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Tomorrow Is Yesterday (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is a first-season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
. It is episode #19, production #21, first broadcast on January 26, 1967, repeated July 13, 1967, and was remastered in 2006 for syndication broadcast on May 5, 2007. The teleplay was written by D.C. Fontana and directed by Michael O'Herlihy
.
Overview: The crew of the Enterprise
travels back to 1969 Earth
and must correct damage they caused to the timeline.
3113.2, the starship
USS Enterprise NCC-1701, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk
, is thrown back in time to Earth in the year 1969 by the effects of a high-gravity "black star". Enterprise ends up in Earth's upper atmosphere, and is picked up as a UFO
on military radar
.
A U.S Air Force
jet interceptor
piloted by Captain John Christopher (Roger Perry
), is scrambled to identify the craft. The pilot, surprised to see the strange craft floating above him, is ordered to stop the Enterprise from escaping and to shoot it down if necessary. Kirk is forced to take defensive action using a tractor beam
on the jet, which accidentally tears the plane apart. Acting quickly, Kirk orders the pilot to be transported
aboard the Enterprise.
The man at first is confused with his new surroundings but is amazed to learn all that the future has to offer. He discovers that Enterprise is one of 12 such starships under the authority of a combined service known as the "United Earth Space Probe Agency", and that the computer calls Kirk "dear", having been overhauled on the female-dominated planet Signet 14 (who thought the computer needed a personality).
Fearing Christopher could disrupt the timeline if returned to earth after seeing a glimpse of the future, Kirk decides to take the pilot back with them to the future. However, after Spock discovers that the pilot's own as-yet-unborn son, Shaun Geoffrey Christopher, will play an important role in a future space mission to Saturn
, Kirk must somehow return Captain Christopher to Earth without any knowledge of Enterprise or other future events.
After learning of the existence of film taken of Enterprise by Christopher's wing cameras, Kirk and Mr. Sulu
beam down to the airbase to recover it, along with any other evidence of Enterprise's appearance which might alter history. Upon obtaining the sensitive computer tapes, Kirk and Sulu are captured and disarmed by an Air Policeman.
When Mr. Spock tries to contact the Captain, the policeman accidentally activates an emergency signal, and is immediately beamed aboard the Enterprise, frozen in shock. With yet another abducted native to deal with, they decide to confine him to the transporter room to limit his exposure to future events. While searching for film and any remaining evidence of their time intrusion, more airmen stumble upon and capture Kirk, but Sulu manages to escape. Kirk is taken away for questioning.
Spock and Sulu, with the help of Captain Christopher, beam down to rescue Captain Kirk. After Kirk's guards are subdued, Christopher finds a gun and demands to be left behind. Spock, suspicious of Christopher, steps into another room and has himself transported to a position behind Christopher, where he disables him with a Vulcan nerve pinch
.
After they return to the ship, Spock and Mr. Scott
inform Kirk they have an idea for returning to their time by slingshotting
the ship around the Sun
, explaining that time will reverse as the ship races toward the star, then quickly run forward again as the ship breaks away. But since even a small miscalculation could destroy the ship, or make them miss their own era, precise navigation and braking are required.
As the risky maneuver begins, time onboard Enterprise moves backwards and Captain Christopher is beamed back to his fighter jet at the instant he first encountered Enterprise, preventing any evidence of the ship being produced, and the sighting is written off as just another UFO. The security policeman is also returned to his own time, just moments before he first stumbles upon Kirk and Sulu. Enterprise then successfully returns to the 23rd Century.
" and followed a week later by the re-mastered version of "Errand of Mercy". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
gave the episode an 'B-' rating, describing it as "so-so" and "passable".
"; when the ending to that episode was revised, "Tomorrow is Yesterday" was reworked as a stand-alone story.
Associate producer Robert Justman devised the original idea for the story, and it was handed to Dorothy Fontana to create a teleplay. Justman received neither credit nor payment for doing so, whereas Roddenberry's agent charged the studio up to $3000 for his own stories and rewrites.
's comic book
series Assignment: Earth (a continuation of the episode of the same name, drawing on the episode's status as a failed backdoor pilot for a spin-off television series) shows the protagonists, Gary Seven
and his assistant Roberta Lincoln, becoming peripherally involved in the events of "Tomorrow is Yesterday", acting on their own to prevent the Enterprises presence from affecting history. Due to peculiarities of time travel, the Enterprise crewmembers have not yet met Seven and Lincoln at this point, but it is Seven's and Lincoln's second encounter with them (though they are careful to avoid direct contact, so as not to alter the proper course of events).
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
. It is episode #19, production #21, first broadcast on January 26, 1967, repeated July 13, 1967, and was remastered in 2006 for syndication broadcast on May 5, 2007. The teleplay was written by D.C. Fontana and directed by Michael O'Herlihy
Michael O'Herlihy
Michael O'Herlihy was an Irish television producer and director who directed shows like Gunsmoke , Maverick , Star Trek , Hawaii Five-O , M*A*S*H and The A-Team . Born in Dublin, Ireland, O'Herlihy was the younger brother of actor Dan O'Herlihy...
.
Overview: The crew of the Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
travels back to 1969 Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and must correct damage they caused to the timeline.
Plot
On stardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
3113.2, the starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
USS Enterprise NCC-1701, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, is thrown back in time to Earth in the year 1969 by the effects of a high-gravity "black star". Enterprise ends up in Earth's upper atmosphere, and is picked up as a UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
on military radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
.
A U.S Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
jet interceptor
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
piloted by Captain John Christopher (Roger Perry
Roger Perry
Roger Perry is an American film and television actor whose career began in the late 1950s.In the 1960-1961 television season, Perry portrayed a handsome young attorney, Jim Harrigan, Jr., in the ABC and Desilu Studios sitcom Harrigan and Son, with co-stars Pat O'Brien, Helen Kleeb, and Georgine...
), is scrambled to identify the craft. The pilot, surprised to see the strange craft floating above him, is ordered to stop the Enterprise from escaping and to shoot it down if necessary. Kirk is forced to take defensive action using a tractor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...
on the jet, which accidentally tears the plane apart. Acting quickly, Kirk orders the pilot to be transported
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
aboard the Enterprise.
The man at first is confused with his new surroundings but is amazed to learn all that the future has to offer. He discovers that Enterprise is one of 12 such starships under the authority of a combined service known as the "United Earth Space Probe Agency", and that the computer calls Kirk "dear", having been overhauled on the female-dominated planet Signet 14 (who thought the computer needed a personality).
Fearing Christopher could disrupt the timeline if returned to earth after seeing a glimpse of the future, Kirk decides to take the pilot back with them to the future. However, after Spock discovers that the pilot's own as-yet-unborn son, Shaun Geoffrey Christopher, will play an important role in a future space mission to Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, Kirk must somehow return Captain Christopher to Earth without any knowledge of Enterprise or other future events.
After learning of the existence of film taken of Enterprise by Christopher's wing cameras, Kirk and Mr. Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
beam down to the airbase to recover it, along with any other evidence of Enterprise's appearance which might alter history. Upon obtaining the sensitive computer tapes, Kirk and Sulu are captured and disarmed by an Air Policeman.
When Mr. Spock tries to contact the Captain, the policeman accidentally activates an emergency signal, and is immediately beamed aboard the Enterprise, frozen in shock. With yet another abducted native to deal with, they decide to confine him to the transporter room to limit his exposure to future events. While searching for film and any remaining evidence of their time intrusion, more airmen stumble upon and capture Kirk, but Sulu manages to escape. Kirk is taken away for questioning.
Spock and Sulu, with the help of Captain Christopher, beam down to rescue Captain Kirk. After Kirk's guards are subdued, Christopher finds a gun and demands to be left behind. Spock, suspicious of Christopher, steps into another room and has himself transported to a position behind Christopher, where he disables him with a Vulcan nerve pinch
Vulcan nerve pinch
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck...
.
After they return to the ship, Spock and Mr. Scott
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
inform Kirk they have an idea for returning to their time by slingshotting
Gravitational slingshot
In orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, a gravitational slingshot, gravity assist maneuver, or swing-by is the use of the relative movement and gravity of a planet or other celestial body to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft, typically in order to save propellant, time, and expense...
the ship around the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, explaining that time will reverse as the ship races toward the star, then quickly run forward again as the ship breaks away. But since even a small miscalculation could destroy the ship, or make them miss their own era, precise navigation and braking are required.
As the risky maneuver begins, time onboard Enterprise moves backwards and Captain Christopher is beamed back to his fighter jet at the instant he first encountered Enterprise, preventing any evidence of the ship being produced, and the sighting is written off as just another UFO. The security policeman is also returned to his own time, just moments before he first stumbles upon Kirk and Sulu. Enterprise then successfully returns to the 23rd Century.
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was re-mastered in 2006 and was first aired May 5, 2007 as part of the remastered 40th Anniversary original series. It was preceded a week earlier by the remastered version of "A Piece of the ActionA Piece of the Action (TOS episode)
"A Piece of the Action" is a second-season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series first broadcast on January 12, 1968. It was repeated on August 30, 1968, the last episode to air in the 8:30 pm time slot on Friday nights. It is episode #46, production #49, written by David P. Harmon and Gene L...
" and followed a week later by the re-mastered version of "Errand of Mercy". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
- Various exterior shots of the Enterprise, either in the Earth's atmosphere, or orbiting, have been enhanced with more cloud and landscape detail including the appearance of the Moon. According to an interview with Mike Okuda, many of the images of the Earth were taken from aboard the Space ShuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
and International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. - Some exterior shots of the F-104 were enhanced. Views of the Enterprise are seen through the plane's cockpit window.
- A viewscreen shot of Earth in low orbit features clouds and landscape, instead of the original high-orbit North America shot.
- A rear-angle viewer shot showing the Earth receding with the warp nacelles visible on both sides.
- The bridge chronometer has been changed to a digital readout similar to the enhanced display shown in the re-mastered version "The Naked Time".
- The "temporal slingshot" sequence is upgraded to be more reminiscent of the same sequence in the motion picture Star Trek IV: The Voyage HomeStar Trek IV: The Voyage HomeStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth feature film based on the Star Trek science fiction television series and completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and continued in Star Trek III: The...
showing the Enterprise traveling at high speed towards the sun and going around it. At one point, the Enterprise passes through an arcing prominenceSolar prominenceA prominence is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape. Prominences are anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun's corona...
on the sun's surface. The sequence concludes with a tumultuous braking sequence and the Enterprise finally coming to rest at the right stardate.
Reception
Zack Handlen of The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode an 'B-' rating, describing it as "so-so" and "passable".
Production
The episode was originally conceived as part two to an earlier episode, "The Naked TimeThe Naked Time (TOS episode)
"The Naked Time" is an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It was first broadcast September 29, 1966, and repeated on April 27, 1967. It is the fourth episode of the first season, and was written by John D. F. Black and directed by Marc Daniels...
"; when the ending to that episode was revised, "Tomorrow is Yesterday" was reworked as a stand-alone story.
Associate producer Robert Justman devised the original idea for the story, and it was handed to Dorothy Fontana to create a teleplay. Justman received neither credit nor payment for doing so, whereas Roddenberry's agent charged the studio up to $3000 for his own stories and rewrites.
Reference in further Star Trek stories
The second issue of IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
's comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series Assignment: Earth (a continuation of the episode of the same name, drawing on the episode's status as a failed backdoor pilot for a spin-off television series) shows the protagonists, Gary Seven
Gary Seven
Gary Seven is the major character in the last episode of the second season of the original Star Trek television series, "Assignment: Earth". He is portrayed by Robert Lansing.-Assignment: Earth:...
and his assistant Roberta Lincoln, becoming peripherally involved in the events of "Tomorrow is Yesterday", acting on their own to prevent the Enterprises presence from affecting history. Due to peculiarities of time travel, the Enterprise crewmembers have not yet met Seven and Lincoln at this point, but it is Seven's and Lincoln's second encounter with them (though they are careful to avoid direct contact, so as not to alter the proper course of events).