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鈥淭he Big Bang Theory鈥� character Sheldon Cooper may be coming to a new CBS sitcom as 鈥淏ig鈥� reaches double-digit seasons.聽

CBS is reportedly working on a spin-off to 鈥淏ig鈥� that would center on Sheldon when he is younger. The sitcom would thus be a prequel to 鈥淏ig鈥� and a new actor, not Emmy Award-winning actor Jim Parsons,聽would portray Sheldon. 聽

Mr. Parsons would reportedly serve as an executive producer on the project and 鈥淭he Big Bang Theory鈥� co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady would be behind this show as well.聽

鈥淏ig鈥� is currently airing its 10th聽season and ranked as the most-watched comedy of the 2015-2016 TV season among total viewers and viewers 18-49.聽

For many shows, entering those double digits seems to be when programs either go off the air or change in some way. Such hit shows as 鈥淔riends鈥� and 鈥淐SI: Miami鈥� ended after 10 seasons, while other hit programs including 鈥淢*A*S*H,鈥� 鈥淔rasier,鈥� and 鈥淐heers鈥� all concluded after 11.

For some shows, they may not have been as relevant in pop culture by the time they ended. wrote of 鈥淔rasier鈥� near the end of its run, 鈥淭he show鈥檚 worldview started to feel out of place in an increasingly digital, culturally segmented world.鈥澛�

And actors may be finished the show when it鈥檚 been on for so long. 鈥淐heers鈥� actress Rhea Perlman remembered in , 鈥淚 think where we all drew the line was when Ted [Danson] wanted to leave. That seemed like, 鈥楴o, this is the end.鈥� And we were all ready at that time. It was 11 years. But yeah, it just seemed like if Ted leaves, that鈥檚 the heart of the show. That鈥檚 not possible. You can鈥檛 go on from there.鈥澛�

Some of these long-running shows have attempted to capture the magic elsewhere, with 鈥淔riends鈥� leading to 鈥淛oey鈥� and 鈥淐heers鈥� leading to 鈥淔rasier.鈥� 鈥淔rasier鈥� was of course hugely successful, but 鈥淔riends鈥� co-creator David Crane, who was not involved with 鈥淛oey,鈥� noted in an interview with , 鈥淭here are very few examples in television history of a spin-off that works. It鈥檚 very difficult. As talented as everyone is, I think it鈥檚 a really tall order. And also, the audience expectations are unreasonable.鈥�

Those at CBS are taking a somewhat unusual path for the planned 鈥淏ig鈥� spin-off, as many spin-offs have characters moving on from the show rather than viewers seeing them before the program started. One exception is AMC鈥檚 Emmy-nominated program 鈥淏etter Call Saul,鈥� which imagines character Saul Goodman before viewers met him in the highly acclaimed AMC program 鈥淏reaking Bad.鈥�

More often, a spin-off has characters going on to new adventures, as when Joey Tribbiani聽moved to California or when Frasier Crane departed for Seattle.