‘Big Bang Theory’ Waits Until Season 10 To Cast Penny’s Mom? Katey Sagal In Familiar Role

After seeing every other Big Bang Theory character’s mother, we finally get to meet Penny’s mom Susan, and it’s a bit of a family reunion — Katie Sagal was her mother from 8 Simple Rules. The woman that Penny calls “mom” will make her appearance in the Season 10 opener. The hit comedy’s writers also revealed at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22 that Penny’s drug-dealing brother will be seen in Season 10, reports Us Weekly.

Why showrunners took so long to write in Penny’s mom is mind-boggling. It wasn’t until the Season 9 finale that Leonard’s father Alfred (Judd Hirsch) appeared, and up until now, every other character’s parents have been sprinkled into the script. While Howard Wolowitz’s mom was never seen, she was the most visible parent on the show and most likely would still be if not for actress Carol Ann Susi’s death. The Big Bang Theory isn’t hurting for ratings; the sitcom is enjoying an immense popularity that only grows with each season. So was writing in a main character’s family so late in the series just a brain fart, or is this a genius move that will impress fans even further?

Katie Sagal has given us some pretty iconic mom characters; Hapless housewife Peggy Bundy (Married with Children), ruthless biker matriarch Gemma Teller (Sons of Anarchy), and Cate Hennessy (8 Simple Rules), a role the 62-year-old actress played for three seasons as a mother to Kaley’s Bridget Hennessy.

Katie Sagal’s role as Cate Hennessy was probably the least animated of all of her motherly roles, and judging from Penny’s wild and self-destructive tendencies, we can be sure that her Susan will be memorable. In addition to her various roles as a mother figure, Katey Sagal is also famous for providing the voice of Leela from 1999 to 2003 on the animated science fiction series Futurama. Steve Molaro is excited about the newest additions to The Big Bang Theory cast, which includes Jack McBrayer as Penny’s brother Randall, the executive producer told ET.

“She’s going to be a little bit of a neurotic character because she’s spent her life with her troubled son, Randall, who has been in and out of jail and has had some issues with dealing drugs. So we’re going to start to dive into that.”

In the Season 10 premiere is Penny’s brother Randall, played by Jack McBrayer, who was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock and currently can be seen on The Middle. Melissa Rauch expressed her excitement over Sagal and McBrayer as new additions.

“I’m very excited! I just found about this casting news the other day, and I was so excited, and Jack McBrayer playing Penny’s brother is so exciting!”

One can’t help wondering whether some of Rauch’s excitement isn’t over the other new cast members — the babies. Entertainment Tonight asked Kaley Cuoco what she thought about babies on the Big Bang Theory set and her reaction wasn’t as nurturing as Melissa’s, but seeing as Rauch will be playing a new mother, both of their reactions are perfectly in character.

Rumor has it that Season 10 could be the last one for CBS’s mega-hit about four intellectuals and their relationships with each other and their neighbor — former aspiring actress and Cheesecake Factory waitress Penny, who displays more common sense in contrast to their IQs. While reports are that the cast members are currently negotiating new contracts, the lack of information and covert answers are causing the natives to stir. When the question over whether the upcoming season is the last was presented to Kunal Nayyar (Raj) and showrunner Steven Molaro, their answers were evasive, reports the Christian Post.

Is CBS ending the series with a bang with the late addition of a main character’s family? Will Katey Sagal give us another memorable character when The Big Bang Theory returns for Season 10 on September 19.

[Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]