Big Bang Theory's comic shop nerds are getting their own spin-off

Although our current five-month gap in The Big Bang Theory‘s 17-year domination of our popular culture—which began when the show debuted back in 2007, and continued through the somewhat surprising cancellation of Young Sheldon in May 2024—has been nice, it never pays to drop your guard when Sheldons of any possible age are on the prowl. Hence our wary, but prepared, reaction to news that Max has now solidified plans for the loose “Big Bang Theory spin-off” it first floated back in 2023, revealing that the new series will apparently focus on the established characters of Stuart, Denise, and Bert, played by Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, and Brian Posehn in the original show.

Sussman had the longest career with the flagship series, having even been briefly bumped up to main cast in its sixth season as comic book shop owner Stuart. Lapkus, meanwhile, was introduced in the show’s penultimate season as his love interest/co-worker Denise. Posehn is the odd man out; although his character, lonely geologist Bert, appeared on more than a dozen episodes of the show, he was never shown with any connection to Stuart’s shop. Still, Posehn’s an established comic presence, which presumably explains why he was thrown into the mix here.

Creative details about the new show remain nil—beyond the basic assumption that Big Bang Theory mastermind Chuck Lorre is firmly involved—but all three stars have reportedly been put into holding deals as the series is shored up. (That’s per Deadline.) Meanwhile, Young Sheldon is still in the process of getting its own spin-off; that show—which we would never accuse of being a blatant effort to milk more Sheldon out of the universe without having to pay for contracts for a large cast of veteran performers—will reportedly center on Montana Jordan and Emily Osment’s characters from the series.