Annie Potts: The Enduring Charm of a Hollywood Veteran

Annie Potts questions Young Sheldon‘s cancellation despite its popularity. Playing Meemaw/Connie Tucker, the character may not technically be part of the core Cooper family, but she has been a fixture in The Big Bang Theory prequel since the beginning. Not long after production for the show wrapped, Potts posted an emotional Meemaw farewell video on social media, proving that Young Sheldon‘s ending is as difficult for them as it is with avid viewers of the successful family comedy/drama.

Doubling down on feeling sad over Young Sheldon season 7 being the final season, Potts candidly questions the show’s cancellation in a new interview with AssignmentX. The veteran actor confirms that she didn’t expect that CBS would pull the plug on The Big Bang Theory prequel, considering how popular the show is, both on network and streaming. Read her full quote below:

It’s sad, because I didn’t expect it. We’re the Number One show on network TV, and the Number One show on Netflix. Who cancels this?

Why Young Sheldon Is Really Ending (& How It Could Have Continued)

CBS Could Have Continued Young Sheldon Without Sheldon.

Ultimately, the primary driving force behind Young Sheldon‘s season 7 ending is The Big Bang Theory‘s established canon, and unfortunately, the decision was likely out of CBS’ hands. Because of the show’s prequel nature, it has been running with a pre-determined ending. Based on the timeline, that swan song is fast approaching with Sheldon graduating from college at East Texas Tech. After that, the boy genius will move to Pasadena, California to start his post-grad studies at Caltech. This begins his arc that already played out in The Big Bang Theory.

While it’s understandable that the writers want to honor The Big Bang Theory canon, it’s also worth noting that Young Sheldon has never been good at preserving continuity. It has created countless plot inconsistencies throughout its run. That being said, if it wanted to stick to the timeline, the show could have easily transitioned to being a proper ensemble. Young Sheldon has long outgrown its premise by diversifying its storytelling with an increased focus on other Cooper family members. Calling it The Coopers would have been an easy way to move the show forward with minimal changes.

Instead of this seamless transition, CBS opted to do a Young Sheldon spinoff with Mandy and Georgie. The new series will be in a multi-cam format like The Big Bang Theory and won’t feature any other Cooper family members as series regulars. This means that Potts’ time as Meemaw will end once Young Sheldon wraps up. If she reprises the role, it will likely just be for a cameo.