star trek the menagerie youtube

The Menagerie, Part II (episode)

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Production timeline
• 4.2 Production
• 4.4 Preview
• 4.5 Reception
• 4.6 Remastered information
• 4.7 Video and DVD releases
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Also starring
• 5.3 Special guest star
• 5.4 Guest star
• 5.5 Also starring
• 5.6 Featuring
• 5.7 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.8 Uncredited co-stars appearing in the original Star Trek episode
• 5.9.1 Unreferenced materials
• 5.10 External links

Summary [ ]

Captain Kirk , in his personal log ponders the events of the past day. Spock is facing a court martial aboard the USS Enterprise on multiple charges: Mutiny ; kidnapping his former commanding officer, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike , mutilated by a recent space disaster and unable to speak; and locking the Enterprise on course for the planet Talos IV , for which the penalty is death. Spock has pled guilty to all the charges. However, when the presiding officer, Commodore Mendez , asks Spock about his motive, it gives Spock a legal opening to present his evidence: mysterious but authentic video from thirteen years before , as the Enterprise , commanded by Captain Pike, became the only starship ever to visit Talos. The recap concludes with the revelation that the video presentation is itself being transmitted from Talos.

Act One [ ]

The court martial reconvenes, this time in closed session. Mendez reminds Spock that Starfleet has ordered no contact with Talos IV, with no exceptions. Spock says that the Talosian Keeper has taken over control of their viewscreen. The presentation resumes as Captain Pike had been knocked unconscious and captured by the Talosians. ( TOS : " The Cage ") The Talosians make Pike relive the deadly battle on Rigel VII with the Kalar two weeks earlier in a deserted fortress. But Pike deduces that he is still in the cell, which Spock calls a "brilliant deduction."

Later, the viewscreen shuts off. Pike's head has slumped over, and Spock says the Talosians know that Pike is fatigued, so they have ceased transmitting the image. As Kirk remarks that the Talosians must care for Pike, Spock confirms that the Talosians want him back, alive. Mendez demands an explanation, but Spock insists that they will understand only after they reach Talos and watch the rest of the video transmission from the Talosians.

Act Two [ ]

The Talosians

The court martial and the viewscreen presentation resume. The Talosians continue to show Pike a spacewreck survivor from the SS Columbia named Vina , in various guises, to induce Pike to breed, but he is only interested in learning from her the parameters of the illusions and of his imprisonment. Here she appears as a green-skinned Orion slave girl. Mendez mentions that the seductive women are said to be irresistible.

Act Three [ ]

The viewscreen presentation continues: The Talosians beam down Number One and Yeoman Colt to give Pike a choice of mates, but their laser pistols do not work. Pike deduces that this too is an illusion and uses a weapon to threaten the Talosian Keeper and win their way to the planet's surface.

The presentation is interrupted again and the Talosians seem to have abandoned Spock. Mendez demands that the court-martial panel of three captains reach a verdict. Spock asks Pike to wait to reach Talos, telling him that he will have a chance for life, but Kirk likens it to life as a zoo specimen or amusement. Pike, Mendez, and finally, Kirk vote that Spock is guilty of mutiny, as charged.

Act Four [ ]

Lieutenant Hansen reports from the bridge to Mendez that the Enterprise has entered orbit around Talos IV. Spock tells the court that Talos controls the Enterprise , just as it did on her previous encounter, and that Mendez's inquiry into Spock's motives will now be answered.

The Talosians had abandoned their effort to capture and breed Humans as servants when Captain Pike and the others threatened to destroy themselves using a forced chamber explosion with Una's laser pistol, a decision the atrophied Talosians had claimed condemned them to eventual death . Vina had declined rescue by the Enterprise , for a reason made evident at the end of the Talosians' presentation: the Talosians show Vina to be horribly disfigured, though their mastery of projecting illusions lets her live a normal life. Spock's purpose in bringing Pike back to Talos IV was to enable Pike to live out the rest of his days in the same fashion; the Talosians offer to "free" him from his wheelchair. The basis of General Order 7 , the capital crime forbidding contact with Talos IV, is also evident now: to keep Humans from learning the Talosians' power of illusion which would lead to their own destruction.

Kirk then addresses Mendez, but Mendez suddenly disappears. The Talosian Keeper explains that Mendez's presence on board the Enterprise and on the Starbase 11 shuttlecraft with Kirk was merely an illusion. Spock and the Talosians orchestrated events to keep the crew from regaining control of the ship too quickly. Kirk challenges Spock, saying that despite the harsh regulations, Spock could have come to him for help; alluding to Kirk's willingness to help his friend, no matter what. Spock admits the reason he did not simply reveal his plan to Kirk was that he did not want to run the risk of subjecting anyone else but himself to the death penalty.

The real Commodore Mendez, still at Starbase 11, sends a message that he too has received the Talosians' presentation. Uhura reports to Kirk that he has suspended General Order 7 for this occasion and directs Kirk to proceed as he thinks best.

Kirk asks Pike if he wishes to accept the Talosians' offer. Despite his earlier protests against Spock's actions, Pike does not hesitate to signal "yes", and Kirk invites Spock to escort his former captain to the transporter room. Spock expresses thanks, both for himself on Pike's behalf, which Pike is quick to second with another "yes." Before Spock wheels Pike out, however, Kirk adopts a mock serious tone, saying he is "concerned" that Spock is exhibiting a disturbing tendency toward flagrant emotionalism. Spock regards this as an insult and insists that his actions have been completely logical .

After Spock and Pike depart the briefing room , the Talosian Magistrate invites Kirk to look at the viewscreen again, where he sees the healthy Pike and Vina walking hand-in-hand.

Log entries [ ]

• Personal log, James T. Kirk

Memorable quotes [ ]

" They're like animals, vicious, seductive. They say no Human male can resist them. "

" Guilty, Captain, yes or no? " (Pike offers a single beep from his wheelchair.) " Yes. I must also vote guilty as charged. And you, Captain? " " Guilty. As charged. "

" Talos controls the vessel now, as they did thirteen years ago. You asked me 'why'. Commodore. You'll see your answer now. "

" Mr. Spock, even if regulations are explicit, you could have come to me and explained. " " Ask you to face the death penalty too? One of us was enough, captain. "

" I want to talk to you. This regrettable tendency you've been showing lately towards flagrant emotionalism – " " I see no reason to insult me, sir. I believe I've been completely logical about the whole affair. "

" Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality. May you find your way as pleasant. "

Background information [ ]

Production timeline [ ].

• First draft teleplay "From the First Day to the Last" by John D.F. Black : 12 August 1966
• First draft teleplay "The Menagerie" by Gene Roddenberry : 21 September 1966
• Second draft teleplay: 3 October 1966
• Final draft teleplay: 7 October 1966
• Revised final draft teleplay by Gene L. Coon : 10 October 1966
• Additional revisions: 13 October 1966 , 14 October 1966 , 17 October 1966
• Day 1 – 11 October 1966 , Tuesday (Half Day) – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Bridge , Transporter room , Mendez's office
• Day 2 – 12 October 1966 , Wednesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Mendez's office , Spock's quarters ; Desilu Stage 10 : Int. Shuttlecraft
• Day 3 – 13 October 1966 , Thursday – Desilu Stage 10 : Int. Hospital room corridor , Pike's hospital room , Ext. Starbase 11 Mall ; Desilu Stage 9 : Computer center (redress of Engineering ), Briefing room (Hearing room)
• Day 4 – 14 October 1966 , Friday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Briefing room ( Courtroom )
• Day 5 – 17 October 1966 , Monday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Briefing room ( Courtroom )
• Day 6 – 18 October 1966 , Tuesday – Desilu Stage 9 : Int. Briefing room ( Courtroom )
• Original airdate: 24 November 1966
• Rerun airdate: 18 May 1967
• First UK airdate: 30 August 1969
• Hugo Award: 1967
• Remastered airdate: 2 December 2006

Production [ ]

• The first draft of this episode's script (along with that of " The Menagerie, Part I ") was completed on 3 October 1966 with the subsequent final draft being turned in on 7 October , with further revisions on 10 October .
• Robert Butler is the only credited director on this episode. However, Butler had actually directed " The Cage ", which provided much of the material used in this episode. After Marc Daniels was assigned to direct the new footage, it was decided that he and Butler would share credit for the two episodes, Daniels for the first part and Butler for the second. [1]
• This is the only episode of any Star Trek series which uses a captain's log to recap the events of the previous episode in a story arc. All others use a more traditional "previously on…"-type of recap.
• In a deleted scene from this episode, McCoy and Scott explain to Kirk how they figured out which computer bank Spock tampered with to lock the ship on course. They took perspiration readings on all banks, and since Spock's sweat has copper in it, traces of copper were found. [2]
• DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy ), James Doohan ( Scott ) (both of whom had their scenes cut), and George Takei ( Sulu ) do not appear in this episode. Nichelle Nichols ( Uhura ) does not appear on-screen but she does have several voice-over lines at the end of the episode. Along with " What Are Little Girls Made Of? " and " Errand of Mercy ", this is one of only three episodes after the two pilots in which Kelley does not appear.
• Sean Kenney took over the role of Pike from Jeffrey Hunter . Kenney also appeared as DePaul in TOS Season 1 . Because Malachi Throne additionally portrayed Commodore Mendez and an illusion of that character in the "The Menagerie" two-parter, his voice as The Keeper in "The Menagerie, Part II" had to be mechanically pitch-shifted by the post-production team, so viewers wouldn't confuse the two characters. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Two , [ page number? • edit ] ) Malachi Throne later played Romulan Senator Pardek in TNG : " Unification I " and " Unification II ".

Preview [ ]

• The preview is from the perspective of Spock: " This is Mister Spock. You'll learn next why returning Captain Pike to Talos IV was worth risking my life and Captain Kirk's career. Join us then to see the conclusion of the incredible adventure on that forbidden planet. " It is implied but not stated that the word after next is "week".

Reception [ ]

• Along with Part 1, this episode won the 1967 Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation".
• Gene Roddenberry picked the whole two-parter as one of his ten favorite episodes for the franchise's 25th anniversary. ( TV Guide [ page number? • edit ] August 31, 1991)

Remastered information [ ]

• "The Menagerie, Part II" was the thirteenth remastered episode of the The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication the weekend of 2 December 2006 . Among several new, digital shots created for the episode, a new, more realistic digital matte painting of the Mojave replaces the original backdrop, as does a high quality shot of Rigel VII and Talos IV from space.
• A limited-time-only theatrical presentation with " The Menagerie, Part I " occurred on 13 November 2007 and 15 November 2007 . It included a message from Gene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr., a twenty-minute "making of" documentary about the restoration process, and a trailer for Season Two of the remastered series. [3] (X)

The next remastered episode to air was " The Corbomite Maneuver ".

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• US CED VideoDisc release: 22 March 1981
• US LaserDisc release: 1 October 1984
• Original US Betamax release: 1985
• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 9 , catalog number VHR 2274, release date unknown
• Japan LaserDisc release: 10 November 1992
• US VHS release: 15 April 1994
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.6, 7 October 1996
• Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 8, 22 February 2000
• As part of the TOS Season 1 DVD collection
• As part of the TOS Season 1 HD DVD collection
• As part of the TOS Season 1 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

Also starring [ ]

• Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

Special guest star [ ]

• Jeffrey Hunter as Christopher Pike (archive footage)

Guest star [ ]

• Susan Oliver as Vina (archive footage)
• José I. Mendez
• The Keeper's voice (also archived footage)
• M. Leigh Hudec as Number One (archive footage)
• Peter Duryea as José Tyler (archive footage)
• John Hoyt as Phil Boyce (archive footage)
• Laurel Goodwin as J.M. Colt (archive footage)
• Adam Roarke as Garison (archive footage)
• DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy (recycled footage)
• James Doohan as Scott (recycled footage)
• Nichelle Nichols as Uhura (voice)

Featuring [ ]

• Sean Kenney as Christopher Pike
• Hagan Beggs as Hansen
• Meg Wyllie as The Keeper (archive footage)

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• William Blackburn as Hadley
• Frank da Vinci as Brent
• Brett Dunham as Pitcairn ("Security Chief")
• Tom Lupo as Security guard
• Eddie Paskey as Leslie
• Ron Veto as Harrison

Uncredited co-stars appearing in the original Star Trek episode [ ]

• Mike Dugan as the Kalar
• Clegg Hoyt as Pitcairn ("Transporter Chief")
• Robert C. Johnson as the First Talosian's voice
• Jon Lormer as Theodore Haskins (aka "1st Survivor")
• Edward Madden as Fisher (aka "Geologist")
• Joseph Mell as the Earth Trader
• Robert Phillips as the Space Officer
• Janos Prohaska as the anthropoid ape
• Serena Sande as 2nd Talosian
• Georgia Schmidt as 1st Talosian
• Bridge crewman #1
• Bridge crewman #2
• Transporter technician

References [ ]

2236 ; 2254 ; Adam and Eve ; adaptability ; " all right "; alternative ; ancestor ; animal ( creature ); answer ; bargain ; beauty ; blood ; bluff ; boasting ; brain ; bridle ; bravery ; breeding stock ; briefing room ; cage ; captivity ; career ; cell ; century ; chance ; childhood ; children ; choice ; circuit ; clothing ; coffee ; colony ; color ; Columbia , SS ; community ; computer ; confusion ; contact ; continent ; conversation ; cooperation ; course ; custom ; danger ; death ; death penalty ; deception ; deck ; desire ; dignity ; disaster ; distress signal ; dream ; dress ; Earth ; emotion (aka emotionalism ); encampment ; engage ; engineering deck ; event ; evidence ; evil ; experience ; experiment ; eye ; fable ; family ; fatigue ; feeling ; flesh ; fly ; forced chamber explosion ; frustration ; general court martial ; General Order 7 ; guilt ; hair ; hand ; hate ; head ; hearing room ; Hell-Fire ; helm ; hope ; hour ; Human ; Human history ; hunger ; husband ; hyperdrive ; illusion ; image ; imprisonment ; inhabitant ; injury ; intelligence ; jailer ; Kalar ; keeper ; laser ; laser cannon ; laser weapon ; lie ; life ; logic ; machine ; Mary Lou ; memory ; memory capacity ; menagerie ; mental power ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind ; minute ; mutilate ; name ; narcotic ; neck ; nourishment ; order ; Orion slave girl ; overload ; person ; physical body ; Picasso ; place ; planet ; plant ; plea ; power ; prisoner ; proof ; protectiveness ; protein complex ; punishment ; quality ; question ; reality ; red ; relationship ; Rigel VII ; Rigel VII moon ; rock ; sabotage ; saddle ; screen ; second ; session ; ship's captain ; shuttlecraft ; signal ; slave ; society ; soul ; space ; spaceship / space vehicle ; space regulations ; specimen ; Starfleet ; stellar group ; strength of will ; subject ; sugar ; surface ; survey expedition ; survivor ; sympathy ; table ; Talos IV ; Talos system ; Talosians ; Tango ; telepathy ; theater ; theory ; thermos ; thing ; thought ; thought record ; thousand ; threat ; trade ; transmission ; trap ; trial ; tricking ; universe ; vegetation ; verdict ; vial ; volunteer ; vote ; wall ; war ; week ; wife ; window ( transparency ); year ; youth ; zoo ; zoological garden

Unreferenced materials [ ]

body chemistry ; calcium ; copper ; McCoy, Leonard ; perspiration ; salt ; Scott, Montgomery ; skin ; sodium ; spectrograph beam ; Sulu, Hikaru ; tapes ; Vulcan

External links [ ]

• " The Menagerie, Parts I & II " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Menagerie, Parts I & II " at Wikipedia
• " The Menagerie, Parts I & II " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• " The Menagerie, Part II " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 World War III

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Episode Preview: The Menagerie, Part I

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• User reviews

The Menagerie: Part I

• Spock kidnaps the disabled Capt. Pike, hijacks the Enterprise, and then surrenders for court martial.
• While visiting Starbase 11, the Enterprise is hijacked by Mr. Spock, leaving Captain Kirk behind while abducting the recently crippled Captain Christopher Pike, former commander of the Enterprise. The destination: Talos IV, off limits by Federation order since the Enterprise first visited the planet thirteen years earlier while then under the command of Captain Pike. After Kirk and Commodore Mendez, the Starbase commander, intercept the Enterprise, a court martial against Spock's apparent treachery is convened. Spock's only defense is a video feed showing Pike's capture and imprisonment by the inhabitants of Talos IV. — Alfetta159
• The Enterprise is summoned to Starbase 11 only to learn that no one there sent a message to them. The base is home to Fleet captain Christopher Pike, Kirk's predecessor as Captain of the Enterprise. Unfortunately Pike has recently had a serious accident, rendering him unable to speak and confining him to an automated chair. The base Commander, Commodore Mendez, begins to suspect Mr. Spock but Kirk defends his friend. That is until Spock takes command of the Enterprise and heads to Talos IV, a planet for which all Federation personnel are forbidden to visit under pain of death. Kirk and Mendez catch up with the Enterprise in a space shuttle at which time Mr. Spock is arrested. At his trial, he pleads guilty and offers mitigating circumstances in the form of detailed video logs recounting the time the Enterprise visited Talos IV 13 years before with Pike in command and Spock as its science officer. — garykmcd
• Enterprise is diverted to Starbase 11, upon Spock's receipt of a message from former Enterprise Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter), asking them to arrive there asap. Captain James T Kirk beams down to find out, with Spock and McCoy. Commodor Jose Mendez (Malachi Throne) shows Kirk that Captain Pike is in a wheelchair machine, and only his head can be seen in it, and he can only answer with a blinking light. One blink for yes, two blinks for no. Kirk learns from Mendez, the commander of the entire star-base, that Captain Pike was injured in a fire (a baffle plate on a old star-ship ruptured), when he rushed in and pulled out all the children cadets that were still alive. The Delta rays from the fire destroyed his entire body and left him like this. Mendez tells Kirk "It is impossible for him to send a message." Spock is hatching a plot. His whole plan is to kidnap Captain Pike and take him to Talos IV. Talos IV is a planet that is OFF LIMITS for all of Starfleet. Visiting Talos IV means the death penalty. It is the only Death Penalty in Starfleet, other than treason. No one knows why. Spock has prepared fake copies of Kirk's voice and the Starbase voices. He subdues a guard and then transmits the messages to the Enterprise. He returns to the ship, carrying "orders" (fake) from Captain Kirk that Spock is now in command. Pike, who Spock has kidnapped, is kept quietly in a room. McCoy doesn't like it, but orders are orders. Commodore Mendez and Kirk pursue them, flying in a small shuttle-craft. They almost overtake them, but their craft runs out of fuel. Spock shows mercy and rescues them (before that he feeds a tape of instructions into the computer that keeps the ship on course for Talous IV and the orders cannot be overridden), but then Spock must stand trial for Court Martial aboard the ship. Kirk says we cannot have a Court Martial with only two command rank officers. But then Spock, for an unknown reason, tells them "You have three command rank officers. You have Captain Pike. In the courtroom on the ship, Spock asks to play a "video," which he says will explain his reasons. Mendez and Kirk know they must allow him any evidence in a court martial capital trial, so he is allowed. The video shows Captain Pike's first visit to Talos IV. "Where did you get this video?" demands Mendez. No answer. Then the video plays. We see the old bridge of the ship. Captain Pike, and Spock, and the first officer Number One, who is a smart, but cold, tall brunette, and other crew men and women. Spock is younger, so he has more emotions. They receive an automated distress call from Talos IV. The call is from USS Columbia, which was lost in the Talos Star system 18 yrs ago. Talos IV is the 4th planet of this star system and a class M planet. They beam down to a barren, rocky planet and find vibrating plants and a tent-camp full of very old men. These men sent the distress signal many many years ago, when their ship crashed, and are shocked to see humans coming toward them. They cannot believe their eyes. Suddenly a very young and beautiful blonde girl walks toward the men, dressed in rags, but very attractive. Her name is Vina (Susan Oliver). The old men explain that she was only a baby when the crash occurred, and her elderly parents died in the crash. She is fascinated with the young men who have arrived, especially Captain Pike. "Do you want to see our secret?" she asks him, and Pike takes her hand and follows her. She leads him to a cave, and then BOOM!! She vanishes into thin air. Spock sees this and yells "Look!" Suddenly the entire tent-camp, and all of the old men disappear. It was all an illusion. Spock notifies the ship quickly. 2 old women emerge from the cave and capture Pike as he has been lured away from the main landing party. Suddenly, the video in the courtroom stops playing, but nobody has turned it off. "What is the meaning of this?" demands Mendez. "Starfleet does not keep these kinds of records, and if you have received these from Talos IV (this video was not a tape, but a transmission), then you have signed your death warrant." Spock says "Commodore, if I am to die, so be it. But you MUST see the rest of this video." Mendez denies Spock's request, and demands that Spock release the controls of the Enterprise. He calls for an immediate vote. "Call for a verdict," says Mendez. "Guilty, yes or no? My vote is yes. It must be unanimous. Captain Kirk?" Kirk looks sad, but knows the law. "Yes" he says quietly. Mendez looks at Pike in his chair. "Yes or no, Captain Pike?" Pike blinks yes. Spock is guilty. Spock grabs Kirk's arm. "Jim" he says. "Don't stop me. Don't let HIM stop me. You MUST see the rest of the video." Spock is dragged out by guards, and taken to the holding cell. Kirk looks at the blank screen. What the hell happened down there, he thinks.

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Watch: Leonard Nimoy 'Star Trek: The Menagerie' rare host footage from 1975

By rachel carrington | mar 5, 2024.

Star Trek: The Original Series' first pilot, "The Cage," was rejected by NBC in February 1965, and in a rare move, the network ordered another pilot, essentially giving Gene Roddenberry a second chance to make a first impression. Leonard Nimoy was the only star who joined the second pilot, keeping his original character of Spock.

While "The Cage" was not shown in its entirety, the episode wasn't jettisoned, and producers and writers were able to use the footage to incorporate it into a first season two-part episode entitled "The Menagerie," which saw Spock getting court-martialed for mutiny after he commandeers the Enterprise and directs it toward the forbidden planet of Talos IV. It's an especially impressive episode that allowed fans to see what could have been the first glimpse of Star Trek.

In 1975, Nimoy hosted a Sunday night special presentation of "The Menagerie" on Oklahoma's KAUT-TV Channel 43. Beaming aboard the Enterprise, Nimoy provides a bird's eye view of the transition of the two-part episode from "The Cage" to "The Menagerie," which was the only two-part episode ever shown on Star Trek: The Original Series. The two episodes were edited together to be presented as a two-hour movie for Sunday night's line-up.

The Youtube Channel hosted by Rob O'Hara unearthed the rare footage of Nimoy introducing "The Menagerie" and letting viewers know they would be seeing two different Mr. Spocks in one episode.

O'Hara discovered this footage from his own vintage collection of VHS tapes, and using clues from the promos, he was able to ascertain that this movie special aired on February 6, 1983! At the end of the movie, Nimoy shares his thoughts about Star Trek and reveals his pride in being connected with the show. It's a short six minute video, but it takes you right back to the 1970s when Star Trek was really starting to take off. Enjoy the nostalgia!

dark. Next. Julie Nimoy and William Shatner endorse a proposed statue honoring Leonard Nimoy. Julie Nimoy and William Shatner endorse a proposed statue honoring Leonard Nimoy

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Leonard nimoy hosts star trek's original pilot movie in rare footage.

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Star Trek: The Original Series Cast & Character Guide

House of the dragon season 2's jon snow "replacement" is actually the complete opposite (& that's good), the great's perfect replacement show just dropped on prime video with an 89% rt score.

• Rare footage of Leonard Nimoy hosting Star Trek's "The Menagerie" resurfaces on YouTube, with insights into the transformation from original pilot to two-part episode.
• Gene Roddenberry's rejected pilot "The Cage" led to a recasted version, with only Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock remaining for Star Trek's second pilot.
• Discover the history behind how "The Cage" was refashioned into "The Menagerie" in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 through Nimoy's hosting.

Leonard Nimoy hosted a 1975 TV special of Star Trek's The Original Series ' "The Menagerie", and the rare footage has resurfaced on YouTube. In 1964, Gene Roddenberry produced "The Cage," the original hourlong pilot for Star Trek . NBC rejected "The Cage" but commissioned a second Star Trek pilot, with the entire show recast except for Leonard Nimoy's Vulcan Mr. Spock. In Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, "The Cage" was refashioned into a two-part episode, "The Menagerie," that showed nearly all o f Star Trek' s original pilot as a flashback.

YouTube user Rob O'Hara uploaded rare footage of Leonard Nimoy hosting Star Trek 's "The Menagerie" when it was turned into a 1975 TV movie by Oklahoma station KAUT-TV Channel 43. The footage includes Nimoy's interstitials as he introduces Star Trek 's original pilot and explains how and why "The Cage" was turned into "The Menagerie," the first two-part episode of Star Trek: The Original Series . Check out the video below.

Star Trek: The Original Series features some of the most iconic characters in all of science fiction with the crew of the original USS Enterprise.

Modern Star Trek Has Made TOS' Original Pilot More Important

"the cage" is now the basis for star trek: strange new worlds.

For over 50 years, Star Trek 's original pilot , "The Cage", was a curiosity; Captain Christopher Pike's (Jeffrey Hunter) USS Enterprise was acknowledged in "The Menagerie" as having happened, but it was just a piece of trivia in Star Trek 's overall lore. Star Trek: Discovery season 2 brought back Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) , and revisited "The Cage" by bringing Spock and Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) back to Talos IV. Pike was even reunited with Vina (Melissa George), his love interest from "The Cage."

Strange New Worlds begins in 2259, five years after Pike's Enterprise's fateful encounter at Talos IV.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is not just a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery , but it's also a direct sequel to "The Cage." Strange New Worlds begins in 2259, five years after Pike's Enterprise's fateful encounter at Talos IV. Star Trek: Discovery also added the wrinkle that Pike learns he will be disfigured , as seen in "The Menagerie," and Strange New Worlds season 1 dealt with Chris coping with this knowledge. Seeing Leonard Nimoy's footage in 1975 is a fun reminder that Star Trek has never forgotten "The Cage" as the basis for the franchise and today's hugely successful series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: Rob O'Hara YouTube

• Leonard Nimoy

"Shades of Grey" was called so bad that it almost killed Star Trek: The Next Generation

S tar Trek isn't always perfect. Any long-time fan can tell you that. There are so many episodes and films from this franchise that just outright stunk, we'd be here all day listing all of them. Some are so bad they're funny, like the Original Series episode "Spock's Brain" or Voyaer's "Threshold". Others are just bad, like the fifth film in the franchise, The Final Frontier. Yet, it's hard to say that an episode or movie was so bad it nearly killed a part of the franchise.

WatchMojo would like to enter the chat with their pick, however. In a new video called "30 TV Episodes So Bad They Almost Destroyed Their Shows", the long-running and super popular YouTube channel picked one from Star Trek: The Next Generation that they think is truly terrible.

That pick is "Shades of Grey". In the episode, William Riker has to be put into a coma to deal with an illness. He recovers. That's all the plot of the 40+ minute episode. Why? Well, it's a clip show. For those not familiar with a clip show, it's a device that writers use when they're out of ideas or money. They reuse past episodes in small portions as a way to make a story. That way they can meet the expected episode count ordered for the season. They were very common before the advent of streaming, and rarely ever liked.

Usually, it comes as a way to give the writers a break, but in the Next Generation's case, it was a vastly different reasoning.

For The Next Generation, "Shades of Grey" existed due to a lack of money to make episodes. This was one of the last, if not the last episode that the show worked on for the second season and sadly came out as the series' season finale for that year. Due to the lack of money, they were handcuffed a bit, and thus a clip show episode was born.

This is the first time that any Star Trek series did a clip show, though some may mistake the two-part episode "The Menagerie" as a clip show, as they used similar techniques. The only difference here is that they re-used footage from the original pilot, which had never before been seen, as part of telling a new story. That's not what The Next Generation did, instead just reusing footage we'd all seen before to tell a new story.

And we're being generous by calling "Shades of Grey" a new story. Normally, a clip show wouldn't be so reviled, but keeping it in the context of the time, we get the designation. This served as the second season's finale. It's really easy to turn fans off a series, even in the late 1980s, and if this was the last episode you saw for four months, you might be inclined to skip the next season altogether.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as "Shades of Grey" was called so bad that it almost killed Star Trek: The Next Generation .