Had you asked me about comedic returns at the start of the 2026 TV schedule, I would have wagered all my wagerable funds on the idea that I’d be enjoying Larry David’s new HBO show way more than I’d be enjoying the Big Bang Theory follow-up Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. That would have been a fool’s gamble to say the least — also a pretty bizarre bet in general — because Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Zak Penn have crafted a spinoff that works better than the original series in many ways.
It doesn’t hurt that Stuart, which won over critics more than most network TV spinoffs tend to, has more in common with wackier comedies than its predecessor, to the point where The Simpsons (and American Dad, to a lesser extent) has popped into my head several times while watching Season 1 episodes, and only in positive ways. Let’s discuss.
1. The Intros Are Fun And Change With Each New Episode
Presumably sparked by the sporadic shifts in openings for classic sitcoms like The Dick Van Dyke Show and Get Smart, I have always been a sucker for shows that play around with intro credits and theme songs. No one has done that better than The Simpsons, from Bart’s chalkboard jokes to the myriad couch gags, though I definitely also adore Bob’s Burgers for its punny change-ups each week, and American Dad for its thematic intro disruptions.
It’s nearly unheard of these days for live-action series to take the same approach, but Stuart Fails to Save the Universe goes that extra mile. The changes are all text jokes, without other big differences, but that’s hardly a knock against, since the opening is already full of fun visuals. The gags also speak to the meta nature of Stuart’s plot, speaking directly to the viewer and the nature of skipping credits in the streaming era. More jokes only helps the show’s longevity, too, as The Simpsons’ golden years can also attest to.
2. Episodes Are Essentially Standalone Cartoonish Adventures
The Big Bang Theory obviously adhered to the traditional sitcom molding with its weekly narratives, with light serialization evolving its characters' personal lives. But from the jump, Stuart aligns itself far closer with The Simpsons in the sense that Stuart, Bert, Kripke and Denise experience vastly different problems and situations from one episode to the next, but still often involving the same locations and side characters.
Also leaning into the cartoonish reset formula, familiar characters can straight up get murdered in Stuart and then return intact in the following episode. (Albeit as multiversal variants, I think.) To that end, the HBO Max comedy skews far more R-rated than Big Bang ever did or could, and it wouldn't be completely out of the ordinary to see Itchy and Scratchy getting a reference somewhere.
3. All The Fun And Unpredictable Guest Stars
Okay so I guess "unpredictable" more applicably describes the manner in which the guest stars' characters are introduced, as opposed to the actors themselves feeling completely out of the blue. Which is to say the cameos we've seen thus far have been TBBT vets like Kunal Nayyar, Kaley Cuoco, Riki Lindhome, and more. But nobody matches up with the characters we knew before, and it's a blast seeing how everyone factors into the varying dimensions.
For instance, Episode 1 introduced a paranoid Raj and then killed him off, while Episode 2 brought in A.I. rebel Penny along with a Christine Baranski who wasn't Leonard's mother Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, but as "herself." Similar to Penn and Teller's appearance, which didn't nod to Teller having portrayed Amy's dad in TBBT. No spoilers for all the fun that's coming, but have faith that it'll be similarly enjoyable.
Obviously The Simpsons isn't the only show known for its guest stars, but it does boast more than just about any scripted series in existence, and from the widest assortment of vocations. And it's also quite well-known for giving audiences twisted and surprising versions of its characters in "Treehouse of Horror" eps and other anthologized installments. Is anybody not convinced yet that these shows are basically the same?
How about this, then? Animation king Brad Bird, who consulted on the show during its early run, went to CalTech, as did Apu, though his stood for the Calcutta Technical Institute. Dun dun dun!! Okay, they're not the same show, but I'm allowed to enjoy the connective tissue that exists, even if I'm manifesting it myself.
New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe drop on HBO Max on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
