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HBO Max spot gives first look at Stuart Fails to Save the Universe December 13, 2025

HBO Max has released a new spot highlighting its 2026 programming slate, including a couple of shots from the upcoming The Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is an hour-long comedy series which blends elements of fantasy and science fiction and is expected to feature a lot of CGI, marking a shift from The Big Bang Theory’s multi-camera sitcom origins. The series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom, the hapless comic book store owner who inadvertently triggers a multiverse catastrophe by breaking a device created by TBBT’s Sheldon and Leonard.

Joining Sussman are several Big Bang Theory alumni: Brian Posehn as geologist Bert, Lauren Lapkus as Stuart’s girlfriend Denise and John Ross Bowie as physicist Barry Kripke. Together, the trio help Stuart attempt to restore reality. Ryan Cartwright, Josh Brener and Tommy Walker are also set to appear in recurring roles.

The HBO Max spot includes two brief, never-before-seen shots from the series.

In the first, Stuart appears panicked in his Pasadena comic book store. In the second shot, Bert is shown tied to a stake, seemingly moments away from being burned alive by a crowd of torch-wielding villagers.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe comes from executive producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, co-creators of The Big Bang Theory, along with Ready Player One screenwriter Zak Penn. The show, which has been in development for a couple of years, is currently filming in Los Angeles. The first season is expected to have ten episodes and an exact air date has yet to be announced.

The HBO Max spot also highlighted upcoming programming including new seasons of The Pitt, Industry, House of the Dragon, Euphoria, Hacks, The Gilded Age, and Dune: Prophecy, as well as new series and limited projects such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, DTF St. Louis, The Rooster, Half Man, War, Lanterns, a two-part documentary titled Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, and an untitled limited series from Larry David.

While HBO Max looks ahead to its 2026 programming, its corporate parent, Warner Bros. Discovery, is caught in a takeover battle between Netflix, which agreed to buy WBD on December 4, and Paramount, which this week launched a hostile bid directly to shareholders after its offer was rebuffed by the company.

Category: The Big Bang Theory Tags: Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, HBO Max, spin-off