In 2026, The Big Bang Theory continues to be successful, paving the way for its upcoming sequel to also be a hit. Seven years since the long-running comedy wrapped up on CBS, the universe that he and his friends spearheaded thrives on network TV. After Young Sheldon‘s run, it was immediately followed by Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, which is now the most-watched comedy on traditional broadcast during the 2025-2026 TV season. While the prequel approach has worked wonders in keeping The Big Bang Theory franchise alive, Chuck Lorre is re-teaming with Bill Prady in an effort to move the universe forward with its very first sequel series in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
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Unlike the majority of cancellations, The Big Bang Theory ended not because of a lack of interest in the series. In fact, CBS was open to renewing it for at least one more year, but Jim Parsons’ decision to leave the series convinced everyone that it was time to wrap up the show altogether. Despite going off the air in 2019, The Big Bang Theory remains very popular, thanks to its continuous availability on syndication, as well as streaming platforms. Per Nielsen‘s data for April 13 – 19, 2026, the nerd-centric sitcom ranked fourth as the most-watched show on streaming, having been watched for a whopping 753 million minutes.
The continued popularity of The Big Bang Theory is good news for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. While the upcoming series doesn’t involve any of the Pasadena gang members, at least as series regulars, all four main characters in the show should be familiar to anyone who has seen the flagship. Kevin Sussman’s Stuart, Lauren Lapkus’ Denise, Brian Posehn’s Bert Kibbler, and John Ross Bowie’s Barry Kripke were the most recognizable supporting players in the nerd-centric sitcom.
Why Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Is The Perfect Way To Continue TBBT
In an ideal world, a direct sequel involving the original cast of The Big Bang Theory would have been the perfect follow-up story to the series. However, the chances of that happening are very slim to none at this point. As great as Young Sheldon and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage are, their connection to the flagship is loose for the most part. Admittedly, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe‘s trailer showed a very different story set in the established universe, but taking a story risk like this can be balanced out by the fact that there’s already a built-in audience from the show, thanks to its parent series.
Beyond that, the series also opens the possibility of seeing at least a couple of original characters, as Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a full sci-fi show tackling alternate realities. This allows the series to take its storytelling to truly unexpected places without breaking the established canon — something that hindered Young Sheldon for the most part of its run, and ultimately, forcing it to end despite its popularity. Additionally, it can also provide a proper update about how Sheldon and his friends have been doing since The Big Bang Theory ended once Stuart is able to, hopefully, save the universe and return to the main timeline.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe drops all 10 episodes on July 23, 2026, on HBO Max.
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