Up until now, it’s been appropriate to call any of the shows that have happened in the universe of “The Big Bang Theory”, the Sheldonverse, but things have changed with an announcement that expands that universe and takes Sheldon (mostly) out of the equation. HBO Max, which has just went through another name change, announced that their first series greenlit under their new branding would be “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”. The character Stuart Bloom, played by Kevin Sussman will be the main focus of this new spin-off and the series will reportedly feature more sci-fi meshed with creator Chuck Lorre’s patented deprecating nerd comedy style that first drew us in to the ‘Big Bang’ universe. Since Young Sheldon has closed it’s doors after 7 successful seasons, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” has found a winning formula outside of Sheldon’s genius and sci-if jokes, with a season 2 of the popular new series premiering October 17th.
It’s been over 6 years since “The Big Bang Theory” closed it’s curtains, so the choice to focus on Stuart and his failing comic book shop is a unique one, but also a decision that will undoubtedly lead to some hilarious situations with the titular Stuart just trying to get by and maybe find some love along the way. The series will be created by original ‘Big Bang’ co-creators Lorre and Bill Prady along with Zack Penn who wrote for the films “Free Guy” and “Ready Player One” and more recently Created and Directed the short lived but well-done “Beacon 23” for MGM+.
Initial reports of members of the media who have seen footage from “A Knight of the Seven Kingdom” have notably commented on the humor in the footage that was shown to them, which seems a stark contrast from ‘GoT’…”
CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content Casey Bloys commented on the spin-off: “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 Zack Penn, who has brought fresh insight and a distinctive voice to an already exceptional creative team.”
Chuck Lorre also made a statement about the new series: “I wanted to do something radical that’s would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on The Big Bang Theory would have loved, hated and argued about.”
As far as casting, franchise favorite Barry Kripke (John. Ross Bowie) will be returning, as well as recurring characters Lauren Lapkus and Brain Posehn. There has also been a description released for the show which reads: “Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he broke 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.”
The series seems surprisingly flushed out and further along than other show announcements, which tells us that HBO, Lorre and his team are all taking the project very seriously. With alternate versions of Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Penny and all your other favorite side characters from ‘Big Bang’ are a possibility, the future seems bright for this series… even if it ends up being a series of Stuart’s failures. Even though Sheldon may not be a featured characters, he still clearly looms large in this universe as his name is mentioned in this spin-offs description.
Bill Prady also commented on the news: “The process of writing the show with Chuck and Zack has been damn fun, and I’m certain that joy will come through the screen…Putting characters we love 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.” Zack Penn chimed in as well: I was on a vision quest in the most remote pars 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. 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 working with these amazing people.” Well, thank God for carrier pigeons.
Lorre’s production company will produce in association with Warner Bros. TV. CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group, Channing Dungry, made a statement about the forthcoming series: “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…With the help of Zack — 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 at HBO Max for joining us on this next adventure.”
What do you think? Will it still be the Sheldonverse after this series? Will we even see Sheldon again? Who will we get weird and/or evil doppelgängers of? What legacy characters will return? Will there be any ‘Georgie & Mandy’ crossover action? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
