TBBT Saved Sheldon Cooper By Tossing The Whole Pilot Away
The show could've aged even worse.
Summary:
- The Big Bang Theory was a CBS sitcom that ran from 2007 to 2019.
- The show remains extremely popular and is considered to be moderately well-aged.
- However, the original concept for the pilot episode had Sheldon Cooper's character act very differently.
There are many reasons why people love The Big Bang Theory, but the most important one remains all the different personality types and character quirks that it portrays in a rather positive light. If all 7 friends of the final cast were more or less the same, the dynamic would be completely ruined.
The most famous and iconic character, known even to those who haven't seen a single episode, is of course Sheldon Cooper. A senior theoretical physicist who shares an apartment with his best friend Leonard, he has trouble recognizing social issues and is very particular about where he likes to sit.
Although he can be completely insufferable, and many fans share the opinion that he would probably be the worst of the whole group of friends to have around in real life, he was very entertaining. Thanks to brilliant writing and a great performance by Jim Parsons, the character was much loved and appreciated.
However, if it weren't for a change that was instilled in him early on, Sheldon would probably have become completely unlikable, and no amount of charisma would have been able to fix that.
The Big Bang Theory Scrapped Pilot
Not everyone knows that the pilot episode we see wasn't even the first version. Before coming up with all the changes that were added later, the team behind The Big Bang Theory produced a completely different episode. There was no Penny, but a different Sheldon.
Even though the role had already been given to Jim Parsons and Sheldon's character was well established, the decision was made to de-sexualize him.
As a result, the character we first meet in a sperm bank, with Leonard calling him a semi-pro at getting it on, turns out to be as asexual as possible for many years after that, for the sake of the show.
As much as people enjoy rewatching the pilot, it becomes rather annoying to stumble upon this inconsistency in the writing. On the other hand, it would be much more annoying to have Sheldon Cooper act like a second Howard for the rest of the show.
The creepiness of one character could be dismissed as a joke. The creepiness of both would have been a major red flag, especially for those who started watching in the 2020s.
If you are nostalgic for the early days of The Big Bang Theory, you can indulge yourself by streaming the sitcom on Max.