Fictional heartbreak matching reality, fighting for Raj's character, and huge celebrity what-ifs. These are the most eye-opening things from 'The Big Bang Theory' book.
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00:00Fictional heartbreak, matching reality, fighting for Raj's character, and huge celebrity what-ifs
00:06— these are the most eye-opening things from the Big Bang Theory book.
00:10There's a solid case to be made that The Big Bang Theory wouldn't function without Kaley
00:14Cuoco as Penny. Penny was initially designed to be a foil to Leonard and Sheldon when Chuck
00:19Laurie presented the show's pilot to several networks. However, that plan changed after
00:23test audiences and TV executives were unimpressed with that version of Penny.
00:29As devoted fans may already be aware, the first iteration wasn't even named Penny. She
00:33was named Katie, and she was not played by Kaley Cuoco. That first incarnation was dark,
00:38and interestingly, Marissa Tomei was one of the leading candidates for the role.
00:43Jim Parsons acknowledged just how different the show would have been while talking with
00:47People magazine, and it's difficult to disagree. The dynamic between Sheldon and Penny is undoubtedly
00:52one of the show's highlights, and it's difficult to imagine a version in which Penny isn't
00:56a bubbly and understanding delight who challenges Sheldon's dislike of humanity.
01:02By now, many viewers know that the actors who played Leonard and Penny were also romantically
01:06involved. In the book, Kaley Cuoco revealed that this mutual attraction began pretty quickly.
01:11She mentioned,
01:12"...I had a very big crush on Johnny early on."
01:15But of course, both were in different relationships when their attraction began. Still, it became
01:19real when Johnny Galecki invited Cuoco on a wine date, and the rest, as they say, is
01:25For a long time, the two managed to keep their relationship hidden from not only the media,
01:29but also the rest of the cast and crew of the show. However, the sneaking around ultimately
01:33led them to decide to reveal their relationship to creator Chuck Lorre at Comic-Con, who said
01:38in the book,
01:39"...We were in the shuttle bus and I'm sitting next to Kaley and I'm trying to have a conversation,
01:43so what's going on? You seeing anybody? What's going on with you?"
01:46And she goes,
01:47"...Oh my God, you don't know."
01:48And I'm going,
01:49"...I don't know what. I was the last to find out."
01:52Sheldon's relationships are a major source of comedy in the series. He does not like
01:56other people. He even hilariously categorizes his pals. Leonard, Penny, and Raj are his
02:00best friends, whereas Howard is only a treasured acquaintance. And when he is interested in
02:05someone, such as Leonard's mother, it is typically not romantic. Furthermore, Sheldon's romantic
02:10exploits are frequently one-sided, whether it's his one-time date with Lolita or his
02:15awkward platonic connection with Ramona. According to the book, Chuck Lorre initially pushed
02:19for Sheldon to be asexual, saying,
02:21"[Sheldon's passion was learning, understanding the secrets of the universe. That made him
02:25unlike any character I certainly had ever seen. He wasn't trying to find himself in
02:29a relationship. He was in a relationship and it was with science."
02:33An asexual Sheldon would have been interesting, given that sort of depiction in pop culture
02:37is uncommon. On the other hand, the writers chose to make Sheldon meet his match in Amy.
02:42In some ways, this works better for the show, since it gives Sheldon's character arc a sense
02:46of growth.
02:47Leonard and Penny's romance finally ticks off at the start of the third season, when
02:51they eventually start dating, though things come to a standstill when Leonard tells Penny
02:54he loves her and she can't say it back.
02:57Ah, the premature I love you.
03:00In the book, co-creator Bill Pratty stated that Cuoco confided in him that the writing
03:04on the show accurately captured what Galecki and Cuoco experienced during their separation,
03:09with Pratty saying,
03:10"...I remember Kayleigh mentioning something we had written and her telling us it was surprisingly
03:14accurate to something they'd gone through."
03:16Unlike their on-screen counterparts, though, Galecki and Cuoco never reunited. However,
03:20both pairs ended up in good situations.
03:24Howard Wolowitz is the show's closest thing to a villain. That's not because he's a horrible
03:28guy, but because he needs to grow the most out of the bunch. He is frequently creepy
03:32with ladies and makes incredibly inappropriate remarks about his closest friend, Raj. However,
03:37as the series progresses, the introduction of Bernadette and the exploration of his relationship
03:42with his mother reveal another side of him. The character's intricacy keeps him compelling
03:46throughout the show, and it's all held together by Simon Halberg's performance.
03:51In another reality, though, Simon Halberg did not play Howard Wolowitz. Kevin Sussman
03:55was the first choice for the role, but he couldn't take it due to a contractual obligation
03:59with Ugly Betty. According to Entertainment Tonight, this revelation even shocked the
04:03author Jessica Radloff, and she was initially hesitant to tell Halberg. Of course, Sussman
04:08ended up playing Stuart Bloom, the owner of the comic book store frequented by the gang.
04:12Radloff praised Sussman for never bringing up the fact that he was the first choice for
04:16Howard throughout the entire show's production, adding,
04:19He never wanted to get in Simon's head.
04:22Raj is first introduced to fans as the gang's pal who can't talk to women while sober. When
04:26he drinks, he has the confidence to speak to women, but can only do so in an offensive
04:31manner. Kunal Nayyar generally performed the character lightheartedly, and he always had
04:35a fantastic sense of humor with the show's writing, despite usually being the butt of
04:39jokes. So Jessica Radloff's revelation that CBS initially chose to go behind Chuck Lorre's
04:44back in order to replace Nayyar came as a great surprise, with Lorre saying,
04:48Apparently, while I was flying across the country, a CBS executive determined, unilaterally,
04:53that Kunal wasn't right for the role and we would recast that part.
04:57Lorre immediately went to CBS executives to express his unhappiness at being belittled
05:01and to make it clear that he would not allow Nayyar to depart the show without a fight.
05:06Since then, Raj has joined the pantheon of brilliant television-supporting characters.
05:10Later, losers!
05:12The Big Bang Theory became a pop-cultural giant, and for sitcoms, that generally means
05:17big stars making appearances on the show. The Office went from a first season with no
05:21major celebrities to having guest stars like James Spader and Idris Elba in the later seasons.
05:25It goes without saying celebrity cameos on The Big Bang Theory became commonplace, but
05:29they didn't always pan out as intended.
05:31Selena Gomez was one of the stars who never made it to the show. In Jessica Radloff's
05:36book, Stephen Mellaro, one of the show's producers, talked about the moment Selena Gomez
05:40shared a social media photo of herself watching the show. Mellaro then reached out to her
05:44team to see if they could plan a guest star spot for Gomez, but her hectic schedule prevented
05:48her from appearing on the show.
05:50Although Mellaro never made it to the pitching stage, he did reveal that the writers were
05:54contemplating having Gomez play Amy's stepsister. The idea was to make Amy slightly irritated
05:58with Gomez's character and envious of her, since, well, she's Selena Gomez.
06:04Penny is presented in The Big Bang Theory as having an active and sporting lifestyle.
06:08Her father wanted a boy, so when he got Penny, he raised her just like he would a son. As
06:12a result, Penny is good with engines, enjoys sports, and once stole a horse while intoxicated
06:17in high school.
06:18In that particular regard, her real-life counterpart, Kaley Cuoco, is no different. Cuoco is well-renowned
06:23for her love of horses. However, the only problem with an active lifestyle is sometimes
06:28it leads to terrifying injuries. Cuoco experienced this during a horse-riding accident.
06:32In the book, Chuck Lorre and Cuoco reminisced about a horse-riding accident that almost
06:36led to her leg's amputation. According to People magazine, Cuoco fell from her horse
06:41in 2010 because the horse was startled by something, and while she was on the ground,
06:45the animal trod on her left leg. Cuoco thankfully did not lose her leg. Nonetheless, the anxiety
06:50was valid and spread among the cast and crew.
06:53While Cuoco later remarked that the experience was still too new and horrific for her to
06:57relive fully, she was back on her feet in a matter of weeks. However, despite her injuries,
07:02she returned to work, but the writers made her a bartender so that she could hide her
07:05cast, and she needed to employ a body double in circumstances when Penny needed to walk.
07:11Mark Hamill is, without a doubt, one of the most influential actors of his generation.
07:15In geek culture, though, his work in Star Wars movies and Batman the Animated Series
07:19has made him a virtual deity. So, it's no surprise that Hamill was considered for a
07:23guest appearance on the show, and luckily, his schedule permitted him to stop by.
07:29However, while Hamill agreed to appear on the show, he had only seen a couple of episodes
07:39and had no idea how important the show was to pop culture at the time, saying in the
07:43book,
07:44Hamill admitted that his appearance and subsequent viewing of the entire show made him regret
08:02his approach to the performance, conceding,
08:04It's no secret that the first season of The Big Bang Theory is centered around Leonard
08:12and Penny's romance, with Sheldon serving as a quirky friend who balances the drama
08:16with humor. But as the series progressed, the audience grew to adore Sheldon and got
08:21invested in seeing him overcome his struggles, especially in terms of how he interacts with
08:25others. So, in a way, the show became an ensemble piece with Sheldon at its heart. That was
08:29due in large part to Jim Parsons' endearing performance in the role. However, after 12
08:34seasons, Parsons thought it was time to let go and move on with his career. Parsons proposed
08:38to Laurie that he depart the show, and they all carry on without him. The only problem
08:42was that none of the other cast members were aware of Parsons' feelings. Galecki stated,
08:47The casting crew decided against continuing the show without him, since they thought it
08:56wouldn't work if one of the cast members left. So, after expressing their feelings,
09:00they all agreed to end the show after Parsons voiced his intention to leave.
09:05Later in the show's existence, the emphasis moves to Sheldon's growth and struggles, especially
09:09with his dislike of the human touch. One way the sitcom portrays this is through Penny's
09:13friendship with Sheldon. It begins with them aggravating each other a lot, but the audience
09:17gradually realizes how precious their friendship is. Penny looks after Sheldon when he is unwell,
09:22and Sheldon returns the favor when Penny dislocates her shoulder. Sheldon's journey and friendship,
09:26with Penny, climaxes with an uncharacteristic hug initiated by Sheldon. Even though the
09:32hug is out of character, it's well-planned and earned.
09:34Leonard, look! Sheldon's hugging me!
09:39It's a Saturnalia miracle!
09:42In the book, Parsons explained,
09:44The construction of the scene was more moving to me than the joyous ecstasy that the character
09:48was going through. The emotion I feel even as I talk about it now has to do with the
09:52chill it gave me that they put something like that together.
09:55Parsons was referring to the Christmas episode in which Penny gives him a napkin used and
09:58signed by Leonard Nimoy. Sheldon is overwhelmed with gratitude and reasons that the only way
10:03he can repay her generosity is to hug her.