The Big Bang Theory Originally Featured A Completely Different Theme Song
The success of any long-running television show has to start from somewhere. Like most sitcoms, a pilot episode presents an opportunity to see what works and what doesn't. You never know what's going to take off. If I were to determine whether "The Big Bang Theory" would last a single year, let alone a record breaking 12 season run, based on its unaired pilot episode, the answer would be a resounding no.
The canonical pilot that kicked off the series' first season introduces the roommate dynamic of Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons), the hangout sessions they have with their geeky friends Raj (Kunal Nayyar) and Howard (Simon Helberg), and the arrival of the kind-hearted new girl across the hall, Penny (Kaley Cuoco). Whether you actually found this series funny to begin with, the pieces were formed into place, which is more than I can say for the show that could have been.
/Film's Nina Starner wrote an excellent piece mapping out the original version of "The Big Bang Theory," which was radically different from the one CBS ended up airing. A few notable differences include a more sexually adventurous Sheldon, no Raj or Howard, an apartment set that looked like they forgot to pay the electric bill, and an unpleasant alternative to Penny. Among the inaugural ideas of bizarro world "Big Bang Theory" is every episode opening with Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me with Science."
Thomas Dolby's synth-pop tune would have changed the tone of the show
It's not all that uncommon for shows to use pre-existing music as their theme song. Just look at how "The Golden Girls" manufactured a catchy cover out of Andrew Gold's "Thank You For Being a Friend." But unlike that song, which serves as a thematic extension of the series' core friendship group, it's hard to see "She Blinded Me With Science" fitting either version of the "Big Bang Theory" pilot.
The series is no stranger to its characters drowning in nostalgia, which you think would pair well with the unabashedly '80s flavor of Dolby's hit single. But love it or hate it, "The Big Bang Theory" exists so firmly in the geek centric boom of the late 2000s and early 2010s that the synthy tune makes the show feel out of time – and not in an endearing way. It's no wonder series creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady passed in favor of the Barenaked Ladies' "The History of Everything."
Like the most effective sitcom themes, it's a catchy tune that even someone who's never seen a single episode of "The Big Bang Theory" can groove with almost immediately. It possesses a breakneck, yet bouncy hook that sums up the show's identity in the span of 20 seconds. The tune also works as a gag unto itself, as it breathlessly lays out all of the (mostly true) developments since the dawn of existence before culminating in the ultimate scientific accomplishment of a bunch of nerds eating takeout on the couch.
Every episode of "The Big Bang Theory" is streaming on Max.