The Big Bang Theory Scene That Was Pulled For Being Inappropriate

Though it became a television juggernaut, "The Big Bang Theory" had a bit of a rocky beginning. The original pilot was almost completely different from the one that later aired on CBS, introducing characters like Katie, who would never see the light of day during the show's long, successful run. But even the pilot that did make its way to viewers' screens ended up having a scene cut when it eventually went into syndication.

While the change is fairly minor and doesn't really affect the feeling and scope of the pilot as a whole, it nevertheless is a missing plot point that fans can easily pick up on if they saw the show during its first airing or have since seen it via certain outlets.

So, what is this controversial scene that got chopped out of the show? How different are the two pilots that exist for "The Big Bang Theory?" And have any other scenes aged poorly over the course of the show's existence? Here's a quick wrap-up on what got axed from the pilot following its initial airing.

In both pilots for "The Big Bang Theory," the first time we meet a strapped-for-cash Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), they're making a deposit at a sperm bank specifically set up for geniuses. Intelligent though they may be, their behavior indicates an unappealing sense of social awkwardness that, frankly, repels the people around them. This sets up the dynamic that was set to drive the series when they meet their new neighbor, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), as she's moving in. Her down-to-earth demeanor helps them learn to be comfortable around women, while they unlock her inner nerd. It was a dynamic that would change, however, as the show became a true ensemble series.

It turns out that this opening scene — which is also in the show's axed original pilot — has been removed from a number of airings of the series, per the book "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series," an oral history compiled by Jessica Radloff. While the scene is extant in the version that streams on Max, it has been cut from other, syndicated versions of the show.

Series creator Chuck Lorre admits in the book he did this on purpose, because, "In my mind, the show truly began with those awkward hellos between Penny, Sheldon, and Leonard when she's unpacking boxes in her apartment." The scene has also been cut from editions shown on American Airlines, which instead features hilarious footage featuring Galecki and Parsons. 

That brings us back to the two "Big Bang Theory" pilots and how they differ from one another. While both open with Leonard and Sheldon's quest to sell their semen, in the original pilot they meet a girl named Katie who's been kicked out of her apartment in the wake of a break-up. They invite her to live with them, to Sheldon's total dismay, while Gilda, another neighbor who has a major crush on Leonard, takes a dislike to Katie. Leonard and Katie fight and then make up, and we learn she works at a makeup counter. It's worth noting that Sheldon is also a more sexual person in this version of the pilot, even expressing a preference for a certain kind of porn — one of the reasons the "Big Bang Theory's" unaired pilot is so hard to watch in retrospect.

In the second pilot, Penny has replaced Katie, and she actually has a life that's more together than Katie's. She's a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory and awkwardly gets to know both Leonard and Sheldon. Leonard's dynamic with Penny is much less antagonistic than the one he has with Katie, and he immediately begins crushing on and fawning all over her — which eventually ends up being the worst part of Leonard and Penny's relationship. The entire A-plot is different, showing Sheldon and Leonard getting pantsed as they try to retrieve Penny's TV set from her ex. Penny ends up feeling sorry for them, which encourages Leonard's crush, and even though she's not living with them like Katie was, a connection is made.

Though there haven't been any major cuts to other "Big Bang Theory" episodes, a number of the show's plotlines and recurring gags have aged poorly. While the history of "The Big Bang Theory" is dotted with stuff that doesn't quite hold up, a number of moments really stick out like sore thumbs. The show's infamous antiquated point of view on gender dynamics is just one example of what doesn't work years after the show ended.

A whole episode that might be worth nuking from orbit might be Season 2's "The Panty Piñata Polarization." Featuring Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) at their misogynistic worst, the installment sees them both become incredibly obsessed with "America's Next Top Model." The harmless hobby turns a bit gross when the two BFFs begin using technology to figure out where the show's model house is. That they succeed and then bluff their way inside, lying all the time about being cable repairmen, is kind of horrifying and definitely wouldn't fly these days. Watching the episode, it's easy to see why Raj ended up with no one at the end of the series, and since the A-plot features yet another Sheldon-versus-Penny plot, it's an outing that even hardcore fans wouldn't be likely to miss if it never aired again.