0.00 The Unaired Pilot

[devilbk]

They don't actually have a product placement deal with DC. They have the same corporate parents and are located on the same lot. It's corporate synergy.

[lewstonewar]

They don't actually have a product placement deal with DC. They have the same corporate parents and are located on the same lot. It's corporate synergy.

you sure? because I remember an interview with a set decorator specifically mentioning a "partnership with DC comic" that allowed them to use all these interesting pieces from their archives to decorate the set with.

"partnership with X" is usually code for product placement deal.

[devilbk]

Partnership is actually a euphemism for "we know a guy". And Warner Bros encourages stuff like this.

[Tuesday Pajamas]

I also heard they had a deal with DC years ago but can't remember the details.

Okay I'm getting in a little earlier due to time zones and all.

Just finished watching from the full link download I sent you guys in chat (those youtube videos) cut out a few lines.

My first impression is how downbeat it is. There's something depressing about the setup and I can see why the network wasn't interested. Many of the original jokes are already in place and Leonard is identical. In fact, he comes across as even more likeable than the real shows Leonard. Perhaps because Kitty contrasts him so much. She's cynical, worldly but jaded (the one thing Penny wasn't). The interaction between them kind of works though. There's A LOT more chemistry in my opinion. I think Leonard would have worked with a Kitty like character, or even a Gilda. Gilda was the only character who seemed funny. She’s way better than Amy, that's for sure and I don't know which woman I'd be rooting to win over Leonard out of the two of them. Maybe her.

Now we come to Sheldon. The jokes are the same, if you accept/ignore the sexualisation, but the magic is not there. Sheldon is fascinating in the pilot. He's distant and odd, but this guy is neither one thing nor the other. There's NO chemistry between Gilda and Sheldon, nor Kitty and Sheldon so there wouldn't have been a ship there. I'm grateful for that because the ship names!! Shelda or Shitty.

I can see that the original idea was written for the Leonard character, but it wasn't good. In the re-boot, they brought in what the show was missing, innocence! it changed everything. I heard over the years so many times that any blonde could play Penny, but to my mind, no one could have given the show sex appeal and sweetness in such abundance as Kaley. She shone off that screen and whoever pushed these changed through was a genius! They lost Gilda and we got the bromance of Howard and Raj. Again these characters have a certain naivety about them. And of course Sheldon. I can not believe how different he was in the unaired version. He was the cherry on top of the real show, the ultimate innocent. Making him even more alien somehow made Leonard even less interesting, and I don't think he had the chemistry with Penny they hoped.

I gave this a couple of dirty socks. I see some guests have voted as well, please cast yours.

[queenoftheDales]

It wasn't as bad as I thought. It wasn't good but better than the current season airing.

Sheldon seemed the same but different, like I was watching some doppleganger in alternate universe. Most of his lines and delivery was the weren't drastically different to me, until the Star Trek convention conversation and the bar scene. Just no. -_- I did laugh at him trying to avoid Katie and the follow dinner conversation with not inviting her to the apartment.

Leonard was meh, I agree with TP that he is more likable in this version but I don't see how he could have anchored this version of the show just like how Leonard doesn't do now.

The women in this version are just awful. What is with tptb of this show and having these mean-ass drunk woman. Guilda wasn't that bad but she was like a weird female version of Howard. She was extra loud and way too pumped up for me. Katie was just a mean b***h and I kept thinking of how she reminded me of one of the characters from Mom. I don't see how tptb could have had her long term.

In the end, the aired pilot is MUCH better than this one. Penny, Howard and Raj made the show much more palatable and I'm glad that some tweeks were made to Sheldon too.

[lewstonewar]

Gilda had potential but she suffered from exposition-itis and it made her seem more wooden than the character warranted. That unfortunate condition afflicted upon characters by poor writers who don't know how to subtly weave backstory into dialogue.

[Trust No One]

It wasn't as bad as I thought. It wasn't good but better than the current season airing.

Sheldon seemed the same but different, like I was watching some doppleganger in alternate universe. Most of his lines and delivery was the weren't drastically different to me, until the Star Trek convention conversation and the bar scene. Just no. -_- I did laugh at him trying to avoid Katie and the follow dinner conversation with not inviting her to the apartment.

Leonard was meh, I agree with TP that he is more likable in this version but I don't see how he could have anchored this version of the show just like how Leonard doesn't do now.

The women in this version are just awful. What is with tptb of this show and having these mean-ass drunk woman. Guilda wasn't that bad but she was like a weird female version of Howard. She was extra loud and way too pumped up for me. Katie was just a mean b***h and I kept thinking of how she reminded me of one of the characters from Mom. I don't see how tptb could have had her long term.

In the end, the aired pilot is MUCH better than this one. Penny, Howard and Raj made the show much more palatable and I'm glad that some tweeks were made to Sheldon too.

I did like that Sheldon had a deal. Leonard seemed the same as early season Leonard before he got obsessed with Penny. Katie was lousy and Guilda was ok. Aired pilot was much better.

[queenoftheDales]

I did like that Sheldon had a deal. Leonard seemed the same as early season Leonard before he got obsessed with Penny. Katie was lousy and Guilda was ok. Aired pilot was much better.

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be anything overly repulsive about test!Leonard and test!Sheldon (where is Louise so she can show me how to put that lil trademark thing? ) I personally think test!Sheldon would have taken over the show anyhow as he was still the more interesting character.

---

With this unaired pilot: is this version just for the head folks at the broadcast companies hoping that, if it were to get picked up, the pilot would be reshot? Or is this the final product and would have aired as is?

(I hope it was like a rough draft, the lighting and all that jazz is not done well at all)

[Trust No One]

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be anything overly repulsive about test!Leonard and test!Sheldon (where is Louise so she can show me how to put that lil trademark thing? ) I personally think test!Sheldon would have taken over the show anyhow as he was still the more interesting character.

---

With this unaired pilot: is this version just for the head folks at the broadcast companies hoping that, if it were to get picked up, the pilot would be reshot? Or is this the final product and would have aired as is?

(I hope it was like a rough draft, the lighting and all that jazz is not done well at all)

It's a good question queen. Hopefully it was a rough draft. Hard to tell with this crew? I liked that Sheldon seem to still be Sheldon without the whole do not touch me thing going on.

[Gamma]

Well the pilot had potential, which I assume is why they let them tweak it and try again. Hated Katie though. There really is nothing redeeming about her character. She was self-absorbed and hard with nothing to make her even a little bit sympathetic. If Leonard had tried to pursue Katie like he did Penny she would have had no qualms about squashing him like a bug.

Gilda was like a combination of Howard and Leslie. I think she could have been an okay character had they kept her and defined her better, but I am glad they went with Howard and Raj instead.

It was interesting how many jokes from the pilot were incorporated into the show. The whole speech Sheldon made in the restaurant that turned into his spiel about his spot later on. The whiteboards and couple of other things that came into play later. Sheldon himself was close, but either Jim decided to play him differently or he was directed differently. Aside from unaired pilot Sheldon being sexual there are the little mannerisms that are missing and much of the charm.
I agree with those that have said it wasn't great, but better than much of what we get now.