Stuart’s Story Continues: Kevin Sussman Leads New Big Bang Theory Spinoff

The Big Bang Theory universe keeps expanding!

HBO Max ordered a second spinoff, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, based on the characters from the celebrated CBS series.

The streamer announced on Wednesday, July 9, that Chuck Lorre Productions will produce the forthcoming sitcom, which will follow comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) after he is “tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon,” per the official logline.

Sussman, 54, will reprise his beloved role alongside Lauren Lapkus, who will return as Stuart’s girlfriend, Denise. Additionally, former Big Bang characters geologist Bert and quantum physicist Barry Kripke will return, portrayed respectively by Brian Posehn and John Ross Bowie.

Bert, Barry, Denise and Stuart will meet alternate-universe versions of characters from The Big Bang Theory, and as the title suggests, things go awry.

Audiences were first introduced to Stuart and Barry in season 2 of the original series. As the show continued, the pair became recurring characters throughout the sitcom’s entire run. The Big Bang Theory ran for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019.

However, Denise and Bert joined the series later, with Bert entering as a recurring character in Season 6. He would appear in a total of 15 episodes. Denise was added at the end of the series’ run, when she first appeared in the second episode of the final season.

Producer Chuck Lorre said in a statement that he “wanted to do something radical,” that would in turn take him out of his “comfort zone,” and landed on a series focused on “something the characters on The Big Bang Theory would have loved, hated and argued about.”

Lorre will return to the Big Bang Theory universe alongside the original series co-creator, Bill Prady. The pair will serve as executive producers with Zak Penn.

Prady shared the writing alongside Lorre and Penn “has been damn fun.”

“I’m certain that joy will come through the screen,” he 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.”

“I couldn’t be more honored to be working with these amazing people,” Penn added.

“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,” said Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group and WBD U.S. Networks chairman and CEO.