10 TV Shows That Were Saved By One Genius Tweak
6. Making Sheldon Asexual - The Big Bang Theory
Not entirely unlike Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory went through a tricky development period, whereby creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady had their first attempt at a pilot - which eventually found its way online - rejected by CBS.
And yet, the network saw enough promise in the concept to give them a second chance.
The second, ultimately successful pilot was markedly different - including introducing Penny (Kaley Cuoco) to the group dynamic - but perhaps the single smartest change was drastically reworking the character of Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons).
In the first pilot, Sheldon was basically a horndog - sexually active, frequently discussing his masturbatory habits and fetishes, and also a relatively social human being.
But Sheldon was made into the near-opposite in the second pilot - basically asexual and socially awkward, as ultimately made him such an endearing and eventually iconic character.
It's easy to imagine how Horny Sheldon could've been incredibly grating in the long run, and potentially have ensured the show didn't age too well also.