Although The Big Bang Theory only ended a few years ago, we're now 15 years removed from the pilot's first airing on CBS, and rarely discussed details are still somehow being revealed to this day. In this instance, a new book about the sitcom's history shined a light on a scene from the pilot about Sheldon's money-making attempts being subsequently cut from future airings, and Jim Parsons shared his response to co-creator Chuck Lorre's choice.
In the original pilot, Sheldon and Leonard go to a high IQ sperm bank in the hopes of donating their specimen to create intelligent offspring, but more importantly to earn some quick money. While filling out the forms, the two slowly change their minds and leave, never to really be talked about again. The new oral history The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series by Jessica Radloff (via TVLine) tapped into all kinds of details about the episode, including that creator Chuck Lorre made sure that the scene was eventually cut out of the syndicated version of the pilot, noting that the show didn’t truly begin until Leonard and Sheldon awkwardly said hi to Penny while she was unpacking her boxes.
Although Jim Parsons defended the scene in a vacuum for the time-frame, he does agree with Chuck Lorre's reasoning overall, admitting that the episode works much better without it:
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 Chuck took it out of syndication because the episode is much stronger and more special without it.
For a first episode, the scene is understandable enough for its nerdily risqué nature, and probably isn't as cringey as it could have been, but it's likely no one ever directly mourned its absence from TV reruns. Except perhaps maybe high IQ sperm bank employees who finally felt seen. The fact that the establishment and their potential offspring never came up again made it easier to snip out, I'm sure.
The Big Bang Theory had some questionable storylines, but that sperm bank one is definitely at the top, considering how Sheldon's relationship with all things sexual expanded over time. Perhaps if it had been pitched later in the series, it would have been crafted in a way that paid off more with whatever storylines were happening at the time. Maybe if there’s a Big Bang Theory reunion or reboot in the future, we can find out what happened to those deposits.
Meanwhile, the oral history book also revealed that Kaley Cuoco was up against three others for the role of Penny, who was then a somewhat different character named Katie. Marisa Tomei, Tara Reid, and Elizabeth Berkley were all in the running to play Sheldon and Leonard’s neighbor, but obviously, Cuoco ended up winning the role, and I can’t imagine it going to anyone else.
Even though the scene is cut from any future airings, it is still part of the first episode that's available to stream with an HBO Max subscription, so you can watch it there to make your own case and see if it was worth cutting or not. And then check out the best shows to stream on HBO Max once you’ve finished your hundredth binge of The Big Bang Theory.
