The president of CBS Entertainment has a candid response to losing the next Big Bang Theory spinoff to the Max streaming service. Long in development, the next iteration of the popular sitcom franchise has received a flurry of casting updates recently. The project will see the return of Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom alongside Lauren Lupkus and Brian Posehn, who reprise their respective roles as Denise and Bert. However, unlike other titles in the franchise, including Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy, and the original series, the next Big Bang Theory show won’t be on CBS.
In an interview with The Ankler’s Lesley Goldberg, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach was asked about why the next spinoff will be on Max (formerly known as HBO Max) rather than CBS. The executive explained that Warner Bros., which is one of the production companies behind the spinoff, worked with Max on the project and stressed that the spinoff was never brought to CBS. Reisenbach concluded by saying that she’s excited to see the spinoff, though she admits her disappointment in the quote below:
It was never brought into us. Clearly that was something that [Big Bang producers] Warner Bros. and Max worked on together. But it was not brought into our side of the business. As a fan of all things Chuck Lorre and Big Bang Theory, I’m thrilled that there will continue to be more of the Big Bang Theory universe. As a network president, of course I’m disappointed, but such is life.
Why The Big Bang Theory Is Going To Max Instead Of CBS
The Franchise Is A Big Streaming Asset
Max and Warner Bros. TV are under the same corporate umbrella: Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s likely, as the CBS Entertainment President alludes to, that the two sibling institutions came to a deal that is being looked at as a way of boosting Max. Just as it did well during its original run and in reruns, The Big Bang Theory is hugely popular on streaming. The original routinely appears on the Top 10 list of library titles. The same is true for the concluded Young Sheldon, which racked up billions of minutes viewed when it was licensed to Netflix towards the end of its run.
There may be something to do with the storytelling approach of the spinoff that makes it a better fit for streaming rather than broadcast. However, that possibility remains speculative without knowing too much about what the spinoff will look like. It is known that the project will hail from franchise co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady alongside Beacon 23 and Free Guy writer Zak Penn, with John Ross Bowie also reprising his role from The Big Bang Theory cast.
Big Bang Theory’s Streaming Success In Numbers
The Original Continues To Break Records
According to a report from Nielsen, which was unveiled in January of this year, The Big Bang Theory was the most-binged title in streaming for 2024. The sitcom, which first debuted in September 2007, averaged 265.5 episodes per viewer on Max, which roughly amounts to 29.1 billion minutes of total viewing. The data also found that 58% of TBBT watchers, which consists of 279 episodes, was from the all-important 18 to 49 demographic.
The success of the original has carried over to its spinoffs. Young Sheldon, the single-cam comedy about the childhood of Sheldon Cooper, generated close to 90 million views when it was added to Netflix. The numbers were shared by the streaming service itself, covering a period of viewership from July to December 2023. This tracks with the prequel’s linear viewership, where it was routinely one of the top-rated shows both on CBS and all of broadcast television. The trend has continued, albeit more mutedly, for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
The recently-debuted CBS show, which follows the characters of Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan) and Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment), garnered close to 8 million viewers in recent estimates and is network TV’s second highest-rated comedy. Although its numbers represent a decline when compared to Young Sheldon, it is successful enough to point to the fact that there is an appetite for more stories in the Big Bang Theory universe.
Going back specifically to the value of the franchise for Max, the argument is likely that the subscribers that consistently binged the original will at least be curious enough to tune in for a sequel that’s focused on a group of supporting and secondary characters. That is not always the case, as proven by the recent mixed reception to Suits: LA compared to the original. But it makes sense to make the attempt to expand the world one more time and see if it will resonate.
Our Take On The Next Big Bang Theory Spinoff Going To Max
It Could Show Up On CBS Later
A deal could be reached for the spinoff to be syndicated on CBS later on, one that would then benefit both of The Big Bang Theory’s homes. For the show’s launch, however, the focus seems to be on using the Big Bang Theory name to drive subscribers to Max. Honestly, taking into account the show’s history, it just might work.
