HBO Max has ordered a new spinoff of The Big Bang Theory centered on one of the original series’ recurring characters , the latest example of the studio’s ongoing effort to expand popular franchises and repackage familiar content in hopes of achieving streaming success.
The new show, called Stuart Fails To Save The Universe , will focus on the character of Stuart Bloom, the bumbling owner of the comic book store frequented by the main characters of the original series.
Stuart Fails To Save The Universe will be the fourth show in the Big Bang universe after two other sitcoms spun off the original series with varying levels of success.
Young Sheldon , set in the 1970s and following the childhood of Big Bang’s main character, was immensely popular throughout its seven-season run and was regularly the most-watched show on streaming and television thanks in part to its wide availability: Young Sheldon aired on CBS and was also available to stream on Netflix, Max, Paramount+, and other services.
The series stars Kevin Sussman as Bloom and actors Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie, all recurring supporting characters on The Big Bang Theory, and original series creator Chuck Lorre will executive produce alongside Zak Penn and Bill Prady.
The Big Bang Theory isn’t the only show whose characters have been remade to capture viewers familiar with its themes and characters as an extension of the » comfort shows » that have proven to be ratings gold for streaming services.
Perhaps the most widespread examples are the seemingly endless reboots and spin-offs of the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises : Disney has created over 15 shows in the Star Wars universe over the past 11 years, and seven new Star Trek shows have aired or been announced since 2018. Fuller House , which brought back most of the characters from the ’90s sitcom Full House , ran for five seasons and drew strong viewership numbers to Netflix, and Disney’s Girl Meets World ran for three seasons and starred many of the same actors from the original Boy Meets World.
Currently streaming on Paramount+ are Frasier , a reboot of the show of the same name that aired from 1993 to 2004; a live-action reboot of “Avatar: The Last Airbender”; and Queer Eye, a remake of an early 2000s reality show called Queer Eye For The Straight Guy. The critically acclaimed series Cobra Kai, a spin-off of The Karate Kid films , ended its six-season run earlier this year, and the fan-favorite Roseanne returned for a 2018 season before its star’s racist tweets canceled it.
Despite a slate of original series, comfort shows like Gilmore Girls and Suits held the top 10 spots on Nielsen’s list of most-watched shows for 2023 and 2024. The Big Bang Theory was named the «most-watched title» of 2024 on streaming, according to Nielsen.
The Stuart Fails to Save the Universe plot will focus on Bloom and her friends’ attempts to restore reality after causing a multiverse Armageddon by destroying a device built by the show’s original protagonists, Sheldon and Leonard. While the original cast hasn’t been cast, the series synopsis promises the appearance of alternate universe versions of characters we know and love from The Big Bang Theory.
«I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone,» Chuck Lorre said in a
statement . «Something the characters on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ would have loved, hated, and argued about.»
The Big Bang Theory aired for 12 seasons, beginning in 2007, and holds a Guinness World Record for the longest-running multi-camera comedy , surpassing Cheers. The series won 10 Emmy Awards, including four Outstanding Lead Actor awards for Jim Parsons as Sheldon.
In March, Max and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television launched The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast with author Jessica Radloff, who wrote a book about the series. The Big Bang Theory also spawned seven seasons of the hit Young Sheldon on CBS.
Nearly 12 million people tuned in to watch the Young Sheldon finale live on CBS last June, and 6 billion people watched the series across platforms that month , surpassing new episodes of Bridgerton to become the most popular TV show of the month. A Young Sheldon spin-off, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, aired its first season last year , and a second is slated to premiere sometime in the 2025–2026 television season.
