The Big Bang Theory’s Retcon 19 Years Ago Saved It From Show-Ending Controversy

A major The Big Bang Theory retcon from nearly two decades ago saved it from show-ending controversy. In 2007, CBS launched Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s project, which eventually became one of the most successful comedies of all time. Following the friend group trend in sitcoms, The Big Bang Theory added a unique hook by focusing on smart but social outcasts: Sheldon, Leonard, Raj, and Howard.

The events of The Big Bang Theory started with the introduction of Penny, who served as the viewers’ point-of-view in the series’ storytelling. She immediately became a potential love interest, although her chemistry with Leonard was clear from the get-go. Sheldon was the only one who wasn’t smitten, but had it not been for The Big Bang Theory retconning an element of his character, he might have also tried hitting on surname-less Penny.

The Big Bang Theory’s Original Version Of Sheldon Was Sexual

It’s no secret that Lorre and Prady had to rework the original The Big Bang Theory pilot before CBS officially gave it the greenlight. One aspect of the scrapped version included a sexually forward Sheldon. In the unaired The Big Bang Theory premiere, he was very open with his sexuality. He made several comments about being attracted to women, and while there was nothing wrong with that in general, the way he went about it came off as offensive and disrespectful.

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Luckily, The Big Bang Theory deviated from this iteration of Sheldon and went with an almost asexual version of the character — something that the series stuck with for the most part of its run. This was also the reason why seeing him slowly opening up to Amy and realizing that he wanted to be with her was so satisfying. Had it not been for the change, their romance might not have worked as effectively as it did in The Big Bang Theory. Overall, it also helped make Sheldon’s character more unique.

Original Sheldon Could Have Made The Big Bang Theory’s Problematic Brand Of Comedy Worse

While retconning Sheldon helped make the show better, doing so also saved it from potentially getting canceled much earlier. As has been discussed countless times, while the comedy continues to be beloved, The Big Bang Theory‘s brand of comedy was problematic, especially during its earliest years. Its jokes were racist, sexist, and misogynistic. Additionally, it also treated its female characters, especially Penny, so poorly that even its creatives have admitted to regretting it.

Making Sheldon a sleazy character would have added to the aforementioned issues. While he had his issues, his friends and the viewers usually gave him a pass because he supposedly didn’t understand the social implications of his actions. That said, adding being sleazy to his list of unsavory characteristic would have made its problematic humor worse enough to fully turn off viewers from watching the series. Sheldon didn’t have a lot of redeeming qualities for the most part of The Big Bang Theory, and objectively, that made him interesting. However, sticking to his original characterization may have made him intolerable.

The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on HBO Max.

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