Here comes… the Coopers!
Here comes… the Coopers!
With plans for Sheldon and Amy's wedding looming on The Big Bang Theory's horizon, we're already dreaming of what kind of geek-chic nuptials the couple will bring to our screens -- so ET called up showrunner Steve Holland for an exclusive preview of what's in the works for Shamy's big day.
"We haven’t written the finale yet, but we've been building to it all season and I think you'll see a wedding," Holland confirmed. "We've talked about it a lot in the [writers'] room and it's a big moment."
"People have been waiting for nine years for this moment," he added. "We've been building this relationship slowly over the course of the seasons, so you start to talk about what you feel like you owe the fans and what they'll be satisfied with -- but you also need to make it something unexpected and fun."
Something fun that we've been crossing our fingers for is the opportunity to see some of Sheldon's MIA family members, and luckily, it sounds like the possibility of a Cooper family reunion could become a reality.
"I mean, obviously, with a wedding coming up, I think it'll be a chance to meet some of Sheldon's family that we either have seen very little of, or haven’t met at all," the showrunner teased.
With The Big Bang Theory currently in its 11th season and spanning nearly 250 episodes, it can be confusing to remember which members we've officially met, so let's do a little bit of a Cooper family roll call, shall we?
When it comes to this family of six, fans have come to know and love Sheldon's mother, Mary, who has been played by Laurie Metcalf since Big Bang's first season and -- in a delightful twist -- Metcalf's real-life daughter, Zoe Perry, portrays the Texan mother on the hit prequel series Young Sheldon.
Audiences have also met Sheldon's infamous and beloved Meemaw on both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon through actresses June Squibb and Annie Potts, respectively.
As for Sheldon's siblings? Actress Courtney Henggeler took on the role of Sheldon's twin sister, Missy, in an early season one episode of Big Bang, but the character has yet to return to the long-running CBS sitcom. Meanwhile, Missy's on-screen counterpart on Young Sheldon is currently being played by the scene-stealing look-alike Raegan Revord.
However, Big Bang fans have not seen anything from Sheldon's big brother, Georgie -- played by Montana Jordan on Young Sheldon -- nor from the patriarch of the Cooper family, George Sr. (Lance Barber) because he died when Sheldon was a teenager.
"It's interesting because Young Sheldon certainly informs [the story on The Big Bang Theory]," Holland explained. "I mean, Missy was on so early in season one and the thought of who she was as a character is probably different now because of Young Sheldon."
Ever since the plan of the prequel series was first announced, many fans have wondered if The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon would stage a crossover event or if Jim Parsons and Iain Armitage's two versions of Sheldon would ever share a scene together.
After all, The Big Bang Theory is no stranger to showcasing Sheldon in dream or fantasy sequences. He often chats with the spirit of his childhood mentor, Professor Proton, played by the incomparable Bob Newhart, during times of deep reflection, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched to see two Sheldons conversing with one another.
"Certainly I don’t know if [a crossover] will be specifically that moment, but I think [the plan is] to let the two shows play together," Holland revealed. "For the first season of Young Sheldon, in a really smart way, they wanted to get it up and get it running and make it its own unique thing… I think that show is really strong and I think Iain Armitage, who plays young Sheldon, is uncannily good."
"But moving forward," the executive producer continued, "I think there's certainly things we could do between the two shows where you could see something on The Big Bang Theory that's referenced and see actually how it played out in the past [on Young Sheldon]."
The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and Young Sheldon airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
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