The history of The Big Bang Theory is long and storied, and its enduring popularity as a franchise means we are still hearing stories about the show more than five years after it wrapped in 2019. Among this oft-discussed lore is the show’s pilot, which ended up going through a complete rewrite before we got the version fans saw on our TV screens. With James Burrows’ passing, one more story can be added to the lore.
Burrows was a sitcom pioneer and icon long before he got involved in Chuck Lorre’s Big Bang Theory. He’d seen shows like Cheers and Taxi come and go, and he placed his imprint on more shows than I have time to type out or you likely have the patience to read. One of those was TBBT. He famously directed both pilots for the comedy, and he was open during his lifetime about being responsible for both the flop and the winning final formula.
