Young Sheldon Fans Are Worried About One Change On George & Mandy’s Spin-Off
The “Young Sheldon” spin-off “George and Mandy’s First Marriage” is bringing the “Big Bang Theory” universe back to its roots — it’s going to be a multi-camera sitcom. Although “The Big Bang Theory” successfully defied trends as a multi-camera outing that went against what had become popular on television, fans are worried that the new series’ overall quality might be poor.
“Ewwwww. I don’t want it. Prefer filmed comedies [sic],” said u/MyViscountess on the “Young Sheldon” subreddit. Many fans complained about the notion of watching “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” with an accompanying laugh track, as is tradition for multi-camera sitcoms, as they find laugh tracks to be insincere, false-sounding, and grating. Some fans even think this format choice highlights the faulty nature of moving Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) to their own universe. “Yeah, I’m disappointed. The whole premise is screwy even the title is lacking,” said u/Justifiably_Cynical.
While some audience members may have their doubts about the program, several very important people believe that the series will make it as a multicamera sitcom — chief among them the show’s executive producer, Chuck Lorre.
Industry professionals are fazed by multi-cams as well
While “Young Sheldon” fans might be concerned about the way “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” is switching up the series’ format, series co-creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre — a sitcom veteran with dozens of successful multi-camera shows under his belt — doesn’t share those fears.
“What the industry perceives as viable, that’s none of my business, actually. I try to stay focused on doing things that I love,” he said in an interview with Deadline, adding that his job simply revolves around making audiences laugh. Co-executive producer Steve Holland agreed, saying, “We’ve done this long enough and heard multiple times that multi-camera sitcoms are dead. Before ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ people liked to make these predictions but all it takes is something the audience connects with and it’s not true anymore.”
The success of other multi-camera sitcoms — such as NBC’s “Night Court” and “Lopez vs Lopez” — suggests that Lorre is correct and the genre is still alive, if not kicking. And even then, the show is set to be loaded with guest stars and cast members from “Young Sheldon,” setting up a familiar feeling for viewers following along at home. Audiences will find out who’s right and how well it suits them when “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” debuts on October 17.