‘Big Bang Theory' Spinoff ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' Ordered to Series at HBO Max
The was originally announced as being in development back in April 2023. As previously reported, the cast of the series is made up of 'Big Bang Theory' alums Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie. The series hails from co-creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady.
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'We're excited to be continuing the legacy of 'The Big Bang Theory.' Much like the original series, this new chapter wouldn't be possible without the vision and storytelling brilliance of Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, as well as Zak Penn, who has brought fresh insight and a distinctive voice to an already exceptional creative team,' said Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content.
HBO Max has also officially confirmed plot details for the show for the first time. The logline states:
'Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Sussman) 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 (Lapkus), geologist friend Bert (Posehn), and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke (Bowie). 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.'
'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,' Lorre said.
The series is produced by Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Lorre is under an overall deal. Lorre, Penn, and Prady are also executive producers.
'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,' Penn said. 'I couldn't resist that idea, so I packed up my yurt and hailed the next dirigible out. 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.'
This will now be the fourth show in the 'Big Bang' universe. Aside from the mothership show, which ran for 12 highly-rated seasons on CBS, the prequel 'Young Sheldon' wrapped up its own seven-season run at the broadcast network in May 2024. A spinoff of that show, 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' starring Montana Jordan and Emily Osment, debuted on CBS on Oct. 17, 2024. This also marks the first series pickup announced since Max officially rebranded (or re-rebranded) itself as HBO Max.
'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.'
'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,' added Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD US Networks. '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.'
Speaking at a panel at the Banff World Media Festival in June, Lorre teased that the new show would be quite the departure from 'The Big Bang Theory' in terms of its look onscreen.
'There's a lot of CGI,' Lorre revealed. '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. This is trying to incorporate some of that world of science fiction/fantasy into a comedy. And I'm completely out of my element, which is what I wanted. Which is what I was hoping to do, something that I had no experience with. And maybe I can learn as we go.'
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