One Cut Sheldon Scene That is Better Left Out of The Big Bang Theory
The producers of The Big Bang Theory reruns have cut a scene from the show's original pilot, which aired on CBS some fifteen years ago.
The scene showed Sheldon and Leonard going to a high IQ sperm bank to earn some extra money for better internet.
Although the trip was Sheldon's idea, it was a failure, as he eventually backed out and the buddies went home. And while earning an extra buck by donating sperm was in keeping with Sheldon's sexually adept character at the time, it turns out that the scene doesn't work for the kind of Sheldon we ended up with.
The revelation that "the scene was so wrong" comes from a book titled The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff.
"At the time, the sperm bank scene didn't bother me. Looking back, it was out of place, but there was no way for the producers to know… Nobody knew who Sheldon was yet, so the live audience accepted it for what it was. But it is confusing information now, and I get why [co-creator] Chuck [Lorre] took it out of syndication, because the episode is much stronger and more special without it," said Jim Parsons who played Sheldon in the TBBT.
For many Big Bang Theory fans on Reddit, the news doesn't seem to come as a shock. One commenter said they were not surprised because in the days of second-run syndication, entire episodes are cut. Sometimes it was because they were controversial, but sometimes it was because they just weren't that good. Others echo the comment that the sperm bank scene doesn't fit, adding that the show fails on a lot of issues like misogyny, racism, narcissism, classism, etc.
The change in Sheldon's character over the course of the series was recognized by TBBT a long time ago.
In a comment posted about 10 years ago, one of the redditors noted that in season 5, unlike in the pilot, which starts in a sperm bank, Sheldon does not care much about sex. That kind of Sheldon just does not belong in Season 5.
The Big Bang Theory is a sitcom that premiered more than 10 years ago in 2007. It ran for 12 consecutive seasons and ended in 2019. The comedy series followed a group of oddballs played by Jim Parsons (Sheldon), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Simon Helberg (Howard), and Kunal Nayyar (Raj), with Sheldon and Leonard at the center of the series.
The Big Bang Theory universe lives on through its spinoff, Young Sheldon, which premiered in 2017 and is now in its sixth season.