The City on the Edge of Forever” (April 6, 1967) is widely considered as the pinnacle of the series. In this episode, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) discover an ancient stone archway known as the Guardian of Forever. This entity, voiced by Bartell LaRue, is so old that it has achieved sentience and functions as a time travel gateway for historians, Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), under the influence of drugs, leaps through the portal and finds himself on Earth in the year 1930. Kirk and Spock follow in pursuit to prevent him from altering history.
In 1930, Kirk encountered Edith Keeler (Joan Collins), a compassionate activist who advocates against the escalating war efforts in Europe. Kirk falls for her, but Spock discovers through a device that their interference in time can lead to two possible outcomes. If Edith Keeler dies in a car accident, history remains intact, and the Nazis lose World War II. If she survives, the Nazis prevail. Kirk faces a profound ethical dilemma: save the woman he loves or allow her death to preserve history. This scenario could easily serve as the plot for a “Twilight Zone” episode.
Critics of “The City on the Edge of Forever” might argue that Kirk could have resolved the issue by taking Edith back to the future with him. This would ensure her survival while still maintaining the historical timeline. In a 2019 interview with StarTrek.com, the iconic Joan Collins recalled working on the episode, noting that it was filmed on the same soundstage as “The Andy Griffith Show.” It’s intriguing that a sci-fi series would include scenes from Floyd’s Barbershop.
It’s the Andy Griffith Show, starring … Spock?
Filming “The City on the Edge of Forever” was a complicated process, as any dedicated Trekkie could tell you. The episode’s production cost soared to $245,316, significantly overshooting the allocated $191,000, due to creator Gene Roddenberry’s insistence on high-quality sets. Several behind-the-scenes accounts reveal that director Joseph Pevney had to use pre-established NBC studios. Uncertain about future access to the sets—since other shows were scheduled to use the space after him—Pevney decided to shoot continuously, day and night. This approach also targets the NBC show that “Star Trek” was making efforts to economize.
Astute viewers might notice Floyd’s Barbershop from “The Andy Griffith Show” in a few scenes. Joan Collins, however, didn’t realize that “Star Trek” was sharing sets. With her career rapidly advancing, she didn’t question where a show was filmed or what other productions might be using the same space. Collins simply arrived with her lines prepared and then moved on to her next project. Like many guest actors on “Star Trek,” she views it as just another job, without considering its potential historical significance. Reflecting on the set, Collins remarked: “I had no clue! As far as I was concerned, I was starting to do lots of television at that time. I did ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ I did ‘The Virginian.’ So I was doing quite a few shows and, as far as I was concerned, [‘Star Trek’] really was just another gig.”
