Both of these classic Start Trek episodes showed a rare funny side to the series which took it self quite seriously as the first ever science fiction series on US television. In The City on the Edge of Forever Kirk and Spock end up in a parallel universe where McCoy has inadvertantly changed the course of history and allowed the Germans to win WW2 by developing the H-Bomb first. Kirk and Spock chase McCoy back to 1930’s depression America. Kirk falls in love for Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) who befriends the 2 odd men who don’t know who Clark Gable is. In the end of course the change in history when McCoy prevented her death so to fix history Kirk has to stop his friend from saving his lover.
The Trouble with Tribbles in contrast was pure farce playing with a wonderful light touch. Tribbles - for those born in the last 30 years are small furry animals who are born pregnant and have no natural competitors Naturally the Tribbles get everywhere while Kirk tries to keep the evil Klingons at bay he ends up with tribbles everywhere leading to a whole lot of tribble -but it all ends well when Scotty beams all the tribbles to the Klingon’s ship: “where thair’re be nah tribble at ‘all” - Tribbles are cute and fluffy so obviously hate the un-fluffy Klingons. RIP Joseph Pevney
