Why is there a cow in the beginning of Young Sheldon? The cow in the Young Sheldon opening actually serves various purposes in the spinoff prequel to The Big Bang Theory. Set in the late 1980s, the show sees nine-year-old prodigy Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) attend high school in Medford, Texas, while navigating real life with his above-average intelligence and social ineptitude. In the opening sequence, the Young Sheldon cow lays the groundwork for the titular genius' quirks, to the tune of the 2003 Steve Burns song “Mighty Little Man.” The intro first shows Sheldon’s cowboy boots walking on desert ground, presumably in Texas, then pans over his outfit: a checkered shirt, bow tie, and shorts.
Young Sheldon looks proudly far ahead, but his reverie is disturbed by a cow, forcing him to move away from it before posing triumphantly once more. First, the cow in the Young Sheldon opening establishes the series’ setting, as Texas has the largest cattle population in the United States, making them a common sight. Moreover, Young Sheldon showcases that, despite his intellectual stature, he is afraid of most things, particularly animals — as long-time The Big Bang Theory viewers will remember. Regardless, Sheldon allows his fear of the Young Sheldon cow to pass through him, and then immediately postures up again proudly, with only him remaining in the actual title shot.
The Credits Use The Theme Song To Make The Cow Better
The song playing in Young Sheldon’s opening sequence also hints at a deeper meaning. Performed by former Blue’s Clues host Steve Burns, “Mighty Little Man” acknowledges the persona’s strength and potential to accomplish anything. As the lyrics, “I am a Mighty Little Man” are repeated in the background, Sheldon moves away from the cow. This offers a little ironic yet humorous moment of humanizing a child prodigy like Sheldon. Apart from that, the cow in the Young Sheldon opening also shows Sheldon as a fish out of water — a forward-thinking, citified child in the middle of rural, cowboy Texas.
However, starting with Young Sheldon season 3, the opening sequence includes the Cooper family in its entirety. Together, they stand in the desert and simultaneously step away from the cow. Although it may have been simply done for a change of pace in the show, the revamped title sequence proves how willing Sheldon’s family is to adjust and give their support to him and his endeavors.
Young Sheldon Season 5 Changed The Credits Again (But Kept The Cow)
Notably, Young Sheldon season 5 debuted a fresh opening credit sequence in 2022. It's in much the same style as before but features the cast at their current ages, which highlights just how much the child actors have grown. At the same time, it also manages to show that the Cooper family has still stuck together (often rallying around Sheldon) even as the characters have changed and the family continues to get older.
The clock is ticking on the Cooper family's status quo since George's affair needs to happen soon to preserve Big Bang Theory continuity. This makes the unified front in the opening credits all the more poignant. As Young Sheldon progresses, its opening sequence might still change, signaling the change in its characters. However, the cow in the Young Sheldon opening will always be a significant and memorable presence.
The Cow Made It Clear Young Sheldon Wasn't The Big Bang Theory
The cow in the Young Sheldon opening also served to quickly establish that the spinoff is very different from The Big Bang Theory. Indeed, the Young Sheldon cow would be a rare sight in the original show, which had a heavily urban setting. It may seem obvious now, but it's actually an elegantly simple solution for a common spinoff problem: looking and feeling too much like the original material. As with all spinoffs of hugely popular series, this was expected to be a huge hurdle for Young Sheldon. However, through bovine intervention - and Young Sheldon's overall storytelling style - the spinoff has decidedly found its own identity outside of The Big Bang Theory.