from middle school to college, Young Sheldon was funny, heartwarming, and provided great context for fans who fell in love with the adult Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) from  the big bang theory 

Naturally, that show is first on the list of shows to watch, or re-watch, after finishing Young Sheldon. But there are others worth putting on the radar within the weekly primetime TV viewing rotation with similar themes and/or characters.

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  Iain Armitage

  Sheldon Cooper
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  Zoe Perry

  Mary Cooper

ig Bang Theory’ (2007-2019)

Created by Chuck Lorre & Bill Prady

Chances are fans of Young Sheldon watched that series have already watched The Big Bang Theory. But with so many Easter Eggs, callbacks, and appearances from supporting characters (all in older form played by different actors), now is the perfect time to re-watch the show while the moments from the prequel are still fresh in the mind. Hearing Sheldon reference events and people from his childhood and recalling how the show played these out perfectly brings a fresh new perspective to scenes that wouldn’t have been there the first time around.

Of course, there will be discrepancies, most notably, Lance Barber, who plays Sheldon’s father, George Sr., plays Leonard’s high school bully in one episode. But those moments aside, viewers will see Sheldon and particularly the way he talks about his father in a whole new light, having seen how his childhood really was and how he reconciles the way he saw it.

9‘Fuller House’ (1987-1995)

Created by Jeff Franklin

Yes,… House, in which this series serves as a sequel, is worth watching, too, with… to make you laugh. But for a new generation of kids who loved Young Sheldon, might be more up their alley. Perfect to watch with the whole family, Fuller House is a modern look at the story told in Full House. Centered around eldest Tanner’s daughter, DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), she finds herself in the same position as her father when her husband passes away, and she is left to raise three kids on her own. Just as her father’s brother-in-law and best friend did, DJ’s sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and best friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) move in to help.

Fans of Young Sheldon, however, will especially love middle child Max (Elias Harger), an intelligent boy just like Sheldon, and a serious neat freak. He always has witty comments, dresses like Sheldon with slacks and crisp shirts, and even carries a briefcase to school. His one-liners and experiences mirror those of Sheldon’s. While Max isn’t as socially awkward and cynical, the middle schooler experiences the same challenges Sheldon did with fitting in. Parents who watched Full House will love the show, while kids who never watched the original will still find it entertaining in all the show’s corny glory.

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8‘The Middle’ (2009-2018)

Created by Eileen Heisler & DeAnn Heline

Like Young Sheldo…centers around a middle-class family with three kids, all of whom are very different from one another. Brick (Atticus Shaffer) is the youngest and the like Sheldon in a lot of ways. He’s smart, introverted, loves to read, and displays odd behaviors. It’s loosely implied on the show that he may have autism, something that Young Sheldon viewers have theorized about Sheldon as well.

As a sitcom, The Middle has its funny and more serious moments, following the family along with their day-to-day challenges relating to home life, careers, and raising children. Receiving positive reviews throughout its run, The Middle is one of those sitcoms you might have missed when it was airing but still holds up today.

7‘That ’90s Show’ (2023-)

Created by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Lindsey Turner, and Gregg Mettler

Serving as a sequel to That ‘70s Show with…the central character in…is Leia Forman (Callie Haverda), the teenage daughter of Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon) from the original. She visits her grandparents, Kitty and Red, with Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith reprising their roles, and ends up staying for the summer, where she meets a new group of friends.

What fans of Young Sheldon will love about That ‘90s Show is the dynamic among the friends as well as the time period: both shows are set in the ‘90s and include many pop culture references from the time. References to nerd culture as well are plenty, including Leia’s name inspired by Eric’s love for…and geeky characters like Ozzie (Reyn Doi), who introduces Kitty to her very first computer with internet. While some of the themes might be too mature for young kids in That ‘90s Show, it’s a fun show to watch with older kids.

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  Kurtwood Smith
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  Debra Jo Rupp

rn Family’ (2009-2020)

Created by Christopher Lloyd & Steven Levitan

Arguably one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s…depicted just that: a totally modern extended family. This includes a patriarch, his much younger second wife and her son (along with a baby in later seasons); the daughter and her husband and three kids; and son, her husband, and their adopted child. The show, delivered in mockumentary style, is approached as though the family is inviting viewers (or an unnamed documentarian) into the ridiculous events of their day-to-day lives and antics, with candid moments interviewed with interviews about the goings-ons.

With tons of double entendres and innuendo, there are jokes that will go over kids’ heads and ones that everyone will love. Every character is one to get behind, but the one who is most like Sheldon is Alex Dunphy (Ariel Winter), the middle child who feels like she doesn’t fit in with her family. She’s incredibly smart and high-strung, often annoyed at her dimwitted, materialistic and shallow brother and sister. There’s a lot of the same humor with a more modern (pun intended) spin on Modern Family. The show offers throughout its long, multi-Emmy Award-winning run that even fans who have watched already might consider watching again.

5‘Malcolm in the Middle’ (2000-2006)

Created by Linwood Boomer

The show that made fans think Bryan Cranston was made for comedy (they later found out he could do so much more), …is, once again, centered around a family with three kids, one of whom happens to be a child prodigy with a photographic memory. Like Sheldon, the title son Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is considered to be gifted. He isn’t as academically inclined (or obsessed) as Sheldon, but he is snarky and rude at times, mostly because he doesn’t feel as though he fits in and gets frustrated with those who don’t meet him at his intelligence level.

The family dynamic is much goofier in Malcolm in the Middle with the hot-headed mom and immature dad who acts more like a friend to the boys than a father at times. Some of … include times when Hal (Cranston) and the boys get up to no good. But in the end, both shows are about families coming together despite their differences.

4‘The Goldbergs’ (2013-2023)

Created by Adam F. Goldberg

Also set in the ‘80s and ‘90s…is centered around another awkward, nerdy young boy who is finding his place and coming-of-age in an unconventional way. Adam Goldberg (Sean Giambrone) isn’t an academic, but he is passionate about filmmaking, always filming his family’s antics or making movies at school or with friends. Based on the childhood of the show’s creator, with…the family dynamic has both differences and similarities to Young Sheldon.

Adam is the middle child, flanked by his goofy older brother Barry (Troy Gentile), who, it turns out, is actually quite smart; and his older sister Erica (Hayley Orrantia), a typical teenage girl who dreams of being a famous singer. Both families feature a working dad and a traditional mom who cares for the home. The Goldbergs provides its comedy through the relationship of Adam with his family members, particularly his overbearing mother, Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey). Like Sheldon, Adam is also obsessed with stereotypically nerdy things like comic books and Star Wars, leading to lots of similar references in both shows.

3Smart Guy’ (1997-1999)

Created by Danny Kallis

One of… who is often referred to as the original Young Sheldon, is T.J. Henderson (Tahj Mowry) in Smart Guy. He’s a child prodigy who, like Sheldon, has moved up from fourth grade to high school. Also, like Sheldon, this puts T.J. in the same school as his older siblings (Sheldon joined his brother Georgie). Smart Guy centers around the family adjusting to T.J.’s new adventures and having a child who is arguably smarter than all of them put together.

The family dynamic and sibling rivalry is reminiscent of Young Sheldon. While T.J. is far more social than Sheldon, both still deal with being different from their peers and trying to navigate the complications this causes, often to hilarious effect.

2‘Fresh Off The Boat’ (2015-2020)

Created by Nahnatchka Khan

Also set in the ‘90s,…centers around a Taiwanese-American family raising their three kids in Florida while running their cowboy-themed steakhouse. The sitcom offers plenty of laughs, often involving the interactions between the three siblings and their parents. Like in Young Sheldon, the siblings are very different from one another. Most like Sheldon is the youngest son, Evan (Ian Chen), an overachiever who believes in following rules to a T. He is juxtaposed by his siblings, the rebellious eldest son Eddie (Hudson Yang), and the academic Emery (Forrest Wheeler), who balances academia with being an athlete as well.

Fresh Off The Boat offers a unique perspective, telling the story from the point-of-view of a family dealing with cultural differences and trying to retain their identity while assimilating to traditional American life. Light-hearted and fun, it has moments with a more serious tone as well, though those are fewer and further between.