Big Bang keep Halley out of orbit

Big Bang show runner, Steve Molaro always knows how to put a spin on what might be considered disappointing news for some fans of The Big Bang Theory, and informing them that Howard and Bernadette’s baby, Halley, will never be seen onscreen was no exception. He says that Halley’s non-appearance is to pay tribute to Carol Ann Susi, who played Howard’s mother and sadly passed away in 2014, when the show has begun filming Season 8.

Carol Ann Susi provided the voiceover for Mrs Wolowitz but we never saw her onscreen, (aside from an aerial shot during Howard and Bernadette’s wedding in 5.24 The Countdown Reflection and a blurry figure passing by the doorway in 6.15 The Spoiler Alert Segmentation. As noticed by fans of the show. Carol Ann Susi provided a wonderful performance as Mrs Wolowitz, which added something very special to the show. Her lack of visual appearance was part of that magic and her relationship with her son, one of the funniest narratives. This began to take a backseat, as Howard’s domestic life with Bernadette became a larger part of his story.

Molaro says, ”She [Halley] is a loving tribute to her grandmother – this is a nice way for us to keep [Mrs Wolowitz] alive," Molaro explained. Which is very much in his style, being ever sensitive to the new fans of the show, although he does add. "It also means we don't have to have a baby on the set, so it solved lots of problems."

The ‘problems’ are not fully explained. No doubt filming with a baby on set requires some logistics,but I wonder if there are not other reasons for this. It’s well known within the fanbase that both Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco do not want to work with children so perhaps their wishes were taken into consideration. If so, then I applaud them because it’s possibly the best decision the show have made in many years. Having Halley offscreen is unique and helps to prevent Big Bang from sliding too far into the murky waters of over-sentimentally. Something, which can very easily happen when fulfilling more mainstream expectations. So Halley, is heard but not seen, a pretty solid decision in my view.