Big Bang Theory Dodged a Bullet by Fixing Problem with Unaired Pilot

Pilots are rarely an indication of how a show will end, but The Big Bang Theory dodged a massive bullet with its unaired pilot, which didn't feature Kayley Cuoco. Instead, the female lead was named Katie and played by Amanda Walsh.

It's hard to imagine the show would have been as successful without Cuoco playing Penny, such was her on-screen persona and chemistry with other characters.

Speaking to Emmy Magazine, former CBS Entertainment chairwoman Nina Tassler explained that after watching the original pilot, she felt the need to 'recast our lead female', but always had faith in showrunner Chuck Lorre to get the show right.

'There was so much about the pilot that did work,' such as the 'phenomenal chemistry' between Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, a 'great concept' and an 'amazing showrunner'. But there were also 'parts of the script that didn't work'.

Tassler said she contacted Lorre to explain that she 'wouldn't be picking up the pilot' but asked if he would be 'open' to doing another one.

Lorre immediately agreed that the pilot wasn't as good as it could have been and said he was willing to rethink things and try again. And the rest, as they say, is history. Kayley Cuoco joined the cast and, according to Tassler, was 'the secret sauce' that made the new pilot click.

Lorre told a similar story in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, describing how the audience 'hated' Katie, who wasn't a nice character and treated Sheldon and Leonard badly. However, co-creator Bill Prady said it was 'amazing...that they were defending Leonard and Sheldon so much.' Lorre described the character of Katie as a 'toxic presence' that the audience didn't want.

And so Penny was born. A bit of a blonde stereotype, yes. But a likeable character played with panache by a wonderful actor who really brought Penny to life.

Since making a splash as Penny, Cuoco has gone on to have a stellar career on screen, including the lead role of Cassie Bowden in The Flight Attendant. She also voiced Harley Quinn in the animated TV series of the same name.

There's no telling where her career would have gone if she hadn't landed the role of Penny. She was already an established actress with 15 years of experience when she joined the cast of TBBT. But it was certainly a role in which she flourished. And one that opened several new doors in the industry.

Source: Emmy Magazine, Entertainment Weekly.