The Big Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails To Save The Universe will return for second season, a recent Warner Bros. Discovery press release confirms. The HBO Max exclusive was reportedly responsible for the streaming service’s second most-watched comedy premiere ever, per company analytics.
“We’re delighted with how this hilarious, genre-bending show from Chuck, Zak, and Bill has connected with the audience, both devotees of The Big Bang Theory and new fans alike,” head of HBO Amy Gravitt stated in the company’s most recent press release. “Along with everyone else, we can’t wait to see the worlds they conjure for these beloved characters next season.”
Stuart, which began a ten-episode streak of weekly releases with its premiere last July, is the second Big Bang Theory spin-off to successfully carve out a niche for itself within the long-running sitcom’s universe — or the third, if viewers count George and Mandy’s First Marriage, which itself was an offshoot of the prequel series Young Sheldon. Like both of those, the series is headed by original franchise showrunner and “King of Sitcoms” Chuck Lorre (Two And A Half Men, Mom). Unlike those, however, Stuart trades science for science fiction, as the comic book store owner accidentally causes a multiversal crisis after breaking one of Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard’s machines.
“I just wanted to do something that challenged me, that I was uncomfortable and in unfamiliar territory and the special effects stuff, the computer graphics, all those things,” Lorre explained in an interview with People magazine earlier this year. “Most of my career has been two people sit on a couch and talk.”
Lorre’s bet seems to have paid off. In addition to its impressive streaming numbers, the series boasts a respectable 77 percent approval rating from critics and an 84 percent from fans on Rotten Tomatoes. His focus on special effects is somewhat ironic, though, considering that seems to be the series’ only major controversy so far. Many fans have voiced their disapproval over what appears to be the use of generative AI for the show’s title cards, per Kotaku. (As HBO Max has yet to officially recognize these accusations, you’ll have to judge for yourself.)
Despite these concerns, it would seem that Stuart is failing upwards. New episodes of the series premiere Thursday nights on HBO Max.