Young Sheldon

In this spin-off of the fan favourite series The Big Bang Theory, we get the origin story of the show’s central character, socially awkward genius Sheldon Cooper.

The show also follows his teachers, his mother Mary, who worries about her son’s mental health, and his grandmother Meemaw, and how they deal with young Sheldon’s quirks and challenges.

The episodes have appealingly off-the-wall names, such as the first episode of Season 3, which is called Quirky Eggheads and Texas Snow Globes – they’re not as scientific as the episode names of the Big Bang Theory, which is fitting for a show about a character who’s only an aspiring scientist, and who’s still learning who he is.

Critics enjoyed the first season of the spin-off, saying “Young Sheldon ends up having a mind of its own, even if it’s a prequel to a long-established hit” (Uncle Barky) and “It has got a lot of heart, and plenty of laughs” (The Australian). Even those who aren’t fans of The Big Bang Theory will appreciate Young Sheldon for its lack of a laugh track and, says the Observer UK, its “un-busy single-camera shots, at stark odds with its frenetic parent show”.