34 Years Ago, The Original Pilot Of This Classic '60s Sitcom Finally Saw The Light Of Day

Among television enthusiasts, pilot episodes of popular shows can be quite highly sought after, seeing as how many of them are never officially released in their entirety. After all, while the term "pilot" is often used interchangeably with the first episode of a show, a lot of pilots are actually just proofs of concept not necessarily meant for public consumption. And while it's true that some pilots effectively serve as the official Episode 1 of a series, others differ so drastically from the final product that airing them in that slot just doesn't make sense (assuming the show is picked up at all). In turn, they typically end up being kept under lock and key to avoid confusing audiences. Every so often, though, the powers that be allow a scrapped or reworked pilot to see the light of day. And 34 years ago, that's exactly what happened for one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1960s.

"Gilligan's Island" premiered on CBS in September 1964. The first episode the general public saw was entitled "Two on a Raft." However, one year earlier, in 1963, the show's creators produced a pilot called "Marooned." Like the series itself, the episode starred Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, and Natalie Schafer. Notably absent, however, were Tina Louise (the show's last surviving main cast member), Russell Johnson, and '60s fashion icon Dawn Wells. Instead, three entirely different actors rounded out the cast. Since the series opted to go in a different direction, the original "Gilligan's Island" pilot was shelved, never to be seen again. That was, of course, until October 1992, when TBS was finally able to air "Marooned" after a network employee successfully tracked it down. Notably, the pilot was later included in the 2004 DVD release of "Gilligan's Island" Season 1.

While it's exceptionally rare for a heavily reworked pilot like "Marooned" to be released, it's not unheard of. In fact, the pilot episode of another popular '60s TV show beat "Gilligan's Island" to the punch by about four years. We are, of course, referring to the original "Star Trek." Before hitting the airwaves with "The Man Trap" in September 1966 (60 years ago this year!), a pilot episode entitled "The Cage" was produced in late 1964, and screened for NBC executives in early 1965. Much like "Marooned," "The Cage" doesn't quite represent the fully-realized version of the hit series that followed it. Arguably the most notable difference is the absence of '60s heartthrob William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk. Instead, the U.S.S. Enterprise was captained by Christopher Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter. 

Interestingly enough, though, Pike's time as captain was worked into "Star Trek" lore. In fact, excerpts from "The Cage" even aired in the form of flashback sequences included in the two-part November 1966 episode "The Menagerie." NBC itself, however, never aired the original pilot in its entirety. That being said, "The Cage" did get an official release on VHS in 1986. The full version was broadcast on television for the first time in October 1988, thanks to first-run syndication. Once again, we must stress that for every "Marooned" or "The Cage," there are dozens if not hundreds of pilots that are simply locked away forever. That's something to keep in mind when revisiting these '60s classics on their anniversaries.