TBBT Penny Was Originally Meant to Be Way Worse Than You Ever Expected

With a span of 12 consecutive seasons and two spinoffs, The Big Bang Theory definitely ranks high on the list of the best sitcoms on modern TV.

The series, launched back in 2007 by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, keeps living rent free in millions of its fans’ heads even several years after an imminent conclusion, mostly due to memorable characters and iconic phrases that have become a part of pop culture nowadays.

Apart from the main group of characters led by Jim Parsons’ Sheldon Cooper and Johnny Galecki’s Leonard Hofstadter, fans quickly grew fond of Kaley Cuoco ’s Penny who was initially introduced as a minor side character, though ultimately became a significant part of the show as well.

However, The Big Bang Theory could have easily gone in a wrong way as, according to one of the series’ creators, Penny was originally meant to follow quite a questionable storyline.

Kaley Cuoco’s Penny Was Supposed to Be a Clichéd Character

Despite not being able to boast of major career achievements or science knowledge in The Big Bang Theory’s first seasons, Penny has remained a beloved character who some fans might even think highly of than quirky Sheldon and Leonard.

The character, however, did receive some mistreatment from the sitcom’s creators who, sadly, couldn’t see Penny’s value at first, as The Big Bang Theory’s Chuck Lorre revealed in an episode of The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast.

Confessing that Penny was initially supposed to be “goofy blonde who says foolish things”, he continued, admitting that he and Bill Prady were on the verge of making the biggest mistake, but eventually turned in the right direction.

“We didn't have that right away that what she brought to this story, this series, to these other characters was an intelligence that they didn't have. A kind of intelligence that was alien to them, an intelligence about people and relationships and family”, Lorre added.

Penny Did Receive a Major Upgrade, But TBBT Still Failed Her

Even though Penny’s journey in The Big Bang Theory could’ve turned out much worse than it actually did, it still doesn’t change anything in the character’s controversial arc that left many fans unsatisfied with the sitcom’s finale.

That said, all the other lead characters ended up living their biggest dream alive while Penny never received a single chance to start a career in Hollywood and, additionally, ended up pregnant which she never wanted either.

Since The Big Bang Theory concluded its run in 2019, the show’s fans have been vocal about a need to make it up to Penny with a spinoff centring on the character; however, it so far doesn’t seem a priority for Chuck Lorre and The Big Bang Theory’s production team.

The show’s universe is currently expanded by Young Sheldon, also concluded last year, ongoing spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, as well as the upcoming spinoff series Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, set to focus on Kevin Sussman’s Stuart Bloom and some other side characters from the original show.