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Sci-Fi Television

Alternate Star Trek TOS Pilot Found 134

Posted by kdawson from the not-to-split-infinitives dept.
Raver32 sends news that the lost second pilot for Star Trek has been found, and will be released next month on Blu-ray. "Star Trek fans know there were two pilots for the original series. The first, 'The Cage,' was rejected by NBC for being 'too cerebral' (ah, some things never change). The second, 'Where No Man Has Gone Before,' replaced the actor who played the captain with William Shatner and was more action driven. That pilot had an alternate version which was largely lost and has never aired. Apparently, a film collector in Germany acquired the print and 'recently brought it to the attention' of CBS/Paramount. CBS is now releasing this version on Blu-ray Dec. 15."
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Alternate Star Trek TOS Pilot Found More

Alternate Star Trek TOS Pilot Found

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  • Nice marketing (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 15, 2009 @08:24AM (#30104930)

    This episode has been available at conventions for years. The only thing they "found" was access to the master copies, giving them better quality.

    • How many years? I was a True Blue Full Bore Star Trek geek up until about 1990, and I never heard of it.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by vlad30 ( 44644 )
      It was aired as episode 3

      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061027/ [imdb.com]

      • Re:Nice marketing (Score:5, Informative)

        by natehoy ( 1608657 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:29AM (#30105234) Journal

        "Where No Man has Gone Before" was in fact aired as Episode 3. You are absolutely correct.

        However, the article states there was an alternate version of "Where No Man has Gone Before" which did not air, but was the version used to sell Trek to NBC execs. That version never aired, and is what is now being offered up on the DVD.

        Technically, most of "The Cage" also aired as part of "The Menagerie".

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Chris Mattern ( 191822 )

        If you can't Read The Fine Article, could you at least Read The Fine Summary? This is an *uncut* version of that pilot, containing a great deal of footage that wasn't aired.

        • Just out of curiosity, what kind of footage is available in the uncut version that isn't available in the episode 3 version? I remember watching that episode 3 with Kirk's friend Gary Mitchell turning superhuman, and I'm curious as to what additional footage the uncut version has.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Tacvek ( 948259 )

            The uncut verion has approximately 5 additional minutes of footage. From wikipedia (whose source is The Star Trek Compendium):

            Post-production finished in January 1966, and the episode was presented to NBC for approval; that version differed from the final broadcast cut in that each of the four acts had on-screen titles ("Act I," "Act II," etc.), as well as an epilogue, in the manner of Quinn Martin's television productions. It also featured a much longer opening narration by Shatner. In total almost 5 minut

      • >>>It was aired as episode 3

        Yippy. That just means stupid NBC aired the show out of order. I typically watch "Where No Man" as episode 1, and all the other season one episodes in production order. Not only are the set & unform designs more consistent that way, but also the story flows better from episode to episode. (I don't typically watch The Cage because it's not all that great of story, plus it's already covered in The Menagerie Parts 1 and 2, so why watch it twice?)

        Season 1 of Star

  • WOW (Score:1)

    by Higaran ( 835598 )
    I thought I knew almost all of the major things about TOS, but I never heard about this. It sounds interisting and I wonder what it looks like, will the update the graphics or leave it just like it was? I can't wait.

    • Re:WOW (Score:5, Funny)

      by aplusjimages ( 939458 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:07AM (#30105114) Journal
      Man I just hope this original story keeps with the canon of the Star Trek Universe.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by MightyMartian ( 840721 )

        In this alternate cut, Spock uses Red Matter to go back and kick his younger more emotional self in the nuts and state "You're not a fucking Martian, Roddenberry is out to lunch."

        As well, Scotty's weird wrench sex fetish is finally fully explained, the final great mystery of Star Trek after Patrick Stewart revealed Picard's affinity for Klingon circle jerks.

  • Good God!!! (Score:3, Funny)

    by FloydTheDroid ( 1296743 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @08:37AM (#30104976)
    This is the equivalent of ringing a bell at Pavlov's dogs!

  • zomg it's trek (Score:4, Funny)

    by florin ( 2243 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @08:37AM (#30104978)

    In other less important news, a stone tablet containing 5 alternate commandments was excavated in the Iraqi desert today.

    • a stone tablet containing 5 alternate commandments was excavated in the Iraqi desert today

      So what?
      You'll find more tablets on any stoner. No need to go to Iraq for that. Or the condiments.

    • Re:zomg it's trek (Score:4, Funny)

      by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) * on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:44AM (#30105322) Journal

      a stone tablet containing 5 alternate commandments

      And #11 was "Thous shalt not listen to so-called "religious leaders""

      Number 1 was supposed to be "Thou shalt read all instructions before beginning" and #15 was "Thous shalt ignore #2-14"

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Kjella ( 173770 )

        Sooooooo... they should ignore that about not listening to religious leaders, and follow them blindly? I think they got that covered already.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by DrCode ( 95839 )

        #12: Thou shalt not use goto's in they code.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tiger4 ( 840741 )
      Thou shalt not examine this tablet too closely.

    • Newscaster: "Archeologists near Mount Sinai have discovered what is believed to be a missing page from the Bible. The page is currently being carbon dated on Bonn. If genuine, it belongs at the beginning of the Bible and is believed to read: 'To my darling Candy. All characters portrayed within this book are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.'"

  • alternate universe (Score:5, Funny)

    by rossdee ( 243626 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @08:41AM (#30104986)

    do they have goatees?

  • Typical.. (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Bentov ( 993323 )
    'too cerebral' the phrase of death for way too many shows....Come on now, we can't let the sheeple start thinking about more than sports, reality tv and porn...ok, the porn is ok, but please more than sport and reality tv.

    • Its not you its me (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Ada_Rules ( 260218 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @08:49AM (#30105020) Homepage Journal
      Sure there are some shows that were killed for being 'too cerebral' where it was true, but plenty of shows that received the ax with that phrase had a slightly different underlying problem. They were too f*ing boring.

      'Too cerebral' allows the network to break it off without hurting the feelings of the fans or the producers. It will be interesting to see which category this pilot falls into...Maybe if it does not turn out well the pilot and I can just be friends.

      • 'Too cerebral' allows the network to break it off without hurting the feelings of the fans or the producers.

        Seriously - you believe the phrase "it's not you, it's me" ever spared anyone's feelings? It's always sounded like the most sarcastic form of "it's not me, it's you" - a point grasped much earlier in the conversation.

        Or that at the admonition that the Cage was "too cerebral" was met with any phrase besides "what the fuck....?"

        I do appreciate you're explaining the motivation for those phrases, though - no sarcasm, no kidding. Prior to this, I simply attributed their use to stupid people.

        Maybe if it does not turn out well the pilot and I can just be friends.

        Well, if that happen

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by hson ( 78256 )

          Seriously - you believe the phrase "it's not you, it's me" ever spared anyone's feelings?

          It's not you, it's me. I don't like you!
          I find that statement a lot more honest (and funny),

      • 'Sure there are some shows that were killed for being 'too cerebral''

        Yes, like television news reporting being changed to entertainment.

        • Seriously, have you ever seen Sapphire and Steel? Did you understand what the holy hell was going on in that series?

    • Of course.

      With sufficient education (and bananas onna stick), any monkey can be George Orwell...

  • Its Life Jim, but not as you know it.
  • All this messing with the time lines gives me a headache.

  • From TFA: "CBS is now releasing this version on Blu-ray Dec. 15"

    Only Blu-ray? I predict a spike in Blu-ray sales that's higher than expected for Christmas.

    Either that or new records will be set for the most downloaded pirated TV show.

  • Star Trek Act I...Warp II... (Score:5, Funny)

    by rirugrat ( 255768 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:07AM (#30105116)
    Star Trek...In Color!

    Starring Rex Hamilton as Abraham Lincoln.

  • What are you going to do? Get a bald headed guy with a British accent to play him? I got news for you
    pal, baldness will be cured in the 23rd century!

    • No, Shatner (Captain Kirk) was the one who replaced Jeffrey Hunter (Captain Pike).

      The main thing that I remember about the original pilot was that Spock yelled a lot. I guess this was filmed before they had electronic microphones.

      • No, Shatner (Captain Kirk) was the one who replaced Jeffrey Hunter (Captain Pike).

        The main thing that I remember about the original pilot was that Spock yelled a lot. I guess this was filmed before they had electronic microphones.

        Or figured out the nuances of the Vulcan psyche.

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by Hurricane78 ( 562437 )

      Actually, scientifically, we rather move in the hairless direction. The idea is, that there is no need for it anymore, anyway.

      No Picard really is a rather advanced specimen. ^^

  • It's a plot Jim, but not as we know it (Score:5, Funny)

    by syousef ( 465911 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:17AM (#30105160) Journal

    Stardate 5191.5.

    While googling frantically for pornographic footage of green three breasted alien women, have come across a place called "the pirate bay". Apparently this is an exchange post for all kinds of illicit material, but based on an analysis of the comments, quite inexplicably, it is only frequented by pre-pubescent teenage boys and social misfits who lack a fundamental part of the anatomy: a sense of humour.

    Recommend we study these life forms to learn what we can from them. They seem to have formed a lawless society loosely based on an earlier society that advocated rape and pilleage on the high seas . Furthermore they have technology that allows them to store an infinite number of files on a loose connection of inter-0networked machines, but strangely none of these files are complete, which often results in cursing and requests to perform a strange ritual invoked with the words "please seed".

    To guard against their natural enemies - a group who have become rich and successful by making entertainment audio and video recordings for a completely different group of pre-pubescent teenagers - they use a new kind of anti-mater which they call "peer guardian".

    Mr Spock believes they are "fascinating" and I am hopeful we will soon encounter green alien dancing girls with 3 breasts. I have therefore committed all resources of the Enterprise to cataloging and studing this group.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jo42 ( 227475 )

      Chode? [trippingtherift.com] Is that you?

    • Re:It's a plot Jim, but not as we know it (Score:4, Informative)

      by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @10:41AM (#30105718) Homepage

      Stardate 5191.5. While googling frantically for pornographic footage of green three breasted alien women

      Clearly this is TOS, in TNG you'd just say "Computer, list all pornographic footage of green three breasted alien women." Not surprising that it's Google delivering that amazingly context-sensitive half mind-reading search assistant though, the way they're going it's either that or Skynet.

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward

        No, in TNG you'd say "Computer, create simulation of green three breasted alien woman on holodeck 9. Run program extra slutty-1." After first kicking out Ensign Barclay, of course.

  • They leave the galaxy? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by brunes69 ( 86786 ) <`gro.daetsriek' `ta' `todhsals'> on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:41AM (#30105302)
    From the clips on youtube linked in the article, it says they leave the milky way - that would be a huge departure from the current canon, in which they have never left he galazy under their own power, in any series or movie.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by caseih ( 160668 )

      Umm, no. In the original airing of this episode they did in fact leave the galaxy. And that's not the only time either. Also in "By any other Name" the Kelvins take the enterprise at "warp 11" through the barrier and into the void.

      So yes, in the "canon" they have absolutely left the galaxy on two occasions. What kind of trekkie are you! :)

    • Hey, at least Kirk doesn't get magical powers and befriends Lucifer like in TAS.

  • Far from new or unseen (Score:3, Informative)

    by earlymon ( 1116185 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @09:50AM (#30105356) Homepage Journal

    If you're a fan of the ST TOS, go look at the embedded clip in the TFA - you've seen this episode.

    As one commenter at the TFA stated: "Different music, graphics, some additional dialogue."

    It was a great episode - Sally Kellerman (babe alert) and Gary Lockwood - where the eyes turn silver and mental powers abound.

    http://www.slashcontrol.com/free-tv-shows/star-trek-the-original-series/3461344488-star-trek-where-no-man-has-gone-before [slashcontrol.com]

    Season 1, episode 3.

    See also - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_No_Man_Has_Gone_Before [wikipedia.org]

    So - that was the alternate pilot. I did not know that. Very cool.

    I mention all this for those us not on the Blu-ray bandwagon who will have to wait for this one.

  • It was the one aired..

  • My favorite part of the clip: (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bob Hearn ( 61879 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @11:26AM (#30105788) Homepage

    "George Takei as Chief Physicist"

    Helmsman, swordsman, physicist... the guy can do everything!

  • ... That my facial expression has matched that of the fake alien thingy whenever it's been used as an article icon. 8-o

    Should be interesting to see!

  • Sounds like true Star Trek alright (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    "The USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, receives a radio distress call from the fourth planet in the Talos star group. A landing party is assembled and beamed down to investigate. Tracking the distress signal to its source, the landing party discovers a camp of survivors from a scientific expedition that has been missing for 18 years. Among the survivors is a beautiful young woman named Vina.

    Captivated by her beauty, Pike is caught off guard and is captured by the Talosians, a ra

  • The resolution is what? 1/6 of Blu Ray HD. What point could there possibly be to releasing any legacy TV on Blu Ray?

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by dianebrat ( 212157 )

      not so, this is old TV that was on film, that film has a higher theoretical resolution.
      had this been old TV on video tape, that would be different.

    • Maybe the spend the extra bits on reducing fringing and/or increased color depth? BluRay is still a little weak in those areas.

    • Judge the 1080p [highdefdiscnews.com] screenshots for yourself.

      Personally, I think bluray, as a technology, is a little hyperactive.

      Here's a portion of bluray box copy for No country for Old Men.

      ...Featuring an acclaimed cast led by Tommy Lee Jones, this stunning game of cat and mouse is even grittier in flawless 1080p. Each heart stopping frame delivers maximum punch as 24 bit uncompressed audio and the unbridled strength of Blu ray High Definition take you to edge of your seat and beyond

      Stunning? I wonder if that's a reference to Javier Bardem's weapon of choice.

    • Scotty, what's going on with the viewscreen?

      It's breaking up Cap'n.

      Do what you can to hold it together, Mr. Scott! Bones, give him a hand.

      Damn it Jim, I'm a Doctor, not an avid media composer!

      Spock, what can we do?

      We can try routing transporters through the ship's phasers while accelerating to warp speed. Thereby causing a blue shift and broadcasting our image over the heads of our audience.

      Can we skip the phasers and just use the transporter?

      That wouldn't be logical Captain.

      Scotty, I want every available

  • Blu-Ray you say? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by future assassin ( 639396 ) on Sunday November 15, 2009 @01:35PM (#30106748)
    What about DVD? Oh those of us who don't own or wanna waste money on the next "best" in spinning disk technology gonna have to wait? I guess I'll just have to download it the day it comes out.

    • By this I do not mean you need a rewinder with DVDs, I mean that there will be no reason to move to another format for movies-- because BluRay has as good as quality as anybody needs. Yes it's had a rough start and there are some issues, but I can positively say there is no reason we'd ever need to go on from BluRay-- 1080P, as many audio channels at lossless quality as you want, etc. The studios won't risk it, just like they won't risk supplanting the CD-audio format now.

  • It's probably too late to post this, but seriously? This is Slashdot. Half the people here are trekkers, and you couldn't name Jeffrey Hunter [imdb.com]? While I'll admit he wasn't at the same level as, say, Jack Nicholson or Al Pacino, he was certainly on par with people like James Garner or Clint Eastwood - or at least he would have been, had he not died young.

    Honestly, I'd bet almost all of you can name the actress who played the green chick, in "Whom Gods Destroy". At least Hunter could act, which is more than you

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