Published Sep 14, 2026, 8:01 PM EDT
Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020.
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Although HBO’s new ten-part time travel show has an ambitious premise, The Big Bang Theory spinoff has nailed one pivotal goal that many series fail entirely. Spinoffs are, as a general rule, tough to pull off. After all, spinoff shows make an awkward demand on their creators, as they must be familiar enough to feel like part of a cohesive, familiar brand, but also simultaneously original enough to feel like a worthwhile standalone story.
For every iconic hit sitcom spinoff like the Cheers follow-up Frasier, there is a flop like the much-derided Friends spinoff Joey. Successful spinoffs only become more difficult as franchises grow larger, since the world of the series is now laden down with even more established storylines and existing characters. This is why it was tough for The Big Bang Theory’s first spinoff Young Sheldon to avoid contradicting the original show’s lore, and even harder for Young Sheldon’s spinoff *Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage *to avoid contradicting either earlier show.
Within this context, viewers might wonder how HBO Max’s third *The Big Bang Theory *spinoff, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, could possibly hope to succeed. Of course, high-profile cameos alone, along with the promise of a return from some of the original show’s most memorable supporting stars, would be enough to make any spinoff from The Big Bang Theory a hit among viewers at first. However, what was surprising is the fact that Stuart Fails To Save The Universe’s reception improved as it continued, since the spinoff wasn’t reliant on its predecessor.
Almost every spinoff show claims that new viewers can watch the new show without being a fan of the original, but this is often merely marketing bluster. If the new show truly worked as a standalone series, it is unlikely that it would have been developed as a spinoff in the first place. However, thanks to the show’s multiverse-exploring premise, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe represents a rare instance where this claim is actually true.
Bridging the gap between the original sitcom’s large mainstream audience and wider sci-fi fandoms, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe starts a new era for The Big Bang Theory universe, or rather, multiverse. The show’s story follows Kevin Sussman’s titular Stuart, a hapless comic book owner who was an ancillary member of the Pasadena gang in the original show. While he had a few subplots of note and even took Penny on a single ill-advised date, Stuart was never one of the show’s lead characters.
He was, however, ingratiated enough into the fabric of the series for Stuart Fails To Save The Universe to feel like a legitimate follow-up, rather than a mere cash in. This is where the show’s premise proves ingenious, as the series follows Stuart and fellow Big Bang Theory alumni Kripke, Bert, and Denise as they travel from one version of the show’s universe to another, attempting to undo Stuart’s accidental apocalyptic destruction of the original universe.
Eagle-eyed readers will note that this entire central conceit hinges on novelty, meaning* Stuart Fails To Save The Universe*’s weird mic of Quantum Leap’s premise and Rick and Morty’s ribald R-rated humor doesn’t require any familiarity with The Big Bang Theory. The better viewers remember the minutiae of The Big Bang Theory, the funnier Young Sheldon’s references to Sheldon’s “Spot” will be.
In contrast,* Stuart Fails To Save The Universe* introduces an entire new universe with each new episode, meaning the show is equally perfect viewing for audience members who might have seen the original series, viewers who remember it perfectly, and those have never even watched an episode. As a result, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe is a rare spinoff that actually doesn’t require any familiarity with The Big Bang Theory from its viewers,
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe ](/db/tv-show/stuart-fails-to-save-the-universe/)
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Bill Prady, Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn