Tomorrow Is Yesterday

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3113.2: Accidentally swinging around the sun into a time warp, the Enterprise’s crew recover from their turbulent journey and find themselves in Earth’s atmosphere in the 1960s over North America. Jets are dispatched to bring the “UFO” down, and one is caught in the ship’s tractor beam and begins to break apart. The pilot, Captain John Christopher, is beamed out of his plane before it disintegrates and is welcomed to the Enterprise as the crew prepares to return to the 23rd century. Kirk tells Christopher that he cannot be returned to his own time because he has seen too much of the future, but Spock discovers that Christopher will have a son who will be very important to the history of the space program and Christopher must be returned to 20th century Earth.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by D.C. Fontana
directed by Michael O’Herlihy
music by Alexander Courage

Star TrekCast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Roger Perry (Major Chistopher), Hal Lynch (Air Police Sergeant), Richard Merrifield (Technician), John Winston (Transporter Chief), Ed Peck (Col. Fellini), Mark Dempsey (Air Force Captain), Jim Spencer (Air Policeman), Sherri Townsend (Crew Woman)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Court-Martial

Star Trek ClassicStardate 2947.3: Kirk is accused of murder when the Enterprise’s records officer, Lt. Commander Finney, is apparently jettisoned during a violent ion storm which threatened the ship. Kirk insists that he gave Finney even more time than safely allowed to get out of the jettisoned ion pod, yet the Enterprise computer’s records show that Kirk discarded the pod, and Finney, while only at yellow alert when there was no sign of actual danger. Kirk challenges the findings of the computer and is court-martialed, with accusations that earlier rivalries with Finney when both were new officers caused Kirk to act maliciously – and even Kirk’s attorney, Cogley, may not be able to convince the court that the error may have been the computer’s.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Don M. Mankiewicz and Steven W. Carabatsos
story by Don M. Mankiewicz
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Percy Rodriguez (Portmaster Stone), Elisha Cook (Samuel T. Cogley), Joan Marshall (Areel Shaw), Richard Webb (Lt. Commander Ben Finney), Hagan Beggs (Helmsman), Winston DeLugo (Timothy), Alice Rawlings (Jame Finney), Nancy Wong (Personnel Officer), Bart Conrad (Krasnovsky), William Meader (Board Officer), Reginald Lal Singh (Board Officer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Return of the Archons

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3156.2: Sulu and another crewman are investigating a primitive but ancient-Earth-like alien culture incognito, but their disguise is blown and they’re running for their lives. The Enterprise can’t beam Sulu up in time, and he is hit by a weapon on the planet which leaves him under the control of something or someone called Landru. Kirk and Spock beam down, finding the planet’s people engaged in unusual rituals, and also finding out from some of the locals that Landru has complete control over most everyone on the planet, aside from a small resistance effort. What begins as an effort to free the people on the planet becomes a matter of survival when Kirk and Spock become hunted by Landru’s “puppets.”

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Boris Sobelman
story by Gene Roddenberry
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Harry Townes (Reger), Torin Thatcher (Marplon), Brioni Farrell (Tula), Sid Haig (First Lawgiver), Charles Macaulay (Landru), Jon Lormer (Tamar), Morgan Farley (Hacom), Christopher Held (Lindstorm), Sean Morgan (O’Neil), Ralph Maurer (Bilar), David L. Ross (Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Space Seed

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3141.9: The Enterprise discovers a derelict vessel which turns out to be an Earth ship dating back to a series of wars in the 1990s in which Earth’s population was threatened by a group of genetically engineered superhuman beings. The inhabitants of the rogue ship, though they try to conceal the fact at every opportunity, are the only surviving oppressors from that war. Their leader, Khan, wishes to resume their reign of terror, beginning with a takeover of the Enterprise.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilbur
story by Carey Wilbur
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Ricardo Montalban (Khan), Madlyn Rhue (Marla), Blaisdell Makee (Spinelli), Mark Tobin (Joaquin), Kathy Ahart (Crew Woman), John Winston (Transporter Chief Kyle)

Note: This story was the basis for the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Also, at some point during this episode, a pregnant tardigrade arrives aboard the Enterprise, unnoticed by any of the ship’s crew (Short Treks: Ephraim And DOT).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A Taste of Armageddon

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3192.1: The Enterprise visits the twin planets of Eminiar VII and Vendikar so Ambassador Fox may approach their governments about joining the Federation. When they beam down to Eminiar 7, Kirk, Spock and the rest of their landing party are informed that the Enterprise has been struck by enemy missiles and Kirk’s party, along with the rest of the crew, have been declared casualties. Investigating further, Kirk discovers that the war between the two planets is controlled by computers, which determine the damage done and the fatalities caused by the attacks, and assigns citizens to report to disintegration machines, which they do willingly. Kirk is trapped on the planet, but Ambassador Fox thinks he can remedy the situation and beams down unarmed against Scotty’s advice.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Robert Hammer and Gene L. Coon
story by Robert Hammer
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), David Opatoshu (Anan 7), Gene Lyons (Ambassador Fox), Barbara Babcock (Mea 3), Miko Mayama (Tamula), David L. Ross (Galloway), Sean Kenney (DePaul), Robert Sampson (Sar 6)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

This Side Of Paradise

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3417.3: Investigating a colony whose settlers should be, but for some reason are not, threatened by radiation, Kirk and a landing party beam down to investigate. McCoy diagnoses the colonists as being in fine health and none of them wish to leave, no matter how much danger they are in. Spock, with Leila, an old acquaintance who has a crush on him, is infested by spores from a plant while examining the colony grounds. McCoy also soon falls victims to the spores, which leave their victims – even Spock – in a stupor with no desire to leave…and Kirk is left with a ship and no crew.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by D.C. Fontana
story by Nathan Butler and D.C. Fontana
directed by Ralph Serensky
music by Alexander Courage

Star TrekCast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Jill Ireland (Leila), Frank Overton (Elias Sandoval), Grant Woods (Kelowitz), Michael Barrier (DeSalle), Dick Scotter (Painter), Eddie Paskey (Crewman)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Devil in the Dark

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3196.1: A mining colony reports a number of mysterious deaths just after they successfully dig to a lower level of a planetoid believed to be uninhabited. The Enterprise arrives, and Kirk, Spock and security officers from the ship begin a hunt for whoever or whatever is responsible for the growing body count. An amorphous creature capable of burning through the indigenous rock is found to be the cause of the deaths as well as a very well-thought out sabotage of the miners’ life support systems. Through a mind-meld, Spock communicates with the being – known as the Horta – and finds that it is the last of its kind, a mother laying eggs in the tunnels and caves it builds for itself. But the humans have been discovering and destroying the eggs, and if the Horta cannot bring herself to negotiate with the miners, one party or the other faces extinction.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Gene L. Coon
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Ken Lynch (Vanderberg), Brad Weston (Appel), Biff Elliot (Schmitter), George E. Allen (Engineer #1), Jon Cavett (Guard), Barry Russo (Giotto)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Errand of Mercy

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3198.4: A sudden attack by the Klingons on a vulnerable neutral sector – a location of great strategic importance – puts the Enterprise on red alert, as the threat of another catastrophic war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation looms. Kirk and Spock beam down to Organia, the planet whose security is at risk due to the Klingon threat, and find that the inhabitants, who appear to be humans who have reached the medieval period of sociological and technological development, are not at all concerned that their world is currently being overrun by Klingon troops. Kirk and Spock try to conceal their identities, but fail, leaving Kirk and Klingon Captain Kor at each others’ throats – until the Organians reveal their true nature and intervene in the impending war.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Gene L. Coon
directed by John Newland
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), John Abbott (Ayelbourne), John Colicos (Kor), Peter Brocco (Claymare), Victor Lundiw (Lieutenant), David Hillary Hughes (Trefayne), Walt Davis (Klingon Soldier), George Sawaya (Second Soldier)

Notes: This episode introduces the Klingons to Star Trek. John Colicos makes two further appearances in the role of Kor in the Deep Space Nine episodes Blood Oath and The Sword of Kahless. The first bloody war between the Klingons and the Federation is chronicled in the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, and one of its chief combatants was Kol, a member of the Klingon House of Kor; Kol’s death (Into The Forest I Go, 2017) may explain some of Kor’s warlike zeal here.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Alternative Factor

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3087.6: The Enterprise encounters brief but intense turbulence after entering orbit above an uninhabited world. Kirk leads a landing party to the surface to investigate any possible connection between the planet and the disturbance, and they find a man named Lazarus, who, though he seems healthy and normal, claims to be fighting his own equivalent from a universe of antimatter. Lazarus proves to be a threat to the Enterprise’s security, and the increasing blasts of turbulence seem to confirm Lazarus’s story that he has a powerful enemy in another dimension.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Don Ingalls
directed by Gerd Oswald
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Robert Brown (Lazarus), Janet MacLachlan (Charlene Masters), Richard Deer (Barstow), Arch Whiting (Asst. Engineer), Christian Patrick (Transporter Chief), Eddie Paskey (Lesley)

Notes: Robert Brown had to take the role of Lazarus on very short notice; actor John Barrymore was originally contracted to play the part, but failed to show up on the shooting dates, earning a rare censure from the Screen Actors’ Guild and putting himself out of work for months. In the end, The Alternative Factor guest starred an alternative actor.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The City On The Edge Of Forever

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3134.0: McCoy accidentally receives an overdose of cordrazine as the Enterprise encounters turbulence. He beams down to an unexplored world where he enters a time-travel device known as the Guardian of Forever and changes history in the 1930s. Kirk and Spock also return to the 30s, where Kirk falls in love with peace activist Edith Keeler. When McCoy is finally located, Kirk must allow history to run its course, resulting in Edith’s death, or he will leave history altered irrevocably, with no chance of returning to the future or the Enterprise.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Harlan Ellison
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Joan Collins (Sister Edith Keeler), John Harmon (Rodent), Hal Baylor (Policeman), David L. Ross (Galloway), John Winston (Transporter Chief Kyle), Bartell La Rue (Guardian voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Operation: Annihilate!

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3287.2: The Enterprise witnesses a smaller ship diving into the sun of Deneva under the control of a pilot who seems to have intentionally killed himself. This confirms Kirk’s worst fears, that a seemingly contagious outbreak of insanity on several other worlds has spread to Deneva, where his brother lives. On the surface, many are found to be dead – including Kirk’s brother – and an unknown species of alien parasite is found to be responsible. In trying to gather data on them, Spock is attacked and taken over by one, and, like the people of Deneva and several other planets, starts to go mad. Spock’s condition also presents McCoy with the first opportunity to learn more about both the creature and its victim, and Spock may have to die if the crew is to learn any more about the creatures to prevent them from spreading further into human territory.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Steven W. Carabatsos
directed by Herschel Daugherty
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Joan Swift (Aurelan), Maurishka (Yeoman Zahra), Majel Barrett (Christine Chapel), Craig Hundley (Peter), Fred Carson (First Devenvan), Jerry Catron (Second Denevan)

Notes: Craig Hundley appeared again in Star Trek’s third season before embarking on a career as a musician; he would go on to create (and play) an unusual instrument called the Blaster Beam, whose distinctive sound was used heavily in the first two Star Trek films.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Amok Time

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3372.7: Spock begins acting strange – even violent – as, unknown to the rest of the crew, he enters the Vulcan mating phase that strikes adult male Vulcans every seven years. Kirk must divert the Enterprise from a tight schedule to return Spock to Vulcan so his mating ritual may be carried out. But on arriving, it is discovered that Spock must compete with a gladiator of his prospective mate’s choice – and that turns out, on the spur of the moment, to be Kirk.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Theodore Sturgeon
directed by Joseph Pevney
music by Gerald Fried

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Celia Lovsky (T’Pau), Arlene Martel (T’Pring), Lawrence Montaigne (Stonn), Majel Barrett (Christine Chapel), Byron Morrow (Admiral Komack)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Who Mourns for Adonais?

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3468.1: The Enterprise is trapped in deep space by an enormous hand. Kirk and a landing party beam down to a nearby planet and find that a powerful being claiming to be the Greek god Apollo is the one responsible for holding the Enterprise in its place – and Kirk discovers that Apollo’s ability to immobilize a starship is just a small demonstration of the being’s power. When Apollo demands that the crew worship him, Kirk decides that the mythical figure must be defeated – but must rely on playing with Apollo’s emotions and weaknesses since the being can tamper with the Enterprise’s technology.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Gilbert Ralston
directed Marc Daniels
music by Fred Steiner

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Michael Forest (Apollo), Leslie Parrish (Carolyn), John Winston (Lt. Kyle)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Changeling

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3451.9: The Enterprise is attacked and boarded by the unusual space probe Nomad, which Spock identifies as the combined remains of an alien robot and an Earth exploration probe. Nomad’s purpose – a confused mix of aliens’ orders and instructions from Earth – is to seek out and sterilize all impurities, including imperfect beings like humans. The only thing preventing Nomad from obliterating the Enterprise and everyone on board is the similarity between the name of Nomad’s creator and Captain Kirk, and Kirk must try to play that role as best he can while figuring out how to get rid of Nomad.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by John Meredyth Lucas
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Fred Steiner

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Majel Barrett (Christine Chapel), Blaisdell Makee (Singh), Barbara Gates (Crew Woman), Meade Martin (Crewman), Arnold Lessing (Security Guard), Vic Perrin (Nomad’s voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Mirror, Mirror

Star Trek ClassicStardate not given: Returning to the Enterprise from an unsuccessful mission to ask the leaders of a planet for a possible mineral trade, Kirk, Uhura, Scotty and McCoy are being beamed up just as a freak accident hurls them into another reality, which still contains a USS Enterprise and a Spock and a Federation, but the other reality’s versions are cruel and inhumane – the crew the alternate Enterprise is readying for a strike against the planet Kirk just left to take their mineral resources by force. Kirk and his landing party must try to cover their inexplicable identities and try to fit in, while stopping the savage alternate Enterprise from carrying its reign of terror any further.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Jerome Bixby
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Fred Steiner

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Barbara Luna (Marlena), Victor Perrin (Tharn), John Winston (Lt. Kyle), Garth Pillsbury (Wilson), Pete Kellett (Kirk’s Henchman)

Notes: The story of what becomes of the alternate Federation and the alternate Spock is told in the 1994 Deep Space Nine episode Crossover. The divergence in history which created the alternate Federation is chronicled in the Star Trek: Enterprise two-parter In A Mirror Darkly.

LogBook entry by Earl Green