DVD Review: YOUNG SHELDON: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Home » DVD Review: YOUNG SHELDON: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Sep 29 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

Young Sheldon is the prequel series to the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, which follows the lives of precocious 9-year old child prodigy Sheldon Cooper and his family in Texas in 1989. The series ran for 7 seasons, from 2017-2024, and took a single-camera format, unlike it’s laugh laugh-track filled multi-cam predecessor.

Jim Parsons returns to his role, providing off-camera narration as an adult Sheldon Cooper looking back on his childhood. While the younger version of the character is played by Iain Armitage, who does an excellent job channeling the mannerisms and cadence of the iconic character. The rest of the family includes Sheldon’s very devout Southern Baptist mother Mary (Zoe Perry, whose mother Laurie Metcalf, played Mary on The Big Bang Theory); his father George Sr. (Lance Barber), who is head football coach at the local high school; older brother George (Montana Jordan) who isn’t the brightest when it comes to school, but is good at sports; twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord), who’s very perceptive, and while she may act like she doesn’t like Sheldon, she often feels a bit lost without him; and finally there’s Meemaw Connie (Annie Potts), who’s a fun-loving single older woman who always has some words of wisdom.

While The Big Bang Theory was more of a standard multi-camera sitcom, Young Sheldon is single-camera, with no laugh track, and feels more like a dramedy than a straight up comedy. While there are some episode-specific story arcs, the season is heavily-serialized, following the ongoing antics of this crazy family, and the conflicts that arise among them. These characters really change and grow over the course of the seven seasons. Popping in the first disc and checking out the pilot again, I was amazed at how young and different these characters were when the series first started, versus where they end up at the end.

In addition to the main cast, Young Sheldon also has many fun recurring characters/actors. There’s Pastor Jeff Difford (Matt Hobby) and later Pastor Rob (Dan Byrd), who often have to deal with Mary; the Coopers’ neighbor Brenda Sparks (Melissa Peterman), a trio of college professors/administrators who regularly get irritated by Sheldon’s persistence (Wallace Shawn, Ed Begley Jr., Wendie Malick), and so many more. The later seasons also bring in Emily Osment as Mandy, a love interest for George, and Craig T. Nelson as Dale Ballard, a love interest for Meemaw. Plus there are many more recognizable folks like Reba McEntire, Mckenna Grace, Jason Alexander, and Will Sasso and numerous other cameos and guests throughout the series run.

While I wouldn’t say I find Young Sheldon laugh-out-loud funny, I do find it quite enjoyable and amusing at times. I definitely appreciate not having the laugh track—that is one archaic thing I wish would completely go away (if you need to tell your audience when they should be laughing, the show is poorly written). In this show, the humor speaks for itself. The writers have also done an excellent job weaving in little tidbits that were probably throw-away lines in the original series, but here they are explored and expounded upon. We also get to see the origins of things ultimately become a big part of Sheldon’s personality, eccentricates, and look in the original series. The serialized nature of the story also allows the characters to change and grow, rather than the typical timeless reset you get in a lot of half-hour comedies.

Warner Bros. has released the Complete Series of Young Sheldon on both Blu-ray and DVD. We were sent the DVD version for review. The picture quality is generally clean and quite good, and I didn’t really have any issues with it. However, it is lacking that slightly refined extra level of clarity and detail that you would get in an HD presentation, as the series originally aired on CBS. The audio track provides clear dialogue throughout and makes use of the stereo and surround channels to add ambiance as needed.

This Complete Series DVD set is a repackaging of the existing releases for each of the 7 seasons, The 141 episodes are split across 14 discs, with 2 discs per season. The discs are stacked and in trays in a thick, clear DVD keepcase, covered by a carboard slipcover. There are 6 behind-the-scenes featurettes totally over 45 minutes of bonus material. There is no digital copy included.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (45:30:18)

All 141 episodes of the series on 14 discs (2 per season):
- Season 1 (2017–18) – 22 episodes
  Disc 1 (3:33:39): “Pilot”, “Rockets, Communists, and the Dewey Decimal System”, “Poker, Faith, and Eggs”, “A Therapist, a Comic Book, and a Breakfast Sausage”, “A Solar Calculator, a Game Ball, and a Cheerleader’s Bosom”, “A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac”, “A Brisket, Voodoo and Cannonball Run”, “Cape Canaveral, Schrödinger’s Cat, and Cyndi Lauper’s Hair”, “Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia”, “An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo”, “Demons, Sunday School, and Prime Numbers”
  Disc 2 (3:43:14): “A Computer, a Plastic Pony, and a Case of Beer”, “A Sneeze, Detention, and Sissy Spacek”, “Potato Salad, a Broomstick, and Dad’s Whiskey”, “Dolomite, Apple Slices, and a Mystery Woman”, “Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine”, “Jiu-Jitsu, Bubble Wrap, and Yoo-Hoo”, “A Mother, A Child, and a Blue Man’s Backside”, “Gluons, Guacamole, and the Color Purple”, “A Dog, A Squirrel, and a Fish Named Fish”, “Summer Sausage, a Pocket Poncho, and Tony Danza”, “Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentleman Callers, and a Dinette Set”
- Season 2 (2018–19) – 22 episodes
  Disc 1 (3:36:42): “A High-Pitched Buzz and Training Wheels”, “A Rival Prodigy and Sir Isaac Neutron”, “A Crisis of Faith and Octopus Aliens”, “A Financial Secret and Fish Sauce”, “A Research Study and Czechoslovakian Wedding Pastries”, “Seven Deadly Sins and a Small Carl Sagan”, “Carbon Dating and a Stuffed Raccoon”, “An 8-Bit Princess and a Flat Tire Genius”, “Family Dynamics and a Red Fiero”, “A Stunted Childhood and a Can of Fancy Mixed Nuts”, “A Race of Superhumans and a Letter to Alf”
  Disc 2 (3:36:53): “A Tummy Ache and a Whale of a Metaphor”, “A Nuclear Reactor and a Boy Called Lovey”, “David, Goliath, and a Yoo-hoo from the Back”, “A Math Emergency and Perky Palms”, “A Loaf of Bread and a Grand Old Flag”, “Albert Einstein and the Story of Another Mary”, “A Perfect Score and a Bunsen Burner Marshmallow”, “A Political Campaign and a Candy Land Cheater”, “A Proposal and a Popsicle Stick Cross”, “A Broken Heart and a Crock Monster”, “A Swedish Science Thing and the Equation for Toast”
- Season 3 (2019–20) – 21 episodes
  Disc 1 (3:36:15): “Quirky Eggheads and Texas Snow Globes”, “A Broom Closet and Satan’s Monopoly Board”, “An Entrepreneurialist and a Swat on the Bottom”, “Hobbitses, Physicses and a Ball with Zip”, “A Pineapple and the Bosom of Male Friendship”, “A Parasol and a Hell of an Arm”, “Pongo Pygmaeus and a Culture that Encourages Spitting”, “The Sin of Greed and a Chimichanga from Chi-Chi’s”, “A Party Invitation, Football Grapes and an Earth Chicken”, “Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib”
  Disc 2 (3:14:41): “A Live Chicken, a Fried Chicken and Holy Matrimony”, “Body Glitter and a Mall Safety Kit”, “Contracts, Rules and a Little Bit of Pig Brains”, “A Slump, a Cross and Roadside Gravel”, “A Boyfriend’s Ex-Wife and a Good Luck Head Rub”, “Pasadena”, “An Academic Crime and a More Romantic Taco Bell”, “A Couple Bruised Ribs and a Cereal Box Ghost Detector”, “A House for Sale and Serious Woman Stuff”, “A Baby Tooth and the Egyptian God of Knowledge”, “A Secret Letter and a Lowly Disc of Processed Meat”
- Season 4 (2020–21) – 18 episodes
  Disc 1 (2:48:44): “Graduation”, “A Docent, A Little Lady and a Bouncer Named Dalton”, “Training Wheels and an Unleashed Chicken”, “Bible Camp and a Chariot of Love”, “A Musty Crypt and a Stick to Pee On”, “Freshman Orientation and the Inventor of the Zipper”, “A Philosophy Class and Worms That Can Chase You”, “An Existential Crisis and a Bear That Makes Bubbles”
  Disc 2 (2:47:16): “Crappy Frozen Ice Cream and an Organ Grinder’s Monkey”, “Cowboy Aerobics and 473 Grease-Free Bolts”, “A Pager, a Club and a Cranky Bag of Wrinkles”, “A Box of Treasure and the Meemaw of Science”, “The Geezer Bus and a New Model for Education”, “Mitch’s Son and the Unconditional Approval of a Government Agency”, “A Virus, Heartbreak and a World of Possibilities”, “A Second Prodigy and the Hottest Tips for Pouty Lips”, “A Black Hole”, “The Wild and Woolly World of Nonlinear Dynamics”
- Season 5 (2021–22) – 22 episodes
  Disc 1 (3:39:35): “One Bad Night and Chaos of Selfish Desires”, “Snoopin’ Around and the Wonder Twins of Atheism”, “Potential Energy and Hooch on a Park Bench”, “Pish Posh and a Secret Back Room”, “Stuffed Animals and A Sweet Southern Syzygy”, “Money Laundering and a Cascade of Hormones”, “An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel”, “The Grand Chancellor and a Den of Sin”, “The Yips and an Oddly Hypnotic Bohemian”, “An Expensive Glitch and a Goof-Off Room”, “A Lock-In, a Weather Girl and a Disgusting Habit”
  Disc 2 (3:34:06): “A Pink Cadillac and a Glorious Tribal Dance”, “A Lot of Band-Aids and the Cooper Surrender”, “A Free Scratcher and Feminine Wiles”, “A Lobster, an Armadillo and a Way Bigger Number”, “A Suitcase Full of Cash and a Yellow Clown Car”, “A Solo Peanut, a Social Butterfly and the Truth”, “Babies, Lies and a Resplendent Cannoli”, “A God-Fearin’ Baptist and a Hot Trophy Husband”, “Uncle Sheldon and a Hormonal Firecracker”, “White Trash, Holy Rollers and Punching People”, “A Clogged Pore, a Little Spanish and the Future”
- Season 6 (2022–23) – 22 episodes
  Disc 1 (3:37:56): “Four Hundred Cartons of Undeclared Cigarettes and a Niblingo”, “Future Worf and the Margarita of the South Pacific”, “Passion’s Harvest and a Sheldocracy”, “Blonde Ambition and the Concept of Zero”, “A Resident Advisor and the Riviera of the South”, “An Ugly Car, an Affair and Some Kickass Football”, “A Tougher Nut and a Note on File”, “Legalese and a Whole Hoo-Ha”, “College Dropouts and the Medford Miracle”, “Pancake Sunday and Textbook Flirting”, “Ruthless, Toothless, and a Week of Bed Rest”
  Disc 2 (3:34:28): “A Baby Shower and a Testosterone-Rich Banter”, “A Frat Party, a Sleepover and the Mother of All Blisters”, “A Launch Party and a Whole Human Being”, “Teen Angst and a Smart-Boy Walk of Shame”, “A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam”, “A German Folk Song and an Actual Adult”, “Little Green Men and a Fella’s Marriage Proposal”, “A New Weather Girl and a Stay-at-Home Coddler”, “German for Beginners and a Crazy Old Man with a Bat”, “A Romantic Getaway and a Germanic Meat-Based Diet”, “A Tornado, a 10-Hour Flight and a Darn Fine Ring”
- Season 7 (2023–24) – 14 episodes
  Disc 1 (2:18:41): “A Wiener Schnitzel and Underwear in a Tree”, “A Roulette Wheel and a Piano Playing Dog”, “A Strudel and a Hot American Boy Toy”, “Ants on a Log and a Cheating Winker”, “A Frankenstein’s Monster and a Crazy Church Guy”, “Baptists, Catholics and an Attempted Drowning”, “A Proper Wedding and Skeletons in the Closet”
  Disc 2 (2:21:08): “An Ankle Monitor and a Big Plastic Crap House”, “A Fancy Article and a Scholarship for a Baby”, “Community Service and the Key to a Happy Marriage”, “A Little Snip and Teaching Old Dogs”, “A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture”, “Funeral”, “Memoir”
480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround; Season 1 only: Portuguese 2.0 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH; Season 1 only: French, Spanish, Portuguese

Extras:

Season 1
- Young Sheldon: An Origin Story (9:46)
  The cast/creators talk about giving Sheldon a superhero-like origin story, casting the series, the characters, making it a single camera show, the narration, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producers Jim Parsons, Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, John Favreau (director, “Pilot”), and stars Iain Armitage (“Sheldon”), Zoe Perry (“Mary”), Lance Barber (“George Sr.”), Montana Jordan (“Georgie”) & Raegan Revord (“Missy”).
- Sibling Revelry (4:08)
  Stars Montana Jordan, Iain Armitage & Raegan Revord sit down together to discuss how they are similar to their characters, what its like working with one another, and more.
Season 3
- The Coopers, East Texas, and The ’80s (5:28)
  The cast/crew talk about recreating the look of the ’80s, how the younger cast members struggled with the older phone technology, and more. Includes interviews with costumer designer Linda Bass, set decorator Richard Walker, prop master Chris Vail, production designer Joseph Lucky, and stars Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Iain Armitage, Raegan Revord & Montana Jordan.
Season 4
- Cooped Up with the Coopers (8:26)
  The cast members reunite with one another for a Zoom-like discussion about what they’ve been doing over quarantine. Participants include Iain Armitage, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Annie Potts, and Raegan Revord.
Season 5
- Time Flies When You’re Having Fun: Young Sheldon at 100 (8:18)
  The cast and crew look back at how the children have changed over the past 5 years while working in the series. They also talk about Sheldon’s iconic knock, their characters’ signature moves, their favorite episodes and scenes, incorporating the actors’ interests into their characters, filming the dinner table scenes, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes and archival interviews as well as new interviews with executive producers Steven Molaro & Chuck Lorre, and stars Iain Armitage, Annie Potts, Montana Jordan, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber & Reagan Revord.
Season 7
- Sheldon’s Secret Origins and Easter Eggs (11:24)
  The cast and crew point out some of the various Easter Eggs thrown in throughout the series, the many connections to The Big Bang Theory, and more. Includes interviews with co-creator/executive producer Steven Molaro, executive producer Steve Holland, and stars Iain Armitage, Reagan Revord, Emily Osment (“Mandy”), Montana Jordan, Annie Potts, Zoe Perry & Lance Barber.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Episodes:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended
But Get the Blu-ray

Young Sheldon is an entertaining prequel series that finds a nice blend of humor and character drama, while exploring the crazy antics, adventures and drama of the Cooper family, and following the young genius as he becomes The Big Bang Theory‘s oddball Sheldon. I love that it was done as a single-camera show, dropping the imitating laugh track from the original series, and also using the format to allow for some more dramatic moments. Overall, I think the 7 seasons tell a satisfying and complete journey for these characters. Warner Bros.’ DVD release features solid picture and sound, and the discs include about 45 minutes of previously-released bonus material. The release is recommended based on the quality of the series itself (it makes for a great binge), but I would opt for the Blu-ray release over the DVD, for the added resolution and clarity.