The Big Bang Theory is one of the biggest television successes in history. For years it has racked up tremendous audiences and, while critics have never been enthusiastic about it, that hasn’t stopped it from becoming an unprecedented cultural phenomenon. Something that has allowed it not only to endure, but to spawn multiple spinoffs.
Extending through Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, while its spinoffs have never achieved the success of the original series, the franchise has managed to stay fresh over the years. Probably because, despite keeping its characters and its humor, it has never tried to repeat the same thing twice. Something it seems it’s going to double down on with its next series: the highly unusual Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
A series with a very singular premise
The premise of the series is very singular. Stuart Bloom, the owner of the comic book shop the protagonists of The Big Bang Theory go to, accidentally damages an invention Sheldon and Leonard have created. As a result, an imminent “multiversal armageddon” begins in which different parallel realities are going to collapse into one another, potentially ending reality as we know it. That’s why Stuart must fix the situation with the help of the Stuarts and his friends from other dimensions.
This is the first time the series is going to openly tackle science fiction, not just in potential cameos or references, something the series’ creator, Chuck Lorre, has explicitly clarified. “I was looking for a challenge that would take me out of my comfort zone, facing the unknown with special effects and CGI. Until now, my career was based on simple dialogues between two people”, also pointing out that it is “a comedic science-fiction action adventure”.
That certainly seems to be the case. One thing that’s been emphasized is that, with the exception of Kevin Sussman, the actor who plays Stuart, the rest of the cast is going to be new, with the old actors making cameos at specific points in the series. But it’s been implied they’ll appear as different characters, essentially alternate-dimension versions of the ones they’ve played so far.
This opens up some very interesting possibilities. After all, a Sheldon or Leonard from another dimension could be completely different in character and personality from the versions we’ve known so far, and all the conflict that could create for Kevin, who already has a relationship with them, but also with the viewers, who do too. Which can create opportunities to craft very interesting narratives.
A series to savor
Although we won’t have to wait long to find out, since it premieres on Thursday, July 23 on HBO Max, we will have to be patient to see how everything it has in store plays out. One thing that’s already been confirmed is that the series will have weekly episodes. A pattern the Big Bang Theory franchise has followed consistently, and one that has worked very well for it so far: every installment so far has been a success.
With the first episode directed by Kyle Newacheck, director of Murder Mystery and the interesting Happy Gilmore 2 —as well as director and creator of the series What We Do in the Shadows—, we can expect a first episode with an excellent comedic timing. And while we don’t know where it will go from there, knowing that Stuart is going to find himself thrown into a multiverse of madness is something we can’t wait to see play out.
