Stuart Fails to Save the Universe premieres July 23

A new spinoff series set in the world of "The Big Bang Theory" premiered on HBO Max on July 23, 2026. "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" centers on Stuart Bloom, the meek comic book store owner from the original sitcom, who is thrust into a multiverse-saving adventure after accidentally damaging a quantum device invented by Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter. The 10-episode season, which streams exclusively on HBO Max, marks a significant tonal shift for the franchise into science fiction and action-adventure comedy.

The series, co-created by franchise mastermind Chuck Lorre alongside Bill Prady and Zak Penn, serves as a direct sequel set after the events of the original sitcom. Lorre explained that Stuart was chosen as the protagonist precisely because he seemed like the least likely hero, calling him the absolute worst choice, which made him the perfect choice. Actor Kevin Sussman reprises his role as Stuart, who is joined on his interdimensional quest by his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), geologist Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn), and physicist Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie). The accident fractures reality, forcing the group to travel through bizarre alternate worlds to...