Star Trek Episodes That Were Never Made

[Maurice]

Seriously, if you want a planet of Gestapo hats it’s either another duplicate Earth (“Miri”, “The Omega Glory”) or it’s Earth contamination (“A Piece of the Action”). Given that, it’s not difficult to see how two different writers would hit on the same gimmick.

 

[Harvey]

I think that's the obvious idea no one could own, while Black's more complicated idea was lifted for "The Menagerie."

Your framing story would have a hard time filling out the duration of a two-parter, though, which the show desperately needed to make their dates.

But I want to be clear — I’m not saying Black didn't have a claim to at least a piece of credit. The desk officer who turns out to have been replaced by a Talosian illusion, repurposing the footage from the end of the pilot to give Pike a happy ending with Vina, the Starfleet regulation prohibiting contact with Talos IV — these are all ideas that originate with Black. Had he submitted a statement to the guild, he may have received credit.

It’s a shame those arbitration statements cannot be accessed by the public, they would be fascinating.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Your framing story would have a hard time filling out the duration of a two-parter, though, which the show desperately needed to make their dates.

But I want to be clear — I’m not saying Black didn't have a claim to at least a piece of credit. The desk officer who turns out to have been replaced by a Talosian illusion, repurposing the footage from the end of the pilot to give Pike a happy ending with Vina, the Starfleet regulation prohibiting contact with Talos IV — these are all ideas that originate with Black. Had he submitted a statement to the guild, he may have received credit.

It’s a shame those arbitration statements cannot be accessed by the public, they would be fascinating.

Regarding the need to fill air dates, Star Trek didn't need a two-parter as such. They just needed a way for "The Cage" (Episode 1) occupy one of their weekly showings on NBC. And then, instead of filming "The Menagerie" framing story (Episode 16), they could have filmed any other single-week episode story they cared to write as the 16th show. It would add up the same.

Also, my minimalist introductory scene would have cost almost nothing. While filming the unrelated 16th episode instead of "The Menagerie," they could shoot my three lines of dialog on the bridge, which is already lit and the actors are made up. Just shoot three extra lines of dialog between Kirk and Spock. Then set that take aside and use it as the intro to "The Cage" in week 17.

 

[Harvey]

Regarding the need to fill air dates, Star Trek didn't need a two-parter as such. They just needed a way for "The Cage" (Episode 1) occupy one of their weekly showings on NBC. And then, instead of filming "The Menagerie" framing story (Episode 16), they could have filmed any other single-week episode story they cared to write as the 16th show. It would add up the same.

Also, my minimalist introductory scene would have cost almost nothing. While filming the unrelated 16th episode instead of "The Menagerie," they could shoot my three lines of dialog on the bridge, which is already lit and the actors are made up. Just shoot three extra lines of dialog between Kirk and Spock. Then set that take aside and use it as the intro to "The Cage" in week 17.

You're forgetting that "The Menagerie" was planned for a shorter shooting schedule than any regular episode to date. The envelope was scheduled for 5 days and filmed in 5 2/3 days. It was also designed to use very few special photographic effects, so that both parts could be turned around quickly. Most of the opticals in the episode are stock footage, and post-production on both parts was completed in just four weeks.

To draw a comparison, the shortest shoot to date on the series was for "The Naked Time," which was completed in 5 3/4 days (technically 6 3/4 days because there was a holiday, but they didn't film on that day). To draw another comparison, the average episode before "The Menagerie" took 6.82 days to shoot.

 

[diankra]

Seriously, if you want a planet of Gestapo hats it’s either another duplicate Earth (“Miri”, “The Omega Glory”) or it’s Earth contamination (“A Piece of the Action”). Given that, it’s not difficult to see how two different writers would hit on the same gimmick.

To which can be added that the parallel Earths idea seems to have been dropped by season two (Omega Glory being a potential second pilot pulled off the reject pile at season - and possibly series - end).

 

[Maurice]

Because “The Cage” was overlong for an hour slot even without an envelope, It made more sense to try to make it a two episode deal so as to spare coming up with another original script instead of milking the drama around Pike and Spock’s connection to him.

Also, NBC had to buy into this, and might now have been keen to approve an episode with just Kirk and co. on screen for a few minutes.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I know my three-line Kirk-Spock intro for "The Cage' is cheap, hasty junk. And the two-parter with full framing story was great television that won a Hugo Award. My only real point was that "Black's framing ideas were not obvious-- I'll show you obvious." And Harvey has basically supported that position.

Here's a show that actually used my type of idea to extend their second season by one episode. In the (truly great) 33-disc Sony DVD set, it's still presented as if it were two different episodes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bewitched_episodes

Bewitched S1E15 "A Vision of Sugar Plums"
The Kravitzes and Stephens participate in a program that allows orphaned children to stay with adults for the holidays. When the Stephens' young charge reveals that he does not believe in Santa Claus, Samantha takes him to the North Pole. Bill Daily and Billy Mumy guest-star. Note: Filmed November 12, 1964

Bewitched S2E15 "A Vision of Sugar Plums"
Samantha and Darrin get a card from the boy (Billy Mumy) they took in last year for Christmas and have an episode-long flashback of the previous year's holiday episode. Note: repeat of "A Vision of Sugar Plums" (S1E15) with new cold open introduction.

 

[Harvey]

@ZapBrannigan I Love Lucy did that sort of thing regularly when CBS reran episodes from the first season during the show's second year. Lucy and Desi filmed new short intros in character before flashing back and showing the earlier episodes more or less in totality (a trim or two were required to accommodate the new intros).

 

[ZapBrannigan]

@ZapBrannigan I Love Lucy did that sort of thing regularly when CBS reran episodes from the first season during the show's second year. Lucy and Desi filmed new short intros in character before flashing back and showing the earlier episodes more or less in totality (a trim or two were required to accommodate the new intros).

Interesting. These guys were more or less inventing the TV sitcom as they went along. Maybe they didn't trust the audience to understand and accept out-and-out reruns without some seemingly organic hand-holding. Or maybe the "new-intro" technique was done to satisfy a loosely-worded contractual requirement for "new" episodes.

William Asher was a huge point in common between I Love Lucy and Bewitched. Along with the rerun-as-flashback bit, he also re-did Lucy and Ethel's famous chocolate assembly line scene in a Bewitched episode, "Samantha's Power Failure" (Season 5). And you could argue that I Love Lucy stole it from Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times).

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Wasn't the main problem that Star Trek was getting further and further behind schedule and going over budget because of the extensive special effects work on episodes like "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Balance of Terror"? Using "The Cage" footage as the main body of a two-parter allowed them to get back on schedule, film two new episodes for the price of one, make their air dates, and make use of the expensive, already shot pilot. The show simply couldn't afford to let that footage go unused.

 

[Qonundrum]

The Joy Machine sure has a provocative connotation.

Kirk teaches love again?

 

[Harvey]

Wasn't the main problem that Star Trek was getting further and further behind schedule and going over budget because of the extensive special effects work on episodes like "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Balance of Terror"? Using "The Cage" footage as the main body of a two-parter allowed them to get back on schedule, film two new episodes for the price of one, make their air dates, and make use of the expensive, already shot pilot. The show simply couldn't afford to let that footage go unused.

Yep. Although they still ended up having to resort to a rerun of “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” during a Nielsen black week.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Yep. Although they still ended up having to resort to a rerun of “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” during a Nielsen black week.

Hmm. I wonder why they chose that one. Sherry Jackson? Ted Cassidy? Gene trying to make Majel happy?

 

[Noname Given]

I'm not sure I agree. If I had to incorporate "The Cage" into the production run of Star Trek, and I had never seen Black's idea to hide "non-Hunter Pike" behind injury makeup and return him to Talos IV, my first thought would be to open the show with this:

SPOCK:
We're passing in the vicinity of Talos IV, Captain.

KIRK:
We won't be stopping there.

SPOCK:
I visited that planet once before, but this was thirteen years ago under Captain Pike. It was my first tour on the Enterprise.

CUE WAVEY FILM DISSOLVE AND HARP MUSIC TO INDICATE A FLASHBACK. SHOW "THE CAGE."

I think that's the obvious idea no one could own, while Black's more complicated idea was lifted for "The Menagerie."

^^^
Yeah, but that would have been somewhat boring. They want to INVOLVE the current characters as much as the ones in the Pilot, because those are the characters the audience knows up to that point. IMO just having a trial/discussion between Pike and some Fleet Admirals is again boring.

I give GR a lot of flack for some of his ideas and decisions; but having Spock:

- Acting emotional and showing loyalty for a former Captain...

- Having Spock use his position to STEAL the 1701...

- Having a backdrop that the Planet is considered so dangerous by Star Fleet Command, that they have a GO that mandates the death penalty if it is violated...

- Having Spock and the Talosians effectively stage a mock Court Martial of Spock to keep Kirk's mind so occupied the doesn't try to immediately figure out a way to stop the ship without setting off the trap that would destroy life support...

Really ratchets up the stakes for the current cast of characters, and makes the audience interested in that: "Hey, I WANT to see why Star Fleet thinks this planet is SOOOO dangerous they need to kill anyone that lands on it..."

So yeah, that whole setup above is a stroke of genius that's much more satisfying then Spock just reminiscing as they fly past the planet. If they were going to do that - they may as well have just shown the pilot and been upfront with the fact that - "hey, this was the original pitch that didn't seel, but did get GR a second chance, which did.

 

[johnnybear]

Starfleet was scared of The Talosians and their powers of illusion and knew that anyone going there wouldn't be able to resist! I'm not sure why a death penalty was needed unless it was for discipline and subservience issues!
JB

 

[diankra]

Well yes, the existence of the only death penalty on the books (apart from mutiny) would surely encourage attention ("What's the deal with Talos 4 ?"), from inquisitive officers, and Federation enemies.

 

[Spock's Barber]

To which can be added that the parallel Earths idea seems to have been dropped by season two (Omega Glory being a potential second pilot pulled off the reject pile at season - and possibly series - end).

And I was thrilled that the Parallel Planet premise was sent to TOS scrap pile...although Plato’s Stepchildren might qualify as a quasi-parallel planet attempt. Maybe that’s why I dislike that episode.

 

[Noname Given]

And I was thrilled that the Parallel Planet premise was sent to TOS scrap pile...although Plato’s Stepchildren might qualify as a quasi-parallel planet attempt. Maybe that’s why I dislike that episode.

TOS S2 "Patterns of Force" would also qualify as a Parallel Earth scenario; so no, I don't think you can say it was abandoned in Season 2

 

[Mytran]

If Plato's Stepchildren meets the criteria by reusing existing props and costumes then Spectre Of The Gun ought to be included too.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

TOS S2 "Patterns of Force" would also qualify as a Parallel Earth scenario

It would? Even though Nazis were introduced due to interference by a Federation historian?