10 Shows To Watch If You Like Young Sheldon

Summary Young Sheldon offers fans a look at Sheldon Cooper's childhood, setting the stage for his character in The Big Bang Theory.

Shows like Smart Guy and Fuller House provide similar humor and setup to Young Sheldon with quirky, intelligent characters.

Fans seeking more shows like Young Sheldon can enjoy series such as The Goldbergs and Everybody Hates Chris for more family-themed sitcom fun.

There have been plenty of TV shows featuring precocious kids, but few have reached the level of shows like Young Sheldon. Premiering in 2017 on CBS, Young Sheldon acted as a prequel to the extremely popular Big Bang Theory and focused on the childhood of Sheldon Cooper from that hit sitcom. With Iain Armitage playing a young Sheldon and Jim Parsons providing voice-over as an adult looking back on his youth, it showed fans why Sheldon became the character he would be on TBBT, while also struggling to keep his continuity intact.

The show was a success, with Young Sheldon season 7 wrapping up the show. However, when wanting to find something similar to watch after finishing Young Sheldon, there are a lot of options with similar humor, setup, and characters. Most shows like Young Sheldon are sitcoms, with the precocious kids bringing plenty of laughs. The best comparisons are also TV shows that feature characters who go far beyond the realm of precocious to quirky, arrogant, and awkward. Looking at both old and newer shows, there is a lot out there for anyone looking for more of the same.

Related The Best TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked The best TV shows of all time will be debated forever, but there are clear contenders. These are the very best TV shows of all time, ranked.

1 The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

12 Seasons, 279 Episodes

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The Big Bang Theory Release Date September 24, 2007 Cast Kaley Cuoco , Johnny Galecki , Jim Parsons , Melissa Rauch , Mayim Bialik , Kunal Nayyar , Simon Helberg Seasons 12

Stream now on Max

The most obvious choice of shows to watch for fans of Young Sheldon is The Big Bang Theory, for which the show serves as a sort of prequel. In Young Sheldon, fans get a glimpse into the early years of Sheldon Cooper and the family he talked about so much on the show. Young Sheldon offers viewers a better understanding of adult Sheldon from this show as they can see exactly how he grew into this character.

The Big Bang Theory provides satisfaction in hearing adult Sheldon make subtle comments referencing his childhood from moments that are then depicted on the show, although be warned that there are moments that go against what fans originally saw on TBBT. The timeline of events doesn't exactly line up, but fans can forgive that as both Armitage and Parsons embody the spirit of Sheldon Cooper.

2 Smart Guy (1997-1999)

3 Seasons, 51 Episodes

Stream Smart Guy on Disney+

One of the smartest child geniuses on TV, and one of the earliest depictions of a child genius on television, is in the 1990s series Smart Guy. T.J. Henderson is a 10-year-old boy who, like Sheldon, is so intelligent that he gets transferred to a high school after skipping multiple grades. Also, like Sheldon, his older brother is not thrilled about having his little brother at the same school.

Both shows are about young kids trying their best to fit in. Unlike Sheldon, T.J. is a very social child who wants to participate in everything at school. With the '90s series, T.J. is more likely to make friends and get understanding from his peers. However, in both cases, it's an interesting fish-out-of-water story with strong familial connections.

3 Fuller House (2016-2020)

5 Seasons, 75 Episodes

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Fuller House Release Date February 26, 2016 Cast Jodie Sweetin , Juan Pablo Di Pace , Elias Harger , Adam Hagenbuch , Candace Cameron Bure , Fox Messitt , Michael Campion , John Brotherton , Dashiell Messitt , Andrea Barber , Scott Weinger , Soni Bringas Seasons 5

Stream now on Netflix

Fuller House is a sequel series to Full House centered around the life of the eldest Tanner daughter, D.J. It offers a series that expands on an existing series, much like Young Sheldon does. However, it's not the oldest Tanner sibling who draws parallels to Young Sheldon. D.J.'s son Max stole every scene he was in.

A precocious, highly intelligent student, Max loved to dress up in slacks and buttoned shirts with a vest, just like Sheldon. He even carried a briefcase with him to school instead of a backpack. He was also very interested in order and neatness. He loved correcting others and poking fun at his siblings who lacked the same level of intelligence as him. Max and Sheldon might have become friends had they existed in the same television world.

Related Fuller House: Why Jesse Walks Stephanie Down the Aisle (Not Danny) Fuller House's series finale ended with the girls' triple wedding — but why did Uncle Jesse walk Stephanie down the aisle and not her father, Danny?

4 The Middle (2009-2018)

9 Seasons, 215 Episodes

Stream now on Peacock

Based in Indiana, The Middle centers around a lower-middle-class family struggling to make ends meet while dealing with day-to-day challenges involving work and children. There are three kids in the family like in Young Sheldon, each of whom is very different. The eldest son, Axl, is popular and athletic, but lazy and not interested in school, while the daughter, Sue, is socially awkward. The youngest son, Brick, is a bookworm and introvert. His behavior suggests he might be an autistic person, which is something fans have long theorized about Sheldon as well.

Fans will enjoy a long watch with The Middle. There are nine seasons, all of which contain at least 23 episodes, allowing plenty of story and laughs to immerse themselves in. The series almost got its own spinoff as well. A pilot was ordered centering around Sue, but ultimately, the series didn't move forward.

5 The Goldbergs (2013-2023)

10 Seasons, 229 Episodes

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The Goldbergs Release Date September 24, 2013 Cast Jeff Garlin , Wendi McLendon-Covey , AJ Michalka , George Segal , Hayley Orrantia , Sam Lerner , Sean Giambrone , Troy Gentile Seasons 10

Stream now on Hulu

Also set in the '80s with the later seasons moving into the '90s, The Goldbergs has the same retro feel throughout each episode as the Goldberg family deals with challenges and various pop culture events surrounding those decades. Depicting another middle-class family with three kids, the protagonist and narrator is an adult version of the youngest son, Adam, a socially awkward, self-professed nerd who loves things like Star Trek and Star Wars and despises sports and gym class.

The audience can easily imagine that Adam and Sheldon would have shared some interests, even if Sheldon is much more academically inclined than Adam. The show is also quirkier than Young Sheldon, with stories based on the creator's real-life growing up. Patton Oswalt narrates the episodes as an adult looking back on his life in the same way Parsons does for Young Sheldon.

6 Fresh Off The Boat (2015-2020)

6 Seasons, 116 Episodes

Stream now on Hulu

If part of the appeal of Young Sheldon is the idea of an adult in the modern day looking back on their life with their family as a kid, Fresh off the Boat provides a similar feel. Just like Sheldon, the youngest son, Evan, on Fresh off the Boat, tries to fit in with his oddball family despite being very different from them: he's very intelligent, performs well at school, and doesn't like to break the rules.

By contrast, his older brothers Eddie and Emery are goofy, athletic, and popular. But they always come together to help one another. The story was initially narrated by an older version of Eddie, with stories based on the childhood of the executive producer of the show, celebrity chef Eddie Huang. The show is also a period sitcom, set in the '90s.

7 Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)

4 Seasons, 88 Episodes

Stream now on Hulu

Although he was actually a teenager in the late '70s and early '80s, Chris Rock developed this series, inspired by real-life moments from his childhood, and has it set in the '90s. While the main character Chris is older than Sheldon at the beginning of the show, fans see the same focus on the challenges kids face growing up in America and coming of age without being one of the "popular kids."

However, the subjects of race and class are featured more in this show than they are in Young Sheldon, offering a different perspective from a similar era. Chris also isn't a child genius who is facing an accelerated education track or having to fit in with adults when still a child. The differences between the shows don't detract from the enjoyment for fans though.

8 Young Rock (2021-2023)

3 Seasons, 37 Episodes

Young Rock Release Date February 16, 2021 Cast Randall Park , Joseph Lee Anderson , Dwayne Johnson , Bradley Constant , Uli Latukefu , John Tui , Adrian Groulx , Fasitua Amosa , Stacey Leilua , Ana Tuisila Seasons 3

Stream now on Peacock

Young Rock takes fans back to wrestling from the '80s and '90s but flips timelines from the present day to various timelines in the past. The show details facts about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson that many fans didn't know, since much of the content includes stories drawn from real things that happened to him growing up. Fans get to see his time as a young boy of 10, a 15-year-old teenager, and a college-aged student.

The premise is that Johnson is running for president in the year 2032 and recalling moments in his life that help him relate to the average American. There are plenty of hilarious moments and memorable characters, similar to Young Sheldon. Like some of the other sitcoms here, the titular character might not share Sheldon's level of intellect, but he does share in that extraordinary things happen to him at a formative age.

Related Young Rock: The 10 Funniest Quotes, So Far Young Rock follows Dwayne Johnson through awkward first crushes, SNL impersonations, and over-the-top outfits that inspire the funniest quotes.

9 Scorpion (2014-2018)

4 Seasons, 93 Episodes

Stream now on Paramount+

This action drama would perfectly suit fans of shows like Young Sheldon thanks to its theme of a group of people who are highly intelligent but socially awkward coming together to help save lives. The big difference is that Scorpion has more in common with a show like MacGuyver than it does a typical sitcom, but there are still connections to be made to Young Sheldon.

Lead character Walter O'Brien finds himself enamored with a beautiful young woman named Paige, and while she would not otherwise be interested, the way he manages to communicate with her child, Ralph, draws her to him. Initially thought to be troubled, Walter is the only one to be able to get through to Ralph, and he discovers that Ralph is a child genius and frustrated with not being able to relate to others, similar to Sheldon.

10 Modern Family (2009-2020)

11 Seasons, 250 Episodes

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Modern Family Release Date September 23, 2009 Cast Ed O'Neill , Sofia Vergara , Julie Bowen , Ty Burrell , Jesse Tyler Ferguson , Eric Stonestreet , Sarah Hyland , Ariel Winter , Nolan Gould , Rico Rodriguez Seasons 11

Stream now on Hulu

Another sitcom about a middle-American family with three kids, each of the kids in Modern Family is different. Haley is the self-centered eldest daughter, while Luke is the rebellious, trouble-making, youngest son. Trying to figure out how she fits in is the middle child Alex, a highly intelligent, anxious girl who is constantly frustrated with her family.

She is also quite sarcastic, just like Sheldon's twin sister Missy. As with Young Sheldon, Alex loves her siblings and parents as well as her extended family dearly. But she doesn't hesitate to point out their mistakes and correct them any time she can. Alex is a character that has similar traits to both Sheldon and Missy, especially as she gets older, so fans intrigued by those Young Sheldon characters in particular will enjoy Alex's Modern Family arc.