While ’s upcoming spinoff focused on Georgie and Mandy will take two big risks, there is reason to believe that this new addition to ’s universe will still succeed. has proven a massive hit in its four years on the air.’s first spinoff took a couple of significant stylistic risks by dropping the original show’s multi-camera sitcom setup and the show's laugh track. also added narration, and since it was a prequel, a period setting. These changes ultimately proved to be great ideas as the spinoff earned massive ratings.
As nears, the question of how the show’s story will continue has finally been answered.
's resident newlyweds Georgie and Mandy will reportedly get a spinoff of their own that focuses on the pair’s relationship after the show’s finale. Creatives from bothand will work on this spinoff, with Steven Molaro, Chuck Lorre, and Steve Holland attached to write the show’s pilot and produce the series. Although little is known about Georgie and Mandy's show, viewers do know the spinoff will take major risks.
seasons 1-5 are available on Netflix. Season 6 arrives February 1st, 2024, on Netflix.
Georgie and Mandy’s sitcom will be a ‘90s period piece since that is when the pair were canonically newlyweds. Although is technically an ‘80s period piece, the spinoff hasn't leaned into its nostalgic setting as much as earlier hits like . There are a handful of gags about Sheldon accidentally predicting NFTs or how clunky, slow, and expensive early computers were, but only occasionally references its period setting. In contrast, ‘90s nostalgia is a more recent, less overused trend, and ensures Georgie and Mandy's spinoff needs these gags.
The prequel's spinoff could mine a lot of laughs out of the differences between contemporary life and how things were in the ‘90s, and this will be particularly important since Georgie’s existing backstory guarantees that their relationship won’t be a particularly sunny subject. In season 11, episode 22, “The Sibling Realignment,” Georgie revealed he had two failed marriages, meaning his union with Mandy has been canonically doomed since the couple got engaged in season 6's finale. Georgie and Mandy’s show could lean into gags about ‘90s life to alleviate their bleak prospects, but the show also has another issue.
Unlike, Georgie and Mandy's spinoff will reportedly be a multi-camera sitcom. This represents a significant stylistic shift away from the single-camera, laugh-track-free , which focused more on character drama than broad comedy. will need to be uproarious to convince viewers that the bickering couple can carry a show on their own, especially because multi-camera sitcoms aren’t typically associated with darker character work.
This stylistic approach means Georgie and Mandy’s tone should skew closer to than , but this isn’t necessarily a good thing.
could get away with its broad, cartoony tone since its characters were initially introduced as larger-than-life caricatures. However, viewers have already seen Georgie and Mandy have many emotionally charged conversations about serious topics like responsibility, parenthood, and commitment. As such, Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff borrowing ’s style might be a bad fit for these more introspective characters. centered on the lighthearted, low-stakes premise of Leonard failing to woo Penny, whereas Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff would be a silly sitcom about a couple's marriage slowly falling apart.
became incredibly popular at a time when laugh-track-backed multi-camera sitcoms were on the wane, meaning it is possible for Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff to recapture this success. Meanwhile, Netflix’s spinoff, has already proven that viewers are open to the prospect of a nostalgic ‘90s sitcom since this feels like a natural evolution now that ‘80s-centric sitcoms like
and are coming to an end. Even the revival proves that ‘90s sitcom nostalgia is a powerful pull for audiences in 2024, further helping the spinoff’s chances.
The question of how is a thornier one, especially given the show’s decision to lean into a more traditional sitcom tone. However, shows like and have recently used laugh tracks and multi-camera formatting to subvert the cozy clichés of sitcom families, meaning Georgie and Mandy’s spinoff could do the same. This would be a radical departure from the tone of its two predecessors, but it is worth remembering that succeeded precisely because the spinoff completely dropped
’s existing style and tone.
Young Sheldon season 7 premieres February 15th, 2024, at 8pm EST on CBS.
