Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and the fact that The Big Bang Theory franchise will never die. The newest franchise offshoot is set to air soon on HBO Max. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, which is somehow an even more convoluted title than Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, will be the first series created exclusively for streaming. OG stars Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie are on board to reprise their roles.
Unlike Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy, the new Stuart series will be set in the present day with stars from the original series. That could give it a leg up, as crossover appearances by Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, etc., would be easy to accomplish. But this show also feels like a return to form. While the previous two spinoffs did something different with the concept, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe could bring back some hallmarks of the original. That is, an emphasis on science and nerd humor. That concept, coupled with the familiar faces from the OG Big Bang Theory, means that this show could be one of the most successful yet.
The Storyline and Stars of ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’
We don’t know much about Stuart Fails to Save the Universe yet, other than the fact that it will follow everyone’s favorite struggling comic shop owner, Stuart Bloom. Lauren Lapkus played Stuart’s love interest, Denise, who was introduced during Big Bang’s 11th season. Brian Posehn played Bert Kibbler, the guys’ geologist coworker at Caltech who initially harbored a crush on Amy. And we all remember John Ross Bowie’s Barry Kripke, Sheldon’s eternal rival, who struggled to pronounce his “R” sounds. These four supporting stars didn’t have a strong connection to one another in the original show, so there are numerous ways to develop it here.
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The Big Bang Theory was known for two things: science and science fiction. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will give us the best of both worlds. We have the central setting of the comic book store, the site of endless pop culture debates in Big Bang. Bert and Barry represent the science side of things, even if they’re not quite as polished in their fields as the Big Bang gang. So is Stuart Fails to Save the Universe the same show, but from the point of view of the side characters? Likely no, but it does feel like they’re echoing what worked with the original show by prioritizing science and nerd culture, as that was Big Bang’s hallmark. Maybe we’ll get a dose of nostalgia and see Bert and Barry talking sci-fi in the comic shop, just as Sheldon, Leonard, and the rest used to do.
A Return to Science and Sci-Fi in ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’
CBS
Many Big Bang lovers resonated with the “nerd humor” side of things. That’s a concept that was deemphasized in Young Sheldon and absent altogether in Georgie & Mandy. The younger Sheldon did prioritize science, but it was a very solo endeavor. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, where the whole group shared one interest, no one in the young Cooper family shared Sheldon’s love of science. That led to the show’s shift to a more ensemble family comedy/drama around the midpoint of its run. There is no focus on science or comic books whatsoever in Georgie & Mandy.
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But Stuart, Bert, and Barry were an extension of the main Big Bang crew. We know that they have plenty in common with the main characters from the years they shared the screen. The new outing could see Stuart’s love of comic books revisited, as well as a return to Caltech via Bert and Barry. That may attract some old fans who fell away from the franchise when Big Bang ended in 2019. There’s also the nostalgia factor of seeing these familiar faces once again. And could Sheldon or Leonard drop by? As the only Big Bang spinoff set in the present day, it’s possible. Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy have filled in the backstory from the ’90s, and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe could check in with our favorite characters today.
But nostalgia is not a substitute for good writing. The return of Stuart and company will bring in viewers at the start, but will it sustain an audience? If it balances the best of both worlds, yes. Returning to the familiar Big Bang science and sci-fi themes could be a good thing, but the show needs to do more. How can it prove it’s not just the same thing from the B-characters’ POV? The reported use of CGI could be the answer.
Maybe it’s planning to lean more heavily into the sci-fi angle now that the comic book shop will be the central location. Superhero buffs loved that side of Big Bang, which always seemed to come in second to actual science. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe hints at a loving tribute to our nerd culture, with a dash of academia and a return of beloved friends from the show’s past. That could be enough to help the show stand out, while echoing the glory days of The Big Bang Theory.
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