Who was the original captain of the Enterprise before Captain Kirk?

Terryproantrim

In the pilot episode, Jeffrey Hunter played Capt. Pike, the original captain. Source --The Guinness Book of Television. Jul 04 01, 8:12 PM

cocomojoe

I remember the episode. (me and brainy blonde are always showing our age.) Spock was the first first officer too. in the pilot episode kirk had already taken command of the enterprise but captain pike was on board and extremely disabled. Jul 04 01, 10:10 PM

Dreamer61dpl

Actually Cocomo, The Cage was the original pilot for the show but was turned down. http://www.startrek.com/library/episodes_tos_detail.asp?ID=68662 After Roddenberry reworked the show and it was picked up he incorporated the footage from The Cage into a new 2-part episode called The Menagerie. That was almost half-way through the first season and those two episodes were the ONLY time Christopher Pike was ever on the Enterprise during the run of the show. Pike was not on board, severely disabled, at the time of the 'new' pilot. http://www.startrek.com/library/episodes_tos_detail.asp?ID=68692 Jul 04 01, 10:22 PM

Brainy Blonde

Guess what guys? You are all right in one way or another. Shatner (a Canadian!) was not the Captain for the pilot episode, and it didn't get picked up until after it was reworked, including cast and character changes. In a later episode we see a Captain Pike terrible disfigured and incapacitated. I wonder why that little scanning device 'Bones' and Dr. Crusher used couldn't help Captain Pike, but can do every thing else? Yes, I know they couldn't fix Worf's back or maintain Picard's artifical heart either! Anyway, I digress. The two part episode called 'The Menagerie' allowed Roddenberry to utilized some of the footage from the original pilot. One of the reasons the pilot was not picked up, was because the second in command, the Captain's Number one, was a woman. Not just any women either, it was Majel Barrett, Roddenberry's then girlfriend, and later his wife. She was also Mrs. Troi, Deanna's mother in TNG and DSN, and has always been the voice for the computer in any TV shows or movies having anything to do with Star Trek. In 1968 the few Neanderthal men who had yet to evolve, decided an alien as a second officer would be more believable than a woman. So Captain Pike disappeared, as did his number one, reduced in ranks to the voice of the computer. She did make some guest appearances though, 'Dr McCoy's' nurse or assistant, being one. Mr. Spock was promoted to first officer, (Nimoy was the only original cast member from the pilot) and new actors were found to play new characters. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 'the rest is history.' My source? My brain. I've been a huge Trekkie since 1969. A final note on my small comment that could be regarded as male bashing, if it offends you duh! If it doesn't, you understand what it meant! Jul 05 01, 12:19 AM

McGruff

Before Christopher Pike, the first captain of the Enterprise was Robert T. April, however, I believe the only mention of him in the original series was in a scene from The Cage, when Captain Pike is talking to the ship's doctor, who makes him a martini. Jul 06 01, 2:15 PM

Dreamer61dpl

Of course, with the new series 'Enterprise' coming in the fall, we will have a new previously unmentioned captain of an Enterprise that pre-dates all the rest. The new (or OLD) captain is Captain Jonathan Archer. Jul 06 01, 2:54 PM