Shatcember Update: Game Show Edition December 14, 2008
by John Tenuto , Filed under: Shatner , trackback
Our fourth Shatcember article ends the month in traditional William Shatner style, with enthusiasm and fun. During these two weeks of December Bill makes both holiday special and game show appearances. Trekmovie continues its Shatcember coverage and also celebrates previous Shatner game show moments and more.
Million Dollar Password
This summer, CBS revamped the perennial game show favorite Password with host Regis Philbin. The show was a success and is back for its second season starting December 18th (8 PM). On the show, two celebrities help contestants compete for a possible million dollar win. The season begins with guest celebrities Aisha Taylor and the Shat.
Shatner v Regis…this week
Ironically, the Shat and the Regis have much in common. They were born the same year, they were both inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame together, both have television talk shows, and they both kind of look alike (well, they do!). This is not the first time the Shat has been on a game show hosted by Regis, either. Below are some of Shatner's greatest game show performances, including his fun game of Pyramid where he plays both contestant and celebrity and loses! The moment was so funny that Pyramid ran this as a promotion for the show for many years.
While we wait, here are some classic Shatner game show moments:
Shat on Who Wants to be a Millionaire
Shat on Wheel of Fortune
Shat on Pyramid
Shat on Weakest Link
Bill media blitz
The Shat was everywhere this week, watch the clips:
Today Show
Opie & Anthony:
Access Hollywood:
Regis & Kelly:
CNN:
Holiday Specials
Shatner is as much an institution as the holidays, so it makes sense that the two combine like chocolate and peanut butter during the month of Shatcember. Bill is on not one, but two rerun of Christmas specials this season. ABC Family is rerunning the modern version of the Charles Dickens's classic with the 2003 television movie "A Carol Christmas" starring Tori Spelling (December 14 at 10 AM & December 18 at 7 AM). Shatner plays the Ghost of Christmas Present. Trivia alert: this is the television movie that during the filming, another actor called Shatner a "has been" to his face. Instead of taking umbrage, the Shat titled his critically acclaimed album with Ben Folds "Has Been" and includes a track about why being a "has been" is a good thing. Meanwhile, Comedy Central has a rerun of the 2005 Denis Leary "Merry #!*&#^* Christmas Special" (December 19 10PM) which features a hilarious spoof of the holidays by the Shat.
Bill on the "Merry #!*&#^* Christmas Special"
Raw Nerve Update – Nimoy Date set for January
The official site for Shatner's new talk show "Raw Nerve" has been updated and lists Tuesday, January 6th for the episode with his interview with Leonard Nimoy. During these next two Tuesdays, Bill's guests include television icon Judge Judy and fellow starship captain Kelsey Grammer. Raw Nerve airs Tuesdays on the Biography Channel at 10PM. This week Bill's guest was porn star Jenna Jameson. The Shatner Project caught up the adult film actress and did a post Shatner interview interview, and it has almost 700,000 views in just five days. Jameson admits she was a fan of Star Trek, check it out:
Shatner Hilarity and Drama
Shatner has many guest appearances this month in various movies and television episodes. A rerun (December 18 Nickelodeon, 4AM) of a very funny episode called "Eye, Tooth" of The Fresh Prince of BelAir starring Will Smith has the Shat playing himself and getting to say lines like "Dawg!" because he is affected by laughing gas.
Shatner does as good with action and drama as comedy, of course. Fans can watch the Shat as Major Robert Carson in 2000's Falcon Down Falcon Down (Sci Fi Channel, December 19, 3AM), starring Dale Midkiff.
More Shatcember viewing:
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Cinemax,
December 21, 7:35 AM - White Comanche, TCM, December 24, 4:30 AM
- Miss Congeniality, CINEMAX, December 23, 4:15 PM
- Miss Congeniality 2, OXYGEN, December 24, 7PM and 9:30 PM
2009: The Year of the Shat?
Thinking about the end of Shatcember, some fans may be sad about its ending. The month has been a veritable Shatfest with more than 40 appearances in television reruns and new programs. Yet, William Shatner and Captain Kirk's life lessons have taught us optimism, and 2009 is going to be a great Shatyear. There will be more Raw Nerve (and hopefully a renewal for more episodes), conventions, comic books, and guest appearances. In fact, we already have news about 2009. Comics Continuum has the cover of Shatner's comic book that will be given away on the popular "Free Comic Book Day" May 2, 2009. FCBD is an annual celebration of comics where comic shops give away books to help promote the best in comics and comic fandom. Also, Shatner is already scheduled for a January 7th appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. 2009 is going to Shatastic and Billicious!
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Comments»
Bill Shatner is an inspiration to us all. You go Bill and thanks for sharing your talent with us for all these years and 2009 shows no sign of being any less Shatnerific. No wonder you are so beloved by your legion of fans.
If ever there was a man that personified the term ‘ubiquitous’ , he would be William Shatner! Keep up the good work!
Shatner, Shatner everywhere. Umh… I am starting to believe that Trek XI…. ;)
omg White Comanche is on…wooo hoo havent seen it in years
What are the so-called major networks thinking?? Get Bill in prime time with Raw Nerve!! Biography Channel? C’mon!!!
The Space Channel in Canada is running Trek-mas … a Christmas Day Trek marathon.. all 10 movies back to back starting at 6:30am.
Pyramid was hilarious. And that episode of Weakest Link was amazing.
WOW.
Love him or hate him, you have to admire him. Shatner could very well be the Hard-Working Man in Showbiz RIGHT NOW.
Not to mention the fact that Regis and the Shat share an undeniable panache of enthusiasm!
I think they were separated at birth!
Umm … maybe that’s supposed to “panache with” or “for”? I’m too tired this weekend to keep my prepositions straight. And maybe I should stop trying to use words like panache anyway.
Great article, hilarious clips! Thanks, John – thanks, Bill. :)
Looking forward to a Shatnerific 2009!
Who was it on that crappy tv movie that called Shatner a “has been???”
Tori Spelling?
Gary Coleman??
God bless Mr. Shatner. I hope that he has continued success with all he does. I know I’ll never be able to say ” thanks” in person, so I’ll say it here: Thanks for all the years of quality entertainment.
Here’s a dream: Mr. Shatner reprising the role of Kirk on a Star Trek :New Voyages/Phase II episode.
I wonder if it will ever come true?
Shatner is God! Bow before his greatness! BOW I say!
Bring back the Shat!!
Those old game show clips are great. There’s an appearance he did on “The Six Million Dollar Man” where he played a character whose brain had been hyper charged with electricity and he could do things with his mind. He has a scene on an electric tower at the end that really brings to mind his “I am Kirock” speech from Star Trek. He’s on the tower soaking up more energy for his super brain and the wig he’s wearing is so bad. It’s so over the top but it’s a great Shatner moment. I know, this has little to do with Shatcember or this article but I think of it and it’s great nonetheless.
Can’t believe he spelled his character’s name in the wrong order, but glad they gave it to him anyway!
What a national treasure!
There’s a lot of Shat around here. LOL!
Great clips. I saw a few of his game show appearances when they actually aired but it’s so nice to revisit.
January 6th for the Nimoy Raw Nerve interview. I am stoked.
HOLD ON GUYS WHAT HAPPEND TO HIS CAMEO IN THE FANBOYS TRAILER was it covered?
Review of The Cage. Where is it? When is it?
All Hail the Shat!
Bow before his greatness!
Hey! About that …
Shatner has said repeatedly in interview after interview he cannot ad lib. He MUST have a script, and he forgets it immediately afterward. That’s why he never passed the citizenship test.
I watched him on Conan for years
Has there ever been a “Shatner Secrets” article in here?
He really has been getting fat. That or Weakest Link was longer ago than I remember.
I remember Shatner on the original Password and James Doohan on Super Password with Bert Convey.
I even remember when Convey asked Doohan to say, “Beam me up, Scotty.” and Doohan looked shocked and astonished and said, “But I’m Scotty!”
Ask Chris, I’m sure he remembers.
Yep. But dont ask me what I did yesterday or where I left my keys.
Oh Bill you still have your charm :)
Anyone notice that Shatner gets the answer wrong on Millionaire? He answers “Captain Tiberious James Kirk” (BCDA)
At the end Regis says “We’re gonna give it to you anyway.” Lol
What a twit Jenna Jameson is. Why is she even relevant? Who cares about this person.
As they say, it’s Shatner’s world, we just live in it.
I remember The Shat on Tattletales back in the mid-70’s, he had just finished shooting “Kingdom of the Spiders” and Bert Convy was amazed that Bill had let tarantulas crawl all over him, including his face. Good times!
God Bless Him.
The man is a law and a universe unto himself. If I woke up to see that Anthony had posted a video of Shatner playing Macbeth while simultaneously jumping from a plane, advertising Doritos, and boxing a kangaroo, I would consider it business as usual.
#31 … You mean you missed that one? ;-)
29
I remember that. I think he was in the ‘banana’ section. That was a fun show. Fun theme song.
How does he mess up James T Kirk?
Sorry if I posted essentially the same message twice, if they eventually show up, but for some reason they are not appearing instantly as they usually do.
What’s up with that, Anthony? Are we on a delay now?
Hmm… Well, my two earlier posts seem to have completely disappeared, but basically they boiled down to:
27- Frank – Please don’t judge someone you don’t even know.
34 – With a flair that only Shatner can!
wow…Jenna Jameson has had way too much work done on her face over years. she doesnt even look the woman i remember from my…teenage years.
Life is a Dream according to Star Trek V..and the Shat is showing us how to live it..to the Fullest!!
The energy and enthusiasm this man radiates is nothing less than astonishing.
33
Oh man…I forgot about that, but you are right! I remember his console being yellow, so that had to be it. That was indeed a great show!
More Shat on TV – “Star Trek Generations” is playing on the HBO Family channel this month. It’s last run will be on the 30th.
Shat is incredible on Pyramid!!
“As they say, it’s Shatner’s world, we just live in it.”
Too funny..
#36 You’re kidding me, right?
#6: “..The Space Channel in Canada is running Trek-mas … a Christmas Day Trek marathon.. all 10 movies back to back starting at 6:30am….”
I’m moving to Canada now. xD
SHAAAATNER! 8D I never knew he made a cameo on a Fresh Prince episode. I love FPBA. x3 I’ll have to watch that one!
44 – No I’m not. Why do you need to be so spiteful to someone you don’t even know? Even resorting to name calling. It’s childish. We don’t need that kind of stuff in these posts. I’m not kidding at all, and I’ll bet there are a lot of other posters here who feel the same way.
Name calling? You just called me spiteful and childish. We certainly don’t need folks criticizing other posters, do we? Perhaps someone should be notified.
I say that about your ACTIONS and COMMENTS as presented here, which any one could determine to be just as I named them from what you post in public here. I know nothing about you personally and can’t say that I care to.
But, I would also say that a leopard is spotted, as I can only state what I determine to be the truth based on the evidence before me. A leopard can’t change its spots, but you have it in your power to change your behavior and your attitude.
Stop ACTING spiteful and childish — IF you can — and I’ll recant what I said. If you are going to post insults and negative comments about people, expect to be called on it — and remember that YOU started it.
And notify whoever you want or need to. I don’t need to appeal to a third party myself. I will take accountability for my actions and comments on my own. That’s what adults do.
In any case, Frank, I wish you peace and joy this holiday season.
These posts should be about people’s shared love for Star Trek and not about squabbles.
Think of me what you will; I wish you peace.
Here’s a fun bit where the Shat hosted a game show retrospective… and he does a short interview with Gene Rayburn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbakQgMiWAc
A god walking amongst mortals!
#49 – Your sense of self importance is rather imprssive, but I really don’t think of you at all. I’m sorry to break this to you. In the meantime, I’m just going to let your posts speak for themselves. Take care.
52 – All right. I tried to make peace. I was wrong to judge you without even knowing you, and therefore I was doing what I asked you not to do in the first place. That’s hypocrisy on my part. I am truly sorry for that and will leave it at that.
What I meant was that you can think I’m a jerk if you want to. There’s nothing I can do about that.