The advantage of television is that stories and characters have a chance to evolve over time (if they're lucky). So, it’s not surprising that The Big Bang Theory was initially conceived as a pretty different show before it successfully shifted to the pilot that fans are so familiar with. According to showrunner Chuck Lorre, the creative team initially had an entirely different pilot on their hands, and no one could quite grasp what it was they were looking for in terms of the female lead. In Lorre's words: