"Mr. Mulligan, a rather dour critic of his times, is shortly to discover the import of that old phrase, 'Out of the frying pan, into the fire' - and said fire burning brightly at all times in the Twilight Zone."Disillusioned by 1890, Woodrow Mulligan, a janitor, uses a time helmet invented by his boss to travel ahead to 1962. After deciding 1962 is no better than 1890, he attempts to return but realizes the helmet has been damaged. Rollo, an electronic scientist, offers to help by taking the helmet to a repair shop. After it's fixed, Woodrow realizes that Rollo wants to use the helmet himself. They both grab the helmet and appear in 1890. Rollo doesn't like 1890, so Woodrow puts the helmet on him and sends him back to 1962.
"'To each his own' - so goes another old phrase to which Mr. Woodrow Mulligan would heartily subscribe, for he has learned - definitely the hard way - that there is much wisdom in a third old phrase which goes as follows: 'Stay in your own backyard.' To which it might be added, 'and if possible, assist others to stay in theirs' - via, of course, the Twilight Zone."