William Shatner-related stories
What You Missed Last Night: Conan apologizes to Levi
Yesterday we posted video of William Shatner reading the tweets of Levi Johnston on The Tonight Show. Turns out Shatner read tweets from a fake Twitter account, and Johnston demanded an apology. He got one last night from Conan (well, sort of), but then we were treated to more Shatner. (Bonus: Conan mentions TMZ!)
[Watch clips and episodes of The Tonight Show and other shows at SlashControl.]
What You Missed Last Night: Shatner recites the Twitter poetry of Levi Johnston
William Shatner has appeared on The Tonight Show to give his typically awesome take on the Twitter messages that Sarah Palin posted to her account when she was Governor of Alaska. Last night he appeared again to recite the Twitter "poetry" of her arch-rival Levi Johnston.
Update: Johnston and his lawyer demand a retraction from Conan, saying that Twitter account is actually fake and Johnston never said those things. Maybe Conan will apologize on tonight's show. [Watch clips and episodes of The Tonight Show and other shows on SlashControl.]
Update: Johnston and his lawyer demand a retraction from Conan, saying that Twitter account is actually fake and Johnston never said those things. Maybe Conan will apologize on tonight's show. [Watch clips and episodes of The Tonight Show and other shows on SlashControl.]
Harlan Ellison bests CBS Paramount over 42 year-old Star Trek episode
You have to admire the tenacity of writer Harlan Ellison. He filed a lawsuit against CBS Paramount accusing the company of not paying him for all the ancillary income the company earned from the episode of Star Trek he wrote in 1967, "City on the Edge of Forever." Yesterday, Ellison announced on his web site that he had settled with CBS Paramount and he was very, very pleased. He didn't reveal how much money he made, but he probably did quite well.After all, CBS Paramount has done very, very well with that original Star Trek episode. It's regarded as -- and is -- the all-time best show in the entire original ST canon. Ironically, Ellison never liked what Roddenberry and company had done with his script.
Continue reading Harlan Ellison bests CBS Paramount over 42 year-old Star Trek episode
What You Missed Last Night: William Shatner does Sarah Palin
You knew that when Sarah Palin gave her incomprehensible farewell speech the other day the late night shows would jump on it. The Daily Show did it last night, and so did The Colbert Report. But I didn't expect William Shatner to add his semi-musical take. This is from last night's Tonight Show.
Continue reading What You Missed Last Night: William Shatner does Sarah Palin
TV, movie stars lend voices to Quantum Quest - Comic-Con Report
A Thursday panel at Comic-Con International announced a new animated project about space that packs a stellar voice cast.TV stars like William Shatner, Brent Spiner and Mark Hamill will join movie big shots like Chris Pine, Samuel L. Jackson and James Earl Jones in Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey.
Producer -- Dr. Larry "Doc" Kloor (scientist science fiction writer and the only human in history to earn two doctorates simultaneously) -- led the panel with special guests Bob Picardo, Doug Jones and a call-in by Pine.
According to Kloor, Pine plays Dave -- "a photon who lives in Sun City, at the core of the Sun. He's forced from the Sun and drawn into an epic battle between The Core (Shatner -- right) and The Void -- the embodiment of nothingness (Hamill)."
Continue reading TV, movie stars lend voices to Quantum Quest - Comic-Con Report
T.J. Hooker, the movie?
With the success of the Star Trek movie, it's no surprise that someone is trying to make a movie out of one of Shatner's other major television roles. T.J. Hooker is being adapted for the big screen.Who could they get to fill his massive shoes for this one? The movie is intended as an action comedy, so I don't see Chris Pine as the lead. Perhaps Jack Black?
I never really watched the show, but I do recall the funny sketch from SNL when Shatner was a guest host. Hooker jumped on a car hood and was stuck there while the car continued to drive for a few states.
It would be kind of typical to not have a cameo by Shatner in the remake. After all, he didn't appear in the Star Trek movie.
I'm sure Hollywood is not done mining Shatner's legacy for the movie adaptation game. Next up, Boston Legal the movie.
Leonard Nimoy once made a music video
I was aware that, like fellow Star Trek icon William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy released an album or two in his day. I wasn't aware, however, that Nimoy made a music video that accompanied one of the songs on those albums.The song is "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" and was released in 1968 (which was during his run on Star Trek) on an album called The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy. I'm surprised this video did not get more air time on MTV back in the day. Perhaps it should be considered for VH1. More info, and the video, is after the jump.
Continue reading Leonard Nimoy once made a music video
Should Shatner be in the next Star Trek movie?
So William Shatner says he hasn't seen the new Star Trek movie yet. But he says that he knows it has gotten some great reviews and he's really looking forward to seeing it. He also says he'd delighted to be in the next movie.So what do you think? Is having Shatner in the next movie a great way to please old Trek fans or do you think having yet another character from the original series would be pushing it, considering they already had Leonard Nimoy in the first one (which is pretty much how I'm leaning)?
Everything you didn't want to know about the Star Trek movie
Over at ComicMix, Alan Kistler has written annotations for the new Star Trek movie and how well it fits into the overall continuity of the show. It's a pretty impressive list and does prove that despite the blatant contradiction of the show's history as a result of time travel, they were actually pretty good with getting the details of the characters correct.Spoilers follow this paragraph. You have been warned.
Continue reading Everything you didn't want to know about the Star Trek movie
The new Star Trek flick has started a Trekkie civil war
J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek has sparked a huge controversy in the Trekkie universe, a controversy that in the real world amounts to a drunken debate in a dive border town bar over which Darren on Bewitched was more "boneable." My sneak preview review sparked a wave of supportive and angry comments that I have never seen in my history with TV Squad, which amounts to six months depending on which of my accountants you talk to. My former accountant can be reached at the Tennessee Colony State Prison, Tennessee Colony, Texas.
It seems the angrier of the Treksters are getting their head gear in a bunch because Abrams chose to work Leonard Nimoy into the picture via a time travel plot that completely alters the original history and lore of the original series. As one commentor put it, "instead of obliterating a few minutes of exposition about 20 years we didn't watch, this has obliterated [forty three plus] years of storytelling that we did watch."
Continue reading The new Star Trek flick has started a Trekkie civil war
A Star Trek blast from the past - VIDEO
In what may be the most frightening piece of nostalgia ever produced, someone has posted their video from Paramount's Star Trek Adventure online, which was at Universal Studios way back when. Judging by the ages of the original actors, it was probably produced sometime around Star Trek IV or Star Trek V (or possibly VI) and serves as a wonderful example of how quickly everybody involved with this American icon was willing to sell out.Of course, Roddenberry himself was selling IDIC medallions by season three of the original series, so this blatant commercialism should come as no surprise. Does anybody out there actually have a video of themselves participating in this? If so, did you have to wait on line for it? If I did something like this ever, I would likely bury the videotape somewhere and hope it was never discovered again.
Someone's embarrassing video is after the jump.
Continue reading A Star Trek blast from the past - VIDEO
William Shatner: Awesomeness personified - VIDEO
I'm one of those nerds who are convinced that William Shatner will show up in the final minutes of J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie to, I don't know, shag a green hooker or give Eric Bana a judo chop to the neck. Why? Because William Shatner is awesome. Shatner's best known for zipping through the galaxy as Star Trek's Captain Kirk, but as this Topless Robot list points out, the man has done many awesome things outside of Star Trek.
Continue reading William Shatner: Awesomeness personified - VIDEO
Harlan Ellison suing Paramount over Star Trek stuff
Harlan Ellison is a great writer and also one guy you don't want to piss off.He wrote the classic Star Trek episode "City on the Edge of Forever" (often called by best episode of the original series by fans and non-fans alike), and now he's suing CBS-Paramount over what they have done with the story since he got paid for writing it in 1967. He got paid for the script and got residuals, but in the years after the episode aired the studio has not only published a sequel trilogy with Pocket Books based on the episode, they even had a "Guardian of Forever" talking Hallmark Christmas ornament that said Ellison's lines from his script, so he wants his money.
Continue reading Harlan Ellison suing Paramount over Star Trek stuff
Prime Minister Shatner?
In what may be the biggest foray of an entertainer into politics since Governor Schwarzenegger and President Reagan, William Shatner is eyeing the office of Canada's Prime Minister. The odds are that this idea he put forth in a letter will never gestate into truth, but wouldn't it be cool if it did? Canada would be led by Captain Kirk. Talk about major bragging rights. I know I'd be jealous.I love that he declined the role of Governor General in Canada because he feels he'd be a better Prime Minister. It's typical Shatner to only want the top spot. That's what made him such an iconic starship captain.
Seriously, it's not a bad idea. Boston Legal is done. Chris Pine is taking over the role that made him famous. Priceline.com can only film so many commercials. The man has a lot of spare time on his hands. I say go for it.
Fascinating: Kirk to interview Spock tomorrow
Has anyone been watching William Shatner's talk show Raw Nerve? I swore to myself that I would watch it when it premiered, but it's on The Biography Channel, and sometimes when we're talking about those channels that get up to 105 or 144 or 170 on your cable system, you forget that the show is on. Heck, I'm not even sure I even get The Biography Channel on my cable system since they started taking away and adding channels in my package last year. But if I do have it I'm going to check out tomorrow's episode for sure.On the January 6 episode, Shatner is going to interview good friend and Star Trek buddy Leonard Nimoy.
Continue reading Fascinating: Kirk to interview Spock tomorrow
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
