Chuck Lorre Had A One-Sentence Pitch For Young Sheldon, And CBS’ Head Honcho Gave Him A 4-Word Response Back

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If you’re not aware of the people responsible for creating and producing your favorite TV shows, it’s unlikely you know their names. However, even in that case, it’s highly probable that you recognize Chuck Lorre’s name. He is known for successful comedy series like Dharma & Greg, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Young Sheldon, and the upcoming CBS show Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage for the 2025-2026 season. Interestingly, he only had a brief idea for his first The Big Bang Theory spinoff, and received just a four-word response.

What Did Chuck Lorre Say About Pitching Young Sheldon To CBS?

Renowned sitcom mastermind Chuck Lorre continues his mission of bringing laughter into people’s lives, with no signs of slowing down. Currently, he’s working on a new project based on ‘The Big Bang Theory’, titled ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’, and an upcoming comedy series called ‘Leanne’. In a recent talk at the Banff World Media Festival (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter), Lorre shared insights about the simple yet successful pitch that led to the seven-season run of ‘Young Sheldon’.

It’s uncertain if you can still mention his name, but around a decade back, I found myself entering Les Moonves’ office and shared with him an idea for a show featuring Sheldon at age 10 from East Texas. His response was, “Go ahead and make it happen, right now.

It’s possible you might not know this, but Les Moonves was previously the head of CBS, the network where many of Chuck Lorre’s successful sitcoms (such as “Mike & Molly,” “Mom,” “Bob Hearts Abishola,” and his current “The Big Bang Theory” universe) reside. On the day Chuck Lorre went to meet with this influential executive, it appeared that he had no hint of anxiety or dread about pitching a new idea – quite the opposite!

Indeed, when the spinoff prequel (notably linked to its subsequent series, “Georgie & Mandy”) was proposed, the prolific producer was already quite adept at marketing shows and engaging with television executives. It’s also worth mentioning that he had already produced several successful shows for CBS and other networks by then. In light of his past achievements, Lorre suggested that these successes might have contributed to Moonves’ prompt reaction.

You don’t receive the green light because it’s profound, but rather, you get it when they believe there is potential for gain.

In simpler terms, some notes are merely useful, but others spark a significant realization or insight, and the phrase “you get a green light because they believe they can generate a profit” falls into the latter category.

It’s clear that aside from considering whether a spinoff idea is likely to be entertaining and funny, the creator also understands which ideas have potential financial appeal for executives. Fingers crossed, the proposed Stuart spinoff (assuming it gets greenlit by HBO Max) will extend his run of success.

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2025-06-12 19:37