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Viewers will have the opportunity to learn more about breakout 鈥淭he Big Bang Theory鈥� character Sheldon Cooper, as network CBS has given a series order to a spin-off.

The 鈥淵oung Sheldon鈥� TV show was given a straight-to-series order for the 2017-2018 season and the program will reportedly star actor Iain Armitage of 鈥淏ig Little Lies鈥� as the young Sheldon.

The role of Sheldon Cooper was a star-making one for actor Jim Parsons, who will narrate the new show, and has won four Emmy Awards for best actor in a comedy series for his work on 鈥淭heory.鈥� The program centers on scientists living in California and their significant others.

鈥淭heory鈥� is one of CBS鈥檚 biggest hits and is currently airing its tenth season. But some wonder that with the launch of a sequel, perhaps the original show is nearing the end of its run.

How is the show doing creatively, and are audiences still as big as they once were?

The most recent episode of 鈥淭heory,鈥� which aired on March 10, was lower in the ratings than it has been in the past, though the amount of viewers it drew still allowed the program鈥檚 network, CBS, to bring in the largest amount of total viewers for the evening (ratings look at viewers 18-54 and then total viewers). The show鈥檚 鈥渁verage audience of 12.99 million 鈥� is nothing to sneeze at, but still below its usual haul,鈥� noted of the 鈥淭heory鈥� ratings for the night.听

It鈥檚 a performance that echoes the show鈥檚 season premiere in September 2016, when the episode brought in the lowest ratings for a 鈥淭heory鈥� season premiere since the second and sixth season,聽.听

But as seen by CBS winning the night on March 10, though, these are still great numbers.

The show still has room to grow creatively, suggests聽. She writes聽that recent episodes that have focused on the character of Raj (Kunal Nayyar) are overdue and could provide stories moving forward.

鈥淔ingers crossed for an uptick in the quality of Raj鈥檚 romantic pursuits, especially given those rumors about an imminent two-season renewal for [the show],鈥� Ms. Potts wrote of a February episode about Raj. 鈥淲ith potentially 50 episodes to come (or more!), there will be a need for many more stories, and there will only be so many more roadblocks to the inevitable Sheldon and Amy marriage. Let鈥檚 put some of the narrative heavy lifting on Raj鈥檚 shoulders. The character has always promised he has the potential to carry it.鈥澛�

But 聽suggests that the program will be 鈥� and should be 鈥� over soon partly because the age of the lead actors will soon make the show鈥檚 plots tougher to believe. 鈥淛im Parsons and Johnny Galecki are both in their 40s, which threatens to topple the premise 鈥� goofy young geeks live together and bond over how ill-equipped they are to deal with life 鈥� into territory that鈥檚 about as creepy as it is depressing,鈥� Mr. Heritage writes.听

Heritage also says the premise of the 鈥淪heldon鈥� spin-off will cause the upcoming show to struggle. 鈥淎sking adult viewers to watch a kid aw-shucks his way through an entire series seems a ludicrously big ask,鈥� he wrote.