Following in the footsteps of seminal shows like THE TWILIGHT ZONE and THE OUTER LIMITS, STAR TREK often offered die-hard science fiction and fantasy fans some serious food for thought. STAR TREK gave us familiar faces on a regular basis, and the roster of Regulars was just about as varied as was possible- down to an extraterrestrial co-star, something even THE INVADERS couldn't boast. But, whereas THE INVADERS was set in (then) contemporary settings, STAR TREK boldly went where no teleseries had gone before- to the edges of the Galaxy. And it did so without tens of millions of dollars worth of cgi. An excellent example of what could be done with a minimum of means is "All Our Yesterdays." A character-driven story and superb performances (not to mention some outstanding if understated direction) belie this episode's sometimes obvious budgetary shortcomings. Mention must be made, too, of some striking lighting (often used effectively throughout the series) that greatly enhances the ice cave setting. STAR TREK was well ahead of its time, in many respects, and remains the standard by which all shows of its type will forevermore be judged.
Review of All Our Yesterdays
