Details

Release year: 2006

Storyline

First pilot of the hit series "The Big Bang Theory." Scientists Leonard and Sheldon invite a drunk girl, Katie, to stay at the apartment they share. They have a female friend, Gilda, who's also a scientist.

Top credits

Directors

James Burrows

Writers

Cast

Iris Bahr — Gilda
Johnny Galecki — Leonard Hofstadter
Jim Parsons — Sheldon Cooper
Amanda Walsh — Katie

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Did you know

• The characters of Katie (Amanda Walsh) and Gilda (Iris Bahr) appeared only this once and were cut from revised pilot. Katie was replaced by a different character, Penny, (Kaley Cuoco). Gilda provided the inspiration for Amy (Mayim Bialik), a regular character introduced in season three. Her personality was also used for the scientist character Leslie Winkle.

• This was the first pilot, which was declined by CBS, prompting Chuck Lorre's team to retool the show. The revised pilot was successfully picked up by the network (Pilot (2007)).

• Much of this pilot script was re-used almost entirely intact for the second attempt at the pilot. The most obvious differences are that the set design and set dressing were completely redesigned, the 4-character dynamic was redesigned to be four male nerds with the new fifth character re-positioned as an across-the-hallway neighbor. The female character traits were made more sympathetic in the Penny (Kaley Cuoco) version, and the female scientist traits in the pilot were later re-configured among the male scientists, and later the female scientists. Sheldon (Jim Parsons) was also re-configured to be more insular and childlike.