The Plot Of The Big Bang Theory's Stuart Spin-Off Sounds Totally Wild

After months of existing in the ether, HBO Max has finally given a green light to the perfectly titled "Stuart Fails To Save The Universe" — and its science fiction-centered plotline is unlike anything that's ever happened before in the "Big Bang Theory" franchise. Just like in many of the comics that he, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) worship, comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) is about to be plunged into the multiverse — in a way that might cause big trouble for Pasadena as he knows it.

The "TBBT" spinoff series will follow Stuart as he tries to restore order to all the known and unknown realities out there after he ruins an invention Leonard and Sheldon have been tinkering with, accidentally bringing about a multiversal cataclysm. His friends and colleagues — geologist Bert Kibbler (Brian Posehn), girlfriend and co-worker Denise (Lauren Lapkus), and longtime rival and quantum physicist Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie) — lend a hand in helping Stuart set things right, while he also meets variants of his friends from different timestreams. 

That's some potent guest starring bait for plenty of former "Big Bang Theory" regulars, although no other cast members have been announced. The series promises to be rich in worldbuilding and geeky science fiction lore, which makes it a gigantic departure from anything the "Big Bang Theory" story has tried before.

While "The Big Bang Theory" occasionally indulged in flights of fancy, it never strayed far from its workaday sitcom roots. Prequel shows "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage" are even more deeply rooted in the real world, taking a look at working class lives in Texas in the 1980s and '90s. "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe," on the other hand, is expected to heavily incorporate sci-fi and fantasy elements into the sitcom format, which will require a much greater use of visual effects and CGI. And since "The Big Bang Theory" could be surprisingly scientifically accurate, that puts the new show in an interesting place.

This, however, appears to be the kind of change that executive producer and series creator Chuck Lorre — who is writing the show with "TBBT" co-creator Bill Prady and comic book movie scribe Zak Penn — was looking for. 

"I wanted to do something radical that would take me out of my comfort zone. Something the characters on 'The Big Bang Theory,' would have loved, hated and argued about," Lorre stated in a press release (via The Wrap). Prady added, "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." Fans will have to wait a while to see if they're satisfied by the show, too: There's no airdate announced yet for "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe."