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The crew of the Enterprise walked in front of cameras for the first time on 27 November 1964 -- but the legendary TV show nearly didn't make it to the screen.
Fifty years ago this Thanksgiving the crew of the starship Enterprise walked in front of cameras for the first time and began filming on a new sci-fi show that would make television history: "Star Trek". But the results of the day's filming weren't seen in their intended form for more than 20 years -- and the legendary show nearly didn't make it to the screen at all. The brainchild of former bomber pilot and police officer turned television writer Gene Roddenberry, "Star Trek" was planned to be a utopian sci-fi show featuring a diverse crew exploring the galaxy. It began with the filming of a pilot episode on 27 November 1964 at the Desilu Productions studios (now known as Culver Studios) in Culver City, California. The shoot took a couple of weeks, with postproduction work running until 18 January 1965.
"The Cage" looks a lot like the "Trek" we know, but with a few differences: the uniforms are slightly off, Roddenberry's wife Majel Barrett is the first officer and Spock smiles -- most illogical. And the man in the captain's chair isn't James T. Kirk (as played by William Shatner): instead, Jeffrey Hunter plays Capt. Christopher Pike.
Fifty years ago this Thanksgiving the crew of the starship Enterprise walked in front of cameras for the first time and began filming on a new sci-fi show that would make television history: "Star Trek". But the results of the day's filming weren't seen in their intended form for more than 20 years -- and the legendary show nearly didn't make it to the screen at all. The brainchild of former bomber pilot and police officer turned television writer Gene Roddenberry, "Star Trek" was planned to be a utopian sci-fi show featuring a diverse crew exploring the galaxy. It began with the filming of a pilot episode on 27 November 1964 at the Desilu Productions studios (now known as Culver Studios) in Culver City, California. The shoot took a couple of weeks, with postproduction work running until 18 January 1965.
"The Cage" looks a lot like the "Trek" we know, but with a few differences: the uniforms are slightly off, Roddenberry's wife Majel Barrett is the first officer and Spock smiles -- most illogical. And the man in the captain's chair isn't James T. Kirk (as played by William Shatner): instead, Jeffrey Hunter plays Capt. Christopher Pike.