Fans of the original Star Trek television series already know all the details behind “The Cage,” the original pilot for the 1960′s series. The first pilot did not include William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, and was rejected by the network at the time for being “too cerebral.” Instead of scrapping the show, created by Gene Roddenberry, NBC ordered a second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which did star Shatner and led to the series’ three-season run.

Apparently, there was an alternate version of the second pilot which was completed in 1965 that was never aired and never released to the general public. This version of “Where No Man Has Gone Before” was completed in 1965 and features archived footage never shown before and is believed to be what was originally screened for NBC.

The alternate second pilot will be included in the release of the Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 3 Blu-ray, due out on December 15, 2009.

According to THR, the newly discovered pilot will be presented in three parts with 1970s-style act breaks and contains an entirely different version of Captain James T. Kirk’s opening monologue (“But now a new task. A probe out into where no man has gone before”) with music that contrasts from the famous opening theme and an extended action sequence.

Check out the video here below which contains some clips from the unreleased alternate pilot, as well as the full list of Blu-ray extras from the upcoming Season 3 release.

I’d say that now I have to get the Season 3 Blu-ray, but let’s face it, I was getting it anyway. I love what they’ve done with the Blu-ray releases for the original series (as evidenced by my favorable review of Season 1 Blu-ray), which contained ‘enhanced’ versions of the episodes, along with the original ones, as well as picture-in-picture commentary.

Bonus Features

• Other: BD Live Portal
• Other: Mobile-Blu
• Other: Where No Man Has Gone Before (The Unaired, Alternate Version)
• Trailers: Preview Trailers
• Easter Eggs: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
• Easter Eggs: Requiem For Methuselah
• Easter Eggs: The Enterprise Incident
• Easter Eggs: The Tholian Web
• Other: David Gerrold Hosts “2009Convention Coverage”
• Other: Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig
• Other: Chief Engineer’s Log
• Other: “The Anthropology of Star Trek” ComiCon Panel 209
• Other: Memoir From Mr. Sulu
• Other: “The World of Rod Roddenberry” ComiCon 2009
• Other: Captain’s Log: Bob Justman
• Other: BILLY BLACKBURN’S TREASURE CHEST: RARE HOME MOVIES AND SPECIAL MEMORIES PART 3
• Other: “To Boldly Go…” Season Three
• Other: Collectible Trek
• Other: Star Trek’s Impact

Video