The Big Bang Theory universe is about to expand once more, and this time it seems it’s facing Armageddon, as HBO Max has officially granted a series order to Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The show hails from TBBT co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, along with Zak Penn (Ready Player One, Free Guy), and will star see the return of supporting characters Stuart (Kevin Sussman), Bert (Brian Posehn), Denise (Lauren Lapkus) and John Ross Bowie (Kripke).
Taking the franchise full sci-fi, the official logline for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe reads: “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,” said producer Chuck Lorre, with Bill Prady adding: “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.”
“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.”
“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 Warner Bros. Television CEO Channing Dungey. “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 Fails to Save the Universe will be the fourth show in The Big Bang Theory universe after the main flagship series, the prequel Young Sheldon, and the latter’s own spinoff George & Mandy’s First Marriage, which premiered last year.
