PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: PALEYFEST 2018: YOUNG SHELDON {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Paley Center for Media's 35th William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television and is dedicated to television's creative community. This PALEYFEST 2018 seminar honors "Young Sheldon," the comedy series about the tumultuous East Texas childhood of eccentric scientific genius Sheldon Cooper, a spinoff of "The Big Bang Theory."
Host Rene Reyes (executive in charge of production, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and welcomes Jessica Radloff (West Coast entertainment correspondent, Glamour magazine) to the stage. Radloff introduces a clip from an upcoming episode, "Killer Asteroids, Oklahoma, and a Frizzy Hair Machine," in which Sheldon stuns his drama teacher, played by Jason Alexander, with his hitherto-unrevealed musical theater talents and lands the lead in the school musical – "Annie."
After the clip, Radloff moderates the following panelists: executive producers/creators/writers Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro; executive producer/narrator Jim Parsons; and cast members Raegan Revord (Missy Cooper), Annie Potts (Meemaw), Lance Barber (George Cooper Sr.), Zoe Perry (Mary Cooper), and Iain Armitage (Sheldon Cooper).
The panelists touch on such topics as: the show's immediate success and second-season renewal; Armitage's excitement in working alongside Alexander; the cast's friendships, including Revord's quick bond with her onscreen brothers; Parsons' memories of Armitage's "jaw-dropping" audition, including a William Shatner impression; the show's theme song, "Mighty Little Man," performed by "Blue's Clues" host emeritus Steve Burns; the show's portrayal of 1980s popular culture; Potts' experience working alongside child actors, including her amazement at their ability to immediately step into character; creating an "authentic" family unit for the Coopers; Armitage's love of rocks and the backstory of adult Sheldon's hatred of geology; how Armitage masters his character's tongue-twisting scientific dialogue; Parsons' confession that he quickly forgets his memorized terminology; Perry's interest in exploring Mary's depths and how she "meets Sheldon in the middle"; how Barber bases his character in adult Sheldon's more insightful views of his late father, rather than young Sheldon's more narrow perception; the younger actors' genuine affection for their "Meemaw" Potts; "Easter eggs" relating to "Big Bang" plots, including the origins of Sheldon's obsessions with formal contracts; the writers' sense that young Sheldon has an inaccurate idea of his own future; whether Armitage will appear in flashback form on "Big Bang"; and the show's messages of compassion and tolerance for those who are different.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: the young actors' shock at the "old-fashioned" technology of the 1980s, as depicted in the show; whether Sheldon's living family members will attend his upcoming wedding on "Big Bang"; the kids' fun and games on set; Armitage's noticeable orthodontic work; how he juggles the dissimilar roles of Sheldon and "messed up" youngster Ziggy on "Big Little Lies," now shooting its second season; Armitage's mastery of his character's signature neckwear; exploring Sheldon's social issues and aversion to change; the decision to cast Perry as the younger version of her own mother Laurie Metcalf, who portrays an older Mary on "Big Bang"; Lorre's initial concern that Perry was "too young" for the role, as he has known her since childhood from Metcalf's days on "Roseanne"; and Armitage's newfound fame, including his enjoyment of interacting with fans.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 7:45 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 132265
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Jessica Radloff … Moderator
- Raegan Revord … Panelist
- Montana Jordan … Panelist
- Annie Potts … Panelist
- Lance Barber … Panelist
- Zoe Perry … Panelist
- Iain Armitage … Panelist
- Jim Parsons … Panelist
- Steven Molaro … Panelist
- Chuck Lorre … Panelist
- Jason Alexander
- Steve Burns
- Laurie Metcalf
- William Shatner