An unfilmed script from the original series of Star Trek has been discovered after 40+ years.
Author Norman Spinrad, who wrote the classic Season Two episode “The Doomsday Machine,” apparently wrote a second episode that was never shot, called “He Walked Among Us.” Originally intended as a serious vehicle for comedian Milton Berle, the teleplay was rewritten by a line producer until it was more overtly comic. Spinrad, unhappy with the result, convinced Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry to cancel any plans to produce the script and bury it. Apparently, that’s exactly what happened, until a fan recently presented the author with a copy of the long-lost script.
Spinrad’s script is now available for purchase through Amazon for $9, which seems a little high for just one episode of television. However, it is a piece of Star Trek history previously thought lost, so fans may not even bat an eye at the chance to read the unproduced screenplay. If you’re that fan and you decide to download “He Walked Among Us,” do the rest of us a solid and let us know what it’s about in the comments below.
(via Ain’t It Cool News)
redshirt diaries 
Just got it. Will report on it soon. How could I possibly pass this up?
Something tells me the New Voyages/Phase II folks will take a real good look at this.
I’ll be back!
OK… Just finished Act One.
The major cast characters are all there.
This episode is shaping up to be similar to “Patterns of Force.”
The Enterprise is visiting a planet called Jugal. The Jugali are a primitive warrior like civilization that is just now leaving a nomadic way of life and becoming an urban society. They are greenish in skin color (off shoot of the Orions?) with metallic hair.
Spock’s scans reveal an unusual power source within the city of Jugal (aptly named), which an audio recording reveals to be a steam whistle. There is no way the spear chucking natives of Jugal could have mastered steam power so Kirk decides to send an away team consisting of himself, Spock, Bones, Uhura and Chekov. Sadly the legion of Red Shirts I was hoping for are safe aboard the Enterprise… at least for now.
They dress to conceal themselves to avoid detection. Spock mentions the “Non-Interference Directive” we now lovingly call The Prime Directive.
Once upon the surface, the are attacked by a phalanx of warrior looking guards. Enter Kaneb, the Kar of Jugal. He is the warrior king and directing the attack.
Kirk orders everyone to open fire with their phasers, presumably on stun. Because these are the smaller phasers the warriors think they are shooting beams out of their hands and back off in confusion and awe. This obviously angers Kaneb who directs them to keep attacking.
Suddenly Lokar shows up. This is the High Priest of Jugal and the leader of the clerics on the planet. Naturally being a cleric he calls for a stop to the struggle.
In all the fighting, the hoods that the away team are wearing are ripped off and all the green skinned Jugalis gasp in shock at all the white people… and Uhura.
Naturally this fulfills a prophecy, and Lokar believes they have sent by Bayne, the local deity (Let’s just hope he eventually fairs better than Vaal).
Kirk et al are brought to the temple where Bayne hangs out and discover the steam engine in Bayne’s throne room. It is 5-6 years old and they do not understand how this could be made.
Enter Dr. Theodore Bayne, aka The Great Bayne, aka The Jugal God, aka The “Nut”, aka The “Crackpot” aka “The screwball who thinks he can cure cancer with lots of cold water baths” formerly of the Rigel Colonies. McCoy is obviously not a fan of this new age healer.
On an aside… I would hope that by the mid 23rd century we would have cured cancer. The again we didn’t crack the baldness nut by the mid 24th century either.
Anywho, Dr. Bayne and his new age medicine theories set up shop on Jugal and started transforming the planet. He advanced them a thousand years because he believed everything was wrong (Obviously they have Moby fans well into the future). Social order, sanitation, education, even their diets had to go and Bayne did it all.
Kirk, deciding that he hasn’t had enough fun separating civilizations from their Gods throughout the series, plans to have Bayne removed.
But wait! The Great Bayne cannot be removed! Apparently there is a major power struggle between Kaneb and Lokar. Kaneb wants to rule with an iron fist and Lokar wants the clerics to be in charge. The only thing keeping the planet from devolving into a massive civil war is Bayne. Spock believes this to be logical as the Prime Directive has already been broken on such a massive scale.
I’ve read beyond this point but this is a basis for the episode. Sarcasm aside it is shaping up to be a very interesting episode.
I have to imagine that if this was supposed to be a serious role for Milton Berle that he would be Lokar, the high priest.
I’m off to Act II.
Hope this helps people interesting in purchasing the script! I can’t pass things like this up.
Yikes! Sorry for any spelling and editing mistakes. Didn’t mean to submit that without a solid edit.
So I finished the script. Unless I’m requested to otherwise there will be no spoilers here.
It was a fun script and I think it would have made an excellent episode for production. I am so curious to read the watered down version of it and just how badly it was mangled.
I will say this though… Spinard knew how to write for James T. Kirk. In one scene Kirk is surrounded by 3-4 “handsome” women who are dismayed that they do not know a man, if you catch my drift. I won’t tell you if Kirk “seals the deal” with the ladies but I’m pretty sure Kirk wouldn’t mind buying a summer home there.
Thanks for the tip on this script, Patrick. Made my day!
UPDATE!!!
Looks like I was right! The Phase II folks contacted Spinard and they are going make the episode!!! I can’t wait to see this one! Man this day gets better and better!
check it out:
http://trekmovie.com/2012/02/24/star-trek-phase-ii-to-produce-lost-norman-spinrad-script-watch-teaser-for-the-child/
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing that with us, Nick. Honestly, it all sounds great to me EXCEPT for the part about Milton Berle, which really isn’t fair. By all accounts, he was a talented dramatic actor, and it probably would have been interesting to see him stretch himself. I’m just not able to make that leap in my head. I’d also be interested to see the studio-sanctioned, “funny” version of the script. With the exception of “The Trouble with Tribbles,” I can’t think of too many overtly “light” episodes of Star Trek that I really loved — though I’m sure I’m forgetting some episodes that might be in the running.
Looking forward to seeing the Phase II interpretation of the script. I guess it’s the best we’re going to do…
Yeah… I was surprised to hear that it was a vehicle for Milton Berle as well. I’ll be honest… I don’t think I’ve seen anything of his that wasn’t rooted in comedy.
Major acting changeovers have been done before though. James Carry goes from “Ace Ventura” to “Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind” and does it brilliantly. I don’t see why Berle couldn’t either.
I’m looking forward to the Phase II creation of it. I think it’s amazing that Spinard is going to do it himself. It will be his vision!