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Big Bang Theory Creator Chuck Lorre Says Kaley Cuoco’s Penny Was 'Cliché,' 'Sadly One-Dimensional' Early in the Series

'Big Bang Theory' creator Chuck Lorre says it took a while to understand that Kaley Cuoco's Penny was more than just a cliché "dumb blonde".

Lorre and former Warner Bros. Television Group chairman Peter Roth joined host Jessica Radloff on the very first episode of The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast to discuss the genesis of the show, from its original unaired pilot to the Emmy-nominated hit it became. While Cuoco didn’t appear in the original pilot, both Lorre and Roth agreed that her character, Penny, vastly improved the episode that ultimately made it to the air on CBS in September 2007, and became something of an on-screen avatar for the way they hoped audiences would feel about socially awkward scientists Leonard Hofstadter ( Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper ( Jim Parsons). Built into the show’s premise, he said, was the idea that while extremely intelligent, Sheldon, Leonard and their scientist friends didn’t understand how to interact with other people.

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