The Big Bang Theory: Original creator Chuck Lorre announces major spin-off

The popular American television sitcom series The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), which is currently streaming on Netflix, may have made headlines in India recently for all the wrong reasons, but if you are a fan of Sheldon Cooper and his friends, there’s an interesting piece of news for you. The award-winning show’s original creator Chuck Lorre is working on a new spin-off.

The show originally aired on CBS, running for 12 seasons (from 2007 to 2019). Set in Pasadena, California, TBBT starred Jim Parsons (Sheldon) and Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter) as two physicist friends and roommates, while Kaley Cuoco was seen as their neighbour Penny. Other characters in the series included aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski (Melissa Rauch) and comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman). It was directed by Chuck, along with Bill Prady. 

Cut to the latest, the TBBT universe is expanding! It was announced at the Warner Bros Discovery press day earlier this week. The yet-to-be-titled spin-off will be developed for Max - a rebranded combination of HBO Max and Discovery+. Details about the plot are still awaited. 

Also read: Top moments of Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory that melt our hearts away

This isn’t the first derivative of the sitcom. A prequel series, called Young Sheldon, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The plot revolves around a nine-year-old Sheldon, essayed by Iain Armitage. 

A few days ago, concerns were raised over an episode of TBBT for allegedly using a “derogatory term” against Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit. A certain political analyst, named Mithun Vijay Kumar, took offence to a scene in the first episode of Season 2, where Raj and Sheldon compared Aishwarya Rai with Madhuri.