Dateline — Paramount Pictures announces the formation of its own television network, with a new Star Trek program as its cornerstone. The year is not 1994, but 1977 and the new series titled Star Trek Phase II would have reunited almost all of The Original Series cast members. A footnote in Star Trek history, few people realize how close Star Trek Phase II came to full-scale production.

All of the actors were signed except Leonard Nimoy, whose Spock character would have been replaced by a young Vulcan, Xon. Sets and props were designed and constructed. New models, including a never seen model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, were built. A special effects company was hired, and scripts were written, including a two-hour teleplay that would have been the pilot for the series. But, the plans for the network were canceled, and Paramount decided to shift gears to feature film production, shutting down the television series — less than two weeks before the beginning of principal photography. The result of this decision was Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

This is the story of the lost Star Trek series. Including full behind-the-series information on the show that almost-but didn’t-happen. Full of never-before-seen color artwork, storyboards, blueprints, technical information and photos: Star Trek Phase II reveals the vision behind Gene Roddenberry’s lost glimpse of the future.