Stuart Fails to Save the Universe ordered to series by HBO Max

admin@the-big-bang-theory.com (The Big Bang Theory) — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:23:02 -0400

A new Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, has officially been ordered to series by the recently rebranded streaming service HBO Max.

Kevin Sussman returns as comic book store owner Stuart Bloom, a role he played for eleven seasons on The Big Bang Theory. He'll be joined by a group of familiar faces from the original series: Lauren Lapkus (Denise), Brian Posehn (Bert), and John Ross Bowie (Kripke).

The new show is executive produced by TBBT co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady along with screenwriter Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Free Guy), and comes from Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

HBO Max first announced over two years ago that Lorre was developing a project "derived from" The Big Bang Theory. Significant updates followed late last year, with Prady and Penn joining as co-writers and the casting of Sussman, Lapkus and Posehn. Bowie joined the cast earlier this year, while the title Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was unveiled in March.

As Lorre previously shared, the new series blends science fiction and fantasy with comedy and will feature “a lot of” CGI, a notable departure from his multi-camera shows like The Big Bang Theory or even the single-camera Young Sheldon.

According to the official logline, "Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we've come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don't go well."

As the premise suggests, original cast members from The Big Bang Theory are expected to appear in guest roles as alternate versions of their characters.

Discussing the new series, Chuck Lorre said, "I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on The Big Bang Theory would have loved, hated, and argued about." Prady added, "The process of writing this show with Chuck and Zak has been damn fun, and I'm certain that joy will come through the screen. Putting characters we loved from The Big Bang Theory into a complex science fiction story with the kind of mythology that those characters love while maintaining the comedic elements is incredibly satisfying."

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the fourth show in the Big Bang Theory universe, following the original series (2007-2019), the prequel Young Sheldon (2017-2024), and its own spin-off Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage (2024-present).

HBO Max did not reveal when Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will begin production or will be released.

Chuck Lorre gives update on Stuart Fails to Save the Universe

admin@the-big-bang-theory.com (The Big Bang Theory) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:23:32 -0400

Chuck Lorre gave an update on Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the Big Bang Theory spin-off currently in development for HBO Max, during a panel at the Banff World Media Festival on Monday, Variety reports.

The show, which has yet to be officially picked up, sees Kevin Sussman reprise his role as comic book store owner Stuart Bloom. He’ll be joined by a roster of recurring Big Bang Theory actors: Brian Posehn as Caltech geologist Bert Kibbler, Lauren Lapkus as Stuart’s co-worker Denise, and John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke, a physicist at Caltech and frenemy of the guys.

Speaking at the festival in Alberta, Canada, Lorre signaled that Stuart Fails to Save The Universe will be a significant departure from his earlier multi-camera sitcoms, including The Big Bang Theory, and the single-camera Young Sheldon, thanks to its heavy use of CGI. Lorre joked that in his career, a big production number was “two people sitting on a couch, drinking coffee”. In contrast, the new show will blend comedy with elements of science fiction and fantasy, drawing inspiration from its comic book store setting.

Lorre also revealed that he and his writing partners, fellow Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady and screenwriter Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Free Guy), have already written ten episodes of the show, even though the show has not yet been greenlit.

The project has been in development since at least April 2023, though it saw little progress that year as Hollywood writers and actors took to the picket lines. The casting of Sussman, Posehn and Lapkus was confirmed in October 2024, while Lorre’s writing partnership with Prady and Penn was reported in December. Bowie’s casting was announced in February of this year, while the title Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was revealed back in March.

During the show’s development, the streaming platform originally launched as HBO Max was rebranded as Max in May 2023. However, last month, it was announced that the platform would revert to its original HBO Max name later this year. Just this week, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would be splitting into two companies - one company containing Warner Bros. streaming and studios, the other managing global cable networks, many of which were Discovery properties before the 2022 merger.

At the Banff festival, Lorre also spoke about the enduring popularity of The Big Bang Theory, its prequel Young Sheldon, and Young Sheldon's own spin-off Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. “These shows that we worked so hard on for so many years that we were so determined to make meaningful and funny at that same time, they seem to be sustaining over time, which is incredibly gratifying,” he said.

Lorre also commented on the standalone success of Young Sheldon. “I meet people all the time who enjoy Young Sheldon and never watched The Big Bang Theory. They didn’t even know it was a prequel, which is incredibly gratifying, because, when Steven Molaro and I started doing that, the hope was that it would stand on its own. That it would not be leaning against this 12 years of this other series. And it did, it became its own series, its own ensemble. That’s immensely gratifying.”

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Stuart Fails to Save the Universe ordered to series by HBO Max

Chuck Lorre gives update on Stuart Fails to Save the Universe