HBO's New Sci-Fi Series Refuels On Streaming After Season 2 Confirmation

Published Aug 28, 2026, 10:44 AM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. HBO's new sci-fi series is back on top. The platform's popular sci-fi show finds itself back on streaming charts after its season 2 confirmation, as new episodes continue to be released. HBO is home to a number of series across a wide array of genres, including numerous sci-fi TV shows that have gotten popular in recent years. From the video game adaptation The Last of Us to the DCU's newest live-action TV show in Lanterns, HBO has plenty of series in the genre that have impressed with their success. Such is the case with Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory airing weekly on HBO Max. The comedy follows Stuart after he breaks a machine made by Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard, resulting in a multiversal disaster that sends him and his friends on a worldwide adventure. Now, data from August 28, 2026 has confirmed the spinoff show is back on top after its newest episode, becoming the Number 5 TV series worldwide on HBO Max. It's also Number 5 in the United States. Stuart Fails To Save The Universe Almost Lost Gas On HBO Max The Big Bang Theory spinoff's renewed streaming success comes after the show almost lost its footing on HBO Max. The series was beginning to dip on the platform last week, despite season 1, episode 5 serving as the halfway point of the series. The series was slowly starting to fall down HBO Max's Top 10 charts, with the series' weekly releases seemingly not guaranteeing that it would be a success. However, season 1, episode 6 aired August 27, 2026, instantly bringing the show back to the top. It helps that Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 was confirmed in mid-August, meaning the current batch of episodes isn't the end for the series. Instead, this is just the start of Stuart's travels across the multiverse, with plenty more potential for big adventures and more The Big Bang Theory cameos in store for the future. For now, though, the series airs new episodes Thursday nights at 9 pm ET on HBO Max, with the viewership increase a good sign for the back half of season 1. The Big Bang Theory Can't Be Stopped On Streaming Warner Bros. Discovery Stuart Fails to Save the Universe and its renewed success confirms The Big Bang Theory is an unstoppable streaming juggernaut. Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage found similar success on HBO Max earlier this year, while the series' weekly, next-day releases on Paramount+ also helped it stay a streaming success throughout the year. As for the currently-airing show, it seems like, despite having some ups and downs, it's still retaining a rather high number of viewers as new episodes are released. Since season 2 is guaranteed, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe appears poised to continue no matter how well the show performs in the coming weeks. But, by retaining a high enough viewership to rank on the global Top 10, the HBO Max sci-fi show seems to have guaranteed its future will have plenty of eyes on it. The series is yet another success in The Big Bang Theory universe, and one that will likely remain successful in weeks to come. Release Date July 23, 2026 Network HBO Max Directors Kyle Newacheck Writers Bill Prady, Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn Creator(s) Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, Bill Prady