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In many sitcoms, the main characters change a lot in the early stages as the show finds its feet, and "The Big Bang Theory" was no exception. Penny, for instance, was originally supposed to be a much meaner, more cynical character; in the un-aired pilot of the series, she wasn't even named Penny at all. Likewise, Raj was a character it took a while for the writers to properly figure out. Not only did he change a decent amount on the show itself, but in the production of season 1, the writers changed his entire name and backstory. As reported in the 2022 book, "The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series," Raj's name was initially Dave. 

"Dave" was supposed to be "American-born to immigrant Indian parents," but as co-creator Bill Prady recalled, "When Kunal [Nayyar] came in and we heard his accent,...