Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar Weighs In on Max Spinoff: ‘It Feels Too Soon’ to Play Raj Again
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When it comes to the Big Bang Theory spinoff in development at streaming service Max, series vet Kunal Nayyar says he knows just as little as the general public.
“To be honest, I have not heard anything about this other than what the media has spun out,” he tells TVLine. “I’m not entirely sure what it’s about.”
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The offshoot, which remains shrouded in secrecy, was first revealed last April — just four years after Big Bang wrapped its 12-season run — when Warner Bros. Discovery disclosed that executive producer Chuck Lorre was developing a new comedy series “derived from” the CBS mega-hit. But beyond its streaming destination, no further details were announced — and three weeks later, the Writers Guild of America went on a 148-day strike, which put any further development on hold for the duration of the industry walkout (which ended in late September).
Come November, the project was still in the “prenatal” stage.
Yet, there is still reason to be excited. After all, when Lorre told TVLine in 2019 that a solid spinoff conceit failed to materialize before the multi-cam wrapped production, he explained that “unless there was a creative reason to do it — a wonderfully, wonderfully creative reason to do it — than the only reason [to do it] is economics, and that’s not good enough.” That leads us to believe that the sitcom titan has a pretty spectacular idea up his sleeve. Might it involve Raj, the only member of the friend group who wasn’t paired off in Big Bang‘s series finale? And would Nayyar be open to reprising his role as the astrophysicist who always hoped that he would find love like people do in the movies?
“To be honest, it feels a little too soon,” Nayyar says. And as far as he’s concerned, Big Bang hasn’t been off the air long enough to merit any sort of full-blown revival. “Can you do a [revival] only four years after your show ends? That’s not a reunion show; that’s just another season.”
That said, he’s not shutting the door completely. “If [the spinoff] were to happen, we’ll see what the universe says,” he answers.
In the meantime, Big Bang fans can watch Nayyar reunite with former co-star Melissa Rauch (aka Bernadette) on Tuesday’s episode of Night Court (NBC, 8:30/7:30c). —With reporting by Dave Nemetz
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