When does Young Sheldon take place?

Young Sheldon Seasons 7 is all done and dusted — but when does The Big Bang Theory prequel take place?

Debuting in 2017, Young Sheldon stars Iain Armitage as the child version of Jim Parsons’ on-screen character in The Big Bang Theory. With the original sitcom having introduced Sheldon’s twin sister Missy and older brother Georgie, Young Sheldon provides the answers to what his childhood was like.

Raised in Texas, Sheldon is far from ordinary among the people in his family. He has an extraordinary mind that comes once in a generation. But just as Sheldon battles to understand basic social cues, his family also struggles to understand him.

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon is a grown adult living in his own apartment. He also has a swanky job as a physicist and makes his own money. Young Sheldon shows him years before the hit 2007 sitcom. With Young Sheldon Season 7 set to hit Netflix, here’s what you need to know about the timeline.

What year does Young Sheldon take place?

Over the course of its seven seasons, Young Sheldon takes place from 1989-1994.

CBS

The timeframe of Young Sheldon is easy to figure out. It’s all thanks to Sheldon’s opening monologue being, “Nobody I knew in East Texas in 1989 cared about Newtonian physics.” 

At the time the prequel series takes place, Sheldon is nine years old and begins attending high school with his older brother Georgie. Remember, Sheldon is a child prodigy with a highly intellectual mind who later becomes Mensa-certified. He began attending college at 11 years old.

Throughout the seasons of Young Sheldon, the timeline goes into the early 90s and there are plenty of pop culture references to catch. Sheldon talks about new episodes of Stark Trek, reading Watchmen comics, and even Dungeons & Dragons, the famed fantasy game that was at the center of the Satanic Panic of the 80s.

By Season 6 of the series, it’s 1992 to 1993. Missy is particularly hitting her stride of teenage rebellion here, while Georgie officially becomes a dad with the birth of baby Cece.

Final installment Young Sheldon Season 7 wrapped the prequel up in 1994. It dealt with George’s death, Sheldon’s educational journey to Caltech, and set things up for the impending show sequel Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.

All 14 episodes of Young Sheldon Season 7 are now available to stream on Paramount Plus. You can check out everything we know about Season 8, as well as why the finale wasn’t even about George or Sheldon at all, and other binge-worthy TV shows to add to your list.