Syfy cancels Eureka

[RainOfSteel]

I remember reading that the original Star Trek episodes were filmed so close to the air date, they created the two part episode "The Cage" as filler, in case production ever ran over (which it did).

The Cage was the original pilot for Star Trek, not something created in case production ran over.

Comcast.

To me, it's real name is ComWorthless. It comes as little surprise that they now own SyFy channel.

 

[Croesus]

The Cage was the original pilot for Star Trek, not something created in case production ran over.

You are correct. I should have said "The Menagerie", which was a two-part episode that used the original pilot, but added bits where Spock was supposedly being court-martialed for attempting to return Pike to Talos IV. That's how they were able to produce the two episodes so quickly and cheaply as fallbacks, in case they ran over schedule.

 

[RainOfSteel]

You are correct. I should have said "The Menagerie", which was a two-part episode that used the original pilot, but added bits where Spock was supposedly being court-martialed for attempting to return Pike to Talos IV. That's how they were able to produce the two episodes so quickly and cheaply as fallbacks, in case they ran over schedule.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Trek-Stephen-Whitfield/dp/0345340191/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313370284&sr=8-2]Amazon.com: Making of Star Trek (9780345340191): Stephen E. Whitfield: Books[/ame]

This source claims that the network was pressuring the studio to do something with the very expensive pilot. I have no idea whether it was right or not.

 

[Croesus]

Amazon.com: Making of Star Trek (9780345340191): Stephen E. Whitfield: Books

This source claims that the network was pressuring the studio to do something with the very expensive pilot. I have no idea whether it was right or not.

Pages 313-314 of the book discuss the problems with completing episodes in time to meet the air date. The main issue was the "opticals", which was 1968-speak for special effects. It simply was taking too long to complete them for each episode.

Roddenberry was concerned enough that he wrote a memo in May 1966 expressing concern that such delays would occur and cause the show to miss one or more air dates. Per the book, it was his idea to use the original pilot to create two 1 hour episodes that could be used as a contingency, which is what was eventually done. Of course, not until after the studio made a number of suggestions to "improve" things. One of my favorites was "Please delete McCoy's expletive 'Good Lord'..." I've no doubt the network was also pleased that the two contingency episodes could be produced for much less than two new episodes.

The book is an interesting read even today, despite being written published in 1968, long before the show achieved cult status, and in the days of what we would call archaic technology. It's not a critical account of the show. The author displays considerable deference to Roddenberry's point of view, and generally praises the folks who made the show. I don't consider that a major negative, however - in fact, it's a bit refreshing to read a book that doesn't attempt to tear everyone down, just to sell a few extra copies.