Another Big Bang Theory Spinoff Is Happening at Max
It was officially announced today that HBO Max and Discovery+ are merging to become "Max," and Warner Bros. Discovery has also shared the news of some upcoming series on the streaming site, including a new Big Bang Theory spinoff. The original sitcom ran for 12 seasons on CBS and its spinoff prequel series, Young Sheldon, is currently in the midst of its sixth season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, not much is known about the new series, but it will involve Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre and take place in the same universe as the original sitcom.
Big Bang Theory has been streaming exclusively on HBO Max since a deal was struck between Lorre and Warners. "I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of going on without the whole ensemble – and the whole ensemble is why we succeeded," Lorre previously told THR. "In pulling it apart and re-approaching it as a fraction of what it was just never felt right to me. I've seen other shows try and fail to take a character out of their realm and carry on. And maybe Frasier is the only thing I could think of off the top of my head where it really did work, thanks to the lightning strike of David Hyde Pierce."
"Truthfully, the reason for a spinoff is economics, and that's not the reason to do a show," Lorre nack in 2019 when talking about Young Sheldon. "You should do a show because you have something you really love and you want to do it. Economics follow passion. If you start with economics ... well, shit, become a network executive."
What Does Max Cost?
According to a previous report, Max will debut with the same pricing as HBO Max, which includes the $10 ad-supported tier. Max is expected to cost $16 with no ads, and a third tier for $20 offers better video quality and other additional features.
"We're excited about the fact that we're going to take all of the Discovery content and put it together with the HBO Max content in a much better platform," Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in the company's most recent quarterly earnings call. "But the key to this company is, as a storytelling company, we have this diversity....We have the ability to pick from all of these different baskets to build really what may be most important for us, which is a successful and profitable streaming business. That HBO Max, whatever we call it on the launch, is a product that we take around the world and that has a real impact on how people consume content. We believe in it because we believe we have the best menu of content, the best portfolio, the best quality. And we're curating now in a way that's having an impact on America."
He added, "And so I think that is key to us in terms of building the long-term strength. But the other key is that we have the largest TV and motion picture library and we're the biggest producer of quality content in the world. And so selling that to drive free cash flow and to nourish the overall segment, so that we, as a media segment, can be successful is important."
What are you hoping the Big Bang Theory spinoff is about? Tell us in the comments!