September 8, 1964 - the date of the first draft of Gene Roddenberry's story that would become the first pilot for Star Trek. Originally conceived in 1960, Roddenberry pitched the idea for Star Trek to the studio he was working for at the time: Metro-Goidwyn-Mayer, who declined the opportunity to produce it. Roddenberry eventually sold the idea for the show to Desilu Studios and NBC based on his unique vision and a small 16-page outline. NBC gave him $20,000 to develop three stories from this outline, and "The Cage" was chosen to be the pilot. It was filmed later that year, over a period of nine days, at a cost of $630,000 - making it the most expensive television pilot ever produced to that date.

When the executives at NBC saw the Star Trek pilot, they rejected it. Gene Roddenberry had promised them a "Wagon Train to the stars" - an action-adventure-space-shoot-'em-up. Instead, what they witnessed was a thought-provoking drama that they quickly dubbed "too cerebral."

But NBC did see the potential in Star Trek and asked for an unprecedented second pilot episode. The network had a few requests, though. The second-in-command, a female (played by Majel Barrett) had to go. No one would ever believe a woman in such an important position, even three centuries from now! And while they were revamping the format, they ordered Roddenberry to "get rid of the guy with the ears!"

The female second-in-command did disappear - and with her, virtually all of the original cast. Ironically, the only character to survive intact from this original pilot was that pointy-eared Vulcan himself - Mr. Spock. Captain Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter, was replaced by Captain Kirk, recast with William Shatner in the starring role. Hunter declined to continue in the series, because, according to Roddenberry, "His wife convinced him that science fiction was beneath him." Roddenberry gave Majel Barrett's second-in-command role to Mr. Spock, and the doctor in "The Cage" was also renamed and recast, as were most secondary roles.