Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had three pilots and one was thought lost forever.
But what if it was under our noses the whole time?
Bafflingly its been assumed for years thatMighty MorphinPower Rangershad three pilots.
That means they shot three separate pilot episodes, right?
Well, yes, but also no.
Its very complicated so we did the biggest deep dive research on thePower Rangerspilot ever.
The footage was screened at later conventions including Sakura-Con 2011. We’ve used the copy recorded there since it has the cleanest audio.
The hang out for the Rangers wasnt a Gym and Juice Bar but instead a bowling alley.
Soon the evil Rita Repulsa attacks Earth and the five teens are summoned to become the Power Rangers.
Its way too violent.
Left: Billy in “Day of the Dumpster” with a communicator. Middle: Billy and Trini in “Dark Warrior.” Right: Trini in “Day of the Dumpster.”
The first season went into production but the pilot would need to be reshot and rewritten.
It now more closely resembled the showPower Rangerswould become.
While it reuses chunks of dialogue from the first pilots bowling scene, it also features new elements.
Top row, the Rangers in “Day of the Dumpster” as aired. Bottom row, the Rangers in the “second pilot” footage screened by Tony Oliver.
Zack (Walter Jones) rolls in on a skateboard.
The bullies are driven off and everyone cheers for the teens.
Well call this the chili fight scene.
So the second pilot was, as Oliver stated, reshot one more time.
Could more footage of this lost second pilot still be out there?
What other differences would there be from the first episode that eventually aired?
Fans have always hoped it would turn up…
But what if it was right under their noses the whole time?
The Third and Final Pilot: Completely Reshot?
Now Kimberly practices gymnastics, Trini works on her martial arts moves, and Jason spars with Zack.
Billy, clad in a white karate outfit, excitedly prepares for his first karate class.
This segues into Rita attacking Earth, the Rangers getting teleported to the Command Center, and so on.
Different from what we saw in the first pilot but plays out more or less the same.
So this third pilot was totally reshot from the lost second pilot, right?
Day of the Dumpster, as aired, was the reshot third pilot Tony Oliver mentioned multiple times…
Except it wasnt a total reshoot.
Bulk and Skulls karate outfits, Trinis sweater, and Kimberlys plaid shirt are the easiest to pick out.
It was always intended to be part of the first episode.
Sounds impossible, right?
That must mean it was shot specifically for Day of the Dumpster, right?
Its only when Jason says, you did really well that we cut to him.
They followed Billy, not being able to hold his own in the chili fight.
It makes much more sense in that context than it does in Day of the Dumpster as aired.
But what about the first scene of the teens in Day of the Dumpster?
The one with Kimberly doing gymnastics, Jason sparring with Zack, etc.
Once again, its all down to the Rangers clothing.
The lighting of the Juice Bar is also slightly darker.
Instead, there was one pilot, the one that fans finally got to see in 1999.
During the shooting of that pilot the show got picked up.
The lost second pilot was hiding in plain sight.
Day of the Dumpster was simply the first episode.
Its doubtful Oliver was straight up lying.
Power Morphicon 2007 was 15 years after Power Rangers debuted in 1993.
