William Shatner is such a big star that this week he deserves his own special edition of CelebWatch. We have photos of the original Kirk presenting at the TV Land Awards, news of Shat receiving a critical nomination, video of him talking about his new autobio, quotes from a new interview where he talks about everything from Boston Legal, to Trek to Global Warming, and more.
Shat honors the Office
At the taping for the 6th annual TV Land Awards, William Shatner (along with Ed Asner) presented Steve Carrell and the cast of NBC’s The Office with the Future Classic Award. The awards will air on the TV Land network June 15 at 9 p.m.
Shatner and Asner honor The Office (Bill, couldn’t you find a tie?)
Critics nominate Shatner
The Television Critics Association has announced their nominees for the 2008 Television Critics Association Awards and William Shatner was nominated for the Career Achievement award (along with James Garner, Lorne Michaels, Bill Moyers, and Mike Wallace). JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof’s ABC series Lost was also nominated for Outstanding Drama. The TCA Awards are scheduled for Saturday, July 19.
Shat on the meaning of life
In a new video interview from the Publisher Weekly Book Maven Blog Shatner talks about his approach to writing his new autobiography and how the process helped him find the meaning of his life.
Shatner: There is nothing I can’t do
AP has another extensive feature on Shatner. The article includes an interview with Shatner where he talks about a variety of items.
Shat on his Emmy winning acting on Boston Legal
I’ve obviously had those instruments at my call, but the opportunity to use them wasn’t there
…on climate change
We can’t wait for something dire to happen before this democracy decides to gird up and FIGHT global warming. We’re on … a collision course … with HIStory
…on his future
I have all of the hungers and passions and desires of when I was 20. There’s nothing I can’t do.
The extensive article also includes quotes on Shatner from his “Up Till Now” collaborator David Fisher, Priceline’s Marketing Chief and a Syracuse pop-culture historian, so check it out.
AP has also put together a collection of quotes from the Shatner interview on a variety of subjects, including the original Trek, of which he noted:
The actors were wonderful. And I didn’t care about the sets or anything like that or the cheesy spaceship. … I think that’s what happens in `Star Trek.’ Your eye goes past all the faults because you’re concentrated on the actors and the plot
TekWar is out
The last bit of Shatner news for the week is that his 1995 sci-fi series TekWar (the complete series, but not the TV movies) is being released today on DVD. Pick it up on Amazon.com for $34.99. Here is a description.
In the year 2045, an addictive computer-based reality drug called “tek” has ignited a war that stretches throughout society. Recruited by a mysterious benefactor to stop the advancing drug is Jake Cardigan (Melrose Place’s Greg Evigan), a cop who teams up with a colorful array of partners as the government plots to stop him from revealing the truth. Also starring Eugene Clark (Land of the Dead) and Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis), this riveting series is based on the hit sci-fi novel series by William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal), who also makes special appearances throughout these 18 action-packed episodes!
(Photos: AP & WireImage)
Never seen Tekwar… I’ll have to check it out!
There is nothing this guy cannot do. A legend
Am i first?
Have to check Tek War out myself
For all my criticisms of some of Shatner’s recent comments in the press, he is certainly deserving of their lifetime achievement award, although with names like Mike Wallace and Lorne Michaels on the nominated list as well, to say that it is a sure thing right now would be a bit presumptuous. I believe any one of those three would be a good choice. Garner and Moyers would not quite be the “household names” that Shatner, Wallace, and Michaels have become, IMO.
have Shatner as Jim Kirks grandfather in the movie..id like a scene like something out of the 1978 Superman with Shatner as grandpa Kirk ..his arm around the young Jim (Pine) telling him something similar to ‘you are here for..a..reason..’ as they walk in the farmland of Iowa…or the scene where Clark says goodbye to his Ma in the wheatfield – real Norman Rockwell imagry – actually there was a similar scene to that with jim and his brother in the opening pages of DCs Star Trek Annual from 1991 which was about Kirks academy years
maybe something similar to FIELD OF DREAMS too (which was set in Iowa)…vast open wheatfields..the Kirks in jeans and shirts etc…no futuristic stuff – looking like it could be in the 1950s or 1960s (homaging TOS)…then at the end have a spacecraft decend in a wheatfield (like a UFO) to pick Jim up to go to starfleet academy
#5—I hope it isn’t that cheesy, and Shatner eliminated the possibility of that type of role when he said he wouldn’t “do cameos”…It’s time to let that go.
I think the tek war dvd packkage does not include any of the Tek War movies, which the first and second were quite good.
“We can’t wait for something dire to happen before this democracy decides to gird up and FIGHT global warming. We’re on … a collision course … with HIStory”.
The Michael Jackson album? *scratching my head in confusion*
“There’s nothing I can’t do.”
Right on!! This guy continues to inspire me. We love you, Bill!!
JJ’s loss.
:-)
Tekwar was cool, but i never saw the series, cuz after the tv movies it jumped to cable. Why no movies? Why only the series? That’s just dumb. :-|
Bring back banded collars. And shut the doors on whatever clothier sold Bill that jacket! Lord, that fits worse than Walter’s Santa-sized Starfleet suit.
Re #6. Closettrekker – June 10, 2008
Shatner doest do cameos ,,,
I suggest you have a nost at the internet movie data base,
and look up the movie “Horrorween”
The interviewer calls him ” the Priceline Guy,” and the “Boston Legal Guy.” Something missing?
AJ — of course. Bill’s the “Not in the New Trek Movie Guy.”
#12—SirMartman, I’m aware that his comment may have been rather hypocritical (and it wouldn’t be the first time he has reversed himself on a “story” or issue), but don’t shoot the messenger.
“I don’t do cameos.” —That’s a direct quote (William Shatner, 2007, asked about possible cameo in STXI), and that comment was made at a time when, according to Abrams, the possibility of finding Shatner a role was still on the table. My only point was to say that, IMO, the role which the previous poster had suggested would fall into such a category, and he only publicly changed his stance on “cameos” after filming was wrapped.
But once again, I would like to congratulate Bill on his nomination, and I think his career is worthy of such acknowledgement.
Tekwar was cool. I really enjoyed the movies as well and I’m sorry to see them not included in this DVD set.
And congrats on the nomination, that’s one hell of a career….and even more amazing, at 76, it’s still a work in progress.
Hope the Tek movies come out on dvd, too.
It is interesting to see Bill being philosophical about the meaning of life.
“(along with James Garner, Lorne Michaels, Bill Moyers, and Mike Wallace)”
Wow, that’s some stiff competition. All of those guys deserve the award!
My most vivid memory of the whole TekWar thing was when it premiered, Shatner did an interview in which he pronounced Greg Evigan’s name “Evigaaaahn.” Still makes me giggle.
That AP article was great. Informative and well written. Thanks Anthony!
Let’s all fight the GLOBAL WARMING! GO SHATNER! GO!
Shat looks fantastic next to Ed ASner. And bashers can say what they will, but they can’t deny the man’s appeal. Look at all the coverage of the man…and this is when he is NOT in a Trek movie. Just imagine the buzz if he were.
His absence in the film, if true, is a travesty indeed.
It seems to me that Mr. Shatner has recently lost some weight. He looks, as Billy Crystal would say, “Marvelous”. Too bad this is Boston Legal’s last season :{
Shatner and Bill Moyers? Lorne Michaels? James Garner? Mike Wallace? Wow! Great company. Bill Moyers?…wow. All deserve the honor.
In case anyone has not heard the Great Shat will be on the Coast To Coast show Thursday june 12. You’ll have to go there to find what station it is on in your area (AM 1500 in the Twin Cities).
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
#22 … I agree. And Ed is only a bit older than Bill! Contrary to what many have said, Bill really doesn’t look all that different than when he appeared in Generations.
After reading the AP piece, it’s clearer and clearer that this is William Shatner’s galaxy, and we’re just bunking in an unused ensign’s quarters.
i like his hairstyle in that Tek war cover…. I’m serious…
“WILLIAM SHATNER’S CYBER MASTERPIECE”
Mm-hm. In which Mirror Universe would that be…?
All those other guys have class; Shatner does not. I hope Garner gets the award.
I admire the man’s achievements, charisma and energy. Congrats to him.
* * * *
#5. Snake, I know where you are going with the thought, but I can count all the wheat fields in Iowa on one hand. Let’s think corn… and the REAL travesty is that Iowa was not a location used. (Probably because we looked like Iceland in March and earlier during filming.)
* * * *
I see a couple posters referring to Shatner-bashing and the lack of Shatner in JJ’s Trek. Are you looking for a fight? (I’m not) No one so far as post #28 has said a bad thing. I am voting for a peaceful board.
Ok, I grant you one or two naysayers above me.
#22—Travesty? I think that’s a bit much…I think it’s better described as honoring the continuity established in the 10 previous Trek films, as well as maintaining the integrity of the story that Paramount (so much so that they have invested $150 million and scheduled the film to be its “Summer Movie”), Leonard Nimoy, and Bad Robot Films all seem to believe is so good.
The only “travesty” here is that some of his fans continue to saddle the baggage of what including Shatner in this film would entail upon the shoulders of JJ Abrams (and continue to whine about the fact that he chose not to handicap the film with that baggage), the one person who had absolutely nothing to do with creating the problem in the first place…
Other than that, you’re absolutely right. He does look fantastic for his age. We should all be so fortunate.
All kidding aside, Shat is still my ideal. I really hope I’m doing half of what he’s doing at that age.
Is The Shat wearing French cuffs in that first pic, or is he going for the rumpled ‘Columbo’ look? It looks like he lurched out there still wearing his jammies. LOL
#34—I hope I’m still breathing.
Check the Shat at the TV Land Awards. Looking svelte- he’s only a year and 4 months younger than Asner (no insult Ed, I love you…).
I was at the Belmont this past weekend. Whenever I go, I put $100 on the long shot- money I figure I’ll never see again. Da’ Tara paid $79. There’s a dent in my $7900 as the family found me all of a sudden VERY attractive!
OK, point being, gotta go with the long shot- Shat’s looking good, he’s IN IT BABY! (you know what I mean).
Ed Asner looks 152. William Shatner looks… 52.
But Bill, please, wear a nicer suit next time… :)
This is one reason I am a Shatner fan: He never gives up! He hasn’t always had it so easy – he got slapped down pretty hard by life in the 70’s, when his divorce and the cancellation of Trek left him broke and living in the back of a truck! He admits in Up Till Now there were times when he considered giving up acting. But he never did, he picked himself up and carried on, and look at him now.
“There’s nothing I can’t do” reminds us of one of life’s most important lessons – belief in one’s self.
The AP article is great; it’s really worth checking out, even if you’re not that thrilled by THE MAN…;)
Cograts on the nomination, Bill – and yes, those are all classy guys, stiff competition indeed.
# 33 how would Shatners involvement have handicapped the new movie?
It was afterall J.J.Abrams who approached Shatner in the first place and started the controversy.It is ironic that we are hearing more in the media at present about Shatner than we are about the new movie or its stars.
#41
Great point. JJ obviously wanted Shatner by talking to him. There would be the same backlash had he left Nimoy out after discussing a role. At the time he met Shatner i guess maybe JJ had not seen Generations.
Yep, he sure does look quite healthy for his age.
Indeed.
But seriously, can someone please explain the involvement of “HIStory”?
#42
– At the time he met Shatner i guess maybe JJ had not seen Generations. –
LOL – I’ve always suspected that. As Abrams repeatedly said he’s not a ST fan in the first place, he probably didn’t know about Generations then. Once upon a Shat there was a meeting after which Orci headed Abrams off and when he told him about that negligible, not actually large-scale, not even real problem they’d have to solve, Abrams declared “THIS IS A DISASTER”, was blown away by his own mainstream approaching mind, dying to forget about the meeting completely, and as a result he’s giving ST a kind of treatment it never has been given before…
#41
– ..how would Shatners involvement have handicapped the new movie? It was afterall J.J.Abrams who approached Shatner in the first place and started the controversy. –
Yeah, your comment makes a lot of sense, and I agree – this is a more than ironic situation and farcical Hollywood at its best.
#41, #42—Generations is the handicap I spoke of. Even Shatner acknowledges it as a writing problem. If Abrams had cast Shatner in anything other than some sort of alternate universe or flashback cameo, it would have been baggage, and that’s all I’m saying (making it fit coherently within the story). It may not be that he had not yet seen Generations at all. Perhaps Abrams had a cameo-type role (like the aforementioned flashback scene) in mind when he approached Bill. We all know what Bill’s thoughts were on that subject (at least at that time).
“I don’t do cameos.”
#46—“…when he told him about that negligible, not actually large-scale, not even real problem they’d have to solve…”
I assume that’s a joke.
#46
And how about the damage control at comic con. “we are desperately trying to get Shatner in. So we are on that” Nimoy is up there with Quinto. No Kirks were available at the time. I think JJ and crew really got it right by using the original characters for the movie. i am sure it will be entertaining. Only after seeing it will we be able to tell if they made the right decision. I personally think they could have found a way. Whether he could have been in it or not, they mishandled the situation.
#47
You’re entitled to assume whatever you like, but I assume you know me well enough by know to assume that there’s reason to assume that I’m dead serious about it – particularly when I’m assumedly joking…
#48—“I personally think they could have found a way.”
Of course they could have. The question is whether that could have been coherently assimilated into the story which was already written, and whether it would have benefitted that story. Since we haven’t seen it yet, it is impossible to make a valid judgement.
“Whether he could have been in it or not, they mishandled the situation.”
Not necessarily. Perhaps it was Shatner’s public comments expressing his aversion to cameos which precluded his involvement in the film. There is no reason to believe Abrams was insincere in expressing his desire to find him a role at that time, so unless “they” includes Bill Shatner, I don’t think that’s a fair statement.