“The Big Bang Theory” universe continues to expand as HBO Max has ordered the spinoff “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” to series.
The comedy, which comes from Chuck Lorre Productions, follows comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) as he is tasked with restoring reality after breaking a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon, per the official logline.
Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), geologist friend Bert (Brian Posehn), and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie). Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we have come to know and love from “The Big Bang Theory.” As the title implies, things don’t go well.
“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,” Chuck Lorre said in a statement.
The spinoff reunites Lorre with Bill Prady, who co-created the original series that ran for 12 seasons between 2007 and 2019.
“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,” Prady said. “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.”
In addition to Lorre and Prady, Zak Penn joins the pair as an executive producer.
“I was on a vision quest in the most remote parts of the Amazon Rainforest when a carrier pigeon arrived with a note from Chuck Lorre asking if I wanted to help make a show that the characters from ‘Big Bang Theory’ would watch. I couldn’t resist that idea, so I packed up my yurt and hailed the next dirigible out,” Penn said. “At the same time, Chuck sent an expedition to locate Bill Prady, who had been frozen with his shield across his chest in a block of arctic ice. The team assembled, we set out to make this insane show, which lives in a universe created by Chuck and Bill. I couldn’t be more honored to be working with these amazing people.”
Chuck Lorre Productions produces in association with Warner Bros. Television.
“Chuck and Bill have given us one of the most enduring comedies of our time with ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ and we can’t wait to see the universe continue with this new series,” Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD U.S. Networks chairman and CEO Channing Dungey said. “With the help of Zak — a masterful storyteller — this next iteration promises to capture the essence of what fans loved about the original series, but with a completely fresh twist. We thank our partners HBO Max for joining us on this next adventure.”
Stuart Bloom and Barry Kripke were both introduced as characters in the original series during its second season and would go on to become recurring characters all the way through the end of the sitcom.
Meanwhile, Bert was added in as a recurring character starting in Season 6 and would appear in a total of 15 episodes, while the character of Denise didn’t appear until the second episode of the final season.
All 12 seasons of “The Big Bang Theory” are currently available to stream on HBO Max.
