Young Sheldon Archives

HBO Max adds ‘Young Sheldon’ and ‘Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020’ to programming lineup

May 29, 2020

Iain Armitage in “Young Sheldon” (Photo by Robert Voets/CBS)

The following is a combination of press releases from HBO Max:

HBO Max — the upcoming WarnerMedia streaming platform that launched this week — has acquired the exclusive U.S. subscription-video-on-demand rights to the hit comedy Young Sheldon in a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. HBO Max is also the streaming home of the entire library of The Big Bang Theory, the longest-running multicamera comedy in television history; all 279 episodes of Big Bang are available on the streamer now.

“We now feel like our Big Bang offering is complete,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max, president TNT, TBS, and TruTV. “We are so proud to be the home of this beloved franchise and the place where new and existing fans can learn about young Sheldon Cooper’s roots.”

“In order for Sheldon Cooper to visit his younger self, he would need to manipulate spacetime. All you actually need is HBO Max,” said Young Sheldon creators/executive producers Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro. “We are so pleased that Young Sheldon will once again be reunited with his future self on HBO Max, and we are excited for fans, new and old, to be able to binge both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon for the first time.”

Young Sheldon is currently the number-one comedy on network television with total viewers, Teens, and all key 25-54 demos. The series has averaged more than 11.4 million viewers per week during the 2019–20 season to date (11,424,000 actual P2+), according to Most Current ratings information from Nielsen, +34% more viewers than the next-largest comedy with total viewers.

For 12 years on The Big Bang Theory, audiences came to know the iconic, eccentric and extraordinary Sheldon Cooper. The single-camera, half-hour comedy Young Sheldon gives viewers the chance to meet him in childhood, as he embarks on his innocent, awkward and hopeful journey toward the man he will become.

For young Sheldon Cooper, it isn’t easy growing up in East Texas. Being a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king. And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him. His father, George, is struggling to find his way as a high school football coach and as father to a boy he doesn’t understand. Sheldon’s mother, Mary, fiercely protects and nurtures her son in a town where he just doesn’t fit in. Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie, does the best he can in high school, but it’s tough to be cool when you’re in the same classes with your odd 9-year-old brother. Finally, there’s Sheldon’s twin sister, Missy, who sometimes resents all the attention Sheldon gets, but also remains the one person who can reliably tell Sheldon the truth.

From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, Young Sheldon is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. The series stars Iain Armitage as Young Sheldon, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, with Annie Potts, and Jim Parsons as the voice of Sheldon. Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro created the show and serve as executive producers with Steve Holland, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak.
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HBO Max, the direct-to-consumer offering from WarnerMedia, announced today the greenlight of Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020. Inspired by Tony Award winning actress Laura Benanti’s (“My Fair Lady” and “She Loves Me” on Broadway, Younger, Supergirl, Nashville) online movement #SunshineSongs, in which she offered to be an audience for the students around the country whose spring musicals were cancelled because of COVID-19, this television event will give students the opportunity to sing and dance like the stars they are, from the safety of their homes.

Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020 will explore tried-and-true themes of classic teen movies through the totally unique lens of a world turned upside down by the global pandemic. The cast, featuring a diverse group of super talented student actors with compelling backstories, will play seniors from the same high school and while the pandemic may have shut down their school, the drama and romantic intrigue live on.

“As a mom of teenagers, I know that this time has been a struggle for them. High School seniors in particular have been hit hard by this pandemic, their dreams of homecoming, prom, spring performances and even graduation being cancelled,” said Jennifer O’Connell, executive vice president original non-fiction and kids programming. “Laura’s brilliant idea to give these kids an audience and a platform has blossomed into this unique opportunity for us to not only celebrate their talent, but to entertain many other families across the country sharing their experience.”

“Our school shows are more than just entertainment. At the very least, they bring our communities together to revel in the talent of our young artists. At their best, they are a life changing experience that these kids will bring with them into the rest of their lives,” said Benanti. “I am thrilled that the #SunshineSongs initiative has put the spotlight on so many incredible young performers; grateful to World of Wonder for its grand vision and to HBO MAX for providing a global platform on which America’s youth can shine!”

Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020 is executive produced by Laura Benanti along with Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, and Tom Campbell for World of Wonder Productions (RuPaul’s Drag Race), and Leland (Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, RuPaul’s Drag Race) will write and produce the original songs and score.

About HBO Max
HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer offering. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from Warner Media’s rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com.

About WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).

About Laura Benanti
In the midst of an illustrious career spanning Broadway, film, and television, Tony® Award-winning actress, singer and author, Laura Benanti now brings a longstanding dream to life as she gears up to release her new solo album with Sony Music Masterworks this year. She recently released a single, a cover of “Sucker” along with a moving video donating 100% of her earnings to FoodCorps. Additionally, on the heels of her viral social media campaign, #SunshineSongs, Laura debuted the Sunshine Songs Concert series to bring joy through music to senior living communities, aging loved ones isolated in their homes, children’s hospitals, and beyond. With starring roles on Broadway ranging from the My Fair Lady revival and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower to She Loves Me, and the title role in Gypsy for which Laura garnered a Tony® Award (one of five career nominations to date). Meanwhile, her performance in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown garnered her a Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award. Simultaneously, she enchanted audiences on the small screen, appearing on Younger, Supergirl, Nashville, The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie and her hilarious portrayal of First Lady Melania Trump on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert (among many others). In addition to films including Worth alongside Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan and Stanley Tucci and the upcoming “Here Today” alongside Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, Laura recently released a hilarious book for Moms (co-written with her friend and Metropolitan Opera Star Kate Mangiameli) entitled “M is for MAMA (and also Merlot): A Modern Mom’s ABCs” available now at Barnes and Noble. Benanti is represented by UTA and Untitled.
About World of Wonder
For more than two decades, award-winning production company World of Wonder has introduced audiences to new worlds, talent and ideas that have shaped culture. Programming highlights include: Emmy® Award winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1/Logo), “Million Dollar Listing” LA & NY (Bravo), “Dancing Queen” (Netflix), “Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce” (Fuse), and “Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric” (National Geographic); award-winning films and documentaries including “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures,” “Menendez: Blood Brothers,” “Inside Deep Throat,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” “I Am Britney Jean,” “In Vogue: The Editor’s Eye,” “Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking,” “Monica in Black and White,” Emmy-winning “The Last Beekeeper,” and Emmy-winning “Out of Iraq.” Seven of WOW’s films have premiered at the Sundance Film festival including “Becoming Chaz” and “Party Monster.” World of Wonder has also created a substantial digital footprint with its YouTube channel WOWPresents (1M+ subs), SVOD digital platform WOW Presents Plus, along with an award-winning blog, The WOW Report. World of Wonder’s bi-annual RuPaul’s DragCon is the world’s largest drag culture convention, welcoming 100,000 attendees across LA and NYC in 2019 and expanding internationally to the UK in 2020. Co-founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey authored The World According to Wonder, celebrating decades of production, which can be found online at http://worldofwonder.net/. Randy and Fenton were honored with the IDA Pioneer Award in December 2014, celebrating exceptional achievement, leadership, and vision in the nonfiction and documentary community, named to Variety’s Reality Leaders List in 2017, and chosen for the OUT100 list in 2018 for their trailblazing work in the LGBTQ+ community. World of Wonder was also selected for Realscreen’s 2018 Global 100 list, which recognizes the top international non-fiction and unscripted production companies working in the industry today. World of Wonder creates out of a historic building/gallery space in the heart of Hollywood.

About Leland
Brett McLaughlin, aka Leland, is a Golden Globe nominated songwriter, composer, executive producer and prominent figure in the LGBTQ+ community who has contributed to some of pop music’s most influential releases of the past few years. As a songwriter, he has collaborated with Selena Gomez (‘Rare’ and ‘Fetish’), Troye Sivan (Youth, Bloom, My My My!, Take Yourself Home), BTS (Louder Than Bombs), Ariana Grande, (Dance To This), Carrie Underwood (End Up With You), Charli XCX (1999), Lauv & Troye Sivan (I’m So Tired) and many more. Mclaughlin composed the score and wrote 12 original songs for the Netflix Original Movie ‘Sierra Burgess Is A Loser’ as well as executive producing the soundtrack. Other projects include composing musicals for the Emmy Award Winning ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and co-writing “Revelation” with Troye Sivan and Jonsi for ‘Boy Erased’, a biographical film about LGBTQ+ conversion therapy.

2017 TV Upfronts: CBS announces 2017-2018 schedule; see photos and videos

May 17, 2017

by Carla Hay

Iain Armitage and Zoe Perry in “Young Sheldon” (Photo by Robert Voets/CBS)

CBS officially announced its 2017-2018 schedule during the network’s upfront presentation at Carnegie Hall in New York City on May 17, 2017. Most of the existing shows had previously been announced as renewed. However, the upfront presentation made it official that the following shows have been cancelled: ‘Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders,” “The Great Indoors,” “Hunted” and “The Odd Couple.”

New scripted shows include “SEAL Team,” “S.W.A.T.,”‘Wisdom of the Crowd,” “9JKL,” “Me, Myself & I,” “Young Sheldon” (which is a prequel of sorts to “The Big Bang Theory”), “Instinct” and “By the Book.” Some of actors starring in these shows are known for starring in past long-running hit shows. David Boreanaz (“SEAL Team”) previously starred in “Bones.” Shemar Moore (“S.W.A.T.”) is a former star of “Criminal Minds.” Jeremy Piven (“Wisdom of the Crowd”) is best known for his Emmy-winning role on “Entourage.” Mark Feuerstein previously headlined “Royal Pains,” while his “9JKL” co-star Linda Lavin had her most famous role in the sitcom “Alice.” Bobby Moynihan, Jaleel White and John Larroquette (“Me, Myself & I”) are best known for their stints on, respectively, “Saturday Night Live,” “Family Matters” and “Night Court.” Alan Cumming of “Instinct” previously starred in “The Good Wife.”

Premiere dates will be announced at a later time for the following renewed shows: “Code Black,” “Elementary,” “Man With a Plan,” “The Amazing Race” and “Undercover Boss.” Please note that shows picked up but not listed on the schedule below will debut later in the 2017-18 season.

The following is an excerpt from a CBS press release:

CBS FALL 2017-18 SCHEDULE

All times listed are Eastern/Pacific Time.

MONDAY

September 25 to October 23, 2017:

8-8:30 p.m.   “The Big Bang Theory”
8:30-9 p.m.    “Young Sheldon”
9-9:30 p.m.    “Kevin Can Wait”
9:30-10 p.m. “Me, Myself & I”
10-11 p.m.         “Scorpion”

As of October 30, 2017:

8-8:30 p.m.   “Kevin Can Wait”
8:30-9 p.m.    “9JKL”
9-9:30 p.m.    “Me, Myself & I”
9:30-10 p.m. “Superior Donuts”
10-11 p.m.         “Scorpion”

TUESDAY

8-9 p.m.        “NCIS”
9-10 p.m.      “Bull”
10-11 p.m.     “NCIS New Orleans”

WEDNESDAY

8-9 p.m.        “Survivor”
9-10 p.m.      “SEAL Team”
10-11 p.m.     “Criminal Minds”

THURSDAY

September 28 – October 26, 2017

8-11 p.m. “NFL Football”

As of November 2, 2017

8-8:30 p.m.   “The Big Bang Theory”
8:30-9 p.m.   “Young Sheldon”
9-9:30 p.m.   “Mom”
9:30-10 p.m. “My Life in Pieces”
10-11 p.m.        “S.W.A.T.”

FRIDAY

8-9 p.m.        “MacGyver”
9-10 p.m.      “Hawaii Five-O”
10-11 p.m.     “Blue Bloods”

SATURDAY

8-9 p.m.        Repeat episode of a show to be announced
9-10 p.m.      Repeat episode of a show to be announced
10-11 p.m.     “48 Hours”

SUNDAY

7-8 p.m.       “60 Minutes”
8-9 p.m.      “Wisdom of the Crowd”
9-10 p.m.     “NCIS Los Angeles”
10-11 p.m.    “Madam Secretary”

NEW DRAMA SERIES

“SEAL TEAM”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKMPAOGIA7I

“SEAL Team” stars David Boreanaz in a military drama that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high stakes missions our country can ask of them. Deployed on clandestine missions worldwide at a moment’s notice, and knowing the toll it takes on them and their families, this tight-knit SEAL team displays unwavering patriotism and fearless dedication, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Ben Cavell, Ed Redlich, Chris Chulack, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Emmy Award winner Chulack directed the pilot.

“SEAL Team” stars David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes, Max Thieriot as Clay Spenser, Neil Brown Jr. as Ray, A.J. Buckley as Sonny, Toni Trucks as Diaz and Jessica Paré as Mandy Ellis.

“S.W.A.T.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xD8nf1EhtA

Inspired by the television series and feature film, “S.W.A.T.” stars Shemar Moore as a locally born S.W.A.T. sergeant newly tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to the streets where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, former Marine Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Moore) has everything it takes to successfully bridge the divide between his two worlds and excel at leading his dedicated team of brave men and women as they risk their lives to protect the community. Aaron Thomas, Shawn Ryan, Justin Lin, Neal Moritz, Marney Hochman, Danielle Woodrow and Pavun Shetty are executive producers for Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios. Lin directed the pilot.

“S.W.A.T.” stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Stephanie Sigman as Jessica Cortez, Alex Russell as Jim Street, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, Lina Esco as Christina “Chris” Alonso, Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca and Peter Onorati as Mumford.

“WISDOM OF THE CROWD”

“Wisdom of the Crowd” stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jeremy Piven as a visionary tech innovator who creates a cutting-edge crowdsourcing app to solve his daughter’s murder, and revolutionizes crime solving in the process. Inspired by the notion that a million minds are better than one, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jeffrey Tanner (Piven) develops “Sophe,” an online platform for publicly shared information, and recruits the original cop who searched for his daughter’s killer, Det. Tommy Cavanaugh (Richard T. Jones), to work with him. As Tanner taps into the “wisdom of the crowd,” his unexpected success fuels his determination to solve even more cases than just the one that’s personal to him. Ted Humphrey; Adam Davidson (pilot); Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan (Keshet Media Group); and Dror Mishani and Shira Hadad are executive producers for CBS Television Studios in association with Universal Television. Davidson directed the pilot. Based on the Israeli format of the same name.

“Wisdom of the Crowd” stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jeremy Piven as Jeffrey Tanner, Richard T. Jones as Det. Tommy Cavanaugh, Natalia Tena as Sara Morton, Blake Lee as Josh Novak, Jake Matthews as Tariq Bakari and Monica Potter as Alex Hale.

“INSTINCT”

“Instinct” stars Alan Cumming as a former CIA operative who is lured back to his old life when the NYPD needs his help to stop a serial killer. Dr. Dylan Reinhart (Cumming) is a gifted author and university professor living a quiet life teaching psychopathic behavior to packed classes of adoring students. But when top NYPD detective Lizzie Needham appeals to him to help her catch a serial murderer who is using Dylan’s first book as a tutorial, Dylan is compelled by the case, comes out of retirement and taps into his old skill set. Though Dylan and Lizzie initially clash, when it comes to catching killers, they realize they will make an ideal team if they both trust their instincts. Based on the soon to be published James Patterson book. Michael Rauch, Marc Webb, Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin (Secret Hideout), James Patterson, Bill Robinson, Leopoldo Gout and Alan Cumming are executive producers for CBS Television Studios. Webb directed the pilot.

“Instinct” stars Alan Cumming as Dr. Dylan Reinhart, Bojana Novakovic as Lizzie Needham, Daniel Ings as Andy, Naveen Andrews as Julian Cousins and Khandi Alexander as Lt. Monica Ford.

NEW COMEDY SERIES

“9JKL”

“9JKL” stars Mark Feuerstein in a family comedy inspired by his real life. Josh Roberts (Feuerstein) is a new divorcé and actor between projects who moves home to New York to regroup, living in an apartment sandwiched between his doting, meddlesome parents on one side and his competitive brother, sister-in-law and their new baby on the other. As Josh’s family literally comes at him from both sides, he realizes he desperately needs to establish some personal boundaries, because his loving family is always going to be right there for him. Always. Dana Klein, Mark Feuerstein, Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, Dana Honor and Pam Fryman are executive producers for Kapital Entertainment in association with CBS Television Studios. Fryman directed the pilot.

“9JKL” stars Mark Feuerstein as Josh Roberts, Linda Lavin as Judy, Elliott Gould as Harry, David Walton as Andrew, Liza Lapira as Eve and Matt Murray as Nick.

“BY THE BOOK”

“By the Book” is a comedy about a modern day man at a crossroads in his life who decides to live strictly in accordance with the Bible. Chip Curry (Jay R. Ferguson) is the film critic for a New York newspaper and a soon-to-be father who wants to be a better man following the loss of his best friend. As he begins his sincere spiritual journey toward a more moral life with the help of his wife and friends, he wonders if he’ll be able to take a page – or every page – out of the Good Book, and if the effect will be of Biblical proportions. Based on The New York Times bestselling book “The Year of Living Biblically” by A.J. Jacobs. Patrick Walsh, Johnny Galecki, Andrew Haas, Spencer Medof and multiple Emmy Award winner Andy Ackerman (pilot) are executive producers for Alcide Bava Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. Ackerman directed the pilot.

“By the Book” stars Jay R. Ferguson as Chip, Lindsey Kraft as Leslie, Ian Gomez as Father Gene, David Krumholtz as Rabbi Ableman, Tony Rock as Vince and Camryn Manheim as Ms. Meadows.

“ME, MYSELF & I”

“Me, Myself & I” stars Bobby Moynihan in a comedy about the defining moments in one man’s life over three distinct periods: as a 14-year-old in 1991, at age 40 in present day and at age 65 in 2042. During these pivotal periods of yesterday, today and tomorrow, Alex always finds a way to move forward with determination and humor, knowing his life story isn’t defined by the bad things that happen to him, but instead by how he chooses to deal with them. Dan Kopelman, Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor and Randall Einhorn (pilot only) are executive producers for Kapital Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. Einhorn directed the pilot.

“Me, Myself & I” stars Bobby Moynihan (Alex, present day), Jack Dylan Grazer (Alex, 1991), Brian Unger (Ron, 1991, present day), Jaleel White (Darryl, present day), Kelen Coleman (Abby, 2042), Skylar Gray (Abby, present day), Christopher Paul Richards (Justin, 1991), Mandell Maughan (Maggie, 1991), Reylynn Caster (Nori, 1991), with Sharon Lawrence (Eleanor, 2042) and John Larroquette (Alex, 2042).

“YOUNG SHELDON”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR-jIhwIfIw

For 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage), it isn’t easy growing up in East Texas. Being a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king. And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him. “The Big Bang Theory’s” multiple Emmy Award winner Jim Parsons narrates as Adult Sheldon. This single-camera, half-hour comedy gives us the chance to meet Sheldon in childhood, as he embarks on his innocent, awkward and hopeful journey toward the man he will become. Chuck Lorre and Steve Molaro created the series and executive produce along with Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak for Warner Bros. Television. Jon Favreau directed the pilot.

“Young Sheldon” stars Iain Armitage as Sheldon, Zoe Perry as Mary, Lance Barber as George Sr., Raegan Revord as Missy and Montana Jordan as Georgie Jr. “The Big Bang Theory’s” multiple Emmy Award winner Jim Parsons narrates the comedy as Adult Sheldon.