Standard Orbit: A Star Trek Original Series Podcast
Oct 17, 2026 · 51 min · 10 segments
“Where No Man Has Gone Before” 60th-anniversary reflections It is very rare that a show gets as second shot at presenting itself to a studio, yet that is exactly what Gene Roddenberry was given by…
Matthew RushingHost
C Bryan JonesHost
All right, so, uh, so this is, as I mentioned, it's the second pilot after the studio rejected The Cage, and they did let Roddenberry go back to the drawing board, and he came back with this.
So we have Spock here, but otherwise we've got a new crew, and we don't have the colorful uniforms yet, so it feels a little bit odd seeing this airing in the three slot, knowing that it was actually made, uh, first even a year before this it was made.
So I guess a starting point is just how do you feel this works as a second pilot to get the series green-lit so they could actually start making it?
Yeah, I think it is really interesting, um, because I do think that there's, you know, there is more action in this episode, right? I think there's more intrigue.
I think it's, it's just a more interesting show in that sense, you know, this episode.
Um, and you know, it's, it's asking some really interesting, you know, philosophical questions, as a lot of Star Trek does as well, and so that's all great.
Um, you know, I think, uh, this is one of those episodes where, like you said, you know, the fact that it actually ends up airing in the third slot, you know? It's, so it's not even something that kind of quote unquote "airs in order," kind of creates this almost anthology like feel to, uh-
... you know, we're actually seeing an episode that played before the other episodes, you know? So that's kind of an interesting thing 'cause, you know, honestly, I can't think of any other television other than maybe, like, the Twilight Zone that had done anything like that in the sense, like, it, that order didn't matter in, in what you were watching.
I mean, something like Lost in Space maybe was kinda like that, but yeah, I know what you mean.
So, um, yeah, I mean, I, I think, you know, it, this is a more engaging episode, you know? I think Kirk-
... is a more, you know, just engaging character as the captain, you know? I think-
All right, so, uh, so this is, as I mentioned, it's the second pilot after the studio rejected The Cage, and they did let Roddenberry go back to the drawing board, and he came back with this.
So we have Spock here, but otherwise we've got a new crew, and we don't have the colorful uniforms yet, so it feels a little bit odd seeing this airing in the three slot, knowing that it was actually made, uh, first even a year before this it was made.
So I guess a starting point is just how do you feel this works as a second pilot to get the series green-lit so they could actually start making it?
Yeah, I think it is really interesting, um, because I do think that there's, you know, there is more action in this episode, right? I think there's more intrigue.
I think it's, it's just a more interesting show in that sense, you know, this episode.
Um, and you know, it's, it's asking some really interesting, you know, philosophical questions, as a lot of Star Trek does as well, and so that's all great.
Um, you know, I think, uh, this is one of those episodes where, like you said, you know, the fact that it actually ends up airing in the third slot, you know? It's, so it's not even something that kind of quote unquote "airs in order," kind of creates this almost anthology like feel to, uh-
... you know, we're actually seeing an episode that played before the other episodes, you know? So that's kind of an interesting thing 'cause, you know, honestly, I can't think of any other television other than maybe, like, the Twilight Zone that had done anything like that in the sense, like, it, that order didn't matter in, in what you were watching.
I mean, something like Lost in Space maybe was kinda like that, but yeah, I know what you mean.
So, um, yeah, I mean, I, I think, you know, it, this is a more engaging episode, you know? I think Kirk-
... is a more, you know, just engaging character as the captain, you know? I think-
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