******STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!******
Way back in the dark days before streaming or even affordable home video, I used to place my old audio tape recorder up to the TV speaker and record Star Trek episodes during their syndicated broadcasts in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I’d taped roughly half of them before the shifting sands of home video changed my archiving habits. I got into video discs (CED, laserdisc) and VHS tapes. As a kid, I preferred listening to the dialogue-heavy episodes that I’d taped. They reminded me of old-time 1930s-1940s radio plays. Even the captain’s logs served as handy narrative shorthands.
One of my favorite episodes to ‘listen’ to in those days was “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” a delightful time travel episode written by the show’s talented writer/story editor Dorothy Fontana (1939-2019) and directed by Michael O’Herlihy (the director brother of “Robocop” costar Dan O’Herlihy). While “The Naked Time” was technically the first Star Trek episode to dip a toe into time travel, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” was the first to fully and entertainingly exploit the idea.
Originally broadcast in January 26th, 1967, this episode marked the first of Star Trek’s many stories taking place across time as well as space…
“Tomorrow Is Yesterday” (1967)
After an incongruous teaser act fade-in to a Nebraskan Air Force base, we see radar technician Webb (Richard Merrifield) alert his captain (Mark Dempsey) to the presence of a large, unidentified “blip” hovering directly over the Omaha installation.
An alert is called, klaxons are blaring, and we see stock footage of an F-104 scrambling to intercept. Interestingly, the F-104 was also known as “Starfighter”; an appropriate name for a fighter jet used in “Star Trek.”
The F-104 races towards a crippled USS Enterprise, which just survived a time-warping encounter with an uncharted black hole, and is now hanging within the Earth’s atmosphere, struggling to regain altitude.
Note: This is possibly the best teaser of the entire Original Series. Opening more like an episode of Quinn Martin’s “The Invaders” than Gene Roddenberry‘s “Star Trek,” the teaser’s reveal of the mysterious, low-hanging ‘UFO’ being the Enterprise is perfection. This is also one of the rare episodes that truly benefits from the CGI makeovers offered in the 2007 Special Editions, since the original optical shots deliver subpar vistas of 20th century Earth, and the shots of a tiny Enterprise hanging over the skies over Nebraska are poorly matted. The newer shots of the ‘F-104 vs the Enterprise’ scene add much scope and visual clarity to this episode, which is thoroughly enjoyable no matter how you experience it. As I said above, I listened to this episode repeatedly on an old audiotape, and my mind’s eye visuals did the trick every time.
“Apparently, captain, so are we.”
As the ship is stabilized, Kirk and Spock surmise that they’ve just survived an encounter with an uncharted “black star” near Starbase 9 which threw them into a low Earth orbit. With warp drive down, they struggle to regain altitude. Meanwhile, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) can’t locate Starfleet on her comms, but picks up random TV and radio newscasts reporting on the “first manned moonshot” scheduled for that Wednesday. Spock concludes that they’re in the late 20th century.
Note: The newscast Uhura taps into states “the first manned moonshot is scheduled for Wednesday…” In fact, the first manned moon landing mission, Apollo 11, did indeed lift off for its flight to the moon on Wednesday, July 16th, 1969. That unintended bit of future historical accuracy places this episode’s events around mid-July of 1969. On a more somber historical note, the episode was broadcast on January 26th, 1967; two days before the tragic capsule fire that killed Apollo 1 astronauts Roger Chaffee, Ed White and Gus Grissom during a routine ‘plugs-out’ test on the launchpad.
Air Force Captain John Christopher (Roger Perry) is sent to intercept the UFO, which he describes as “big,” with “two cylindrical projections on top, one below.” Spock warns Kirk the primitive jet might cause considerable damage to the Enterprise in its current state. Kirk orders Scotty to lock a tractor beam onto the aircraft, which proves too powerful for the jet’s airframe. As the jet begins to disintegrate, Kirk impulsively orders the pilot beamed aboard. The destroyed jet’s disoriented pilot suddenly finds himself aboard the Enterprise…
Note: The first act ends with another whopper as Kirk is forced to beam aboard a 20th century Air Force pilot. One of the reasons this episode always ranked high with me is its wish fulfillment factor, as it allows viewers to vicariously take a guided tour aboard the starship Enterprise. I mean, c’mon, what’s not to love? There are people paying for that exact same experience these days at the Star Trek Tour in Ticonderoga, New York.
As Kirk escorts his unwanted passenger to the bridge, the 20th century man is amazed to see a woman in the Enterprise crew.
Note: This scene will feel hopelessly sexist to modern audiences, but in context of 1967, it would’ve been startling for some to see a woman serving on an aircraft carrier in space (even though the Russians already launched the first woman cosmonaut four years earlier). At the time of this episode, American women needed a male cosigner to buy a home, or carry a credit card, and that wouldn’t change until late 1974. Even network executives balked at the idea of a woman second-in-command (“Number One”) after a test screening of “The Cage,” which was rejected as Star Trek’s first pilot until producer Gene Roddenberry hired new writers, shot a second pilot, and got the series sold. For the curious, the unnamed woman crew member in this scene is played by the late Sherri Townsend (1947-2014), and this episode remains her only listed credit.
“Neither have I.”
On the bridge, Captain Christopher is introduced to his first Vulcan, as he gazes in amazement at the marvels of the Enterprise bridge. With Uhura continuing as Capt. Christopher’s tour guide, Spock discreetly voices his concerns to Kirk about the risk of returning their ‘guest’ to Earth, and possibly altering their own timeline.
Note: The more linear model of time-travel seen in this episode doesn’t entertain thoughts of multiverses or alternate timelines waiting for the Enterprise across myriad futures. Using the “City on the Edge of Forever” model, anything changed in the past automatically alters the future, full-stop. Since time travel into the past remains irritatingly impossible by the laws of physics, it really doesn’t matter if this model is ‘correct’ or not; it works for this story, and that’s all that counts.
After struggling with a newly amorous recording computer, Kirk calls Spock and Capt. Christopher to his quarters to deliver the bad news. Spock is right; the risk to history is too great. They can’t return Christopher to Earth. Kirk offers his apologies. Christopher reminds Kirk that he, too, is a prisoner… of time.
Note: Captain Christopher reacts coolly at first, but you can see the wheels spinning as he formulates a plan for escape. The episode’s running subplot with the lovesick recording computer is added to keep things light, even if it’s a bit ridiculous. The late Majel Barrett (“Nurse Chapel”), who would soon become the wife of Gene Roddenberry in 1969 (until his death in 1991), once again provides the voice of the computer for this episode, as she does across multiple Star Trek series and movies.
Stealing a phaser after overpowering a security guard, a rogue Christopher tries to strong-arm Mr. Kyle (John Winston) into beaming him back to Earth. Christopher’s plan is foiled when Kirk enters an open door and decks him.
Note: One might nitpick over the automatic sliding doors to the transporter room somehow remaining open, though Christopher does remain close enough to the entrance to make it plausible, as they seem actively keyed to movement and body placement (or stage blocking…?).
“You mean yet.”
As Christopher recovers in sickbay, he overhears Kirk and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) wondering if he could be retrained to live in the 23rd century without his wife and children. A groggy Christopher answers no. Spock arrives with news; his research reveals that Christopher’s future son, Col. Sean Jeffrey Christopher, will head a manned mission to Saturn, which means his future-father must be returned to Earth after all.
Note: The late Roger Perry (1933-2018), who starred primarily in TV shows and horror/exploitation movies (“Count Yorga Vampire,” “The Thing with Two Heads”) delivers a wonderful performance as Captain John Christopher. He fits in so well with the series’ regulars that one can almost imagine him staying with the ship somehow, and becoming a recurring character on the series.
Acknowledging that Christopher must be returned to Earth, Kirk proposes stealing all recovered tapes and camera footage of the Enterprise encounter out of the Air Force base’s photo lab and archives. As Spock outlines a plan to return the Enterprise to the future, Christopher offers to sketch layouts of the base to assist Kirk on his mission of espionage.
Note: Love the bit where Kirk wonders aloud if the Enterprise’s presence might be explained away; “If I remember my history, these things were being dismissed as weather balloons, sun dogs, explainable things.” To which Spock replies in perfect deadpan, “Captain, our tractor beam caught and crushed an Air Force plane. It’ll be impossible to explain this as anything other than a genuine UFO. Possibly alien, definitely destructive.” Touché, Spock.
Sulu and Kirk beam down to the Air Force base, using 23rd century technology to pick locked doors and steal recordings.
Note: Love the expression on Sulu’s face as he and Kirk prowl through the base. He looks around like a kid in a candy store, touching the base’s 20th century objects; like an old fire alarm, or the old reel-to-reel computer. This is one of those rare episodes where every member of the ensemble cast gets a moment or two to shine.
An unfortunate Air Police Sergeant (Hal Lynch) stops Kirk and Sulu in their espionage. Collecting one of the communicators, the sergeant accidentally triggers the device’s emergency signal, prompting Spock to beam him aboard!
Note: TV guest actor Hal Lynch (“Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke”) has a small, but very memorable role as the hapless sergeant who is rendered nearly catatonic after being ‘abducted’ by a ‘UFO.’
With the meddling sergeant whisked aboard the Enterprise, Kirk and Sulu resume their espionage. Collecting all tapes and films of the jet’s encounter with the Enterprise, they are ready to beam up when they hear a noise outside. Several men are responding to the lab’s silent alarm. Kirk fends them off in a colorful fight sequence, as the hidden Sulu beams aboard from the dark room with the tapes and films.
Note: Kirk’s fight with the base’s security is well-staged, inventive, and, like many other elements of this delightful episode, absolutely hilarious. Kirk’s creative use of swinging from a door jamb is certainly an underrated combat tactic. George Takei’s Sulu also gets a lot more to do in this episode, and he’s terrific.
“That should be just about right…”
A captured Kirk is interrogated by the lantern-jawed Col. Fellini (Ed Peck). The no-nonsense, hard-nosed colonel promises to lock up this enigmatic intruder (who claims to be a “little green man from Alpha Centauri”) for at least two centuries.
Note: The interrogation scene used to be largely cut for time on syndicated broadcasts, and it wasn’t until buying the laserdisc in the mid-1980s that I finally saw the complete version of the scene. In fact, it was so good I once used clips of it for an old answering machine tape I’d made (when answering machines were commonplace). Ed Peck (1917-1992) memorably guest-starred in the popular 1970s sitcom “Happy Days” in a recurring role as the ironically-named Officer Kirk, a cop who threatened to run lovable, leather-jacketed Fonzie (Henry Winkler) out of town.
“In fact, I do… but only to a certain point.”
Knowing he needs to rescue Capt. Kirk from base security, Spock orders a landing party consisting of himself, Sulu and Capt. Christopher, but only issues phasers to himself and Sulu.
Note: As we’d see in later episodes like the Nazi-themed “Patterns of Force,” it’s a shame the ship’s computer couldn’t replicate era-appropriate Air Force uniforms to help Spock’s infiltration of the base. Perhaps the ship’s clothing replicators didn’t yet have this ability, since this was the Enterprise’s first sojourn into Earth’s past (not counting later retcons, of course).
Beaming back down to the base, Christopher, Sulu and Spock manage to break into the base’s interrogation room, where they rescue Kirk by knocking out the guards–including Col. Fellini–with a combination of neck pinches and hard right crosses.
Spock’s suspicion of Christopher is justified when the pilot stashes a fallen guard’s gun and later threatens to shoot Kirk if he’s not allowed to remain on Earth. Kirk promises to return Christopher, but not this way. Spock then quietly creeps up behind Christopher and neck-pinches him. All four are beamed back.
Note: Those ever-reliable Vulcan neck-pinches; a (literally) handy, nonviolent way to take someone out of action. Yet another reason why Spock is my favorite Star Trek character of all time.
With Christopher back aboard, Kirk assembles his team in the briefing room, as Spock and Scotty (James Doohan) detail their dangerous plan to return the Enterprise to the 23rd century using the sun’s gravity as a time-warping slingshot, but not before returning Capt. Christopher and the sergeant to 20th century Earth.
Note: This episode marks the first deliberate use of Star Trek’s famed “slingshot effect,” which became the franchise’s established means of reliable time travel, as seen in the later episode “Assignment: Earth” (1968), where it was called the “light-speed breakaway factor.” It’s also seen in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986) where the crew pilot a commandeered Klingon ship around the sun to retrieve a pair of humpback whales from 1986 in order to appease a dangerous probe. The effect was later recreated in the more recent second season of “Star Trek: Picard.” Since gravitational slingshots have long been used by real-life spacecraft (manned and unmanned), and they’ve yet to create a time warp. But as William Shatner himself once famously joked to an audience of Trekkies during a sketch on TV’s Saturday Night Live; “For crying out loud, it’s just a TV show!”
The Enterprise departs Earth for its slingshot maneuver around the sun.
Note: This is one of the many shots from the 2007 remastered version of this episode that genuinely improves upon the original. Usually, I don’t think improved visual effects are necessary, but for this episode, they replace some poorly matted original shots, such as the Enterprise’s departure from Earth.
As Christopher takes a moment to appreciate his surroundings, Kirk orders him to report to the transporter room to prepare to beam back into his jet cockpit. Sadly, if all goes well, Captain Christopher won’t remember his experience aboard the Enterprise.
Entering the intense gravity well of Sol, the Enterprise crew does lots of sideways leaning to convey the stresses of the slingshot.
The Enterprise at perihelion, just before it breaks away and enters time-warp.
Note: The 2007 remastered visual effects for the Enterprise’s solar flyby better match those seen in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” when the crew’s Klingon ship had to recreate this maneuver to acquire extinct humpback whales. In the episode’s original optical effects, all we ever saw was the Enterprise bobbing up and down in space with no sun nearby. Once again, kudos to the CBS effects team for their digital handiwork in the remastered version of this episode.
Note: While Captain Christopher’s return seems more or less timed to coincide with when he was snatched by the Enterprise’s tractor beam, the sergeant’s return seems a bit more vague; he was originally beamed aboard after he found Kirk and Sulu, and not before. But with an episode this enjoyable? Who cares. It’s a fun ride.
Completing the breakaway maneuver, the time-traveling Enterprise rushes to the outer solar system, where it begins dangerous full-braking to slow it down enough not to overshoot its own time. As usual, Scotty pulls another miracle out of his sleeve…
Note: Time-travel into the future only requires that a spaceship travel close enough to the speed of light for the effects of Einstein’s Special Relativity to become more pronounced–allowing the ship’s crew to experience a slower rate of time passage (time dilation) than if they remained at their point of departure. Returning to the future might’ve been a lot less dangerous if the Enterprise simply took a months-long cruise at high relativistic speeds (without engaging warp drive) and then returned to Earth after sufficient time had passed. This idea was nicely illustrated in a 2022 episode of “The Orville” (“Twice in a Lifetime”). Maybe Kirk was in more of a rush…?
Arriving in the restored 23rd century, the Enterprise is contacted by “Starfleet Control.” Kirk relays to Uhura that the Enterprise is home. The ship warps out of the Sol system and onto its next adventure.
The End.
Summing It Up
Not counting the three-day backward time-jump coda seen in “The Naked Time,” or the various time-travel retcons seen in Star Treks Discovery, Enterprise and Strange New Worlds, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” marked the Enterprise’s first, fully-realized time travel adventure into the past. Specifically, that pivotal year of 1969 (though the episode was broadcast in January of 1967).
Delivering a far more lighthearted adventure than her earlier adolescent-demigod tragedy “Charlie X,” talented writer/story editor Dorothy “D.C” Fontana (1939-2019) managed to create one of the series’ best, if slightly underrated episodes. In this story, the Enterprise is flung back to the 20th century in what feels like an early template for the blockbuster feature film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.” Though not as poignant or heartbreaking as “City on the Edge of Forever” (an arguable series’ best) this episode mines its fish-out-of-water approach for pure fun and comedic gold.
The late Roger Perry really gives his all to this episode. He could’ve easily became a recurring character.
Crisp direction from Michael O’Herlihy and some memorable guest stars help bring this banger of a story to life. Roger Perry as Captain John Christopher is such a terrific character that one can almost imagine him as a recurring character aboard the Enterprise. Hard-nosed TV actor Ed Peck as Col. Fellini has great fun with his interrogation of Captain Kirk. The series’ regular ensemble are well-served, too; Sulu has a more pivotal role in the story (he’s in two landing parties), Scotty helps Spock formulate a risky return plan to the 23rd century, Uhura has a few memorable moments, and even transporter chief Kyle delivers piping hot chicken soup to a disoriented 20th century ‘guest.’
While this episode’s original optical effects were not among the series’ best, the 2007 Special Edition helps reify the story’s concepts in ways that were simply not possible with 1960s-era effects technology. I’d definitely recommend the Special Edition (for a change) when rewatching this one. However, whether watching the original, the revamped 2007 version, or even listening to a crude audiotape, the story is what makes this episode truly special. On that front, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” represents Star Trek firing on all thrusters–both in storytelling, and in servicing its charming cast.
After this most recent rewatch, a brief melancholy feeling crept in as I realized they truly don’t make them like this anymore…
Where to Watch
“Star Trek: The Original Series” can be streamed on Paramount+ (along with most other Star Trek series). Individual episodes or seasons can also be purchased on Prime Video or YouTube. The series can also be purchased on physical media (DVD/Blu-Ray) from CBS Home Video (the Blu-Ray sets offer a choice between original and remastered FX as well).
