The show, based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian, premiered in November 2020. The first season became an instant hit, with Cuoco playing the role of a reckless flight attendant. After gaining popularity and a few Emmy nominations, the second season wasn't loved as much as the first one.
After the second season concluded, Kaley Cuoco's run on the show was in doubt for the third season. However, Kaley herself believed that the show shouldn't continue. Commenting on a possible third season, the actress said, "We did two — we should probably be done."
Kaley believes that even if the show was to return, it shouldn't be rushed. Her comments come after the second season received a lukewarm response from the audience. The show lacked the mix of comedy and tension that was seen in the first season.
While Cuoco's role as Penny was loved by everyone instantly, the actress revealed that the creators almost scrapped the idea of a female character in the show. They wanted the cast to be all male.
Talking about the idea of casting Kaley in the show, co-creator Chuck Lorre said he was convinced that Penny's character was a robot. "There was a moment where I thought perhaps the female character was an android that the guys built. We wrote a test scene and had a couple actors read the scene for us. And they were halfway through the scene when I went, 'Never mind'".
The creators also wrote a test scene where the main characters are doing a scene and Lorre thought Penny's character was an android the guys had built. Even before this misunderstanding, the creators considered including a female character, but not Penny.
The original pilot of The Big Bang Theory included Katie, played by Amanda Walsh, as the show's third main character. The scene was shot and the episode was ready to go on air. However, the creators decided to reboot the show, eventually cutting Katie out of the show. After a bit of back and forth, Penny ended up becoming one of the main and crucial characters on the show.
