“Big Bang Theory” spinoff “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” to feature multiverse versions of original characters
The Big Bang Theory universe is expanding at such a rapid pace that it just defied the laws of physics.
HBO Max announced Wednesday that it has given a series order to Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the fourth entry in the BBT franchise, following Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. Big Bang Theory creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady are returning to executive-produce the new comedy series, but it's going to be a bird of a strikingly different color than any other in the franchise.
While it was previously known that the spinoff show would feature Kevin Sussman reprising his Big Bang Theory role as hapless comic book shop proprietor Stuart Bloom, a newly unveiled logline reveals that he'll be "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."
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rke4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R14e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeFellow BBT alums Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie will be back to play Denise, Bert, and Barry. It's currently unknown which other Big Bang Theory alums might appear on Stuart, and whether the alternate-universe characters will be portrayed by the original actors, new ones, or a combination thereof.
Zak Penn, the screenwriter behind films like X-Men: The Last Stand and Ready Player One, will also executive-produce alongside Lorre and Prady. Unlike other sprawling TV franchises like The Walking Dead or Doctor Who, Lorre and Prady have managed to stay intimately involved with each successive spinoff of The Big Bang Theory. HBO has not however announced a showrunner for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, nor has the company indicated whether the series will be exclusive to streaming or also be available on linear TV.
In a statement Wednesday, 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."
Monty Brinton/CBS
Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Mayim Bialik, Jim Parsons, Kevin Sussman, and Kunal Nayyar on 'The Big Bang Theory'The Big Bang Theory aired on CBS for 12 seasons, from 2007 to 2019, making it the network's longest-running sitcom. The series followed the awkward and amusing exploits of four scientists (Jim Parsons' Sheldon, Johnny Galecki's Leonard, Simon Helberg's Howard, and Kunal Nayyar's Raj) and a waitress named Penny (Kaley Cuoco).
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rre4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1be4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeThe series racked up 46 Emmy nominations and took home seven (four of those went to Parsons), and remained so popular as it wound to a close that Young Sheldon premiered on CBS before TBBT even aired its finale. The majority of its stars have reprised their roles on either Young Sheldon or Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage.
In June, Lorre teased the then-untitled Stuart spinoff by revealing, "There's a lot of CGI. There's a lot of special technical stuff that — you know, for me in my career, a big production number was two people sitting on a couch, drinking coffee! This is different."
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