{"id":316927,"date":"2026-08-08T21:56:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/316927\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T21:56:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:56:48","slug":"reviews-are-in-big-bang-theory-tv-spinoff-is-worth-watching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/316927\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviews are in: \u2018Big Bang Theory\u2019 TV spinoff is worth watching"},"content":{"rendered":"

The early reviews are in: Critics love The Big Bang Theory\u2019s spinoff \u201cStuart Fails to Save the Universe\u201d \u2014 starring Staten Island native Kevin Sussman! <\/p>\n

Three episodes have aired on HBO Max since its July 23, 2026, premiere, and sussman portrays stuart, a perpetually struggling comic book store owner.<\/p>\n

The new 10-episode HBO Max<\/a> spinoff puts four of the original sitcom\u2019s supporting characters at the center of the action.<\/p>\n

There is no Sheldon. No Leonard. No Penny.<\/p>\n

Instead, the new series follows Stuart, Denise, Bert Kibbler, and Barry Kripke \u2014 four characters who spent much of the show\u2019s run in the supporting cast but became increasingly prominent as the 12-season sitcom progressed.<\/p>\n

Now they\u2019re getting a story of their own, and it takes them far beyond the comic book store in Pasadena.<\/p>\n

\u2018Stuart Fails to Save the Universe\u2019 comes from The Big Bang Theory creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, along with writer Zak Penn. <\/p>\n

\u201cSussman knows how to make Stuart be pathetic while being heroic… bouncing through these universes with the equally incapable Kripke and Bert is funny all by itself,\u201d said the Decider. <\/a>\u201cIt\u2019s a good combination of characters who just happen to be written by the same people who created them.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to CosmicCircus.com, Sussman\u2019s expert portrayal as Stuart is key and \u201cshows us a different side of his character and proves that the greatest moments in his life were never actually failures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike the original sitcom, the new series doesn\u2019t use a laugh track. Instead, it combines science fiction and action-adventure with the show\u2019s familiar brand of zany, offbeat comedy.<\/p>\n

According to NPR,<\/a> the story opens in a post-apocalyptic Pasadena, where Stuart is still trying to keep his comic book store alive. <\/p>\n

Bert, played by Brian Posehn, is attempting to acquire a rare comic book by offering canned vegetables and cat food when an alternate-universe version of Stuart suddenly appears.<\/p>\n

He brings with him a device that can travel between universes \u2014 and a very big problem.<\/p>\n

\"2026Kevin Sussman, from left, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie, and Brian Posehn attend a panel for “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” during Comic-Con International on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in San Diego. (Photo by Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP)AP Photo\/Richard Shotwell<\/p>\n

Stuart is now supposed to save the universe.<\/p>\n

The title, of course, suggests how successful that mission will be.<\/p>\n

Stuart, Bert and Denise, played by Lauren Lapkus, soon find themselves traveling through one bizarre universe after another. In one, they encounter a version of Barry Kripke, played by John Ross Bowie, who has somehow ended up in charge.<\/p>\n

The multiverse premise gives the writers plenty of room to get weird. NPR highlights one particularly memorable universe where people have cow-like digestive systems and actually go to restaurants to eat grass.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just one of the show\u2019s many detours.<\/p>\n

EpisodeRelease date1July 23, 20262July 30, 20263August 6, 20264August 13, 20265August 20, 20266August 27, 20267September 3, 20268September 10, 20269September 17, 202610 (Finale)September 24, 2026<\/p>\n

Fans of The Big Bang Theory will also have fun spotting familiar faces along the way. <\/p>\n

The biggest change may be the simplest one: Stuart is no longer the man standing in the background while Sheldon and the gang get all the attention.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s the guy carrying the show.<\/p>\n

For Sussman, a Staten Island native who spent 12 seasons playing one of television\u2019s most lovable underdogs, that\u2019s a pretty entertaining promotion.<\/p>\n

\"KevinKevin Sussman attends the 200th Episode Celebration of “The Big Bang Theory” held at Vibiana on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP) Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The early reviews are in: Critics love The Big Bang Theory\u2019s spinoff \u201cStuart Fails to Save the Universe\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":316928,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-316927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=316927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/316928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=316927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=316927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=316927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}