The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre admitted that Penny's character was underwritten in the early seasons of the show, and Kaley Cuoco's talents were not fully utilized. Steve Molaro, one of the showrunners, regretted a joke made by Penny in the pilot episode that portrayed her as ditzy. Cuoco herself had a regrettable experience during season 7 when her character filmed a low-budget horror film called Serial Apeist. She was covered in hair and hated the makeup involved. Lorre insisted on shooting the scene, but even he admitted it wasn't the show's best idea. Despite the mistakes, the show's success can be attributed to its actors' honesty about what worked and what didn't.