Kaley Cuoco Hated TBBT Storyline So Much, They Got Rid Of It After All

She had to put her foot down when one shocking storyline was planned she absolutely did not agree with.

In the wacky world of TBBT you'd think there's nothing too outlandish for the gang to tackle. After all, over 12 seasons, they'd ventured into everything from crashing the Mars rover to Sheldon in a maid costume. However, one storyline left Kaley Cuoco, who played Penny in the series, in sheer disbelief and even left the writers completely divided.

Leonard's sperm donation

The storyline in question started when Penny decided to drop a bombshell on Leonard that she had no interest in having children in series 12, episode 3, 'The Procreation Calculation.' Only a few episodes later, she runs into her loveable but witless ex, Zach, who asks Leonard if he'd be a sperm donor to him and his new wife.

The sheer audacity of this plot left viewers scratching their heads, and it wasn't just the audience who were taken aback. Even Kaley Cuoco couldn't believe her ears when she first heard the idea.

The writers' dilemma

Obviously, the idea of Leonard donating his sperm to another couple was not only controversial with the fans but also divided opinions among the series' writers, producers, and cast.

Referring to the particular show narrative, Cuoco said, 'Listen, there's a lot of storylines you need if you're going to run 12 years… You're going to hit a doozy once in a while!'.

Showrunner Steve Holland later revealed that the writers had indeed discussed going down the route where Leonard would be the sperm donor.

'We talked about going down [that] route where Leonard was the sperm donor,' he says. 'But the conclusion we came to was that it wouldn't feel OK. People had different opinions about it in the writers' room,' and the general decision was 'that it wasn't going to be satisfying [for the fans].'

Kaley Cuoco's stand

Ultimately, Cuoco's and the other writers' dislike of the storyline meant that plans to have Leonard continue to assist Zach and Marissa in having a baby were eventually scrapped. By episode 15, 'The Donation Oscillation,' Leonard is shown changing his mind about providing his sperm for the sake of Penny's discomfort. The couple ends up having their own baby anyway by the end of the season.

While Leonard's journey to become a sperm donor may remain a tantalizing 'what if,' it's also a reminder that even in a sitcom universe where the laws of reality often bend, there are still limits to what can be explored with its characters. In this case, Kaley Cuoco's heartfelt objections led to the removal of a storyline that, for better or worse, will forever remain on the writers' room floor.

Source: The Things.