William Shatner has a busy 2012 planned, and he’s bringing us on the ride! In the next few week’s Bill is headed to Broadway, The Tonight Show and Betty White. There are also new Shatner products (like a Kirk cookie jar) and new Shatner videos. ShatWatch returns with a look at William Shatner’s newest adventures as only he can live them!
SHATWATCH 2012 PREVIEW OF EVERYTHING SHATNER
UPCOMING SHATNER APPEARANCES
Bill’s One Man Show On Broadway (and beyond)
William Shatner returns to Broadway with a one man show called “Shatner’s World: We Just Live In it” during 2012 (dates and locations to be announced). In February, the show will have a limited run at the New York Music Box, and then begin a 15 week national tour, which will hopefully include Illinois (Why, Illinois? Because I live there!).
Betty White Birthday Special
The Shat will be one of the guests celebrating the amazing Betty White’s birthday. NBC will premiere “Betty White’s 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America’s Golden Girl” January 16th, featuring a reunion of Betty’s Mary Tyler Moore Show fellow actors and other celebrities including Shatner. Betty White is an avowed Star Trek fan beginning during its original showings, something she writes about in her autobiography.
Fusebox Festival
This April, Austin, Texas will host the eight annual Fusebox Festival, an arts and innovation celebration. Artist Phil Soltanoff from New York will be making a William Shatner interactive video puppet, with the Shat’s permission, using voice sampling technology. The puppet will be able to respond to the audience during a panel presentation.
Tonight Show on Wednesday
Bill will appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 4th in another “Does this Thrill Bill?” segment. In these segments, people try their talents out on Bill. You either thrill the Shat, or you don’t.
NEW SHANTER MERCHANDISE
Kirk Cookie Jar
Westland Giftware announced a new spate of their fun Star Trek useable items, and one of them is a Captain Kirk cookie jar! It is a companion piece to the previously available Spock cookie jar.
Aftermath DVD
William Shatner’s show Aftermath, one of two he has on BIO channel, is now available on DVD. The program has the Shat explore the aftermath of famous past news events.
NEW SHATNER VIDEOS
Shatner Wows Country Music Awards
On December 13th, CMT had the annual Country Music Artists of the Year Award show. Brad Paisley and Joe Walsh performed a melody of the songs “Life’s Been Good” and “Camouflage” with some speak-sing help from William Shatner much to the delight, and based on some reactions, confusion, of the audience. You either get the Shat, or you don’t.
Holiday Greetings
William Shatner offered New Year’s wishes to all through his YouTube video. Of course, we at TrekMovie wish the Shat, and all his fans, a Happy New Year!
Long Live the Shat.
The Shat is what 80 something and has the energy of a 20 year old. I hope when I get to be 80 I still have half his energy. I would love to see the Shat as Capt Kirk at least one more time.
I think I may just have to get the Kirk Cookie jar. Since I live in Austin texas i may just have to check out the Kirk Puppit. To Quote. Sounds Like Fun!.
Hey Harry. Can you Thrill the Shat. Come on Harry. You know you want to.
James T. Kirk: “No, I’m from Iowa. I only caucus in outer space.”
Gee, Mike. Like the Shat much?
John, don’t get us started on the Iowa Caucuses thing….
Oh, no, I agree, AJ! Its too perfect a joke not to use today!
There is something perfectly right about have a cookie jar designed based on William Shatner….a guy who could obviously never say no to the offer of “another cookie?” :-)
No Star Trek XII on the list :(
A Warren Beatty cookie jar! I’ve always wanted one!!
3.
How about if I dress up like Uhura and do a fan dance for the Shat? That could work!
Wow Betty White a Trekker!
I love it!
The cookie jar looks more like Bill O’Reilly than Bill Shatner.
I love the Shat!! :) :)
I love the cookies!! :) :)
— the Shat
How is it Shatner’s hair never grows?
Oh…..yeah.
16.
Hey, I’ve got it…..come out with a chia pet version of the Shat! Thar she grows!
Shat on Betty White.
Wow… it’s WAY too early to be playin’ with my head… and now you can pay for my shrink.
MJ — You are fast becoming the most mean-spirited poster on this site, and that is not particularly easy to do. It grows very wearisome.
Kirk cookie jar is a bust…likeness looks more like Miles O’Brien…
@19. Sheesh, if you can’t see the humor in Shat having a cookie jar, then I really feel pity for you. Come on dude, have a good natured laugh. Shat + Cookie jar = funny, and Shat would have a good laugh here himself.
MJ – Perhaps you are right that Shatner would have a laugh at it. It just seems to me like you continually bust on him for his weight gain. I am not overweight myself, but I believe that it’s not cool to pick on people for their physical appearance. I believe that there are a number of overweight people who laugh at “fat” jokes while with others, but who inside feel deep pain to be so ridiculed. In any case, that’s just my two cents. Peace and Happy New Year to you all the same. I apologize for calling you mean-spirited. Yesterday was not a great day.
Brett+MJ
I saw William Shatner on Jay Leno last night. He has slimmed down and looked great!
23 – Harry, I saw him too, and you’re right. He looked very good. And that guy tap-dancing on his hands was amazing! Happy New Year to you, my friend!
@22. Brett, if it makes you feel any better, I am a bit fat, but I still laugh at fat jokes. I always been a bit of clown humor-wise, but sometimes that does not translate well to email or posts. Sorry
You guys are right — he has slimmed down recently.
Peace! Happy New Year, guys!
MJ – When I was a kid in second grade, I befriended a third grader who was obese and whom the other kids picked on relentlessly. I will alwaysremember how grateful he was to have a friend who did not pick on him or judge him because of his appearance. Some individuals like yourself have an ability to laugh at themselves, and more power to you and them. I will just never forget the pain the other kids’ constant teasing caused my friend. There was a short Japanese film I saw a few years later, translated as “Skinny and Fatty,” which pretty much told the same story, and showed what a cross-cultural phenomenon such bias towards obesity can be. I doubt that Shatner is happy or proud that he has gained weight, and it is nice to see that he appears to be getting into better shape. As unstoppable as he is, I think we can expect even more zest for living from him in the new year. Here’s to more tolerance from all of us (myself included, as I have my own biases) in this New Year. Here’s to peace and optimism, as continually depicted in Trek, for all in the New Year, for all.
@26. Sounds good Brett, and certainly I join you in defense of kids being made fun of our bullied — there should be zero tolerance for that.
27 — MJ, Amen and fully agreed, sir!
I agree, gentlemen!
Then the three of us shall form The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Devoted to the Protection of our Youths!
Umm … are three guys enough for a League?
Any other takers?
Hey, three more and we could have a poker game! HOO-YAH!!
Well, we know who would be holding the Jokers! ; )