The Big Bang Theory’s Original Pilot Was Shockingly Different, But Kept the Best Part of the Series

Albeit a cultural juggernaut now — George and Mandy’s First Marriage is set to air its third season in October and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is currently a streaming hit on HBO — the Big Bang Theory was originally met with mixed reviews, earning only a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season.

Still, CBS had faith in the show’s creators. As of 2007, Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre knew sitcoms. They previously worked together on the 1997 sitcom Dharma and Greg, and Lorre had created other successful shows in the intervening years such as Cybil, Grace Under Fire, and Two and a Half Men. 

Because of this hit-making history and the charm of the pilot Prady and Lorre had sent in, CBS requested a second pilot for The Big Bang Theory. Prady and Lorre kept the two main stars, Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hoffstader and Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, while introducing characters Penny, Howard Wolowitz, and Rajesh “Raj” Koothrappali. 

The original pilot, which can be found online, still contained many charms of the original show and the pilot that made it onto air. Both episodes begun with Leonard and Sheldon at the sperm bank talking about their IQs. Soon into the episode, though, the original pilot diverged, becoming shockingly different while keeping the best part of the series. 

A Different Sheldon

One of the most striking differences between the episodes is the lack of Sheldon’s asexual coding. This version of Sheldon Cooper is explicit about having sex. Leonard ribs him about the magazine he found for the sperm donation, and there is a moment later where both Sheldon and Leonard stare at their new friend Katie when she bends down. 

While Sheldon’s later disinterest in sex would become a tension in his relationship with long-term girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler, this tension was nonexistent in the character at first. In fact, the original pilot reveals that he had sex at a Star Trek convention with Leonard’s female lab partner, something that seems very out of character for the Sheldon of the aired pilot.

Yet, Sheldon isn’t that different. He still has a preferred spot for dining out, citing wait times, food temperatures, and protection from the weather in winter. He has to check with Leonard on whether Katie is being sarcastic or not. Sheldon is also just as blunt and literal, correcting her when she refers to him as “Skippy”. 

A Meaner Version of Penny 

Unlike Penny, Katie wasn’t an aspiring actress or already living in their building. Instead, Sheldon and Leonard come across Katie when she’s sitting on a sidewalk with no place to go, having recently been dumped by her boyfriend, who happened to have a wife. Leonard offers to buy her dinner, and at dinner, offers her the spare room in their apartment.

Katie also wasn’t nice to Leonard and Sheldon. Though she agrees to dinner, she asks if they often pick up crying women on the street. She’s blunt about not being interested in Leonard, but says she might find him cute with a couple of drinks in her when trying to convince him to go out to the bar. Katie also doesn’t think before erasing Leonard’s equation board, needing a visual aid to explain her romantic melodrama.

Apparently, audiences didn’t take too kindly to Katie, thinking she was too mean. She’s funny in a biting way that perhaps was too much for 2007 but feels right at home today. The show with her likely would have been very different, given the episode ends with her moving in full time, quipping that “where else could I live rent-free without banging some loser”. 

A Love Triangle for Leonard

Perhaps the most jarring difference in the original pilot was the character of Gilda, Leonard’s lab partner. Gilda appears midway through the episode, excited by the nervous breakdown of a different professor in their department and how they might be able to get his grant money. Leonard is professional with Gilda, even as it quickly becomes apparent that Gilda is interested in him romantically. Gilda becomes territorial at the sight of Katie, at first accusing them of spending their sperm money on her and needing to know if Katie was interested in Leonard. Gilda only backs down when Katie confirms that she isn’t. 

Gilda never made it into the show, but she bears some resemblance to Sheldon’s girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler. Gilda is nerdy and socially awkward like Sheldon and Leonard and views her plan for romancing Leonard much like a science experiment. Also like Amy, Gilda has had sex with Sheldon. It was with her that Sheldon had sex at the Star Trek convention with. 

The Best Part of the Series

The original pilot of The Big Bang Theory ends at a club where Katie has invited Leonard, Sheldon, and Gilda out. Wanting to participate in the experiment to the fullest, Leonard convinces his friends to dance, and they do. Their moves are quick and awkward and draw the attention of conventionally pretty women around them. Katie is quick to explain that the three don’t get out much. It felt like a moment befitting of the later show. 

The best part of The Big Bang Theory has always been the dynamics between the characters and the embracing of what it means to be a nerd. Whether that means equations on whiteboards, fan conventions, or the local comic shop, The Big Bang Theory has you covered. The original pilot not only had the dynamic between Sheldon and Leonard that would be constructed and deconstructed throughout the show, but with Gilda created the bones of nerd friendship that would be better sketched out with Howard and Leonard. 

What is the best part of the Big Bang Theory in your opinion? Let us know if you think the original pilot should’ve gotten another shot in the comments below!