10 Biggest Behind The Scenes Star Trek Mistakes That Ever Happened
8. The Network Rejected The Cage And The Audience Was Denied Captain Pike For Fifty Years
While it is no secret that The Cage, the first pilot of Star Trek that was filmed in 1965 and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Leonard Nimoy and Majel Barrett, was rejected by the network, this actually had huge ramifications for the franchise as a whole.
At the time, no one could have predicted the popularity of what Star Trek would become. This rejection could have killed the idea on the spot, though thankfully a second a pilot was commissioned and we were given the gift that is Star Trek.
While Captain Kirk et al cemented the show's iconic status with their five year mission, the rejection of the original pilot was, at least in part, a dreadful misstep on behalf of the producers. First, it meant the loss of Number One, a female executive officer who was already a trailblazer in that first hour. While Star Trek would thankfully retain strong female role models, the loss of Majel Barrett's first officer was a blow.
The second and biggest loss to come from the episode is that of Jeffrey Hunter. Several mistakes took place here, with the main one being the cancellation of the episode, but a not-insignificant error being the failure to include a clause in his contract that would require him to refilm the pilot.
As such, Pike (at least in a main speaking capacity) was denied to the fans until 2009!