Some Young Sheldon Fans Have A Surprising Response To The Big Bang Theory

"The Big Bang Theory" ended in 2019 after 12 seasons and a nice, even 10 Emmy victories. The show featured many storylines that fans hated and occasionally went too far, but there's no denying the fact that it was highly successful. 

Since successful TV series tend to spawn spinoffs, it wasn't entirely shocking to hear that CBS opted to expand the show's universe with a prequel that focused on the original show's key character, the eccentric Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). Instead of becoming a one-hit wonder, "Young Sheldon" has managed to craft its own legacy since its 2017 debut, while still keeping a laser-like focus on exploring Sheldon's (Iain Armitage) eventful school years, revealing the origins of his various character traits, and even explaining the occasional major mystery from "The Big Bang Theory's" heyday.  

Knowing all this, it would be easy to think that fans have embraced both shows with open arms. Yet, it appears that some "Young Sheldon" fans have a pretty surprising response to "The Big Bang Theory."

In a "Young Sheldon" conversation on Reddit, user u/bavmotors1 revealed that their deep affinity to "The Big Bang Theory" spinoff show doesn't extend to the original. "I really like Young Sheldon, but I think The Big Bang Theory is fully garbage – wall to wall. Is this common?" they wrote. 

This prompted some other members to note that they fully enjoy both shows, but several viewers agreed on the sentiment, and some even started pondering on the deeper differences between the two. "I think this is an unpopular opinion but I completely agree. I watched young Sheldon first and tried to watch tbbt afterwards but it just didn't have that charm that young Sheldon had," u/purpleswirl_ agreed with the first poster. 

Redditor u/ses267 didn't personally buy in to "The Big Bang Theory" hate, but confirmed that it's not exactly uncommon in their "Young Sheldon"-loving social circles. "I like both but have a few friends who hate Big Bang but like Young Sheldon," they revealed.

User u/MajorZombie7204 took a moment to analyze things, and concluded that the shows are different enough that it's entirely possible that one might be up your alley far more than the other. "With BBT shot in front of a live audience, it has more of a play/theater feel versus YS. Obviously some of the content is very different. So, depending on one's sense of humor, they can like one and not the other," they wrote.

It may indeed seem counterintuitive that a fan would enjoy one show featuring Sheldon Cooper and dislike another, but it seems that the shows have more than enough tonal difference to make this perfectly possible.