Rotten Tomatoes verdict’s in for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe
Kevin Sussman’s spin-off just logged its first Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score, drawn from a handful of early reviews — and it could swing as more come in.
If there's one thing you can count on with spin-offs, it's that everyone immediately wants to know how badly — or brilliantly — they stack up against the original. This week, it's the turn of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, HBO Max's freshly-launched offshoot of CBS' massive hit, The Big Bang Theory. And before you get too excited, let's just say the critics' numbers aren't exactly setting the galaxy alight.
69% of critics gave the new series a positive review out of 16 tallied.
How It Compares
Rotten Tomatoes has just released its initial Average Tomatometer Score for Stuart's first season: 69% positive, based on a hand-counted set of 16 critics. Let's be honest, in today's world of franchise TV, that's not disastrous — but it is absolutely the lowest starting score we've ever seen for anything wearing a Big Bang badge.
Just to stack the numbers up:
- The original Big Bang Theory: 81% average Tomatometer
- Spin-off George and Mandy's First Marriage: 89%
- Stuart Fails to Save the Universe: 69% (after first wave — so maybe not set in stone, but still, ouch)
So, while Sheldon and friends set the bar ridiculously high over the years, this Stuart-centric outing is struggling to catch up with its own extended universe. Early days, of course — sometimes a show surprises, but right now, it's got some work to do if it wants to earn a spot next to its sitcom siblings.