It all started with a “Big Bang,” but the beloved television franchise has now spun off for a third time with yet another show set in its universe. Granted, those who watched The Big Bang Theory may wonder why the latest spinoff, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, is choosing to center on a side character who was often just on the outskirts of the core friend group. As a Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage fan, I get it, and I think others will as well once it finally premieres.
I’m excited to see Stuart’s adventures when the series premieres for those with a Max subscription (assuming it’s greenlit), though had I not seen how well a premise like this worked with Montana Jordan and Emily Osment’s Young Sheldon spinoff, I’m not sure I would be. For those in that category, let’s talk about why we should all be psyched for more Stuart, even if we wanted more Sheldon instead.
Stuart Is The Perfect Character That Can Link To The TBBT Cast While Still Having His Own Show
I’m sure there are people out there wondering why we don’t just have a proper sequel series of The Big Bang Theory that brings back the core original cast for more hijinks and fun. As fun as that could be, I can’t imagine the eye-watering amount of money that would be needed to juggle the salaries of the actors from one of the most popular television shows of the modern era. Jim Parsons would probably net $20k alone for every knock on a door and an additional $15k for saying “Penny.”
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I’m joking about that last part, but pulling the original starring actors back to be in the main cast of this new series would likely be very expensive. This is likely why Stuart was chosen as the lead for this The Big Bang Theory spinoff, as he exists on the outskirts of the core group while still being connected enough to associate with them. I would expect the spinoff to feature episodes that see actors like Mayim Bialik, Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki reprising their characters from TBBT.
In the meantime, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe will call on other actors who played minor characters in the original series. Lauren Lapkus is back as Stuart’s girlfriend, Denise, and we’ll also get people like Brian Posehn as Bert and John Ross Bowie as Kripke.
It’s a similar strategy that Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage took when it started out after Young Sheldon. Members of the Cooper family, like Missy and Mary, have occasionally shown up to support the story, but the show mainly rests on the shoulders of its starring cast. It’s worked out well, as Jim and Connor McAllister have become two of my favorite characters on G&M. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t with this new spinoff.
Using Stuart Allows The Writing Crew To Sidestep The Big Bang Theory’s More Science-Heavy Stories
Steve Holland, the showrunner for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, once noted an advantage of the show was that without Sheldon Cooper, the series wasn’t burdened with making sure the science in the show was valid and made sense. I can imagine the headache of having to do that as a writer, especially when you’re not a genius in a field of science like Sheldon.
While G&M has managed to thrive without having to rely on the science bits brought with Sheldon Cooper, I think Stuart Fails To Save The Universe may fare even better, thanks to the nature of the character. While Stuart is no genius regarding the things that Leonard, Howard, Raj and Sheldon worked on, the guy runs a comic book shop.
Comic book store owners are geniuses of a different sort, as they are well-immersed in the world of comic books and sci-fi television, and can probably name every upcoming Marvel movie without having to check a guide for reference. Stuart may not have a lot of book smarts, but he seems to know a good deal about geeky stuff.
I think that in this regard, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe could outshine Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. Anyone who enjoyed the geekiness of The Big Bang Theory can likely expect it to continue in this new series, and probably on a level most people can relate to. Sorry to all those hoping for more physics-related jokes, though I’m sure we’ll get a tiny bit of that when TBBT characters show up on the show.
Much Like Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage Did With Young Sheldon, Stuart Fails To Save The Universe Could Tap Into What Truly Made The Big Bang Theory Great
Despite lacking Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has been a joy to watch because it manages to tap into what truly made Young Sheldon great. Science and Sheldon aside, the show was about family and navigating the issues in our daily lives. It gave us happy moments like Sheldon conquering his fears and crushingly sad moments like the death of George Sr.
Stuart Fails To Save The Universe may not have a ton of science, but it seems primed to focus on the thing that made The Big Bang Theory a success. It was all centered around friends at a pivotal time of their lives looking for love and navigating relationships.
I can’t guarantee that the upcoming spinoff will focus on that, but given the success rate of this franchise, I would reckon they have a good idea of how to make this series work and maybe even make it one of the most popular streaming shows. Stuart may be a “failure” when it comes to saving the universe, but should this series make it to Max, I think he stands a very good chance at creating a successful show on streaming.
CinemaBlend is watching updates for Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, which will stream on Max if/when it gets the greenlight to go to series. As for Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, readers can catch new episodes on CBS on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET.
