'Georgie & Mandy' cast finds humor in real-life challenges

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Emily Osment, Montana Jordan, Will Sasso and Rachel Bay Jones said Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage , premiering Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on CBS, blends comedy and drama like its predecessor, Young Sheldon .

Young Sheldon concluded with the funeral for Sheldon (Iain Armitage) and Georgie's (Jordan) father (Lance Barber). The spinoff finds Georgie and Mandy (Osment) raising their infant together.

"There are real-life moments in every bit of these shows," Osment, 32, told UPI in a Los Angeles interview. "I think it would do a disservice to the wonderful ending we've had with Young Sheldon if we didn't let the audience grieve with the characters, as well."

Jordan, 21, said he appreciates both elements of Young Sheldon and its new spinoff.

"You can't beat comedy, but with a relatable show comes everything," Jordan said. "You've got to see the ups and you've got to see the downs. That's what makes it relatable."

Sasso, 49, and Jones, 54, play Mandy's parents, with whom the newlyweds live as they begin their family. Sasso said the way creators Chuck Lorre, Steve Holland and Steven Molaro mined comedy out of the bittersweet ending to Young Sheldon bodes well for the new show.

"I believe that's why this storyline stood out, in my opinion, to the creators of the show," Sasso said. "There's a real family here."

Jones said Young Sheldon proved the shows can handle even devastating tragedies with a light touch.

"They lift everything even if it's sad," Jones said. "There's a lot of real stuff that they're going to be able to put into the new show as well and keep us all laughing and seeing ourselves while we do it."

One aspect of blending humor and conflict comes in the volatile relationship between Mandy and her mother, Osment and Jones said. The women will continue to struggle to get along, slinging witty barbs at each other along the way.

"That is relatable to everyone," Osment said. "It's tough sometimes and I think it's really funny, too."

With Mandy and her husband living at home, Audrey (Jones) will get to see firsthand when her warnings come true, or when Mandy should have heeded her advice.

"Parents are always going to have 'I told you so' moments," Jones said. "That's the way it goes."

In real life, Osment said she had supportive parents who encouraged her during tough times growing up in the industry. Osment, the younger sister of Haley Joel Osment, began acting in 1999, the same year The Sixth Sense came out.

Osment had success in Spy Kids movies and Disney's Hannah Montana . She said the public eye made her teenage years even more uncomfortable than usual as she went through physical changes.

"I had wonderful parents who just made a joke about it," Osment said. "It doesn't matter. I get to do the thing I love every day. You have to embrace all sides of being on camera for a long time."

Jordan grew up on camera over the seven seasons of Young Sheldon . He said he could not wait to get back to work.

"I started asking a week after Young Sheldon ended," Jordan said. "I was like, 'I need the whole script.'"

Georgie & Mandy began filming over the summer at Warner Bros. on the same stages where The Big Bang Theory filmed for 12 years.

Young Sheldon filmed at different Warner Bros. stages, and without an audience. Osment said she is excited to invite her friends and family to attend tapings.

"You get to have your people come and watch you do the thing you do," Osment said. "It's like Bring Your Family to Work Day every Tuesday."

Jones, who appeared on Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen, Pippin, Hair and more, has never had an audience for her previous television credits.

"It's the marriage of two things that I love," Jones said. "I love the audience and I love the camera, so I get it all now."

Sasso spent five consecutive seasons on MadTV in front of a studio audience. He said he welcomes the live feedback.

"They provide a lot of energy," Sasso said. "You get a real sense of what's working and where to go."

Mandy was in the last three seasons of Young Sheldon and her parents introduced in Season 6. Mandy got pregnant after a one night fling with Georgie and Osment is pleased to see them continue to try to raise the baby together.

"I think that's very relatable for a lot of people, the surprise of pregnancy and realizing that this is the greatest thing in the whole world that could have happened," Osment said.