After watching it, I can see the foundation for the show that came to be but some parts of the pilot are not great.. guess that is why it did not make it in this incarnation..

Here’s your Big Bang Theory trivia of the day: Long before Kaley Cuoco joined the CBS sitcom as Leonard and Sheldon’s ditzy neighbor Penny, Chuck Lorre shot a pilot with unknown Canadian actress/VJ Amanda Walsh as his female lead.

via Watch Chuck Lorre’s Admitted Failure: The Original Big Bang Theory Pilot | Movieline.

The part I did not like is the character Gilda that takes the place of the nerdy friend to Sheldon and Leonard.  I also thought that Amanda Walsh who plays the character Katie, did a good job and enjoyed the character, but still think I like Penny more.

The video’s in the link above do not work, but found alternate copies of the pilot from Digg.com article I found this at.  Here they are behind the cut.