The Big Bang Theory is probably one of the most popular and successful comedy series of all time. But before the show could really start, a lot needed to be thrown out. This also affected several characters that only appeared in the 1st pilot episode.
To pitch series to the big studios, most create a pilot episode, which often also serves as the 1st episode when a series is bought and ultimately produced. Chuck Lorre did this with The Big Bang Theory.
This pilot episode is a special case, as many of the ideas and characters did not make it into the series, and Chuck Lorre and his team had to rethink the series.
A difficult pilot episode with a lot of potential
What was changed from the series? Even the character constellation was different than what one later knows from the series. In the pilot, there was no Penny and also no Howard and Raj, who had his own problems before the filming began. Instead, there was Katie, played by Amanda Wash. She met Sheldon and Howard.
In the pilot episode, the two meet Katie, who is homeless after a breakup. The two nerds step in and offer her a place to stay. Katie did not go over well at all and was, according to Chuck Lorre, hated
by the audience (Source: ew.com).
But she is not the only element that seems absurd today, when one knows the series. In addition to her, there was another female lead character named Glinda, played by Iris Bahr. She was a scientist and a friend of the two nerds. From her, we also learn that she slept with Sheldon at a Star Trek
-convention, which further changes his character in relation to the later series.
Oh, and in the pilot episode, it is also mentioned that Sheldon is into butts – why not?
Although all this sounds pretty terrible, the series was not abandoned. According to Chuck Lorre, Leonard and Sheldon resonated well with the pilot episode audience. CBS also seems to have been convinced, as Chuck Lorre and writer Bill Prady were given another chance. They were to create the female lead role.
Chuck Lorre himself noted: It was not about the actress, but about the script. This led to a 2nd pilot episode that ultimately resulted in the series we know today – then with Penny, Howard, and Raj.
What do you think of The Big Bang Theory? Do you like the series? Feel free to write it in the comments. Not all ideas in the series were well received. In one episode, there was an unusual romance between 2 characters: The creator of Big Bang Theory wanted two characters to spend a night together – the result was found terrible by all
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