WilliamShatner.com

William Shatner Main Discussion - What's Up... Sir Shat

TRexx - Aug 28, 2007 - 07:20 PM
Post subject: What's Up... Sir Shat

William Shatner: In The News...

William Shatner Lends Voice to Videogame for Charity

The Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation charity has announced a forthcoming casual charity PC game, The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures, to be developed with Legacy Interactive (Law & Order) and Dave Thomas' Animax Entertainment, and starring the voices of William Shatner and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Starlight Starbright itself is a charity dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope through entertainment, education and family activities. According to the charity, The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures is "...a hilarious arcade adventure game about a thoroughly modern family trying to bond on a road trip to see the Alamo."

In addition to 40 levels of side-scrolling action making up the gameplay, the animated cut-scenes will be voiced by notables such as Bob Saget (Barry Tuttle), Jamie Lee Curtis (Barbara Tuttle), Ashley Tisdale (Jess Tuttle), Dominic Scott Kay (Zach Tuttle), Dave Thomas (The Australian), Dave Coulier (The Native and several other characters), and William Shatner (Vance Shepherd, apparently "...a TV action star whose self-involved persona has been downloaded into the on-board computer of the family's souped-up mini-van.")

The game will be available to the public through PC game portals and potentially via retail distribution in the future. The standard price to play will be about $20, and on average, the Starlight charity will receive approximately $4.75 per unit.

"Starlight is taking a giant step forward, away from run-of-the-mill charity events into the rapidly growing realm of online entertainment and casual gameplay," said Patty Evans, Vice President, Development, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. "This inventive approach gives anyone with Internet access the chance to participate together in a fundraising "event" through online casual gaming. Traditional barriers to charity event participation such as geographic location, cost to participate and finding the time to partake become virtually obsolete."

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_i ... tory=15271

TRexx - Aug 28, 2007 - 07:33 PM
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Excerpts from The Seattle Times...

Easing the torment of tinnitus

The statistics of tinnitus are as horrifying as the affliction itself. According to the Portland-based American Tinnitus Association (ATA), some 50 million Americans experience intermittent or permanent tinnitus. Between 10 million and 12 million have severe and chronic tinnitus and some 2 million are completely disabled by the condition. In most cases, such as Young's, the cause can be traced to loud noise that damages the fragile sound-detecting cells in the inner ear.

Disease, tumors, medications, or physical trauma to the head or neck can also be a trigger. But U.S. Navy veteran David Young had experienced none of these in the weeks and months leading up to the sudden increase in his tinnitus.

"Every doctor I went to couldn't explain it, and could do nothing to help me," said Young. The unrelenting noise in his head disrupted his concentration and kept him awake, sometimes for days.

With no relief in sight, Young began researching his options. Internet searches kept pointing to one promising treatment: sound therapy.

"I found information about actor William Shatner, who had success using tinnitus retraining therapy [TRT]," said Young. "The science looked good, and it had been around for a while."

William Shatner's situation

If there is a celebrity "poster boy" for tinnitus, it would have to be Shatner, whose career -- and life -- were threatened by the condition. The 76-year-old "Boston Legal" star says his problems began about 15 years ago, probably the result of advancing age compounded by exposure to many on-screen special-effects explosions throughout his 50-year movie and television career.

"I was in a terrible state," said Shatner from his home in California. "The more you worry about it, the worse it gets. I couldn't sleep or think, and I even thought about suicide."

In 1996, Shatner traveled to the University of Maryland and met with Dr. Pawel Jastreboff, who introduced him to TRT. Jastreboff, who now works at Emory University's School of Medicine, began clinical use of TRT six years earlier.

Shatner's treatment involved wearing a small electronic device that generated a low-level, broadband sound -- a white noise -- that helped his brain put the tinnitus in the background.

"When used in conjunction with counseling, 80 percent of the more than 1,000 patients I have personally treated have responded very well," said Jastreboff from his office in Atlanta. Jastreboff also credits Shatner's high profile and willingness to talk about his tinnitus for giving people like Young hope.

"I wore the device for 24 hours a day for several months," said Shatner. "Now, I don't hear the tinnitus 95 percent of the time. So it's important to let people know that in many cases, tinnitus can be managed. I'm living proof you can conquer it."

The full article at The Seattle Times...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... cation=rss

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TRexx - Aug 28, 2007 - 07:42 PM
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Excerpts from Pantagraph.com...

Joel Gretsch delights in complexities of 'The 4400'

By Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Joel Gretsch rushes into Marmalade Cafe. He's 10 minutes late. "I am so sorry, but my kids...," he begins, revealing how they anchored him at the ankles to keep him from leaving.

"But we're going to the zoo later on," says Gretsch, 43, as the midmorning sun shapes a postcard spring Saturday in suburban Sherman Oaks, "so they're excited about that."

He's visibly geeked about the outing, too. Weekends are family time for "The 4400" star, who's shooting the USA series in Vancouver through the summer. He lives not too far from the restaurant with his daughters -- Kaya, 5, and Willow, 2 -- and wife Melanie, daughter of William Shatner.

Gretsch isn't one to complain about working — or the weekly hassles of airport customs. But why would he, having landed on one of the hottest series on basic cable.

Full article at Pantagraph.com...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007 ... 190207.txt

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TRexx - Aug 28, 2007 - 07:53 PM
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From the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC)...

Calgary gallery finds space for William Shatner

One of 76 pieces in the Calgary show celebrating William Shatner is this work by Andrea Lam titled Manning the Rocket Man. (CBC)

William Shatner has taken on a new role, as muse to artists who created 76 works based on the actor for Calgary's Uppercase Gallery.

The Canadian-born Shatner is best known for his role as Capt. James Kirk, commander of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the Star Trek series. But he's also played a tough sergeant in the T.J. Hooker crime show, sold cereal, and kept himself in focus through the process.

"Every artist has their muse," he said in a message posted on the gallery's website. "Who am I to stand in the way of all these fine artists and artisans who want to use my lumpy, aging face for inspiration?

"Some creators love a great sunset; some have in mind my bloodshot eyes. Nevertheless, out of awe, amusement or pity, you should come and see this unique show."

The gallery's self-proclaimed mastermind, Janine Vangool, came up with the idea of a Shatner show after listening to the actor's CD while driving across Canada.

William Shatner won an Emmy in 2005 for his work on Boston Legal.William Shatner won an Emmy in 2005 for his work on Boston Legal. (Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press)

New and established artists from across the continent contributed works.

The results include a bust of Shatner made from more than 9,000 Lego pieces, Shatner as Bonhomme, Shatner portraits, Shatner driving the last spike and Shatner as Kirk embraced by a Gorn, a reptilian humanoid space creature.

"It's kind of about him as the centre of the universe," said artist Katie Radke.

There are 76 works on view, one for each year of Shatner's age.

The show runs until the end of August.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2007/06/23 ... ml?ref=rss

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TRexx - Aug 28, 2007 - 09:30 PM
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From Spinner.com...

Interpol Gunning After William Shatner

Posted Jul 5th 2007 3:30PM by Steve Baltin
Filed under: News, Humor

When it comes to modeling a fruitful, long-lasting rock success story of one's own, there's a bevy of careers from which to choose -- Paul McCartney and U2, among them. Interpol, however, opt not for rock royalty but for royalty of another kind. Stellar, one might say.

"William Shatner," bassist Carlos Dengler told Spinner at the band's Sessions taping in L.A. "I'm not joking. He has been in the spotlight the entire time. First, 'Star Trek.' Then 'T.J. Hooker' and Priceline. And there's [his album 'Has Been'] -- which is fantastic -- where he covered 'Common People' by Pulp. I don't know if he's a good musician, but he has spirit and doesn't take himself too seriously. That's something I respect quite a bit."

http://www.spinner.com/2007/07/05/inter ... m-shatner/

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TRexx - Aug 28, 2007 - 09:58 PM
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From the Montreal Gazette...

The man, the myth, the Shat

BILL BROWNSTEIN, The Gazette
Published: Sunday, July 15

In this very galaxy not that long ago, William Shatner had to spend many a day and night trying to dodge overzealous Trekkies (Trekkers, if you will) sporting Spock ears and Vulcan masks (then again, maybe they weren't masks).

Not that N.D.G.'s gift to the worlds of acting, sci-fi and the surreal didn't appreciate the ardour of these fans, but there is far more to the man than his Captain Kirk alter ego from the iconic Star Trek series. On the other hand, if he had a buck for every Spock-eared goof who requested that Shatner "beam me up," he probably could have retired several light years ago.

But he didn't. Rather, Shatner, 76, re-invented himself and as a result, goes boldly where few actors, even those half his age, still go. To work. He sings, he dances, he shills, he acts.

Some 55 years in the biz, and there's still no stopping him. It may often be self-parody, but he is most certainly a bigger star today than he was when navigating through the stars and cruising the cosmos decades back on Star Trek. He has the silverware to prove it: two Emmy Awards, among others, for his work as the batty barrister on the hit series Boston Legal.

Plus, you know you've made a crater-sized impact when you are the subject of the doc How William Shatner Changed the World and when you are singled out for a little love and a lot of basting in The Uncensored Roast of William Shatner.

"Honestly, I attribute all my longevity and success to Canadian meat and vegetables -- organic vegetables, that is. Oh, and can't forget those fabulous Canadian blueberries, so rich in anti-oxidants, from Ste. Agathe," says Shatner, perhaps tongue-quite-a-bit-in-cheek, in a phone interview. He's in his trailer, waiting to return to the Boston Legal set in Hollywood, and he's in a particularly buoyant frame.

Shatner returns to his hometown Saturday to host two Just for Laughs galas at ThEtre St. Denis. Seven years ago, the first and last time he served as master of ceremonies for a gala, Shatner cracked up the house with his "I am Canadian" routine -- a wacky take on the Molson Canadian beer ad of yore. "I can't take all the credit. They wrote some kind of inspired material for me," he says. "It's all about the material and I'm hoping for more of same this time."

Some of the material written for the 2000 gala referred to the then-renaming of McGill's Student Union as the William Shatner Building. "I just hope the building is earthquake-proof and has sprinkler heads," he cracks. "I spent four great years at McGill, diligently trying to play football and act at the same time while pursuing women and studies -- about in that order, too."

But the Festival City that is Montreal today is not the one that Shatner recalls from his formative years. "Not at all. The city I remember was for me mostly in the west end. The city today seems like such a welcome place.

"It's not just the quality of the music and comedy at the festivals, but it's the way the city has laid itself out as such an endearing spot to spend time."

Despite the fact Late Late Show host and Just for Laughs alumnus Craig Ferguson selected him as his favourite Canadian humorist, Shatner doesn't think of himself as a comedian per se. But he does have interesting views on Canadian comedy. "What's funny is that Canadians aren't perceived as being funny, yet many of the best comics in America are Canadians. It's a bit of a dichotomy. It's interesting that many think that Canada is so dour, but it's Canadians like Mike Myers, David Steinberg and Jim Carrey who've helped foster comedy everywhere."

Perhaps Ferguson picked Shatner as his fave Canadian comic based on his Boston Legal work. "There's no question that what we do on Boston Legal is really amusing, but it's also quite meaningful, too," Shatner says. "James Spader (the show's co-star) and I looked at each other at the end of a scene the other day and he made the remark that, what other TV show writes scenes like this? We couldn't come up with another name."

Shatner is hoping to catch a break from his Boston Legal shooting schedule in order to stay in Montreal for more than a weekend. "Except for two sisters and a few relatives, I really don't know too many people in the city," he notes. "But the garlic spare-ribs are calling out for me and I have to heed the call."

As seasoned Montrealers are likely aware, he is referring to the garlic spare-ribs of the long- defunct Ruby Foo's which have been nearly replicated at Le ChrysanthEme downtown. "They must have the Ruby Foo's spare-ribs under spectrum analysis to determine just how much garlic goes into them."

Also calling out to Shatner are, natch, Montreal bagels, barbecued chicken and smoked meat. "I'll tell you just how good the smoked meat is. Over the last few years, I have sent out for loads of smoked meat, and of all the things I have done in four years on Boston Legal, the biggest contribution I have made to the show -- more than my dialogue or comedy scenes or meaningful moments -- is the smoked meat. All the other stuff pales before that pink mass of Schwartz's smoked meat.

"Of course, I might need a whole load of bran after eating all that smoked meat in town."

Fortunately, Shatner knows where to find it. He just happens to be the pitch-man for Kellogg's Bran Flakes. Ah, when it rains, it pours for the man.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/n ... mp;k=53245

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TRexx - Aug 29, 2007 - 12:47 AM
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From Geek.com...

Priceline Negotiator gets MySpace page

by Brian Osborne posted on June 14, 2007 8:31 am

If you're a William Shatner fan or fan of his Priceline commercials, then you'll be happy to hear that Shatner's persona, The Priceline Negotiator, now has his own MySpace page. Like many MySpace pages, The Negotiator lists his interests, including favorite music, movies, television shows, books, and heroes. Amusingly, the Priceline Negotiator's hero is Lee Mei–his "price-chopping kung fu samurai master."

Videos and photos are included on the website. My favorite one is where The Negotiator blasts the gnome mascot of a Priceline competitor. Other features of the website include wallpapers, icons, and ringtones, including the famous "You're so naughty" line from Shatner as The Negotiator. One of the images available will even allow you to copy and paste The Negotiator into photos.

Priceline was smart to hire Shatner as a spokesperson. He is a legend and a pop icon. The marketing team at Priceline has taken its Negotiator campaign to the next level, and I love it.

Priceline just keeps the fun ideas coming.

http://www.myspace.com/thenegotiator

http://www.geek.com/priceline-negotiato ... pace-page/

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TRexx - Aug 29, 2007 - 12:49 AM
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From Variety...

Shatner to interview celebrities

Biography Channel taps TV vet for 'Nerve'
By STEVEN ZEITCHIK

After a recent career path that's taken him from Web pitchman to primetime Emmy winner, William Shatner has been signed to host a celebrity-interview show on the Biography Channel.

Shatner, currently seen on ABC's "Boston Legal," will interview a range of guests on the half-hour, titled "Shatner's Raw Nerve." Both actors and politicians will be featured, and reps for the net said producers will make an effort to book guests separately from their movie and other junkets.

Biography said in a release that the thesp "will explore life's most intriguing questions and unearth his guests' strange and unknown stories."

Thirteen episodes have been ordered by the net, with the skein to air some time next year.

Move comes as part of a larger shift by the net to contemporize both subject and feel.

Exec veep-general manager Bob DeBitetto described the new mission of the Biography Channel as "true stories about fascinating people."

Reps said the new philosophy will still involve telling the nonfiction stories of people, but the net will move beyond the more traditional format of profiles of one individual; in fact, the subjects may not even be famous.

In addition to the Shatner pact, company has made pilot deals for "Small Medium at Large," a show about a four-foot-tall psychic medium who uses Chinese meditation to commune with the dead, and "I Survived," about people who have survived near-death experiences.

The expansion is the result of an original programming boom in cable that has allowed and encouraged networks to experiment with a broader range of programming, though it has also sometimes diluted a net's mission.

Biography has also added the tagline "True Story" and will revamp its on-air look to feel more current.

The tagline is similar to truTV, the rebranding of Court TV to net with a similar focus on scripted and nonscripted takes on real-life events.

Cabler will also refer to itself as "Bio" in much of its correspondence, though it will still officially be called the Biography Channel.

Biography has yet to land truly wide exposure, currently reaching 44 million homes, but says its ratings in adults 18-49 are up 38% so far this year.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796 ... 4&cs=1

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TRexx - Aug 29, 2007 - 12:54 AM
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From Hour.ca...

JFL: William Shatner

Pater familias, Jamie O'Meara
July 19th, 2007

William Shatner needs little introduction (and thank God for that, 'cause space is limited). A born and bred Montrealer, Shatner's folks were in the schmatte business, and he studied at McGill before going on to a classical, Shakespearean acting career that led him to outstanding roles like that of T.J. Hooker. And, if you insist, Star Trek's Captain Kirk.

In a life and career that's seen its big ups and occasionally crushing downs, Shatner, at age 76, is enjoying a kind of ubiquitous success with a multitude of projects in print, music and on screen, and of course on the hit television series Boston Legal, for which he recently bagged his second Emmy Award as well as a Golden Globe. Things are good, and this is reflected in his jovial and generous conversation over the phone from his home in L.A.

After some preliminary chitchat about, what else, Montreal smoked meat ("There's no smoked meat like Montreal smoked meat"), we get right into it...

Hour: Y'know, it's funny, I've always felt this kind of paternal vibe coming from you...

William Shatner: No, I don't know you and I certainly don't want any demands made on me.

Hour: Does that mean I can't call you "Dad"?

Shatner: Yes, exactly, and everything else that goes with it. I'm tired of supporting... you're on your own. I don't know how to explain your feeling towards me, but maybe since 'Dad' has been around for a long time, it refers to me.

Hour: But there is an undeniable warmth that you engender in people...

Shatner: They keep saying, "That poor fool," and that brings out all kinds of warm feelings.

Hour: Is this something you experience often?

Shatner [Laughing]: I've heard what you've said, yes, and I don't know how to deal with it.

Hour: Have I become too familiar in too little time?

Shatner: Well, no, no, I don't want you to withdraw -- it's not good for your psyche.

Hour: Let's forget for the moment the Golden Globes and the Emmys and these sorts of things... The All-Bran commercials: People love them.

Shatner: They do! I've signed for another couple of years with the Kellogg thing, and they're fun to do. They've caught a lovely hook, I guess, on how to project me on their brand and it becomes fun for everybody.

Hour: You've enjoyed a phenomenal amount of late-period success in your life - how satisfying is that for you? You went through a tough period right after Star Trek, and is it true that you were living in the back of a truck in the San Fernando Valley?

Shatner: Yes. You know, in terms of it really being tough - where tough was really tough - that wasn't tough. But in terms of, uh, I suppose being a leading actor [laughs] living in the back of a truck, that was tough.

Hour: What was tough?

Shatner: Well, it was the rising expectations and the dashed hopes, I suppose.

Hour: What kinds of things are exciting you now?

Shatner: There are a lot of things going on. I've got a new series of Star Trek books coming out by a young Captain Kirk -- a teenaged Kirk and Mr. Spock -- and the first one will be out in October. I've got a new album, which is an oratorical on Exodus, new classical music with 250 voices, coming out in October. And then there's the potential of a talk show next season, and then of course Boston Legal is starting in a couple of weeks, and there's also a DVD of a ballet that was done on six numbers that I co-wrote with Ben Folds and the Milwaukee Ballet... so there's lots of stuff.

Hour: Your last album [Has Been, 2004] got great reviews -- it did really well!

Shatner: You sound surprised, but I was hoping [it would]... It was very gratifying. It wasn't written for novelty, in fact the dictum was, Let's tell the truth.

Hour: Okay, I think that's just about it for me...

Shatner [Dryly]: I'm exhausted, so... Ah, I'm only joking. I'm looking forward, very deeply, to coming up to Montreal to do this, and so we're beginning to work already. The only slight cloud on the horizon is I need to get that weekend off from Boston Legal... but I have every reasonable expectation of being able to make it up there, but I wanted to just bring out that suggestion that it's in the realm of possibility...

Hour: That you might not be able to make it to your own gala?!

Shatner [Laughing]: That they might close me down due to scheduling. But I'm almost sure that that won't happen, and I'm really looking forward, not only to performing -- especially if the material is good - but to enjoying the festival itself because that's a hoot. That comedy festival is really fun to do, and I hope it attracts a lot of people to Montreal.

http://www.hour.ca/stage/stage.aspx?iIDArticle=12531

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TRexx - Aug 29, 2007 - 01:12 AM
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From the Canadian National Post...

Simply Shatner

How to explain the cultural phenomenon that is William Shatner? A Calgary art exhibit tries...

The Shatner Show is on now at UPPERCASE gallery. The exhibition in UPPERCASE gallery will be open for public viewing beginning June 16 and ending August 31, 2007.

Kevin Libin, National Post, Published: Saturday, June 30, 2007

CALGARY -- She calls him simply "Shatner." Not William Shatner, Mr. Shatner or even Bill Shatner, as his Hollywood pals do. Janine Vangool is no friend of Shatner. They have no personal connection. She has communicated to him only through his assistant. She is, she explains, merely an observer. And, as curator of what is surely the first art exhibit dedicated to exploring the man's mystique, she has become a documenter of the cultural phenomenon that is, to sum up in a single word, Shatner.

"Shatner is Shatner," explains Ms. Vangool, owner of Calgary's Uppercase Gallery. "It's a unique character he's created."

Seventy-six artists (one for each year of the man's life) have contributed as many works to The Shatner Show, which opened this month in the tiny downtown gallery and runs until Aug. 15 with a portion of the proceeds going to Mr. Shatner's favourite charity, horse therapy for handicapped children. Works cover the span of a roller-coaster career: One moody gouache portrait recreates a Shatner close-up still from 1962's Judgment at Nuremberg, another alludes to his role in 1965's bizarre horror picture, Incubus, filmed entirely in the constructed universal language of Esperanto.

There are too many Star Trek influences to count, of course. But others represent more contemporary incarnations. There is an enormous Lego bust of Denny Crane, the eccentric lawyer played by Mr. Shatner on Boston Legal (constructed with 9,000 pieces, and with more than 180 hours of work sunk into it by New York artist Sean Kenney, it's the most expensive piece at $16,000). And at least one artist, depicting Mr. Shatner riding a turd like a horse, says he had in mind "regularity" --a nod to the actor's current role as spokesman for All-Bran. That, suggests the artist in question, Clayton Hanmer, or "the big poop could also represent the bulls--t of celebrity and Hollywood-dom that he totally has control of."

Like Mr. Hanmer, most artists seem eager to get beyond the characters that Mr. Shatner plays and into the character of the man himself -- someone who seems uniquely able to simultaneously enjoy his celebrity and mock it. (When Ms. Vangool asked for his blessing, Mr. Shatner e-mailed: "Every artist has their muse. Leonardo was inspired by the ceiling in the great chapel. Who am I to stand in the way of all these fine artists and artisans who want to use my lumpy, ageing face for inspiration?")

The inspiration for the exhibit came last summer, Ms. Vangool says. She and her husband had never given much thought to Mr. Shatner, before. They are not Trekkies, nor avid fans of T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911 or Boston Legal. But on a road trip to Nova Scotia, they listened over and over to Mr. Shatner's 2004 spoken-word album Has Been. In it, the star known most for his pop cultural camp value, offers up sometimes painful reflections on his life. "It has a nice emotional range and [it] intrigued me that he had this other creative side," she says.

Several pieces in the exhibit play with the theme of Mr. Shatner as Lothario. In one imagined mash-up from the legendary Star Trek episode "Arena", Kirk's death-struggle with a Gorn lizard becomes a love scene. Several artists are absorbed by Mr. Shatner's Quebec roots, portraying him as the iconic Bonhomme and as a cat (a play on the French transliteration of his name, "Chat-ner").

But given that this is a man who has become a cultural icon, despite never having aspired to acting and who has succeeded in transforming typecast into self-parody, making millions doing so (his estimated $40-million net worth comes more from his work in the past decade than anything from his more serious past), it is remarkable that so many works portray a dark, tortured side.

In one linocut, he sits anxiously on a tree limb, in his pyjamas, gripping his knees to his chest. One disturbing painting shows the Montreal-born actor at a pool-side funeral -- in 1999, he discovered his third wife dead at the bottom of his pool-- while mourners in black swimsuits sip punch.

Amazingly, though, it's Mr. Shatner's mystifying performance of "Rocket Man" at the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards that emerges as the dominant theme. At least 16 different works evoke the melodramatic scene, in which a tuxedoed Mr. Shatner, atop a stool lit by a single spotlight, contemplates a cigarette while speaking the lyrics to the Elton John song.

While Ms. Vangool says she asked the artists to treat the subject with "playful reverence," most apparently couldn't escape an image of Mr. Shatner as the enigmatic, rather absurd, Rocket Man: a human of dimensions at odds with each other.

They weren't alone. The most serious work of the exhibit is "Shatner Reflecting". In it, an older looking Shatner slumps in a dressing room, cigarette in hand, a scotch on the vanity. There is nothing "playful" about it. It is the one work Mr. Shatner asked to keep for himself.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news ... 62&p=1

http://vangooldesign.com/shatnerweb/SHA ... me=contact

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kirkscutie11728 - Aug 29, 2007 - 02:11 PM
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I really enjoyed reading some of the articles (well now we know that Bill likes smoked meat) and we've got his 'beauty' secret (organic vegetables) and we've also got what his CD will be (oratorical on Exodus, classical music) but I didn't know that he has art gallery exhibits, which is in a way awesome! I was looking at the pictures in the article 'Simply Shatner' and I immediately picked out the last one because I liked it the best, only to read that Bill has chosen that one for himself (I've got taste like Bill, yay!) I'm going to check out the Negotiator's MySpace page, and then there was Interpol (if they're doing a new CD they should really try and get Bill's velvety voice on it) and then the tinnitus article. No, Bill, don't commit suicide! The world needs you and look at how well things are going for you, albeit, busy as hell. The Madcap Misadventures: Not that it is bad, but does anyone else see that Bill is acting and lending voices for cartoons, children's video-games, and movies? There was Over the Hedge...

DOC - Aug 29, 2007 - 06:41 PM
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Great finds (as always) TRexx.

~Doc Cool

TRexx - Aug 31, 2007 - 08:26 PM
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Some of these articles are a couple months old, playing catch-up on Shatnews.

From The Huntsville Times...

Shatner proud of helping spark imaginations

[Click to see larger picture]

Wednesday, June 13, 2007
By CHRIS WELCH, Times Entertainment Writer chris.welch@htimes.com

Space Camp speaker sees Mars as noble goal

William Shatner has never been an astronaut, space scientist or engineer, but he takes pride in helping influence a new Star Fleet generation as the legendary Capt. James T. Kirk from the "Star Trek" TV series.

"I don't think there's any question 'Star Trek' was a crystallizing factor in many lives," Shatner said during a phone interview Tuesday.

Tonight, Shatner will emcee the first Space Camp Hall of Fame induction at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The ceremony is part of Space Camp's 25th anniversary celebration this year.

"People, they made choices based on 'Star Trek,' which is phenomenal," he said. "People recognized 'Star Trek' as science fiction, but it still provoked their imagination and changed what they wanted to do."

Shatner, 76, will be forever remembered for his role as captain of the USS Enterprise in the "Star Trek" series from 1966 to 1969. He returned to the Enterprise bridge in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1979. Between 1979 and 1991, he was in the first six "Star Trek" films and directed the fifth.

Many younger fans, however, know Shatner for his wacky commercials for Priceline.com and DirecTV, in which he parodies himself on the Enterprise. He's also earned Emmys for his roles on "The Practice" and most recently as Denny Crane on "Boston Legal." He now stars in a reality show called "Fast Cars & Superstars - Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race."

"I've been very lucky," Shatner said. "If you stay around long enough, people will find something for you to do.

"The only problem is when you stay around a long time, you don't look the same."

It's been reported that billionaire Richard Branson, head of the Virgin Group and the space tourism company Virgin Galactic, offered Shatner a free ride into space on the inaugural space launch of the VSS Enterprise scheduled for 2008. But Shatner said Branson offered him "an invitation to pay him" to go up, and "he should be paying me."

Does Shatner want to head into space like Capt. Kirk?

"I'm not sure I want to go up high in a loop and fall back down," he said. "That sounds like a job to me."

Although it was 40 years ago, many Trekkers can still recite the mission of the starship Enterprise that Shatner introduced before every episode: "Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before."

What's Shatner's assessment of NASA's mission to head back to the moon and Mars?

"I think the country needs a noble objective, and among the notable objectives are peace, democracy and all the political things that abound," he said. "One of the other things we need is a goal, which becomes unattainable. As soon as we go to the moon, we want to go to Mars, and as soon as we go to Mars, then it's somewhere else.

"A constant need for a goal is a human condition, almost like a dream. It's almost unattainable, but you continue to strive, and a journey through the stars will be a means of identifying this great country."

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ ... amp;coll=1

----

From the Weatherford Democrat (June 14)...

'Space' and 'camp' good fit for William Shatner

By Kelly Kazek, THE NEWS COURIER (ATHENS, Ala.)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Some trivia about William Shatner, according to Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com):

• Has three daughters, Leslie, Lisabeth Shatner and Melanie Shatner. He and his wife Elizabeth live in Southern California. Also has a 360-acre horse farm in Kentucky.

• Is fluent in French.

• Born to Ann and Joseph Shatner on March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Canada.

• His clipped, dramatic narration, peppered with dramatic pauses, is often referred to as "Shatnerian."

• According to various reports, a Halloween mask in Shatner's likeness was painted white and used as the mask of Michael Myers in the film "Halloween" (1978).

• First performer to win Emmys for portraying the same character (Denny Crane) on two different shows "The Practice" and "Boston Legal."

• Sold his kidney stone to GoldenPalace.com for $25,000. The money goes to Habitat for Humanity, a charity that builds houses for the needy.

• Released an album titled "Has Been" in 2004.

STORY:

Space and camp -- a natural fit for television icon William Shatner. The words embody the two things he is most famous for.

Shatner, 76, was host Wednesday night of the first Space Camp Hall of Fame induction banquet. Best known for his role on the space sci-fi series "Star Trek" in the late 1960s, the 50-year acting veteran is now enjoying fame on television commercials for Priceline, as a recording artist, and an Emmy-winning actor on the show "Boston Legal."

He has also seemingly embraced his inner campiness, wearing it outwardly as a source of pride. He doesn't mind that his recordings, including one of the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," are labeled "camp classics."

Being Shatner is like being Jack Nicholson: It doesn't matter what he does, it matters only that he is Shatner.

Shatner said he was proud to introduce the first eight inductees at the inaugural Space Camp Hall of Fame banquet.

"It's history," he said.

Story Musgrave, the only astronaut to fly on all five shuttles, was also a host of the event, along with Jim Halsell, veteran of numerous space missions.

Prior to the gala at the Von Braun Center, Shatner met with members of the media to answer questions, including one he is often asked: Why should space exploration be a priority for a country facing so many problems on the ground?

"The answer: The quest for space is the quest for knowledge," he said, the collar of his shirt open, awaiting the bow tie he would wear to the event.

Space Camp, a one-of-a-kind program allowing children and adults to learn about and simulate space travel, is an incredible concept, Shatter said, recalling how when his three adult daughters were children, camp meant "trees, horses and deer."

"Space Camp? Good Lord, what a great idea that is," he said. Combining fun with learning about science and engineering is "mystical," he said.

"Space is mystical -- the deep unknown. It's something we'll never know enough about," he said.

Shatter is linked, through his famous character Captain James T. Kirk, to space and said he is often surprised to hear people say he or "Star Trek" influenced their interest in space.

"I am awed by the fact that somebody is influenced by what I've done," he said. He does not want anyone to take his role too seriously, however. "I don't want to break this to you too suddenly, but it was just a television show."

He admits, though, that life and art can mingle and Star Trek did have an impact. "Appropriations to NASA went up when our ratings went up," he said. "And our ratings went up whenever there was a launch."

Ed Buckbee, the first director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and founder of Space Camp, was among the first eight inductees. He also saw an impact of art on life.

"What kicked it off nationally was the movie 'Space Camp,'" Buckbee said. "We had a few hundred campers then and it jumped to thousands."

The center opened as a "small, local attraction -- kind of a hometown museum," he said of what was initially called the Alabama Space & Rocket Center before it was renamed "U.S." "With Space Camp we became a true national attraction."

The camp was begun, he said, with an idea by Dr. Werhner von Braun who was touring the center with Buckbee in 1977 when he noticed children studying rockets and making notes.

"He said, 'We have band camp, football, cheerleading; why don't we have a science camp?'" Buckbee recalls.

When the camp opened in 1982, he never imagined the impact it would have.

He remembered one camper who told him, "This is the first place I've ever been where it was cool to be smart.

http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/cnhi ... ndarystory

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TRexx - Aug 31, 2007 - 08:35 PM
Post subject:

From the4400guide.com...

Joel Gretsch & Melanie Shatner

by Arieanna on August 30th, 2007 @ the4400guide.com

A little known fact about Joel Gretsch is that he married the daughter of William Shatner, Melanie Shatner. The two were married in 1999 and have two daughters of their own, Kaya and Willow.

Melanie Shatner made two appearances herself on Star Trek. Once as a young girl, seen pictured here with her father, and once in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier as Enterprise yeoman.

Melanie and daddy Shatner in TOS "Miri" (1966)

Yeoman Melanie in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Melanie is now the owner of an upscale clothes shop in Sherman Oaks (LA), Dari, where the family lives. Here is a picture of Joel & Melanie from 2004:

Melanie and hubby Joel at the LA premiere of Collateral (2004)

http://www.the4400guide.com/2007/08/30/ ... e-shatner/

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TRexx - Sep 02, 2007 - 01:55 AM
Post subject:

Jason Alexander (leftside) and Brad Paisley

Seinfeld's Jason Alexander directed and features with William Shatner in country singer Brad Paisley's "Online" music video, which is a nominee for the 2007 CMA "Music Video of the Year" Award.

According to KZLA radio host and producer Peter Tilden, "Shatner said 'No' the first time, so I invited him on the radio show with Brad and pinned him down on the air -- which would make him look like a really bad guy if he said 'No'. So, we got him!"

Paisley has posted a video of outtakes, interviews, and behind-the-scenes antics (including Bill) from the production shoot...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCeNBmZzW6I

"Cooler Online" is a song about how some people pretend to be something better than their real self while online. In the music video, Alexander plays a pizza delivery nerd who pretends to be like Paisley. The nerd's dad is played by William Shatner and Alexander's Seinfeld mom, Estelle Harris, plays the nerd's mom. American Idol's Kellie Pickler, and Maureen McCormick [Brady Bunch Marcia] are also in this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GcVnhNjWV0

Brad Paisley's new album, 5th Gear, is available in retail shops and online.

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TRexx - Sep 05, 2007 - 07:41 AM
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Jules Verne Adventures USA announces...

William Shatner will receive the Jules Verne Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, December 9, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. A tribute to Bill will be hosted by Malcolm McDowell and special guest stars.

5pm : Red Carpet
6pm : Show Movie premiere
(9pm : end of the show)
Jules Verne's After-party

http://www.julesvernefestival.com/spip.php?sommaire

Jules Verne Adventures proudly celebrates 15 years of Exploration, Conservation and Education. Let's keep experiencing Extraordinary Voyages in the tradition of Jules Verne -- where Science meets Fiction, where Documentaries meet Movies. We dedicate these first 15 years to the explorers who fight for the Earth, to the artists who broaden our imagination and to the warm audiences of the Festival.

Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival

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TRexx - Sep 05, 2007 - 11:37 PM
Post subject:

A video clip at iFilm...

William Shatner finds out he can let fly with his favorite word at the most killer award show kickin' round. What an S.O.B!

"Son of a bitch. I like to say, 'Son of a bitch!'", Bill told the audience at Scream 2006, the first annual Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Awards show from Spike TV...

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2892351

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TRexx - Sep 10, 2007 - 09:58 AM
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From The National Ledger...

William Shatner to Join J.J. Abrams' Film Star Trek 11?

By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
Sep 9, 2007

Is William Shatner joining the cast of the soon-to-shoot J.J. Abrams' film tentatively known as "Star Trek 11"? "I'm not. They haven't invited me to do it," says Shatner, who figures the movie forces have solved the problem of dealing with the aging version of his iconic spaceship captain character, James T. Kirk, by having a "dead Kirk." As for who'll play young, alive Kirk, "It seems they're looking for an unknown, so I have no idea. I don't have a finger on that pulse. I've barely got a finger on my own pulse," Shatner notes jauntily.

"I feel sort of like a wallflower. I'll watch the dance from the wings." Dash it all! But no tears for Shatner, who's incredibly busy with his own activities, including showing up at the Emmys Sept. 16 to see whether he'll win an Outstanding Supporting Actor statuette for playing "Boston Legal's" notorious Denny Crane -- again.

And that's also including "The Academy" -- Shatner's October-release book. "It's the story of young Kirk and Spock and the forces that molded them. I used the Darfur situation for what generates the excitement. A conflict in which there are child soldiers -- and Kirk and Spock are not much older than those child soldiers."

So Shatner's take on his and Leonard Nimoy's characters' early days will get out to the public way ahead of the film, which starts production in November. "It's a coincidence," he says. "In this book, the publisher is putting a fronticepiece saying that this is the artist's unique vision."

Shatner also has a recording, a newly created oratorio of "Exodus" with the Arkansas Symphony, coming out this fall. And he has a DVD coming out called "Gonzo Ballet" -- indeed. "It's kind of out there. The Milwaukee Ballet wanted to do a ballet based on five or six songs from my album 'Has Been.' They got well-known choreographer Margot Sappington to do about a half-dozen numbers. It was filmed with eight cameras, and with interviews showing how a ballet is born."

And then there's Denny Crane. What would Shatner like to see that randy ol' attorney do in the coming season? "I'd like to see him play Captain Kirk in the new 'Star Trek' movie."

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/pu ... 5957.shtml

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TRexx - Sep 10, 2007 - 10:29 AM
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From the A&E Channel...

Biography®

"William Shatner"

Rated: TVPG
Running Time: 60 Minutes
Genre: Documentary
Closed Captions: Yes

Upcoming Airings: Saturday, Sept. 15 @ 8am/7C

He commanded the Starship Enterprise on Star Trek, he locked up bad guys in T.J. Hooker, and he even found us cheap hotel rooms as the priceline.com pitchman. What a guy! He's William Shatner, the actor who's found many ways to stay in the public eye for decades, even spoofing his overblown acting style in a way far more hip than desperate. This profile looks at Shatner's long and successful career, which now includes a starring role on the hit series Boston Legal.

Interviews include: Leonard Nimoy, James Spader, Candice Bergen, and Patrick Stewart; Shatner's favorite impersonator actor/comedian Kevin Pollak; TV Guide's Matt Roush; Robert Schnakenberg, author of the Encyclopedia Shatnerica; daughters Lisabeth and Leslie, his wife Elizabeth and Shatner himself.

http://www.aetv.com/listings/episode_de ... eid=147834

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TRexx - Sep 12, 2007 - 01:45 PM
Post subject:

Via PR Leap...

Starlight Unveils Site of a Million Stars, a First-of-Its-Kind Online Charity Fundraising Initiative

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA September 12, 2007

Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation is excited to announce the launch of Site of a Million Stars at www.millionstars.org, a first-of-its-kind online charity fundraising initiative which unites individuals from all over the globe in a common mission to support seriously ill children and families.

The website features an [audio] introduction from William Shatner who invites visitors to become "one in a million" by adding a star of their own design to the million stars universe and using their personal star power to shine a light into the lives of families who need it most.

In exchange for a donation of $5 to $30, donors are able to create stars featuring a variety of sizes, colors, and effects. In return, donors get more than a tax receipt, they also have the chance to communicate with a global audience. By attaching a 250-character message, a photo/logo, and a website link (any external website, including social networking pages) to their star, donors are able promote something (a business, school, new book, band, etc.) or pay tribute to a special person in their lives (parents, kids, pets, etc.) A donor's star and whatever he chooses to say or promote will be visible to everyone around the world who visits Site of a Million Stars.

Donors may choose to place their star in a galaxy that holds meaning for them. Current galaxies have been created by celebrities, bands and athletes (who contributed hand-drawn stars to the site); states/countries; schools; philanthropically-minded businesses; to celebrate occasions; and more. Individuals who agree to help spread the word may also create new galaxies to 1) invite friends and family to help celebrate a special event such as a birthday, wedding, bar mitzvah or graduation by making a donation; 2) provide a place for members of a community, place of business, school or other organization to collectively show their support; or 3) enable a group of friends and family members to recognize or remember a special seriously ill child.

Donors can direct their gifts to whichever Starlight office in the US, Canada, Australia, or Japan serves their local community.

"Starlight shines light into the darkness of childhood illness, and through Site of a Million Stars, anyone with Internet access and $5 can help us make a world of difference," said Paula Van Ness, Chief Executive Officer of Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. "Million Stars sponsors engage their friends and families in making meaningful contributions, and they also tell the world a little bit about who they are and why they created their stars. Through the power of the Internet, this campaign introduces an entirely new, interactive and global way for people to support children and families at the time they need it most!"

https://www.millionstars.org/

http://www.starlight.org/

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TRexx - Sep 14, 2007 - 06:58 AM
Post subject:

From VideoSift...

Billy West Talks About Getting Shatner to Guest on Futurama

September 13, 2007

Billy West -- the voice of Fry, Prof. Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan, Dr. Zoidberg, and others -- talks about getting William Shatner and other members of the original Star Trek to guest on an episode of the animated Futurama series.

"Somehow, we got him!"

http://www.videosift.com/video/Billy-We ... n-Futurama (video)

(It may take a while for the VideoSift streaming video to start)

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Installing Ubuntu on Windows with Wubi

TRexx - Sep 20, 2007 - 09:42 PM
Post subject:

From MoviesOnline.ca...

Roger Corman's INTRUDER on DVD Sept 25th

Roger Corman's The Intruder starring William Shatner is coming to Special Edition DVD, Sept 25th. The king of underground movies and exploitative cinema directed and produced The Intruder, which was released theatrically in 1962. Despite some of the best critical reviews of Corman's career, the film did not find success at the box office because of the theme, but even by today's standards The Intruder remains powerful.

William Shatner delivers a riveting performance as Adam Cramer, who travels from Washington to a small southern town under the guise of a social worker from the Patrick Henry Society. He seems like the perfect gentlemen, but Cramer came to stop the court-ordered desegregation in schools by preaching his hatred to the locals. He ignites an angry mob, but soon discovers their rage might be too much for him to control.

http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12993.html

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TRexx - Sep 21, 2007 - 04:18 PM
Post subject:

Excerpts from Bspcn.Com...

A dying scholar is glad to have met Bill...

CMU professor gives his last lesson on life

...

When he was a boy, Dr. Pausch said, he had a concrete set of dreams: He wanted to experience the weightlessness of zero gravity; he wanted to play football in the NFL; he wanted to write an article for the World Book Encyclopedia ("You can tell the nerds early on," he joked); he wanted to be Captain Kirk from "Star Trek"; and he wanted to work for the Disney Co.

...

While he didn't get to be Captain Kirk, actor William Shatner, who played Kirk, did visit him at Carnegie Mellon in recent years.

"It's cool to meet your boyhood idol," Dr. Pausch said. "It's even cooler when he comes to you to see what you're doing in your lab."

...

In mid-summer, after tests initially showed he was clear of cancer, he added two rounds of treatment with an experimental cancer vaccine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

And then, just as he was finally feeling healthy again late last month, Dr. Pausch sent out this message to his diary readers:

"A recent CT scan showed that there are 10 tumors in my liver, and my spleen is also peppered with small tumors. The doctors say that it is one of the most aggressive recurrences they have ever seen."

He and Jai moved their family to Chesapeake, Va., so she would be near her relatives. They made initial plans for hospice care, and Dr. Pausch began palliative chemotherapy to give him some extra time.

"I find that I am completely positive," he wrote. "The only times I cry are when I think about the kids -- and it's not so much the 'Gee, I'll miss seeing their first bicycle ride' type of stuff as it is a sense of unfulfilled duty -- that I will not be there to help raise them, and that I have left a very heavy burden for my wife."

See the complete article, and a video, at Bspcn.Com...

http://www.bspcn.com/2007/09/20/cmu-pro ... n-on-life/

Dr. Andy Pausch with a farewell lecture at Carnegie Mellon University.

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Claudia - Sep 21, 2007 - 10:38 PM
Post subject:

TRexx wrote:

----------------

Powerful drama. William Shatner plays a coniving Adam Cramer to perfection. The last scene when he looks totally rejected and pathetic says it all.

TRexx - Sep 21, 2007 - 10:55 PM
Post subject:

From Replay Factor at Blogspot...

Replay Factor Spotlight on William Shatner

Thursday, September 20, 2007

William Shatner is many things... actor, writer, director, producer, equestrian and... SINGER??? Not quite, but he has released some recordings you have to hear to believe. Sit back and take a quick listen through the last 40 years at the Shat Man's sometimes goofy but always entertaining musical career.

The 32-minute audio podcast can be downloaded as a 15-megabyte MP3 file.

http://replayfactor.blogspot.com/2007/0 ... lliam.html

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/replayfa ... /index.php

http://media.libsyn.com/media/replayfac ... hatner.mp3

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TRexx - Sep 26, 2007 - 02:24 AM
Post subject:

From Discovery Channel Canada...

Mars Rising

Shot in HD in over 90 locations, the documentary series "Mars Rising" explores how the challenges being grappled with today will lead to a manned mission to Mars in the next 20 years. Film crews captured interviews, training sessions and experiments in the United States, Russia, Chile, China, Europe and across Canada, including the Canadian Arctic. Over 300 scientists from diverse backgrounds and nationalities were consulted for the series and more than 60 space experts, including former and current astronauts, appear on camera. Among the critical subjects explored through the series include spaceship design, possible trajectories, rocket fuel, finding new life forms, new thoughts on astronaut selection and training, space suit engineering, medical training for deep space, blasting through the Mars atmosphere, life support systems and robotics.

Among the distinguished experts appearing in the series, three experts with very different backgrounds stand out: James Garvin, lead scientist for Mars and Lunar Exploration at NASA; Paul Delaney, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Toronto's York University; and Academy-Award winning filmmaker James Cameron ('Titanic') who is a member of NASA's special advisory committee. The astronauts interviewed on "Mars Rising" include Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian mission specialist and the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in orbit; Canadian Dave Williams currently on board the Atlantis and expected to make three space walks on the Shuttle Endeavour in August 2007; retired NASA astronaut Jerry Linenger, who spent 132 days aboard the ISS Mir in 1997; and Jeffrey Hoffman who was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame earlier this year.

William Shatner narrates "Mars Rising" -- and it's not the first time that the multiple-award-winning actor has worked with Discovery Channel Canada! Commissioned by Discovery Channel, the hit 2005 special "How William Shatner Changed the World" was hosted and narrated by the "Star Trek" icon, and based on his book, "I'm Working On That". The cheeky and irreverent doc showcased the brightest minds of Silicon Valley and their Trek-inspired inventions that have changed the world.

"Earth to Mars: The Great Space Debate"
Sun., Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Discovery Channel (Canada)
This one-hour special wraps up "Race to Mars" and "Mars Rising" and puts plans for a manned mission to Mars under the microscope with the ultimate litmus test. An esteemed panel of scientists and space experts dissect the risks, challenges and dangers of a mission that could last as long as three years. Moderated by "Daily Planet" co-host Jay Ingram, the "Earth To Mars: The Great Space Debate" panel features NASA Chief Scientist James Garvin; co-founder of The Mars Society Robert Zubrin; and Psychiatrist and former NASA flight surgeon Doctor Pat Santy. Featuring illustrative scenes from "Race to Mars" and "Mars Rising," the experts will tackle everything from the astronomical expense involved in mounting a human mission to the Red Planet, to crew selection and cabin fever, to the probability of life on Mars. In addition to the panel debate, this special will feature exclusive expert testimonials along with exclusive behind the scenes footage from the production of "Race to Mars."

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/sh ... x?sid=2627

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TRexx - Sep 26, 2007 - 08:46 PM
Post subject:

From Celestron via Yahoo!...

Captain Kirk's Iconic Stature Enters the Final Frontier as William Shatner is the People's Choice to Have a Star Named in His Honor According to an Online Poll Conducted by Celestron

Wednesday September 26, 8:00 am ET

Award-Winning Actor Takes Home Title And A SkyScout Personal Planetarium As His Universal Appeal Outshines A Competitive Field Of Nobel Prize Winners, Former Presidents, Famous Explorers, Hollywood Celebrities And Professional Athletes

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Celestron®, a leading manufacturer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes, announced today that William Shatner has been named "the person most deserving of a star named in their honor" according to the results of a recent people's choice online poll taken in conjunction with Celestron's Ultimate Backyard Adventure Sweepstakes promotion.

Best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the popular Star Trek TV and film series, the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor, director, producer, screenwriter, recording artist and author claimed his rightful place in the night sky as he edged out Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods to take the people's choice title for "most deserving of their own star." Other notable nominees included Edward "Buzz" Aldrin, Carl Sagan, Bill Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bill Gates and The Simpsons.

"I'm honored to be the people's top choice to have a star named after me," commented Mr. Shatner. "I believe that you head toward the North Star and turn left, the one on the right is mine."

In addition to his celestial status, Mr. Shatner also received a Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium®, the revolutionary handheld device that uses advanced GPS technology with point and click convenience to identify thousands of stars, planets, constellations and more.

"Mr. Shatner and the entire Star Trek franchise has had a tremendous impact on the pace of scientific and technological advancements as they inspired a new generation of world-changing scientists and inventors that would go on to revolutionize space exploration and consumer technology, paving the way for advanced products like the SkyScout Personal Planetarium," said Joseph A. Lupica Jr., president and CEO of Celestron.

About the size of a camcorder and weighing less than 16 ounces, the SkyScout utilizes a consumer-friendly "point and shoot" GPS technology that enables stargazers to instantly identify and/or locate over 6,000 celestial objects in the sky with the press of a button and listen to commentary on the object and its history. The SkyScout also has a "locate" feature that allows users to select an object they wish to view (i.e. Mars) and the SkyScout, using illuminated arrows in the viewfinder, will point the user to the object.

Prior to naming Mr. Shatner as the online poll winner, Celestron announced that Robert Papuga from Morganton, North Carolina had been randomly selected from a pool of over 80,000 entries to win the Ultimate Backyard Adventure Sweepstakes adventure pack, complete with a Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium, NexStar® 6 SE computerized telescope, VistaPix® IS70 digital spotting scope, Traveler® 8 24X25 binoculars and all the camping gear needed to enjoy a family camping trip under the stars.

About Celestron

Celestron is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes. Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron has grown to become one of the world's leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology. Celestron's innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader's Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more. Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA. For more information about Celestron and the SkyScout product please visit, http://www.celestron.com and http://www.myskyscout.com.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070926/law015.html?.v=101

CONTACT: Vicki Croucier, Marketing Manager of Celestron,
+1-310-328-9560, ext. 298, vcroucier@celestron.com; or William Ostedt,
wostedt@ppmgcorp.com, or Lisa Townsend, ltownsend@ppmgcorp.com, both of
The Pollack PR Marketing Group, +1-310-556-4443, for Celestron

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kirkscutie11728 - Sep 26, 2007 - 09:49 PM
Post subject:

[size=10]

Wow, if you look at the top of their heads with the lights shining down, they have the same reddish hair color !! She looks like him !!

TRexx - Sep 28, 2007 - 08:57 PM
Post subject:

From UnitNews.co.uk...

William Shatner Video Interview

First Published | 19:02, Thursday September 27 2007

Actor and author William Shatner discusses his nine Star Trek novels in this video dialogue:

http://www.unitnews.co.uk/story.php?article_id=1267

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DRM Trouble Drives Microsoft Security Expert to Linux

TRexx - Oct 01, 2007 - 03:52 AM
Post subject:

From MySpaceTV...

William Shatner is the voice for Lemon Jelly "'64 aka GO."

Promo video run-time is 6 minutes and 32 seconds...

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseacti ... id=5374279

_________________

TRexx - Oct 02, 2007 - 12:45 AM
Post subject:

From Cookie Madness...

William Shatner's Cappuccino Muffins

Posted by Anna on 01 Oct 2007 at 09:32 am

I'm heading to New York pretty soon, and since I got such a good hotel deal from Priceline, I decided to post a recipe for William Shatner's Cappuccino Muffins. I didn't know much about this recipe, but the ingredients sounded good and the technique was pretty basic. Plus, I had just bought a jar of espresso powder not too long ago and was itching to use it. Since I didn't have any "mini" chocolate chips, I used a combination of bittersweet chocolate chips and a few mini cinnamon chips.

I followed the instructions as Shatner directed and put the muffins in the oven while I cleaned the house. After 18 minutes, I turned on the oven light and said "Beam me up Scotty! These muffins look fabulous!" Luckily, no one was there to hear me but the cat and he's use to it.

Anyway, if William Shatner puts out a cookbook, I'll buy it because these were terrific. I think I'm going to take them down to the school and put them in the Teachers' Lounge. They're going to think they're from a bakery though because I packed them into one of my fine plastic muffin containers from PaperMart.

Muffin Packaging

One final note. William Shatner got 12 muffins, but I filled the muffin tins up to the rim and made 8 big ones with nice crowns.

William Shatner's Cappuccino Chip Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (room temp)
1 cup milk (room temp)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or equivalent of other chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with flour-added cooking spray. For bigger muffins, spray 8 of the cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg lightly. Whisk in milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in milk mixture. Stir just until evenly blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among 12 or 8 greased muffin cups. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

Makes 8-12 muffins

http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=1054

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TRexx - Oct 08, 2007 - 12:02 AM
Post subject:

From AMC TV SciFi Scanner...

Clips: Quintessential Shatner Acting Moments

Few actors are so quintessentially themselves as William Shatner.

Comedy Central put together this priceless compilation of some of the Shat's greatest on-screen moments as part of the on-air roast they threw in honor of him in 2006. Check it out.

William Shater Acting Montage [YouTube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoOzAglkIRM

_________________

Why My Mom Can Use Ubuntu

TRexx - Oct 08, 2007 - 12:37 AM
Post subject:

Will we make it to Mars?

Oct 07, 2007 04:30 AM, Jim Bawden, TV Columnist

First words of advice about Mars Rising, the new six-part documentary series on the challenges involved in making a future mission to the Red Planet possible: you must try to forget the equally splendid dramatic miniseries Race to Mars that just concluded on Discovery.

Narrated by William Shatner, Mars Rising (Discovery Channel Canada, tonight at 8 and 9; continuing weekly through Nov. 4) stands on its own as a pretty tremendous piece of science.

Read the complete article at the Toronto Star newspaper website...

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Te ... cle/264329

---

The Science Channel Presents Mars Rising

On Tuesday, October 30, at 9 PM (ET/PT), The Science Channel and The Science Channel HD will air MARS RISING, a special six-part series that immerses viewers in the challenges and possibilities of what might be the most important human voyage in history. MARS RISING, narrated by Emmy Award winning actor William Shatner, will premiere every Tuesday at 9 PM (ET/PT) from Tuesday, October 30, through Tuesday, December 4, 2007.

http://fe13.news.re3.yahoo.com/s/prweb/ ... rweb558793

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/sh ... x?sid=2627

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TRexx - Oct 10, 2007 - 04:14 AM
Post subject:

From NBC11.com...

William Shatner recently championed actors' rights on the Boston Legal set, according to the National Enquirer's Mike Walker. When a bossy assistant director wasn't so respectful to extras, the Priceline shill shouted, "YOU DON'T SPEAK TO ACTORS LIKE THAT! ... Your tone of voice and superior attitude won't be tolerated on this set. Apologize NOW!" And when the Shatner speaks, assistant directors obey.

http://www.nbc11.com/msnbcentertainment ... etail.html

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TRexx - Oct 11, 2007 - 09:39 AM
Post subject:

The CD Times interviewed UK singer-songwriter Stephen Fretwell, whose new Man on the Roof album has a song titled "William Shatner's Dog"...

CDtimes: What is the meaning of "William Shatner's Dog"? There seems to be no out-and-out reference to Shatner in the lyrics.

Fretwell: The idea is that the character who is singing the song, the relationship between that character and the woman who is the recipient of the song, there's some kind of private in-joke about William Shatner having a dog that's unknown to the listener. I don't know myself what the in-joke might be but it's the idea that it's never mentioned, and it provides such a weight on the song, this thing that only the guy and the woman know about.

CDtimes: Are you a William Shatner fan?

Fretwell: Yeah, I love William Shatner. He's a legend. I don't know if he's heard the song but I'm sure someone will mention it, what with his name in the title. That would be nice.

CDtimes: Any chance of a duet?

Fretwell: That would be my dream collaboration. The highlight of my career!

See the full interview at CD Times...

http://www.cdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4643

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TRexx - Oct 12, 2007 - 12:36 AM
Post subject:

From Stalking Santa @ MySpace...

Is Santa Real??? New Evidence from Expert Santologist!!! Huge Conspiracy

Stalking Santa, the new documentary about T.E.R.D (Tangible Evidence. Real Discoveries) research narrated by William Shatner has been leaked onto the internet!

Visit MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stalkingsanta

Stalking Santa Trailer OFFICIAL...

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... 2062104917

_________________

littlestar - Oct 12, 2007 - 10:37 PM
Post subject: Star Trek Movie set on SNOOZE ?

"Star Trek" fans new and old have been trying to get excited about the newest movie incarnation of the venerable series, but director J.J. Abrams hasn't given them a lot to cheer about. Especially since the few plot details about the new movie that have leaked out seem scarily reminiscent of a long-feared "Starfleet Academy" project that executives at Paramount Pictures have been intrigued by for years. One bright spot has been the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock, but the news this week that Eric Bana would play the movie's villain, Nero, was another example of a "yawn" coming from the Abrams camp -- especially if he's the "big star" fans have been clamoring for to help resurrect the franchise.

Bana broke onto the international scene after a gutsy performance in 2000's "Chopper" and was hailed as the next big thing, nabbing roles in "Troy," "Munich," "Hulk" and "Lucky You." And while many Australians insist Bana was a hilarious comedian before his Hollywood movie career began, the actor has shown about as much on-screen charisma as a piece of driftwood. So, it's hard to believe he'll somehow be compelling as an epic villain.

More distressing is that, with production scheduled to begin next month, "Trek" has gone down to the wire on casting major roles across the board. False rumors of Matt Damon's participation aside, the biggest role to be filled just happens to be the series' hero, Captain James T. Kirk. Mike Vogel, soon to be seen in the Abrams-produced "Cloverfield"/"1-18-08"/"We're Too Cool to Give You a Real Title," seemed to be the front-runner a few months ago, but now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting newcomer Chris Pike is the leading candidate. Yet even this relative unknown may turn down the iconic role to star opposite George Clooney in the thriller "White Jazz" instead. And while the young Spock (Zachary Quinto of "Heroes"), Chekov (Anton Yelchin of "Alpha Dog") and Uhura (Zoe Saldana of "Guess Who") have been found, there hasn't been a peep about who is playing Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

Abrams loves to be secretive about his projects, but this ain't "Lost" or "Alias." There are a lot of skeptics out there, and playing possum only makes the seeds of doubt grow. Give the fans and moviegoers in general something to get hyped up about, Mr. Abrams. Based on this cast, your movie is gonna need it.

Update: Breaking news! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Pegg, of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" fame, has been cast as Scotty and "Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle's" John Cho is set to play Sulu. Is Pegg's presence enough to get excited about? Um ...

MSN-Movies

TRexx - Oct 19, 2007 - 03:11 AM
Post subject:

WENN is dishing this to the international news wires...

Shatner to Appear in New 'Star Trek' Movie

Thursday, October 18, 2007

HOLLYWOOD -- Original Captain Kirk actor William Shatner has been lined up for a cameo role in the new Star Trek film.

The 76-year-old star will play a small part in the forthcoming sci-fi prequel, which will follow the early adventures of the original Enterprise crew.

The 11th big screen installment of the legendary TV series will also feature a cameo appearance from Shatner's former costar Leonard Nimoy, who made famous the role of Mr. Spock.

Other actors already signed up for the project include Chris Pine as Kirk, Heroes star Zachary Quinto as Spock and Simon Pegg as Scotty.

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Shatner_t ... ie/4949771

----

STAR TREK XI TO GET SHAT ON?

10.18.07
By Devin Faraci
Contributing sources: Newswatch 50, Chris Miller

Ever since Leonard Nimoy was confirmed to appear in Star Trek XI as Old Spock, people have been wondering, 'What about The Shat?' Some rumors have had Shatner mad that he hasn't been asked back, while others say that the filmmakers are trying to figure out a way to squeeze him into the film, and no that's not a Shat Is Fat joke.

A completely unsourced story appearing on internet news aggregator WENN is saying that The Shat is in fact onboard Trek XI for a cameo. What could it be? Since Old Spock is living in the Next Generation time, after Kirk was killed by a bridge, he couldn't be in the opening. Maybe Old Spock does some stops along the way as he time travels back to the early days of the original series and he says hi to Kirk. Or something. Or maybe it's some bullshit that got run as a fact. Again, I can't find any other source for this, and WENN just says that Shatner's in the movie, not even that Paramount has announced it or that sources say or the rumor is.

Take all of this with a pinch of Alterian Table Salt.

http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=news&id=12230

_________________

TRexx - Oct 20, 2007 - 04:10 AM
Post subject:

From WENN via PR-Inside...

SHATNER: "I WON'T BE PART OF STAR TREK PREQUEL"

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
2007-10-20 03:23:46

Actor WILLIAM SHATNER has criticised director J.J. ABRAMS and the producers of the new STAR TREK prequel -- for not finding him a meaty role in the film.

Shatner, who played Captain James Kirk in the original Star Trek TV series and movies, has denied reports he's set for a cameo in the new film. He insists he wouldn't take such a role even if it was offered to him, stating, "I don't do cameos... I can't imagine what I would do as a cameo." But he is upset that he's not among the cast of the new project: "Here's a show with my identity in it and not to be part of it is disappointing... It is a strange construction."

Shatner's Star Trek sidekick and pal Leonard Nimoy will be the only original cast member on board for the prequel -- he'll reprise his role as Mr. Spock in the film.

http://www.pr-inside.com/shatner-i-won- ... 256883.htm

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TRexx - Oct 22, 2007 - 09:12 PM
Post subject:

From TMZ.com...

Spock and Kirk: Star Date

Posted Oct 22nd 2007 2:17PM by TMZ Staff

Christmas came early for Trekkies when Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk were snapped together at the Spike TV Scream Awards in L.A. on Friday. Beam us up, Scotty!

Both are 76-years-old, but Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner have not yet reached the final frontier!

Set phasers to stunned.

http://www.tmz.com/2007/10/22/spock-and-kirk-star-date/

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TRexx - Oct 24, 2007 - 04:12 PM
Post subject:

iFilm posted a video clip of The Original Series bridge cast -- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, and Walter Koenig -- accepting a special commemorative award for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Bill leads the audience in a "KHAAAN!" shout-out to Ricardo Montalban...

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2905780/event/22474

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TRexx - Oct 28, 2007 - 10:51 PM
Post subject:

From the Associated Press via CNN...

Shatner: How come I'm not in new 'Star Trek'?

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- The original Capt. Kirk is disheartened he won't get to boldly go anywhere with his old pal Spock in the new "Star Trek" movie.

William Shatner is disappointed there's no place for him in the new "Star Trek" movie.

While Leonard Nimoy is reprising his role as the pointy-eared Vulcan in next year's science-fiction flick, William Shatner is not on board as Kirk.

"I couldn't believe it. I'm not in the movie at all. Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me," Shatner, 76, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn't seem to be a wise business decision."

Director J.J. Abrams announced last summer that Nimoy would reprise the role he originated opposite Shatner in the 1960s television show and played again in six big-screen adventures.

Abrams said Shatner probably would have a part in the film, which is due in theaters in December 2008. But while Shatner said he had a couple of meetings with Abrams, nothing came of it.

Abrams' "Trek" film, whose plot is being kept under wraps by distributor Paramount, recounts an early adventure for the crew of the starship Enterprise, with Chris Pines as the young Kirk and Zachary Quinto as the young Spock.

The cast includes Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, Simon Pegg as engineer Scott, John Cho as helmsman Sulu, Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura and Anton Yelchin as navigator Chekov, roles respectively originated by DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig.

Past "Trek" films presented an obstacle to the revival of Shatner's Kirk, who died at the end of 1994's "Star Trek: Generations."

But in science fiction, you can never truly say die. Spock was killed off in 1982's "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" then resurrected in 1984's "Star Trek: The Search for Spock," with Nimoy's Vulcan living on to co-star in three more films, two episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and now Abrams' new movie.

"I've got a lot to do," said Shatner, whose current work includes the TV show "Boston Legal," narration for the Christmas spoof "Stalking Santa" due on DVD on November 6, and the prequel "Star Trek: Academy -- Collision Course," a novel chronicling Kirk and Spock's first meeting.

Shatner says of "Star Trek": "Having been in on the creation of it, I was hoping to be in on the re-creation."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... index.html

__________________

TRexx - Nov 02, 2007 - 01:38 PM
Post subject:

From 411mania.com...

411 Movies Interview: William Shatner

Posted by Tony Farinella on 11.01.2007

411's Tony Farinella talks to William Shatner!

If you've read my interviews with Jeffrey Combs and Sid Haig, you know that I always take my interviews in a different direction. To sum it up, I don't like to rehash old news. I like my interviews to be reflective and thoughtful. I want to know what's important to the actor. If you want to read about stuff that they've done in the past and how they feel about it, all you have to do is google their name. With all that being said, I recently had the pleasure of participating in a conference call with William Shatner to talk about the DVD release of Stalking Santa, which hits DVD on November 6th. Mr. Shatner is the narrator of the film. After watching Stalking Santa, you'll once again be a believer! For now, I hope you enjoy my interview with William Shatner.

William Shatner: Tony?

Tony Farinella: Hi. Thanks for your time. I appreciate it. I'm from Chicago.

William Shatner: Oh, good, Tony.

Tony Farinella: And my first question for you is after so many different roles on television and film, what still gets you excited? What gets your creative juices flowing after all these years?

William Shatner: Well, Tony, so many things. I'm, I think what an actor needs, or an entertainer in any of the various media, is a sort of childlike attitude of awe and wonder. And so as I move through the days and the week and the year, I find myself doing a variety of things that when they are finished and they have some success, I'm almost surprised.

I was mentioning "Exodus" as an example. It took two years to put this project together and issue the recording. I've done it myself, found a release, and it will be out there in Wal-Mart sort of thing, and it's a really good performance of a, something that's totally different, and it's got a religious overtone, or a religious-historical overtone, and yet it's entertaining.

I've got a book out there, a new book that's coming out -- a Star Trek book. It's called "Collision" -- "Academy -The Collision." And it's out there in the bookstores right now. A new Star Trek book dealing with the adolescents Kirk and Spock, and I started writing about a 17-year-old Jim Kirk and a 19-year-old Spock and took the Soldiers of Darfur, the tragedy that's going there, the children soldiers, made them, updated them 300 years to a scourge that was happening then, and what the plans were going to be with Kirk and Spock adolescents.

Tony Farinella: Uh-huh.

William Shatner: That entertained me to tell that story. It entertained me to get this record going, and it's entertained me to do this voice-over, this narration for "Stalking Santa." So my year goes by, and you say, "Why pick that project?" and I sort of reverse the question and say, "Why not?" If I've got the time and energy, I like to do these variable things.

Tony Farinella: And you mentioned earlier how you try to somewhat keep a low profile. How do you feel about nowadays in Hollywood, where it seems like everything you do is online? There's news shows. Do you miss the privacy sometimes?

William Shatner: Yeah. That's a big deal. But, you know, the areas I tread on usually, like this morning I wasn't working on Boston Legal. I stopped work at nine o'clock yesterday night and fell into bed, and this morning was up at seven in order to compete in a horse show as a reiner. And so prior to talking to you, I've been on about three or four horses, and the people that I'm competing against -- which I've done over the years -- ignore the fact that I'm on television and a familiar face and treat me as a contestant, as a person who is trying to get a blue ribbon, and so are they, and that's the basis upon which they know me.

Tony Farinella: And one final question for you. Have you ever thought about directing again, or no?

William Shatner: I like directing, and I'm working on a project that I will direct. But directing is a lot of energy and a lot of time, and so I haven't even approached the producers on Boston Legal to direct because of the expenditure of time and energy.

Tony Farinella: It's me again, sir. How's it going?

William Shatner: Good. Now you tell me how it's going.

Tony Farinella: I'm doing fantastic. I mean, talking to you, I couldn't be happier, you know?

William Shatner: Good.

Tony Farinella: And my question for you is you've done so many different mediums. Is there one thing that you've done that you're really proud of but it didn't really catch on with an audience, and you wish that people would maybe now give it a chance?

William Shatner: That goes for most of the things I've done. No, I mean I'm sure that's so. There's all kinds of things lying around that didn't see a lot of air. I did a recording that got really great notices called "Has Been," and that was a couple of years ago, and I wish that had sold more copies. And, you know, getting back for the moment to "Stalking Santa," let's hope that sells a lot of copies so that everybody's happy to have done it.

Tony Farinella: And what aspect of the movie industry, and I guess the entertainment industry, has changed since you first started? What do you think is the major difference from when you first started to now as far as the entertainment industry?

William Shatner: The major difference, as far as I can see, is technical. You know, HD and cameras are smaller and lights need to be less hot and all that kind of thing. The essential story-telling doesn't change from times immemorial around a campfire. People are moved and thrilled and pleasured and disgusted by the very same things we did when we were knocking things on the head and cooking them over the campfire.

Tony Farinella: And my final question for you is as you look back now on your career, has it been what you expected?

illiam Shatner: I had no expectation. You know, age is a -- I don't know, the neutral word is interesting. You don't think you're going to get old, and then when you're old, you don't think you're old, and I don't know what old is. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel as old. And if I have a muscle aches, would it have ached if I was 25? It's just, there are no expectations. I mean, I don't know how you have expectations, because the moment you expect something, it changes about anyway.

Tony Farinella: All right. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your time.

William Shatner: My pleasure.

http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/62478

----

From EyeCraveDVD.com...

Interview: William Shatner

Thursday, November 01 2007
Contributed by: Shane

Late last week I was offered the chance to speak to a modern icon. I was given the opportunity to speak to The Man... The Myth... The Legend that is... William Shatner!!!

I chatted with Mr. Shatner about Stalking Santa, Free Enterprise, the HD DVD release of the original Star Trek series, and religion.

Read on to find what 'The Shat' had to say.

Before we get to the interview here's a little background information on Stalking Santa.

Synopsis:

Children everywhere defend his existence, and one man will stop at nothing to discover the truth. This Christmas, Dr. Lloyd Darrow, with the emotional (and financial) support of his wife Barbara, and their children Keith (naughty) and Kiely (nice), will conduct an experiment so ambitious that it could very well capture THE visit from Santa Claus himself!

In preparation for the big night, Dr. Darrow and his intern Clarence (self-proclaimed ‘Santologists'), gather extraordinary evidence of the jolly gift-giver from the North). Their research takes you from the pyramids of Egypt, to the Town Center Shopping Plaza in Polka City, Ohio, and even to the UFO fields of Roswell, New Mexico.

The Darrows' adventure is full of laughs, tender moments, and a Christmas message for Santa skeptics and supporters everywhere: Prepare to Believe!

Mr. Shatner's role in Stalking Santa is as the Narrator of this 'mockumentary' style comedy. Here's what he had to say about the film and other things that happening in his life.

Round One

Shane MacDonald: Hi, Mr. Shatner.

William Shatner: Hi, Shane.

SM: Out of the thousands of scripts and projects that come across your desk, What appealed to you most about "Stalking Santa"?

WS: The fun of it. They approached me with a fun script that amused me. It was a voice-over, did not require the commitment of a lot of time, and it seemed like a project that would be exuberant and amusing and spoofing, and all those words that apply to somebody sitting down in front of their screen, and having an enjoyable couple of hours. That's really all it is -- for me -- is fun. And I think the audience for this piece will have fun looking at it. It's not going to change the world, but if it makes people feel better when looking at it, that's all we ask.

SM: And one last question here. Will you be joining Robert Meyer Burnett in the sequel to "Free Enterprise"?

WS: I haven't been approached. I had heard some stuff a while ago. That was an amusing idea, but I've heard nothing further. Have you?

SM: I spoke with him at Comic-Con this year, and he didn't really tell me much, either. I think everything's under wraps.

WS: I think it's more than under wraps. [Laughs.] It's under a mummified, it's under mummified wraps. The wraps have stiffened, I think.

SM: All right. Thank you for your time, Mr. Shatner.

Round Two

SM: All right. I've got another question for you, Mr. Shatner, about the original Star Trek series, having been redone with new special effects, remastered, and now it's coming to HD DVD with the phaser remote control. Is this something you're going to add to your collection?

WS: Yeah, I dimly recollect them saying they were going to do that. You know, I don't collect those things. I mean, I'm sure they're around somewhere, but I never look back at those things. I don't have any -- I don't even take pictures. I've got all kinds of cameras. I love cameras, but I find myself reluctantly taking pictures because what's past is past. You can't recapture it, and I hear these heartbreaking stories of people who lose everything in a fire and the thing they most care about are pictures, and I'm thinking, "Why?" You know, what, the pictures remind you of something that can never be recaptured. The time is gone.

The only thing you know is the present. That's all that's knowable, and even the present isn't knowable, because the present becomes the past and then it's a second into the future. So you really don't know anything, and least of all, seeing either a picture of you when you were younger, which is somewhat horrifying, or someone you love who was younger. And I'm trying to find out, discover the answer to the mystery of "Why pictures?"

SM: That's definitely a good question. Do you have any plans for any other Biblical CDs? You were mentioning Exodus earlier.

WS: Well, that's an interesting question. I was asked by Seattle to do another chapter. I'm trying to remember which one it was. And I thought, "I might do that, and maybe I could start recording with orchestra and chorals, every chapter of the Bible," edited down so that you get the sense of it, and do it within the time of a symphony, which is what this -- it's really an oratorio -- do that within the time limits of that. And yet I didn't have the physical time to go up to Seattle when they wanted me, so I'm not going to do it. But it did occur to me to do some other chapters. Maybe the opportunity will present itself again.

SM: Perhaps. I definitely hope so. Thank you for your time.

WS: Thank you.

http://www.eyecravedvd.com/article.php? ... 1213831483

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littlestar - Nov 03, 2007 - 02:44 AM
Post subject:

Hey Look...all 10 ST Movies...at Deep Discount DVD for $38.88 release date 11-26-07..and no shipping

DOC - Nov 06, 2007 - 01:12 PM
Post subject:

Vroom, vroom, get you motor running.

~Doc

TRexx - Nov 06, 2007 - 06:17 PM
Post subject:

From StarTrek.com...

Jules Verne Fest: Special Offer for STARTREK.COM Readers

When the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival bestows its Lifetime Achievement Award upon William Shatner on December 9, in a "spectacular" presentation involving Patrick Stewart and Malcolm McDowell (related story), the organizers would like to share the experience at the Shrine Auditorium with as many Star Trek fans as possible. Thus, they are offering two-for-one tickets exclusively to the STARTREK.COM community.

The Jules Verne festival runs December 5-9 at the Shrine in Los Angeles (just north of the USC campus), with an additional date on Dec. 15 at the Los Angeles Theatre downtown. The Paris-based festival is conceived to "inspire and enlighten the human spirit about the mysteries and wonders of the universe," with a special emphasis on environmental themes.

Sunday, December 9, will be mostly devoted to Star Trek. Starting at 1:00 p.m., four Remastered episodes of the Original Series will be shown in HD on the big screen in the Shrine Expo Hall. The first will be "And the Children Shall Lead," and that showing will be followed by a special event where Craig Hundley ("Tommy Starnes") and other child guest stars from that episode — all grown up now, of course — will reunite after nearly 40 years. (The other three episodes to be screened have not been announced yet.)

The award ceremony will follow at 5:00 in the main auditorium at the Shrine, starting with the salute to Shatner by Stewart, McDowell and other "surprise guests." An award will also be presented to NASA, and the rest of the evening will devoted to "Blade Runner," with star Harrison Ford and director Ridley Scott presenting a 25th-anniversary screening of the film's "final director's cut."

A festival pass to the Remastered screenings is $15, but half off with the STARTREK promotion for two guests. Ticket prices to the award ceremony range from $10 to $200, depending on the seats you purchase, but again, you'll get two-for-one. (An online ticketing fee will apply.)

You can also get an all-access pass to the whole festival for $100, or an all-access VIP pass for $500, but at this time those tickets are not subject to the STARTREK offer. (Therefore, if you plan to purchase the most expensive seats at the Shatner ceremony, you may as well get the $100 all-access pass.)

To take advantage of the special offer, here is what you do:

1. On the festival website, JVAFF.org, when you visit the "Tickets & Passes" section, you need to click on the green "ClicknPrint" link. Here, we'll cut to the chase for you: ClicknPrint Tickets.

2. Click on "Promotion Sign In."

3. In the Promotion box, type: STARTREK (or "startrek," it's not case-sensitive). Click "Submit."

4. Now, back in the previous screen, you should see "Welcome, STARTREK (TREK)." Click on the "Purchase" button.

5. You will now see a list of the various events. Click on "Sunday, December 9, Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival." (This offer doesn't apply to the other dates or events, or to the all-access passes. To purchase these tickets, go through the procedure again without signing in with the promotional code.)

6. You will see all the various price levels for the "4:00 PM Awards Ceremony." All the ticket costs are already listed at 50 percent. Enter a quantity of "2" for the seats you select. (Under this offer, the system will only allow you to purchase exactly two tickets. To purchase two more of the same seats, you will have to sign in again.) To attend the Remastered screenings, enter "2" for "1-4 PM Star Trek HD, 4 Shows."

7. Click on "Proceed to Next Step" to review your order. An online ticketing fee will be added. Fill in your names under "Ticket Holder Name" for your festival badges. In this screen it is not necessary to enter the promotional code again. Click "Check Out" to proceed, and follow instructions from there.

The festival website is continually updating its schedule with new information, so check back to JVAFF.org regularly (or go directly to this page for the Shrine schedule, or this page for the L.A. Theatre schedule).

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/n ... 12013.html

__________________

TRexx - Nov 09, 2007 - 11:56 PM
Post subject:

From JustPressPlay.net...

William Shatner - Has Been

* Artist Bio * News * Reviews

Review

2007-11-08 by Lex M Walker

The man, the myth, has graced the musical stage with famous spoken word performances that have since become legendary. Offered the opportunity to record a full-length album by Ben Folds, the two collaborated to create an album worthy of the gods themselves - Has Been.

Should a William Shatner album be reviewed at the same level as an album recorded by a group who does so for their bread and butter? Or should the Has Been singer be counted in the "novelty" pile as just another celebrity trying to get their feet wet in the music biz? Stars do it all the time; these days every actor or singer thinks they have enough talent to cross over into the other industry. At some point singing and acting became interchangeable. But at least William Shatner has previous experience in singing - assuming you count his stellar renditions of songs such as "Rocket Man." I do. And so, I count his mostly spoken-word album Has Been as a contender for critical musical consideration.

I did originally approach Shatner's Has Been out of humorous curiosity. But after listening to the album in its entirety, I have to admit - Ben Folds and Shatner put together a fun album that's really fun to listen to.

The opening song, "Common People" hooked me; with William Shatner's traditional dry-humor, spoken word delivery, brilliant instrumentation and yes, even a full-blown choir. "Common People" William Shatner emphasizes with the common folk who find revulsion in the naiveté of the rich. Moving on, Shatner epitomizes the lounge singer façade with "It Hasn't Happened Yet". With eerie female vocals taking up the background and multiple vocal tracks competing for your attention, the song borders on cheesiness though walking the line well enough to keep the song out of the kitsch zone. "You'll Have Time" hears Shatner preaching his sermon about death's inevitability. The song's actually pretty damned funny - it sets the album up as a near perfect gift for the 40 - 50 year old going through their mid-life crisis. When Shatner begins listing off dead celebrities....I always crack up.

"That's Me Trying" is a hilarious song about William Shatner's reconciliation with his now grown children who lived only 10 miles away without him ever knowing. Ben Folds's vocals are featured prominently in this song and it works well.

"Let's keep things neutral / Stick to topics that won't bug us / How about this, let's choose a book and we'll read it before we meet / Then we can sit down at a restaurant, take a look at the menu and talk about it while we eat........./ You wanna try Cold Mountain? / Or is that too long?"

Shatner's lyrics and delivery match the awkward reunion setup so well.

The title track "Has Been" evokes just as many laughs. With a very rawhide sound - you'll find it hard to stop laughing. Positively amazing. I can't stress enough how funny it is. Shatner voices his crotchety old man dislike for modern fads in "I Can't Get Behind That". Shatner is hilarious.

Finally - the song "Real" addresses a very important issue that many people need to deal with: actors don't actually possess the same traits as the characters they portray onscreen.

"So the next time there's an asteroid or...a...natural disaster / I'm flattered that you thought of me / But I'm not the one to call."

If you want a good laugh and even some noteworthy tunes to enjoy William Shatner is an unlikely though perfectly good source for that which you crave. Has Been deserves to be heard by anyone who has ever heard the name William Shatner. Behold the hilarity.

http://www.justpressplay.net/music/will ... -been.html

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TRexx - Nov 14, 2007 - 12:01 PM
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From TVLand.com...

The 50 Greatest TV Icons

They are the champions, The trailblazers. The game changers. More than TV Stars, they are the legends. In partnership with Entertainment Weekly, TV Land has ranked the top 100 greatest TV icons. Don't agree? Speak up on our messages boards or create a list of your own 50.

50. Larry Hagman
49. Calista Flockhart
48. Jimmy Smits
47. Simon Cowell
46. Lassie
45. Sarah Michelle Gellar
44. Susan Lucci
43. Flip Wilson
42. James Gandolfini
41. Jon Stewart
40. Sally Field
39. Jennifer Aniston
38. Bea Arthur
37. George Clooney
36. Diahann Carroll
35. Michael J. Fox
34. Bob Barker
33. Ellen DeGeneres
32. Henry Winkler
31. Sarah Jessica Parker
30. Alan Alda
29. John Ritter
28. Howard Cosell
27. Regis Philbin
26. Farrah Fawcett
25. Heather Locklear
24. Michael Landon
23. Barbara Walters
22. Milton Berle
21. Kermit
20. Carroll O'Connor
19. Andy Griffith
18. William Shatner
17. Bob Newhart
16. David Letterman
15. "Not Ready for Primetime Players"
14. Ed Sullivan
13. Jackie Gleason
12. Dick Van Dyke
11. Roseanne
10. Dick Clark
9. Homer Simpson
8. Jerry Seinfeld
7. Mary Tyler Moore
6. Carol Burnett
5. Walter Cronkite
4. Bill Cosby
3. Oprah Winfrey
2. Lucille Ball
1. Johnny Carson

http://www.tvland.com/originals/50great ... to50.jhtml

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TRexx - Nov 15, 2007 - 02:52 PM
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From the New York Times...

Nimoy's Not Bothered by Spurning of Shatner

Leonard Nimoy said he was not sympathetic to William Shatner's complaints about being left out of the new Star Trek movie. "I know he's upset," Mr. Nimoy, 76, said after an appearance on Tuesday at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in Manhattan, where he promoted his new book of photographs, The Full Body Project. "But his character died three movies ago, so it would have been very difficult to get him into this one." Mr. Shatner, 76, who originated the role of Capt. James T. Kirk on Star Trek, told The Associated Press last month that because of his popularity, he thought it was a bad business decision to leave him out of the new movie, the 11th in the series based on the television show. Mr. Nimoy appears briefly in the new Star Trek, set for a December 2008 release and featuring Kirk and Mr. Nimoy's Spock before the era chronicled in the original Star Trek.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/arts/ ... ref=slogin

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TRexx - Nov 21, 2007 - 02:46 PM
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From Massively.com...

Mr. T and William Shatner appear in WoW commercials

by Samuel Axon Nov 20th 2007 @ 2:57PM

William Shatner and Mr. T are appearing in two new World of Warcraft TV commercials. All Blizzard needs is the Hoff and it'll have the holy trinity of cheese!

This is without a doubt one of the most awesome things we've yet reported. Mr. T talks about his "Night Elf Mohawk." William Shatner players a Shaman and wears a goofy looking robe. It's exactly as funny as you'd expect, and it will be broadcast nationally soon. Blizzard announced that Verne Troyer -- aka "Minime" -- will be recording a commercial as well.

World of Warcraft players have already been littering guild chat with "I pity the fool who specs survival on his Hunter!" and taking screenshots of their characters screaming "KHAAAAAAN!" at the sky. So it goes without saying that these commercials will probably go over quite well.

We have the videos here for your viewing pleasure...

http://www.massively.com/2007/11/20/mr- ... mmercials/

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/downloads/movies.html

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TRexx - Nov 21, 2007 - 02:47 PM
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From Celebritypuke.com...

William Shatner book-signing at Book Soup in West Hollywood...

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ChuckD - Nov 22, 2007 - 12:13 AM
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Bill: "SECURITYYYYY!!!!!!!!"

TRexx - Nov 22, 2007 - 01:35 AM
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From ExtraTV...

William Shatner on Being Left Out of 'Star Trek' Film: 'It Doesn't Make Sense'

Posted by ExtraTV Staff on November 21, 2007 9:06 AM

As the film-adaption of "Star Trek" continues to make headlines, William Shatner says he can't understand why he wasn't asked to make a cameo.

"How could you not put one of the founding figures into a movie that was being resurrected? That doesn't make good business sense to me!" Shatner said at a signing for his book, "Star Trek Academy: Collision Course" in Hollywood.

Director JJ Abrams has offered Leonard Nimoy and several past cast members the chance to make a cameo in the sci-fi spectacle.

Shatner told "Extra" that he would have been great for the film, insisting, "I've become even more popular than I was playing Captain Kirk. I'm good box office and I get publicity... But, they are going in a different direction and it'll be a wonderful film."

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2007/11/w ... g_left.php

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TRexx - Nov 22, 2007 - 08:22 AM
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From StarTrek.com...

Shatner Signs New Book in LA (PHOTOS)

Following on from his Monday book signing in Las Vegas, William Shatner was in jovial form last night at Book Soup in West Hollywood, Calif. The actor graciously signed and chatted with fans who had purchased his newest novel from Pocket Books, "Starfleet Academy: Collision Course," which served as their ticket into the event. This is the latest book from the prolific actor/writer/director and the first in a series of two novels on young Kirk's Academy days. As with all Shatner's fictional writing endeavors, this was once again co-authored with his writing partners Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

You can see our photos of last night's event in the photo gallery on the left.

The new saga details the early years of a 17-year old James T. Kirk, one who is not quite ready for prime time as he is still coming to terms with his brash nature and trying to overcome some personal demons. This is also the time, at least in this story, that Kirk meets Spock for the first time.

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/n ... 13733.html

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TRexx - Nov 30, 2007 - 12:11 AM
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From LA Downtown News...

Sci-Fi Volunteers Needed

The Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival, which runs Dec. 5-9 at Downtown's Shrine Auditorium, is looking for a few good volunteers and interns to help with various tasks. There will also be screenings Dec. 14-15 at the Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway. Festival celebrity guests will include astronaut Buzz Aldrin, director James Cameron, and actors William Shatner and Malcolm McDowell. Film buffs are invited to contact volunteer team coordinators Vicki or Patti at (213) 748-0563, (213) 200-0563 or jvaoffice@gmail.com. More information at jvaff.org.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/ ... s/at05.txt

http://www.julesvernefestival.com/spip.php?article106

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TRexx - Dec 01, 2007 - 08:04 AM
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From Janet Charlton's Hollywood...

Boston Legal star William Shatner still goes to concerts. He took his wife Elizabeth to see James Taylor at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.

http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/goss ... 071129.php

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kirkscutie11728 - Dec 01, 2007 - 09:07 AM
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That's a really bad picture: it doesn't look like either of them is ready to have pictures taken, and they look fairly grumpy. Although, I've always wanted to see pictures of Elizabeth. She looks good, but what's with all of the GOLD, girl? Someone got the message wrong: this was a James TAYLOR concert, not a James BOND casting call. It looks like she's biting her nails and carrying a hideous golden pillow. And is Bill carrying a purse, or is it just me?

Golden-tone jacket, gold blouse, gold pillow-purse, gold pants, AND gold flats. Bill, you should've never let her out of the house dressed like that. LOL

She either desperately wants to be a Golden Girl or it's overkill

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[/quote]

TRexx - Dec 05, 2007 - 12:14 AM
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From E.T. Canada...

The greatest giver of the season - William Shatner

William Shatner (CREDIT: Getty Images)

By Martha Worboy, CanWest News Service, Tuesday, December 04, 2007

He was T.J. Hooker and Henry V and once had a recurring role in a sci-fi series. A Canadian celebrity, he's identifiable to international audiences both for his appearance and for his deep, resonating and hypnotic voice.

During a recent interview, William Shatner - once (and, for many, forever) captain of the Starship Enterprise - could easily sneak in a line or two from his role in one of the most revered franchises in television history - "We humans are full of unpredictable emotions that logic alone cannot solve" or "The odds are against us and the situation is grim" - and it wouldn't sound out of place. (Everything the man says sounds as if he's still at the helm of the famous ship he skippered on the original Star Trek series and subsequent feature films).

But not one to dwell on the past, the 76-year old icon is more eager to talk about the roles he has taken on this year.

Shatner is quite possibly this season's greatest giver, with a recently released album, a Christmas movie (out on DVD) and a new book exploring Kirk and Spock's adolescent adventures.

The Montreal-born actor is down-to-earth about this latest phase of his showbiz career. "It's an average amount of activity," Shatner says over the phone from Los Angeles.

Shatner says he doesn't make too many long-term plans when it comes to his career - he's a man of the moment - which is likely why he finds the time to be so damn busy.

"I don't understand career building," he says.

Rather, Shatner prefers to take on work simply because it interests him. "It depends if the script or the story appeals to me - if I like the character," he says. "If it (the role) has drama, humour, relevance to the story, something I might understand."

What drew him to the Christmas mockumentary Stalking Santa was the great sense of fun he got from reading the script. Shatner plays the voice-over narrator of the film featuring two "Santologists" determined to prove the great myth of a man actually exists. The straight-to-DVD movie was released mid-November.

"It was a fun script that amused me," Shatner says. "It's a spoof - a mockumentary about Christmas. I think the audience for this piece will have fun looking at it. That's really all it is for me - is fun," he says.

It becomes obvious the theme of fun has been a focal point in Shatner's career - which could explain his commitment to being the Kellogg's All-Bran spokesperson and his hammed-up Priceline.com appearances.

"I don't do things to show people I'm capable of something," he says. "The thought of taking on a role to show people something has never figured into any of my decisions."

Shatner's self-pleasing mentality seems to have worked in his favour. His showbiz smarts have landed him starring roles on four successful TV series: as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek (1966-1969), as police officer T.J. Hooker on the eponymous drama (1982-1986), as eccentric attorney Denny Crane for the final season of The Practice (2004) and now on its popular spin-off series Boston Legal - a performance for which he's won a Golden Globe and two Emmys.

Although Shatner is enjoying his mainstream success, it becomes obvious his smaller, more experimental projects are what get him most animated.

When Shatner speaks about his latest spoken-word album Exodus (released late-November), his voice quickens, finally rising out of its steady rhythm.

On the recording, Shatner narrates an abbreviated version of the biblical chapter of Exodus, backed by a 350-voice choir and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

"When I was asked to perform it I realized we were doing something special," he says. "During the performance that I recorded, there was a connection between the audience and the actor and that became the narration. It's totally unique, and it's got a religious-historical overtone, and yet it's entertaining."

Shatner's album follows his two previous releases, 2004's pop-driven, self-deprecating surprise hit Has Been, and the less successful spoken-word album The Transformed Man (1968).

While Shatner is busy building a diverse body of professional work he will never be able to evade the cultural phenomenon that has made him a living legend.

To this day, even Shatner can't explain the cultish obsession with the science fiction series. "No one can explain the phenomena of 'Star Trek'," he says matter-of-factly.

But, although he can't explain it, he has shown himself to feel a sense of ownership over it.

Shatner recently lashed out at not being offered a cameo role in a new Star Trek movie - set for release in 2008, to be directed by J.J. Abrams (Lost) - focusing on the early days of James T. Kirk and Spock.

"How could you not put one of the founding figures into a movie that was being resurrected?," Shatner told the U.S. entertainment show Extra.

"That doesn't make good business sense to me," he added.

(The original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, has reportedly been asked to make an appearance in the film.)

When Shatner thinks about his work on the original TV series, to him it was simply "a job" in the tough world of acting. Shatner says it was his stage training at Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival that made all the difference in landing him the role.

"I spoke the King's English," Shatner says with dramatic flourish. "I was classically trained at Stratford. I can't think of anyone in my age group - except Chris Plummer - that had my training and background."

Shatner spent many years treading the boards on stages across Canada - starting out in student productions at McGill University - and later on Broadway in New York before he found his way to television.

Although the Star Trek role was bread-and-butter work for him at the time, Shatner has fully embraced his involvement with the series. Since the original show ended, Shatner has penned nine books about Captain Kirk's continuing adventures, and he now has a new book out, Star Trek: The Academy - Collision Course, about a 17-year old Kirk, who meets a 19-year old Spock.

"This was my concept," Shatner says. "My own artistic vision... I was able to sell the concept of an adolescent Kirk and Spock. The crystallizing idea for it was the children of Darfur - the children soldiers - and the tragedy that's happening there. It's an adventure story that's meaningful and insightful."

Winning Emmys, penning sci-fi novels, narrating the Old Testament: at this stage in his career, it's clear that Shatner is boldly going wherever he wants to go and having a lot of fun on the way.

Q&A WITH... WILLIAM SHATNER.

When are you happiest? In love.

What scares you the most? Love.

What do you look forward to? Can I say it again? Love.

What has been your favourite trip? Africa.

What quality do you most admire in a person? Honesty.

What person do you idolize? I am an iconoclast. I have no idols.

What are you known for by your closest friends? Devious behaviour.

What are you least known for? My acting.

What is your guilty pleasure? Snuggling with my dog.

How do you unwind? Take a key...

What is the best advice you ever received? Tell the truth.

If you weren't doing what you're doing now what would you be doing? Lying down.

List one accomplishment outside of your career of which you're really proud: Working with horses.

If you could get rid of one common annoyance in your life what would it be? Traffic.

What words do you live by? Live to the fullest.

http://www.canada.com/globaltv/globalsh ... d0ced11301

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TRexx - Dec 06, 2007 - 01:57 AM
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From the Louisville Courier-Journal...

One Shatner, two Bobs

(Click to view larger image)

By David Inman, Special to The Courier-Journal

Dear David Inman: I just read that William Shatner played Ranger Bob on "Howdy Doody." I kind of remember the show, but my boyfriend says Shatner was too young to play that role because Bob was an older man. Was it Shatner? If so, how old was he? -- Carolyn, Tulsa, Okla.

Dear Carolyn: Shatner played Ranger Bob. But before we go any further, let's back up the massive truck of misunderstanding by a few feet.

You're confusing Ranger Bob with Buffalo Bob. Buffalo Bob was the host of "Howdy Doody" from 1947 until 1960, and he was played by Bob Smith, not William Shatner.

Ranger Bob was a personality on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.'s version of "Howdy Doody," and Shatner played that role in 1954. He was 23.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbc ... /712040330

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TRexx - Dec 06, 2007 - 02:52 AM
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From StarTrek.com...

Star Trek: The Tour Makes North American Debut

WILLIAM SHATNER is Celebrity Ambassador

Los Angeles, CA -- December 5, 2007 -- SEE Touring Productions and Metropolitan Talent present STAR TREK THE TOUR, the largest interactive Star Trek exhibit ever, which makes its North American debut on January 18th for a limited engagement at the Queen Mary Dome in Long Beach, Calif.

This unprecedented event will give the public the opportunity to step inside the Star Trek world and become active participants in the legacy that has captured the imagination of generations: From the chance to sit on a starship bridge from the Original TV series to traveling through space on motion simulators, STAR TREK THE TOUR offers the whole family the opportunity to be fully immersed in the action. Plus, the Tour features the world's largest collection of authentic Star Trek ships, sets, costumes and props from all 5 TV series and 10 films over the last 40+ years.

William Shatner, who portrayed Star Trek's most iconic character, Captain James T. Kirk, is the official Celebrity Ambassador for the tour and will be making appearances at various times throughout the tour's multi-city run. "STAR TREK THE TOUR promises to be the largest, most interactive and entertaining Star Trek event ever presented to the public," Mr. Shatner said. "This will truly be an impressive experience for the whole family and I am happy to be associated with it."

Tickets will go on sale Friday, December 7th for American Express Cardholders and will be available to the general public beginning on December 15th. The tour lifts off in Long Beach, CA for a limited engagement, and will run through February 17. Following the Long Beach / Los Angeles engagement, the next 4 cities STAR TREK THE TOUR will visit are San Francisco, Minneapolis / St. Paul, Chicago, and Detroit.

Full report at StarTrek.com ...
http://www.startrek.com/custom/include/ ... cle/1.html

[Click image for tour schedule]

A message from William Shatner:

Welcome to STAR TREK THE TOUR. I'm sure you have already discovered, as I have, that this event is truly a unique amalgamation of all the things that made Star Trek a phenomenon. My own small contribution to this legendary story has continued to be a source of great pride to me during my career, and although I have been fortunate enough to have many other projects to satisfy the artist in me, I have nevertheless always felt a deep and visceral connection to the show.

But there are reasons why this never-ending story has endured. I have always believed that this special connection to Star Trek we all enjoy comes from the positive picture the stories consistently envision. No matter what strange new worlds and new philosophies the crews of the enterprise face, the solutions they find are always the very best combination of human truth, personal honesty and faith.

I was honored to work with the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, and I am pleased that his legacy continues to grow and evolve. STAR TREK THE TOUR brings us one step closer to the very roots of how this all came to pass. It's a rare chance for us, the fans, to get to know so much more about the process and the many talented men and women that made this all possible. Star Trek is now over forty years old, and to me that's still a kid. Just wait'll you see what happens next.

Enjoy!

William Shatner

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TRexx - Dec 10, 2007 - 02:17 AM
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From StarsForWishes.com...

One of a Kind Celebrity-Designed Stars

William Shatner One-of-a-Kind Swarovski Holiday Star

The stars will shine in full splendour as the Toronto Eaton Centre and Swarovski Canada launch the holiday season with a magical spectacle to benefit The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, including a dazzling display of Swarovski stars decorated by some of Canada's top celebrities and the unveiling of the extraordinary Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree.

This year, twelve of Canada's top celebrities have decorated exclusive Swarovski stars as part of the festivities. These one-of-a-kind 20" (50.8 cm) x 24" (61 cm) giant stars along with the celebrities' autographed headshot and signature card, including a holiday message, will be on display until December 17th. After which the stars will go to the highest bidder with 100 percent of the proceeds going to benefit The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada.

Auctions start on December 7, 2007 and end on December 17, 2007. To participate in the auction, you must first register as a bidder. To register, simply visit the Swarovski Gallery Store in the Toronto Eaton Centre or the Toronto Eaton Centre Guest Services Kiosk and pick-up a registration card. Then come back to this website and click on the "Register to Bid" link and complete our online registration form.

Each celebrity received their giant 20 by 24 inch star and a variety of ribbons and crystals that they used to add their own personal style on the star. Each star was decorated by the celebrities themselves and sent along with their autographed headshot.

All of our wonderfully talented decorators really put their heart and soul into creating these one-of-a-kind Swarovski stars for The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada.

Everyday, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada brings happiness, strength and hope to the lives of children coping with a high-risk, life-threatening illness. With more than two decades of wish granting, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada is the authority on wish granting in our country.

So make sure to bid high and bid often and one of these dazzling one-of-a-kind Swarovski stars, decorated by your favourite Canadian celebrities could be yours!

Click here for more information on the making of the star.

Register to bid

BID NOW

http://starsforwishes.com/

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TRexx - Dec 11, 2007 - 11:25 AM
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From the LAist...

At "Star Trek Day" on the WGA picket line outside Paramount, the following signage was seen...

We Want Dollars for Downloads
and a Shatner cameo in Star Trek XI*

* not an official WGA demand

http://laist.com/2007/12/10/photo_essay ... ekkies.php

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TRexx - Dec 11, 2007 - 12:00 PM
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From Central City East Blogger...

William Shatner receives a Jules Verne Lifetime Achievement Award, and a gift from the Oneida Tribe.

Click on photos for larger images...

Patrick Stewart presenting William Shatner with lifetime achievement award at the Jules Verne Film Festival at the Shrine auditorium

William Shatner being presented his gift from the Oneida Tribe

http://centralcitye.blogspot.com/2007/1 ... rt_10.html

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TRexx - Dec 15, 2007 - 01:48 PM
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Here's a brief video in which Bill praises Blade Runner at the 2007 Jules Verne Festival...

http://www.livevideo.com/video/WarnerBr ... ersar.aspx

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TRexx - Dec 15, 2007 - 07:23 PM
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From The Washington Post ...

How Webby is Bill Shatner?

In which we evaluate the Web presence of celebrities.

Not very.

(WilliamShatner.com)

William Shatner's Web site is -- how shall we put this? -- dated. It's all primary colors and overdramatic fonts. Not only does it look as if it hasn't been redesigned since 1998, Bill's very own blog portion of the site ("Bill's Space") hasn't been updated since June. In fact, it seems Shatner has washed his hands of the site since posting this November video gripe about his lack of involvement in J.J. Abrams' new "Trek" movie. Seriously, his site is like parsecs behind that of other "Star Trek" alums like the tragically hip George Takei.

And, instead of cashing in on his kitschy 'net cred by highlighting gems like this quirky favorite, we're instead greeted with a call to congratulate Bill on his Golden Globe nomination. Says one adoring fan: "Bill you DEMON. You've done it again." Indeed.

For diehard Trekkers, there is a storefront portion of the site where you can pony up $80 for a signed Captain Kirk picture (Holiday hint: My choice would be this one of him in gangster garb from Episode #49.)

Shatner does get points for having a MySpace page (pals include Sid Caesar) and hosting this recent online Q&A. Still, we know Bill can take his official site to places no man has gone before.

Ranking: ** (See ratings guide below)

-----
Rankings
**** -- Rosie O'Donnell (always online -- blogging, video-ing, haiku-ing)
*** -- Will Farrell (I am funny online, too)
** -- Tom Hanks (has a minimally updated MySpace page)
* -- Britney Spears (hasn't updated her official site in over a year)

By Liz | December 14, 2007; 10:42 AM ET

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/celebrit ... atner.html

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TRexx - Dec 18, 2007 - 06:58 PM
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From SCI FI Wire...

Shatner Trek Cameo Possible?

Roberto Orci, co-writer of director J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated Star Trek movie, told SCI FI Wire that there's still a possibility that original star William Shatner may appear in the movie, though that's less of a possibility than before. The film is currently in production.

"There are two things," Orci said in an interview in November. "One, from our point of view, we are still hoping to find a way. Secondly, one of the difficulties that was brought up and discussed with Shatner when we all met him and pitched him ideas is that Trek fans are sticklers for their canon. [And,] unfortunately, Shatner's Capt. Kirk was killed in Star Trek VII [1994's Generations]."

There was no such problem bringing back Shatner's co-star, Leonard Nimoy, as an older Spock, joining a cast of new actors to inhabit the roles of the Star Trek crew. But Kirk's death complicates the matter of bringing Shatner back, said Orci, who wrote the screenplay for Star Trek with his Transformers partner Alex Kurtzman.

"The difficulty there is not just ignoring that or explaining it in an unsatisfactory way merely to get him back in," Orci said. "So that is the struggle: the rigors of canon and not phoning it in just to have a cameo." Still, it could happen, he said. "From my point of view, it's a very long shoot, and things change. It's just whether we can figure it out." Another possible problem: The ongoing writers' strike prohibits members of the Writers Guild of America -- which includes Orci, Kurtzman and Abrams -- from making any changes to the script until the strike is settled.

For his part, Shatner has not been shy in expressing his disappointment at not being cast in Star Trek. "How could you not put one of the founding figures into a movie that was being resurrected?" he told TV's Extra last month. "That doesn't make good business sense to me!"

In any case, Orci had nothing but praise for Chris Pine, the actor who will play the young version of Kirk.

"Chris Pine has two things which are very difficult to find simultaneously," Orci said. "He has the maverick nature of an extremely motivated, cocky guy who doesn't play by the rules, who is intelligent enough and can command sufficient respect to be an astronaut. Remember, these people are all astronauts!"

But Pine also conveys the intelligence of a starship captain, Orci added. "It's difficult to find a good-looking guy who you would believe can fill the old Kirk shoes of getting into a fist fight while also having a Ph.D. in astrophysics," he said. "That's a tough one, because you need that as he has to face the intelligence of Mr. Spock [played in his younger years by Zachary Quinto]. Chris has a great sense of humor but is also able to get serious on a dime to step in and out of leadership while being fun." Star Trek is slated for release on Christmas Day 2008. (Read more about Star Trek in the current issue of SCI FI Magazine.)

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.ph ... p;id=46494

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ChuckD - Dec 19, 2007 - 12:26 AM
Post subject:

Stewart: "So this is the script for the new Star Trek movie? After reading this trash I see why you passed on it, and why I retired. What rubbish!!!

angel - Dec 19, 2007 - 01:24 AM
Post subject:

TRexx wrote:

From The Washington Post ...

How Webby is Bill Shatner?

In which we evaluate the Web presence of celebrities.

Not very.

Bite me!

TRexx - Dec 20, 2007 - 02:24 PM
Post subject:

From the Winston-Salem Journal ...

If anyone can find Santa Claus, it's Shatner -- but can ... anyone?!

Thursday, December 20, 2007
By Tim Clodfelter, relish staff writer, tclodfelter@wsjournal.com

Here Comes Shatner Claus, Here Comes Shatner Claus...

The one, the only William Shatner is the narrator of the new mockumentary Stalking Santa, about a scientist trying to prove the existence of St. Nick. It is out on DVD now from Excel Entertainment Group for $14.99.

In a TV and film career dating back to the early 1950s, Shatner has been in a few Christmasy productions before, including the role of a character named Dr. Bob in a Tori Spelling TV-movie A Carol Christmas, and a 1958 episode of Hallmark Television Playhouse called "The Christmas Tree" -- and, of course, a guest spot in Denis Leary's 2005 TV special Merry (Blank)in' Christmas.

But he never got a chance to do a holiday episode of Star Trek.

"That would have been a great Christmas show for Star Trek," Shatner said in a telephone interview promoting Stalking Santa. "That there's an alien out there with a beard and a pot belly, and he meets Captain Kirk with the same thing, you know."

Shatner is Jewish, but said that the spirit of Christmas can apply to anyone of any faith. "If done in the right tone, it's a time to give thanks, it's a time to share, and a time to give to people who are not doing as well as you are."

Shatner grew up in Montreal, Canada, and said that he wasn't heavily immersed in the Santa Claus aspect of Christmas celebrations.

"It's a very Catholic city, especially then," he said. "It was very rural, and it's called 'The City of Churches' for a reason. So Christmas was celebrated with much of its religious meaning.

"But in addition to that, there were a lot of lights and music and gifts and food and scents and snow. A lot of snow."

When he was first approached to perform in Stalking Santa, Shatner took a look at the script and found it amusing.

"It was a voiceover, did not require a commitment of a lot of time, and it seemed like a project that would be exuberant and amusing...

"That's really all it is for me, is fun. And I think the audience for this piece will have fun looking at it. It's not going to change the world, but if it makes people feel better when looking at it, that's all we ask."

He also appreciated the fact that the spoof isn't mean-spirited toward Santa.

"It's a myth organized over the years, and it's gained different mythological qualities as the years go by," he said. "So here's another one to add to the vast variety of things that Santa is."

But wait: Mr. Shatner, when you refer to "myth," you're not implying that there's no such thing as Santa, are you?

"No, Santa is real," he replied. "It's just ... where is he?"

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satel ... 7645508976

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TRexx - Dec 21, 2007 - 06:13 PM
Post subject:

Hollywood.com has posted a Special 2008 Sneak Preview Inside The Star Trek Movie in which executive producer Damon Lindelof talks about a possible appearance by Bill...

At last summer's San Diego Comic-Con, Abrams told a crowd of fans that he held high hopes that the new film would also feature William Shatner reprising his role as Captain Kirk (despite the fact Kirk was killed off in the seventh feature film, 1994's Generations).

"There are still ongoing talks," reported Lindelof. "We're pretty much exactly where we were with Comic-Con ... Look, the reality is Trek was up and running and in existence and iconic before we came so we've been basically invited to the party that these guys have been throwing for the last 40 years, so obviously it would be HUGE if Mr. Shatner wanted to be any part of the franchise. It's a challenge for us, though, because they killed Kirk off ... But hey, it's Trek, anything's possible, right?

http://www.hollywood.com/feature/Specia ... ie/4995718

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TRexx - Dec 21, 2007 - 07:31 PM
Post subject:

From the Screen Actor's Guild...

William Shatner and the cast of Boston Legal has been nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Actor awards ceremony will be Simulcast Live on Sunday, Jan. 27, on TNT and TBS at 8 PM ET/PT, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT

http://www.sagawards.org/PR_071220

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TRexx - Jan 03, 2008 - 03:08 AM
Post subject:

From The LA Times...

It's proved to be quite a trek

William Shatner during the filming of a Priceline.com commercial in Los Angeles’ Koreatown district.

William Shatner and Priceline.com have both benefited from his stint as company spokesman.

By Alana Semuels, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, January 2, 2008

The cameras zoomed in on William Shatner as he raced a baby carriage through a crowded outdoor restaurant in Koreatown.

Dressed in a black suit, his hair neatly grayed, Shatner focused on the task at hand: looking genuinely interested in saving people money on airfare. Famous for playing Denny Crane in "Boston Legal" and for having been Captain Kirk in "Star Trek" on TV and in the movies, he was reprising his longest-running role: spokesman for Priceline.com Inc., which operates a travel website.

Passers-by gawked and took photos with their cellphones. Two Korean women who didn't speak English petted his jacket, and one even tried to hug him.

The scene said it all. The 10-year relationship between Shatner and Priceline has buoyed the fortunes of both, and reminded advertisers that celebrities, however faded their popularity, can do wonders for a brand. Auto insurer Geico is one company that has taken the concept to town with the likes of Little Richard, Burt Bacharach and James Lipton.

"It's an instant infusion of a personality," said Mike Wolfsohn, creative director of Ignited, an El Segundo-based advertising agency.

In 1997, Priceline narrowed its list for a spokesman to two well-known television personalities: Bill Cosby and Shatner. Shatner got the nod because he was "futuristic" in his persona, said Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller, and because "anyone holding a credit card aged 18 to 95 had heard of William Shatner and knew who he was."

The first TV spots in 1998-99 featured Shatner as a lounge singer. While belting out tunes such as "Bust a Move" and "Age of Aquarius," he spoke a few lyrics of his own, including, "I wanted to chill but making all of my travel arrangements was freaking me out." Musician Ben Folds played the guitar in one of the spots and the two later worked together to produce Shatner's spoken-word album "Has Been" in 2004.

The first spots were hits, parodied on Saturday Night Live. They "propelled Priceline from a second- or third-tier brand to a top-tier brand with extremely high brand awareness," Keller said, adding that company surveys found that people were as familiar with Priceline as with online shopping giant EBay, and more than 90% of people asked had heard of Priceline.

Shatner said the wacky campaign helped his own career too.

"It's possible that when I was being amusing in these commercials, David Kelly saw them and brought me to mind for a part in 'Boston Legal,' " Shatner said on the set in Koreatown.

In 2004, after a drought in which Priceline commercials were his main work, Shatner was cast as quirky attorney Crane on the ABC drama "The Practice," and since then has played the character on the spinoff "Boston Legal."

Comments posted on the YouTube page of Shatner's "Bust a Move" spot indicate the commercials might also have helped his reputation with fans. "Shatner is GOD," said one. Two others were compelled to write, individually: "The Shat rules!"

Shatner said he turned down commercials early in his career "because they lacked purity or art" -- and then realized commercials could be art too.

"When celebrities come in and they're not taking themselves too seriously, it works well," said Steve Bassett, creative director at the Martin Agency, which created the Geico spots featuring aging actors mocking themselves.

Shatner said he didn't make a whole lot of money in his early days as Priceline's spokesman, taking most of his early compensation in stock options. Company rules prevented him from selling when the stock soared in the 18 months after its initial public offering. The stock soared to $974 a share in April 1999 in the heady days of the dot-com boom, but skidded with most other tech stocks to $15 a year and a half later. Shares of Priceline.com rose $1.86 on Thursday to $116.23.

In the spots that premier this month, Shatner plays The Negotiator, created by Sausalito-based ad agency Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners, a batman-like figure who is summoned from his lair whenever a customer needs help. Shatner described the character as "terribly earnest, really dreadfully serious about getting a good deal."

For a 76-year-old actor who portrayed a police sergeant on "T.J. Hooker" and an alien on "Third Rock from the Sun," Priceline is a great employer, Shatner said (though he added that he doesn't often use the site himself because it doesn't sell first-class airline tickets).

"The ad campaign is great fun," he said. "The public has responded."

alana.semuels@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-p ... ome-center

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littlestar - Jan 03, 2008 - 03:11 AM
Post subject:

I wish I had been paying attention at the beginning of the month....

I missed out on the Stars...wonder how high they went? Embarassed

DOC - Jan 03, 2008 - 06:16 PM
Post subject:

Shatner Has Happy Decade With Priceline
Thursday, January 03, 2008 6:15:26 AM

They don't often compete for parts, but William Shatner beat out Bill Cosby for his longest-running role.

Ten years ago, online travel company Priceline.com Inc. narrowed its list of potential spokesmen to Shatner and Cosby. The former Captain Kirk won out because he was more "futuristic," and because "anyone holding a credit card aged 18 to 95 had heard of William Shatner and knew who he was," said Brett Keller, the company's chief marketing officer.

It has been a happy union.

Shatner lent his credibility and camp to the company's early TV spots, in which he performed contemporary hits like "Bust a Move" in a classic lounge-lizard style.

The ads, which became a cultural phenomenon and were sent up on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," "propelled Priceline from a second- or third-tier brand to a top-tier brand with extremely high brand awareness," Keller said.

Shatner, too, saw a bump in his fortunes.

After some lean years, he began finding work and was eventually cast as lawyer Denny Crane in ABC's "The Practice," then took the role to the spinoff, "Boston Legal." The part earned him an Emmy.

"It's possible that when I was being amusing in these commercials, (writer) David Kelly saw them and brought me to mind for a part in `Boston Legal,'" Shatner said on the set of a new Priceline commercial.

Shatner, 76, has played the role of Priceline spokesman for far longer than the four years he spent as Captain Kirk on the original "Star Trek" series, though he reprised that role over the next several decades.

In the new spots, Shatner plays "The Negotiator," a superhero summoned when a customer needs help.

TRexx - Jan 07, 2008 - 04:42 AM
Post subject:

Posted in the Los Angeles Times ...

SALES

By Erin Weinger, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, January 6, 2008

Dari: The Valley has lots of hidden fashion gems, and Dari is one of them. The store, owned by Melanie Shatner, daughter of "Star Trek's" William Shatner, is offering splurge-worthy goods at steal prices. Feminine frocks by Jovovich-Hawk and Missoni, Sonia Rykiel separates and some of the season's best Phillip Lim party dresses are among the goodies on sale at up to 80% off. 12184 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. (818) 762-3274. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

http://www.latimes.com/features/printed ... s-pe-image

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TRexx - Jan 10, 2008 - 08:09 AM
Post subject:

Posted at the New York Times ...

NBC Will Show 'Dateline' Before 'Globes'

By Brian Stelter, January 9, 2008, 1:07 pm

NBC has confirmed that a two-hour edition of "Dateline NBC" will be shown before the Golden Globes press conference on Sunday.

The 7 to 9 p.m. special, entitled "Going For Gold" and hosted by Matt Lauer, will replace red carpet coverage and the first hour of the awards ceremony. "Dateline" was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved to Sunday after the writers' strike forced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to cancel its traditional awards show.

The "Dateline" special will include interviews with nominees and commentary by the comedian Kathy Griffin. NBC will add an air of sport to the event by including predictions by the network's "Football Night in America" analysts.

In a press release, the network said that NBC News correspondents have or will interview James McAvoy, Sally Field, Ellen Page, Amy Adams, Kyra Sedgwick, William Shatner, Nikki Blonsky and Patricia Arquette, among others.

As noted yesterday, NBC is considering showing its new reality competition "American Gladiators" after the press conference at 10 p.m.

http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008 ... re-globes/

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littlestar - Jan 10, 2008 - 09:45 AM
Post subject:

British actor Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire) has been cast in the upcoming Star Trek movie that J.J Abrams is directing for Paramount. Cross will play the Vulcan father of a young Spock, being played by Zachary Quinto, and the husband to the human Amanda, played by Winona Ryder. Original Spock Leonard Nimoy will also have a role in the movie. Filming began this week for a planned Christmas Day 2008 release. Plot details are scarce, but the story is expected to focus on the early days of the Starship Enterprise crew.

*********************

Ever since the surprise success of 2005's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and despite numerous tempting offers, popular playwright, actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry (best known for playing the feisty, no-nonsense Madea) has completely devoted himself to appearing only in his own films. According to the Hollywood Reporter, though, that's about to change. Confirming rampant Internet rumors, the trade reports that Perry will appear as the head of Starfleet Academy in J.J. Abrams' new "Star Trek" movie. Perry's character will deal with the ramifications of a young James T. Kirk (newcomer Chris Pine) becoming the first person to beat the famed Kobayashi Maru test. As any Trekkie or Trekker can tell you, the Kobayashi Maru is designed to evaluate an officer's skills in the ultimate no-win scenario.

Perry joins an already intriguing cast including Pine, Zachary Quinto (young Spock), Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), John Cho (Sulu), Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike), Winona Ryder (Amanda Grayson), Eric Bana (the villainous Nero) and the original Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy. And, of course, despite numerous denials, many still believe that Abrams will find a way to reunite the original Kirk (William Shatner) and Nimoy's Spock on-screen one last time.

The inclusion of Perry probably won't entice his large fan base to see "Trek," but it shows he's now willing to appear in projects other than his own (or that he's just a really big "Star Trek" fan). Perry certainly doesn't have a lot of free time, though. This past fall he released the Madea-less "Why Did I Get Married?", which grossed an exceptional $55 million. And "Meet the Browns," which features the return of fan favorite Madea, is set to debut March 21. The triple-threat is also expected to begin shooting two new movies this spring: "The Family That Preys Together" and "Madea Goes to Jail."

On second thought, for Perry to fit even a small supporting role into his schedule, he's got to be a fan.

Currently still in production, "Star Trek" beams into theaters Dec. 25.

TRexx - Jan 12, 2008 - 08:19 AM
Post subject:

From the Legacy Games Blog ...

The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures
Behind The Scene

[Click to view larger picture]

...

By the way, it was interesting to see how the different actors approached their work. Bob Saget, for example, made a point to riff on almost every line. He dramatically improved his character's dialog and kept us giggling throughout every take. It is too bad that most of what he said can't be repeated in mixed company. William Shatner, on the other hand, walked into the room read each line exactly as it was written and killed it on the first or second take. He could read a Chinese menu and people would be rolling with laughter. There's just something funny about Shatner.

Read the complete article at Legacy Games Blog ...

http://legacygames.typepad.com/gamesfor ... s-mad.html

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TRexx - Jan 12, 2008 - 08:22 AM
Post subject:

From Access Hollywood ...

Access Hollywood talks to William Shatner about Star Trek and "The Tour" (for which Bill is Celebrity Ambassador).

See the online video interview ...

http://video.accesshollywood.com/player ... oid=204324

William Shatner breaks news on his new "Star Trek" adventure. No doubt -- hands down -- Shatner was the greatest captain ever on "Star Trek." Simple reason -- he was able to perform his duty while romancing every gorgeous Alien in the known universe.

AH: "Who was the best kisser?"

WS: "Nimoy."

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TRexx - Jan 16, 2008 - 01:25 AM
Post subject:

From Men.Style.com ...

Wiseguy: William Shatner

The sci-fi legend on blogging, living out of a car, and seeking enlightenment under a falling horse.

Q: Is it true that after Star Trek went off the air you lived out of a car?

A: A pickup truck, actually. It was the early 1970s and I was recently divorced. I had three kids and was totally broke. I managed to find work back east on the straw-hat circuit -- summer stock -- but couldn't afford hotels, so I lived out of the back of my truck, under a hard shell. It had a little stove, a toilet, and I'd drive from theater to theater. The only comfort came from my dog, who sat in the passenger seat and gave me perspective on everything. Otherwise, it would have just been me counting my losses.

Q: Speaking of loss, there's a spoken-word track on your 2004 album, Has Been, about discovering the body of your third wife, Nerine, after she'd drowned while mixing Valium with booze. Did you find recording it cathartic?

A: I don't understand closure, if that's what you mean. That word never resonated with me. The epiphany I had, making that, was that we grieve forever. It's as much a part of our life as eating, sleeping, and love. We live in grief for having left the womb, for having left the teat, then school, then home. In my case, it was leaving marriages, and the death of my wife. Making that recording was simply my way to express very deep feelings.... Death is an absolute marvel. I once had a great horse rear up and fall back on me, and in that moment I thought I might gain some clarity about the mystery -- you know, the meaning of the universe suddenly illuminated, like in an orgasm -- but it never came.

Q: If that horse had killed you, what would you have regretted never achieving?

A: Everything. I've done nothing. What have I done? I've blundered my way through life. So I have my picture on the wall. The minute I die, that picture will start to yellow and fade and eventually be gone. Blown in the wind and become part of the molecular structure of something else. These things we see as "success," they're non-accomplishments.

Q: So is that how you think of your Emmy for Boston Legal? And the millions of lives you touched as Captain James Tiberius Kirk?

A: Careers are here and they're gone. I enjoy performing, and I feel lately like I've reached the apex of what I can do as a performer. Even my memory for dialogue has never been sharper. But no matter how great we think we are, we're nothing but the temples of Ozymandias -- we're ruins in the making.

Q: And yet, at 76, you're still acting and writing and trying new things. What is it that motivates you?

A: Life motivates me. Ideas motivate me. I want to do a talk show. I have ideas for three animated films. I'm nearly finished with my autobiography. I continue to write Star Trek-themed novels. My daughter and I have extremely successful websites and a video blog, even though my computer's still in the box it arrived in. As long as my body holds up, my mind is as willing as it's ever been.

Q: You've shown more depth in these ten minutes than I've ever seen you express on television.

A: People don't care about depth on television. The lighter you can keep things the better. People don't care about real issues unless those issues are entertaining.

Q: So did you want to take another crack at Star Trek in the new JJ Abrams film version?

A: He talked to me a few times this past year, but they shot in November and Leonard [Nimoy] is in it and I'm not. I'm disappointed. I'm not outraged, but I think it's a stupid business decision, a stupid box-office decision. Here I am, still alive, still popular, on a hit show. It makes sense to put me in the thing. If they don't, that's fine. I just think it's a silly oversight.

Q: Is there an art to spoofing yourself?

A: There's a fine comedic line you need to walk. It's about indicating that you're aware of the exaggerated persona but you don't subscribe to it. If you show that you're too self-aware, you come off as callow. If you make it seem like you're oblivious, the audience is mystified. They start to wonder if you're the only one not in on the joke. I like to believe I hit that line just about right.

Q: You sold your kidney stone. Why?

A: I had a kidney stone. The Golden Palace offered me $25,000, and then we upped the amount to $75,000 and donated the entire thing to Habitat for Humanity. They built a house. There's now a family living inside my kidney stone. Only in America!

Q: Finally, once and for all, what is the trouble with Tribbles?

A: They multiply. But then, that's the trouble with humanity.

THE BEST SHATNER CLIPS ON YOUTUBE...
- Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds With William Shatner
- William Shatner's World of Warcraft Commercial
- William Shatner Performs "It Was a Very Good Year"
- William Shatner Stand-Up
- 1966 William Shatner Interview on the Set of Star Trek

http://men.style.com/details/features/f ... ;pageNum=1

__________________

TRexx - Jan 16, 2008 - 08:11 PM
Post subject:

From The Centre Daily Times ...

He's Back And Better Than Ever

William Shatner Returns To Fight For More Travel Deals As The Priceline Negotiator

Monday, Jan. 14, 2008

NORWALK, Conn. -- The Priceline Negotiator is back to continue his never-ending fight for choice, quality and the best travel deals in the universe. In his 10th year as celebrity spokesman for priceline.com(R) (Nasdaq: PCLN), William Shatner returns this week in the first installment of a new series of commercials based on the karate-chopping, hard-bargaining Priceline Negotiator character.

The spots promise to be bolder and better than ever, with more action, spectacular stunts and new sidekicks. The spots were created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), priceline.com's San Francisco-based advertising agency. No financial details of the campaign were released.

To see the first spots, visit: www.priceline.com/promo/shatner_pcln_negotiator.asp

As The Negotiator, Mr. Shatner plays a character -- part secret agent, part superhero -- who uses his extraordinary martial arts and unusual-but-effective persuasion skills to negotiate the best possible travel deals on behalf of priceline.com customers. In one spot, The Negotiator plucks deadly blow-darts out of mid-air and fights off a dojo full of martial arts students to convince the master that he can find them as many special-deal hotel rooms as they need for their upcoming team trip. In another spot, one of The Negotiator's new sidekicks, nicknamed NoFee, uses his incredible physical strength to demonstrate why a customer should not be paying airline ticket booking fees on another travel reservation service, when he can come to priceline.com and pay no booking fees on his published-price fares.

"Our first round of Negotiator spots in 2007 resonated very well with consumers," said priceline.com Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller. "They quickly set us apart from our competition and further solidified priceline as the value leader in the online travel world. As the Priceline Negotiator, William Shatner moves well beyond the traditional role of a spokesman and literally embodies the priceline brand and the deal-making attributes we stand for. Given the success of our first round, we're excited to come back with a new series of commercials in which The Negotiator can entertain and further build the priceline.com brand."

"A successful advertisement is an artful mix of humor and message," said Mr. Shatner. "It entertains because it needs to grab attention, but it also informs. The Negotiator gives me a character, a vehicle if you will, where I can creatively blend those elements in a variety of different ways to get the desired result."

According to BSSP, the Shatner/priceline.com partnership, sometimes referred to as his longest-running role, has been a big benefit to company and spokesman. "From the moment he first stepped onto the set, William Shatner gave priceline.com a personality," said Mike Shine, BSSP's co-Creative Director. "It provided priceline.com with instant credibility and recall. Typically, the initial benefits of a business/celebrity relationship fade after a short period of time. However, as Mr. Shatner's career evolves and expands, he continues to bring fresh buzz and excitement to the priceline.com brand."

William Shatner first appeared in a priceline.com advertisement in 1998. "Priceline.com was looking for a celebrity spokesperson who was trustworthy, associated with futuristic things, and had appeal across multiple generations," said priceline.com's Director of Advertising and Branding Cort Cunningham. "Mr. Shatner had all of those attributes. His persona combined with his new role gives him greater relevance for the brand." Early priceline.com commercials featured a singing William Shatner twisting the words of '70s pop hits like "Age of Aquarius", "Convoy" and "Two Tickets to Paradise" into odes to priceline.com and its money saving prowess. The ads were spoofed by Jay Leno, parodied on Saturday Night Live, lampooned in MAD Magazine, and even featured as a question on Jeopardy and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Later on, priceline.com paired Mr. Shatner with his former co-star and friend Leonard Nimoy. That campaign focused on promoting priceline.com's new product lineup that included published-price and Name Your Own Price travel products. In another series of spots, Mr. Shatner educated shoppers about the many travel choices they have when shopping at priceline.com.

Fans of Mr. Shatner and The Negotiator should check out his special MySpace page, www.myspace.com/thenegotiator. Visitors can download ringtones and screensavers, view Negotiator ads, edit family travel photos to include The Negotiator, play audio clips and read about The Negotiator's favorite books, movies and more.

About Priceline.com(R) Incorporated

Priceline.com Incorporated (Nasdaq: PCLN) operates priceline.com, a leading U.S. online travel service for value-conscious leisure travelers, and Booking.com, a leading international online hotel reservation service. Priceline.com also operates Agoda.com, an Asian online hotel reservation service. In the U.S., priceline.com gives customers more ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises than any other Internet travel service. In addition to getting great published prices, leisure travelers can narrow their searches using priceline.com's TripFilter advanced search technology, create packages to save even more money, and take advantage of priceline.com's famous Name Your Own Price(R) service, which can deliver the lowest prices available.

Priceline.com believes that Booking.com is Europe's largest and fastest growing hotel reservation service, with a network of affiliated Web sites. Booking.com operates in over 60 countries in 16 languages and offers its customers access to over 38,000 participating hotels worldwide.

Priceline.com also operates the following travel websites: Travelweb.com, Lowestfare.com, RentalCars.com and BreezeNet.com. Priceline.com also has a personal finance service that offers home mortgages, refinancing and home equity loans through an independent licensee. Priceline.com licenses its business model to independent licensees, including priceline mortgage and certain international licensees.

Priceline.com Incorporated Brian Ek, 203-299-8167 brian.ek@priceline.com

http://www.centredaily.com/business/story/330593.html

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TRexx - Jan 18, 2008 - 03:59 PM
Post subject:

From the Long Beach Press-Telegram ...

A Lavish Enterprise

William Shatner is greeted by Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster

Article Launched: 01/17/2008 10:15:00 PM PST

William Shatner was among the celebrities in attendance at Thursday night's red-carpet gala event celebrating the opening of "Star Trek The Tour" at the Queen Mary Dome in Long Beach.

Above, Shatner, who portrayed Captain Kirk in the original series, is greeted by Mayor Bob Foster, left. Below, a replica of Star Trek's USS Enterprise is viewed by Madison Russ, Jisey Ayon and Jose Ayon, from left. "Star Trek The Tour" officially opens today and will run through Feb. 17. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and at the Queen Mary Dome Box Office.

Scott Smeltzer/Staff Photographer

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_8004034

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TRexx - Jan 18, 2008 - 04:01 PM
Post subject:

From SCI FI Wire ...

Shatner Unveils Trek Tour

12:00 AM, 18-JANUARY-08

Original Star Trek star William Shatner waxed nostalgic about the franchise as he unveiled a multimedia touring exhibition of Trek memorabilia in Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17.

"I must tell you I walked in this morning and went to look at the bridge and felt this surge of nostalgia," Shatner told reporters in a news conference in the Queen Mary Dome, referring to a recreation of the original bridge of the starship Enterprise. "It was quite incredible. I hadn't been on the bridge set ... since I made the last movie."

Shatner is the official ambassador for the exhibition, called Star Trek the Tour, which has its North American debut in the California city through Feb. 17 before moving to San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit.

It wasn't all a pleasurable trip down memory lane, Shatner joked. "I looked over at the uniform that I was supposed to have worn back 40 years ago, and I thought, 'That couldn't be me.' [It was] a little small," he said, evoking laughter from the crowd of journalists.

The tour, produced by SEE Touring Productions and presented by Metropolitan Talent, features recreations of several Trek sets, including the bridges of the original Enterprise and The Next Generation's Enterprise D. The 50,000-square-foot exhibition includes costumes, props, ships and other items from all five Trek TV shows and 10 movies. The tour also features a multimedia theater and several flight-simulator rides.

Shatner was eventually asked about the upcoming 11th movie, a reboot of the franchise by director J.J. Abrams. Will he appear in it? "I think they're about halfway through shooting, something like that, or coming toward the end," Shatner said. "They've got another three weeks to hire me [laughs]. I don't think you'll be seeing me, unfortunately. I would love to have been in it. For some reason, I'm not. I don't know the reason why. But I'm sure it'll be a wonderful film, and I wish them all the best. I only hope that Star Trek continues." Star Trek the Tour opens Jan. 18.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.ph ... p;id=47450

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TRexx - Jan 18, 2008 - 07:40 PM
Post subject:

From the Orange County Register ...

William Shatner beams aboard 'Star Trek: The Tour' in Long Beach

The actor who made his name as Captain Kirk is among the attractions at the event, which touches down for a month.

By PETER LARSEN, The Orange County Register, Friday, January 18, 2008

William Shatner's voice comes on the line and you don't hear Denny Crane, his Emmy Award-winning character from "Boston Legal" and "The Practice."

You don't hear T.J. Hooker from the '80s series of the same name, or any of the other characters that have kept him steadily employed in Hollywood for more than 50 years now.

Who you hear is Capt. James T. Kirk, commander of the Starship Enterprise and biggest star in "Star Trek" universe he helped launch more than 40 years ago now -- less dramatic or clipped in his deliver than you might remember from the show, more relaxed and thoughtful, but in your mind it's Kirk just the same.

"Star Trek: The Tour" opens in Long Beach on Jan. 18, displaying hundreds of original costumes and props, recreations of sets from the various TV series and movies and interactive elements like the opportunity to have you digitally inserted into a scene from the original series or photographed sitting in Kirk's chair on bridge of the Enterprise.

It stays in Long Beach inside the dome next the Queen Mary through Feb. 17 before embarking on a tour of 40 cities around the United States and Canada over the next five years.

Shatner signed on to help promote the tour, a role in which he'll appear periodically at stops along the tour. Shortly before the tour opened here, he called -- Captain Kirk on the line! -- to chat about Star Trek, the tour and how it's shaped his legacy.

Q: So you're the "celebrity ambassador" for the tour -- what'll you do?

A: My face will pop up all over the place in the tour. My being will pop up on the opening day and at other times, too. And I'll be talking to people like yourself about what a great piece of entertainment it is for all the family.

Q: You've won Emmys for "Boston Legal" and "The Practice," had a big hit with "TJ Hooker" too, and yet "Star Trek" is the role everyone mentions first -- what's it like to have that legacy? Are you comfortable with that? Ever resist it?

A: I don't find it uncomfortable, I'm not fighting it. As you point out, in the 40 odd years since I was in the series, I've done other things. Mostly I get Shatner (from people who approach him), but if people want to say Captain Kirk that's all right too -- all part of the working day.

Q: What do you think it is about "Star Trek" that continues to draw people to it after all these years?

A: I think that world that we do live in, the reality, it's fairly unsure as to how long the world will continue. There's some evidence that we're not all that permanent. And here's a show that says not only are we permanent 300 years from now, but we're excelling -- so there's a sense of hope for the future.

Then there's the good action-adventure stuff. And there are the good characters, who have good character things to do, and who are vulnerable. That's a key thing I think -- you're leading characters being vulnerable.

Q: What do you think people will most respond to in the tour?

A: The interactive stuff, of getting on the bridge and interacting with the characters, and going on a flight in the theater -- all of that joined by seeing the actual elements that went into making the show. A lot of people enjoy that they can see and touch the costumes and the props and the sets that were actually there.

Q: Any favorite props or costumes or memorabilia for you personally?

A: For the most part, the props on a TV series are usually pretty cheap, because everybody is trying to save money. The props on a movie become really expensive, and tens of thousands are spent on what would cost a lot less in real life. So it turned out that toward the end of the series we were using the ("Star Trek") toys that were in the stores.

Q: Do you have much memorabilia of your own from the series or the movies?

A: Nothing. It would be like saying, "Do you collect the old cigar butts you used on 'Boston Legal.'"

Q: Right, but you could probably sell those on eBay and make a fortune now.

A: (Laughs) I probably could.

Q: What's it like for fans when they meet you at events like this? What's it like for you?

A: The problem is the pictures that they'll be looking at (at the tour) were when I was in my late 20s (He was 35 when the series debuted.) I'm now a little bit older, so the difference between what I look like then and what I look like now is old age, and I'm a little bit self-conscious about that.

Mostly they're really kind. They say, "My, you really do look well for ..."

Q: Is it ever strange to have people come to you so worshipfully for having been Captain Kirk?

A: It used to be that way, and then you sort of get accustomed to it.

Q: Ever get tired of 'being' Captain Kirk at events like this?

A: No, I think of it as a good work day. It's part of my background and if people want me to help them with a "Star Trek" thing, or being in a "Star Trek" thing, I'm cool with that.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7787 or plarsen@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment ... rek-series

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TRexx - Jan 21, 2008 - 02:39 AM
Post subject:

From Agent Bedhead ...

No word on what had William Shatner so pissed off as he arrived at the opening gala of "Star Trek: The Tour." We venture a guess that Shat's still angry about not landing a role in the next Trekkie film. That guy attempting to do that "Star Trek" hand gesture is Bob Foster, the Mayor of Long Beach, California.

Shatner might also be expressing his displeasure towards Henry Rollins for his recent abuse of the, "I like being alone" excuse. Admittedly, we'd be upset too if Henry Rollins ditched our customary Monday Night Football dates.

http://agentbedhead.com/index.php/archi ... ice-versa/

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TRexx - Jan 21, 2008 - 05:20 PM
Post subject:

From USA Today ...

Celeb Watch: Shatner's gone there before, but new 'Trek' isn't on frontier

By Will Keck, USA TODAY

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- William Shatner is not over the moon about being excluded from director J.J. Abrams' Star Trek film, due this Christmas.

"I think they're coming toward the end (of shooting, so) they've got another three weeks to hire me," Shatner joked at the opening of the traveling exhibit Star Trek: The Tour. "No, I don't think you'll be seeing me, unfortunately. I don't know the reason why."

Turns out, it was nothing personal.

Abrams explains why the senior Captain Kirk wasn't beamed back to The Enterprise: "The only reason Mr. Shatner is not in the movie and Mr. (Leonard) Nimoy is, is that his character died on screen."

But Trekkies seem to want him back. A website called BringBackKirk.com condemns the "sloppy" death of the character in 1994's Star Trek: Generations, when the retired captain was smashed on a cliff.

Shatner hated the scene. "The mistake I made was thinking I could make it a spectacular death with what they had written," says the actor, who then dreamed up a story line to bring Kirk back: Spock snatched Kirk's DNA. His idea became the novel The Return, and he says it could work in the new film.

Abrams responds, "You and I could come up with dozens of ways, but every way that we came up with felt like it was transparently fan boys trying to get Shatner in the movie."

But Shatner says: "J.J. doesn't need to worry about being a geek. He's a fabulous moviemaker, and this is science fiction."

Every week, Hollywood reporter Will Keck webcasts an interview with a star. This week, it's William Shatner at the Star Trek: The Tour exhibit. Watch at CelebWatch.usatoday.com.

A video interview with Bill is posted at USA Today ...

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/cel ... htm?csp=34

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TRexx - Jan 21, 2008 - 08:42 PM
Post subject:

From IESB.net ...

Star Trek Tour: Photo Gallery, Press Conference and Video Interview with William Shatner!

Written by Robert Sanchez, Sunday, 20 January 2008

Photo gallery, video interview and a press conference with William Shatner plus take a sneak peek at Wil Wheaton and Tim Russ aboard the bridge of U.S.S Titan!

Late last week the IESB was invited to go to Long Beach to take an early look at the Star Trek Tour and also attend the Opening Night Gala.

The "Media Sneak Peek" started with a press conference with Bill Shatner right before we were given a walk-through of the exhibit. You can watch the entire press conference by clicking on this link...

[VIDEO: Star Trek Tour: Bill Shatner Press Conference]

The Star Trek Tour is a must see for all Trek and Sci-Fi fans, it won't disappoint. All Trek incarnations are featured in the tour and it also has some really cool simulator rides. The folks behind the show were able to get Tim Russ and Wil Wheaton to once again put on the their Starfleet uniforms and come aboard the USS Titan for one of the featured simulator/exhibits.

The IESB was allowed to videotape the exhibit and you can take a look at Wil and Tim's performance aboard the Titan by clicking on this link...

[VIDEO: Star Trek Tour: Wil Wheaton and Tim Russ on USS Titan]

The biggest highlight of the day was being able to go aboard the bridge of the original Enterprise and having William Shatner sit in the Captain's chair. The Shat once again started talking to the press and posing for the photographers.

Our very own Silas Lesnick managed to talk to Bill for a few brief questions, *note* we did not ask him about the Abrams Trek movie since he addressed the issue of not being asked to be part of the film during the press conference earlier in the day. You can check out the IESB's brief interview by clicking on this link...

[VIDEO: Star Trek Tour: Interview with Bill Shatner]

Special thanks to Mike and Denise Okuda for keeping Trek alive and for their hard work on this exhibit.

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=co ... ;Itemid=99

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TRexx - Jan 22, 2008 - 07:52 PM
Post subject:

From Sun Media ...

Star Trek movie has new captain

Star Trek snub for Shatner but Chris Pine's career set to blast off as new Capt. Kirk

Chris Pine has ... big ... shoes ... to ... fill ... as Capt. James T. Kirk in the coming J.J. Abrams' big-screen take on Star Trek. Pine wrote to original Kirk William Shatner, who wished him luck.

By KEVIN WILLIAMSON -- Sun Media, January 22, 2008

PARK CITY, Utah -- Chris Pine is boldly going where one man has gone before.

And that has William Shatner fuming.

Not because Pine has been cast as a young Capt. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, mind you, but because the indomitable Canadian ham -- a.k.a. The Shat -- hasn't been invited to beam aboard the $130-million production.

"I know he wants to be part of it, and I know they're still talking that he might be part of it," Pine tells Sun Media. "I don't know where it stands."

(Cloverfield maestro Abrams has explained Shatner's Kirk isn't in the film because he was killed off a decade ago and to resurrect him for a cameo would be, well, illogical.)

So what gives between the two Kirks? Are Pine and Shatner going to shoulder-flip each other to death? Understandably, that's a scenario Pine would rather avoid.

"I wrote him a letter at the beginning of the process just to explain my feelings about the character ... I just tried to explain my respect for what he'd done. I want him to be proud of what I do because the man has been involved with it for going on 40 years. He wrote me back and said he hopes the movie goes well and he'd like to meet sometime, which I would love. But you know, he's a busy man."

See the complete article at Sun Media...

http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/P/Pi ... 4-sun.html

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TRexx - Jan 25, 2008 - 04:16 AM
Post subject:

From The Insider Online ...

William Shatner and Patricia Heaton Remember Heath Ledger

Posted January 24, 2008 12:04:00 AM

"I'm deeply saddened by it."

Stars continue to grieve for HEATH LEDGER. WILLIAM SHATNER and PATRICIA HEATON spoke out about the late actor tonight at the 13th annual L.A. Art Show in Santa Monica, CA. The show presents artwork from more than 125 exhibitors from around the world and kicks off with a star-studded dinner and gala to benefit the Art Museum Council and the Prints and Drawing Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

See the video of Bill at The Insider Online...

http://www.theinsideronline.com/news/2008/01/15434/

__________________

TRexx - Jan 25, 2008 - 08:54 AM
Post subject: Bill @ VideoJug.com

From VideoJug.com ...

VideoJug.com has posted a video in which Bill answers the following questions...

* How did you become the author of ten 'Star Trek' novels?

* What inspired you to write 'Star Trek Academy - Collision Course'?

* How difficult was it to get approval to write 'Star Trek Academy - Collision Course'?

* Were you a lot like young Captain Kirk when you were growing up?

* Is it difficult to develop new 'Star Trek' projects?

* At what point did William Shatner truly become Captain James Kirk?

http://www.videojug.com/interview/willi ... ek-books-2

++

In another video, Bill answers the following...

* How important was your education?

* Why did you study business instead of acting?

* What's wrong with American education?

http://www.videojug.com/interview/willi ... ducation-2

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TRexx - Jan 26, 2008 - 09:34 AM
Post subject:

From The Times Online UK...

Man of Enterprise

As a new series of Boston Legal begins, our critic salutes the many facets of its veteran star William Shatner

William Shatner in Star Trek

By Sophie Davies, January 26, 2008

Actor Shatner is Captain Kirk, Captain Kirk is Shatner. "We were basically one and the same, although Jim [Kirk] was just about perfect, and, of course, I am perfect," Shatner once quipped. Star Trek would not have been Star Trek without his infamous lengthy dramatic pauses. His acting style has even engendered an adjective: "shatnerian".

Provocateur Shatner and Nichelle Nichols shared the first interracial kiss in a US TV drama. Shown in 1968, the scene was cut in some states. Two scenes were shot -- one a cutaway that only implied a kiss. Shatner sabotaged this version by crossing his eyes. On Kirk's many liaisons, he said: "I've never had green alien sex, though I'm sure it would be quite an evening."

Charmer Shatner's sharp sense of humour is much admired. His self-mockery is a constant feature of Boston Legal, his ability to make light of blunt questions a wonder. Once asked whether he wore a hairpiece, he replied: "It's a question that I find like asking somebody, 'Did you have a breast implant?' or 'When did you get your lobotomy?' "

Singer At the height of Trek fever in 1968, he cut an album, The Transformed Man, in which he compared pop songs of the era with Shakespeare's works. Shatner kept us waiting until 2004 for the equally "ambitious" follow-up, Has Been, a starry collaboration with Ben Folds, which includes his version of Pulp's Common People with Joe Jackson.

Cabaret act Inspired, perhaps, by his triumphant version of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and the like, Bill took to appearing live. One supreme moment came at the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards, when our hero performed a spoken-word, Method-masterclass version of Rocket Man to a stunned audience that included the song's co-writer Bernie Taupin.

Bon vivant Shatner has a taste for the good life. At his horse farm in Kentucky he breeds race horses and when in Hollywood he is known to hide his feelings brilliantly at the celebrity-circuit poker table. Shatner is a YouTube star; he features in more than 2,500 clips, among them his parody of the film Seven.

Boston Legal, Thur, Living TV 10pm

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 233333.ece

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TRexx - Jan 27, 2008 - 08:02 PM
Post subject:

From WENN via Yahoo! News UK ...

Shatner upset at poorly written Kirk death scene

By WENN world entertainment news - Sunday, January 27 09:40 am

Veteran actor William Shatner is still angry about the less-than-spectacular way his legendary Star Trek character Captain Kirk was killed off.

Shatner, who played Kirk on both the big and small screen, on and off, from 1966 up until 1993's Star Trek: Generations, wishes he had insisted on a better death scene.

Even Star Trek fans were disappointed when the heroic sci-fi character fell to his death from a cliff.

The 76-year-old says, "The mistake I made was thinking I could make it a spectacular death with what they had written."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/wenn/20080127/ ... 0bd6d.html

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TRexx - Jan 30, 2008 - 06:20 AM
Post subject:

From the Centre Daily Times ...

William Shatner "Boldly Goes" Online With VideoJug

The Legendary "Captain Kirk" Actor Explains Why Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan Get into So Much Trouble, and Shares a Few Parenting Tips of His Own!

Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008

LOS ANGELES — VideoJug announced today that William Shatner, acclaimed actor, prolific author and accomplished recording artist, and the one and only "Captain James T. Kirk," will be delivering his candid and personal views on life, Star Trek and the entertainment business in a series of high definition, phaser-sharp Ask the Expert films exclusively at www.VideoJug.com.

The internet is the latest medium for Shatner, and he has selected VideoJug, the online video encyclopedia of life which hosts over 35,000 professionally made, short "How To" and expert advice films on practically everything, to house his entertaining commentaries.

The legendary actor of Star Trek, TJ Hooker and Boston Legal fame, opens up on his opinions regarding everything from raising three daughters, why Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan have such a hard time with their own fame, and how he got into hip-hop music.

The straight-shooting star also answers a series of questions as only he can -- pertaining to acting, writing his ten Star Trek novels, recording music, juggling family and career, parenting, education and life in general.

Websurfers can access all the short films for free by visiting VideoJug and typing "Shatner" into the site's search engine.

VideoJug hosts one of the world's largest, most all-encompassing libraries of factual content online. The site's professionally produced, high definition video content covers every conceivable topic and delivers the definitive online "encyclopedia of life." From the helpful to the hilarious, from the sensual to the scientific, VideoJug literally has something for anyone.

For more information on videojug.com, its mission and services, please visit www.videojug.com. Or to arrange interviews with VideoJug spokespeople, contact Paul Williams at 310/937-2009 or medialine2@aol.com.

For VideoJug Paul Williams, 310-937-2009

http://www.centredaily.com/business/tec ... 65470.html

http://www.videojug.com/tag/william-shatner

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TRexx - Jan 31, 2008 - 07:10 AM
Post subject:

From MSNBC ...

Joe Jackson still 'Steppin' Out' to his own beat

MSNBC: You did a cover of Pulp's "Common People" with William Shatner on one of his albums (2004's "Has Been"). Is Shatner underappreciated musically?

Joe Jackson: (Laughs). No. I can't say that. But I think that the song and the album are really good. It's fun and musical in a clever kind of way, and it's fun to listen to. It's very much tongue-in-cheek, but you know Shatner's in on the joke. On the same album, Shatner and Henry Rollins do a song ("I Can't Get Behind That") where they're both just ranting and raving. It's brilliant. You've gotta check it out. I mean, humor is such an important part of being a human being, so why shouldn't it be a part of being an artist? I'm frankly surprised by how little humor there is in rock 'n' roll these days. People take themselves very seriously. And even when they don't, the critics do.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22903337/

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MythTV ++ Ubuntu == Free Media Center on Your PC

TRexx - Jan 31, 2008 - 07:12 AM
Post subject:

Video from Mahalo Daily ...

LA Art Show with William Shatner

Last week we hit up the LA Art Show in Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar, to see what exactly this whole art scene thing was about. In our mission to find out how to start building an art collection, we happened upon a certain someone browsing the contemporary section: William Shatner, aka Captain Kirk.

"Excuse me? Not right now. I appreciate you asking me."

VIDEO: http://daily.mahalo.com/2008/01/30/md04 ... m-shatner/

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TRexx - Feb 05, 2008 - 08:19 AM
Post subject:

From National Enquirer ...

William Shatner Surgery Turns Into Life-Or-Death Drama

Published on: 02/04/2008

Routine hip replacement surgery turned into a life-threatening health crisis for "Star Trek" legend William Shatner, The NATIONAL ENQUIRER has learned exclusively.

The 77-year-old "Boston Legal" star developed heart complications on the operating table following his Jan. 25 procedure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, a Hollywood source confided.

"The hip replacement surgery went fine," the source said. "But William's heart started beating erratically. For a few seconds, it looked like he might die on the table."

Shatner was quickly stabilized, but "he was pretty shook up when they told him about the heart complication," the source said.

"Until now he's had no real medical problems. But he's overweight and out of shape, so hearing he had a heart problem scared the hell out of him."

Now recuperating at home, "William feels fine and he's already walking," the source said. "William said he's going to drop some weight and start taking better care of himself."

The cardiac complication suffered by Shatner is potentially lethal, say experts.

Such heart rhythm disturbances can easily lead to severe heart attacks, long-term heart damage, and even sudden death if they aren't addressed quickly, according to doctors.

A Harvard University study found that about one million Americans undergo joint replacement every year -- and about 30,000 of them experience potentially dangerous heart complications like Shatner did.

As result of the medical nightmare, the actor is vowing to get in better shape. "The incident really shook him up," said the insider. "He's trying to process the whole ordeal as a wakeup call."

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/william ... rity/64522

William Shatner responds...

"I'm in absolute perfect health. I've never felt better in my life.
Somebody made up an absolutely foolish story."

My Best, Bill

Feb 05, 2008 - 09:18 AM

http://williamshatner.com/PNphpBB2-view ... ebbe.phtml

__________________

Ubuntu Studio Edition

TRexx - Feb 07, 2008 - 06:54 AM
Post subject:

From 131blog's Weblog...

William Shatner, The Heavy Weight Champion of Advertisement Today

February 6, 2008

William Shatner is the Heavy weight champion of advertisement today. Why do I say this? It has something to do with him being in commercials for almost everything and I see him at least once every commercial break. I cannot think of anyone today that is more advertisements. Yes there are some famous people that are in some great commercials, but none as often as Shatner.

Shatner has countless numbers of Priceline commercials and my personal favorite of his the World of Warcraft commercial. The Mr. T world of Warcraft commercial would give Shatner's one a run for its money but that is Mr. T's only commercial advertisement. Besides Mr. T the next challenger for Shatner's title is Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris is the butt end of a lot of jokes in current day American and has been for past few years. He however took too long to capitalize on making fun of himself. For example, the Mountain Dew commercial he is in where he chases down the two guys making fun of him and steals their Mountain Dew and is drinking it as he works on a YouTube video of him roundhouse kicking them. I might also consider Michael Jordan a contender to his title but I really can't do it; he needs other stars in his commercials with him such as Kevin Bacon, Larry Bird, and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Some people might think of superstars of sports as heavy weight fighters of advertisement that can contend with Shatner. The Manning Brothers, Eli and Peyton, have a string of advertisements. why shouldn't they? Back to back Super Bowl MVP is hard to fight off. Those commercials are mostly played on ESPN and other sports networks on TV and do not really get seen by everyone. Shatner's commercials appear on every TV channel except for those few channels that do not have commercials.

One of the most paid walking advertisements now is LeBron James. Something like a 90 million dollar contract with Nike doesn't make me want to go buy Nikes or even his multimillion-dollar contract with sprite make me want to drink sprite. Every time I see the William Shatner World of Warcraft commercial it makes me want to go play. The only one that I would rate higher than Shatner all time as the best ever would be the Taco Bell dog but he retired. I ate more tacos in the time he was in the commercials then I have in the years since he retired. All the Commercials I have mentioned can be found at www.youtube.com.

Thomas Wakerley

http://131blog.wordpress.com/2008/02/06 ... ent-today/

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Ubuntu Studio Edition

TRexx - Feb 07, 2008 - 07:30 PM
Post subject:

From ShowBiz Spy...

William Shatner never watched Star Trek

By Gavin Wilson, Feb 07 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy

Star Trek legend William Shatner has admitted he's never watched the TV show that made him famous.

The 76-year-old star, who played Captain James Kirk in the cult sci-fi programme, also confessed that he's not seen any of the spin-off movies.

And he said he hadn't watched his performances as a lawyer in television's hit drama Boston Legal, either.

He said: "I never watched Star Trek.

"I have not even seen any of the Star Trek movies.

"I don't watch myself.

"When I direct and have to look at filmed scenes of myself, I suck."

In an interview with 46-year-old daughter Lisabeth for his Internet video blog, Shatner also admits he has one big regret about his days on the space age show -- not holding on to any memorabilia.

He added: "I've kept nothing.

"Given the choice at the time of having a Star Trek shirt or a designer suit, I'd have taken a suit.

"I should have known better."

The Canadian-born actor recently had a health scare when a routine hip replacement operation went wrong. He developed heart complications during the procedure. But he has since gone on to recover.

The original Star Trek television series ran from 1966 to 1969.

http://www.showbizspy.com/2008/02/07/wi ... star-trek/

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Ubuntu Studio Edition

TRexx - Feb 07, 2008 - 08:15 PM
Post subject:

From Digital Spy...

Shatner denies heart scare reports

NBCU Photobank / Rex Features

Thursday, February 7 2008, 13:20 GMT
By Beth Hilton, Entertainment Reporter

Shatner denies heart scare reports

William Shatner has denied reports that he almost died while undergoing a hip replacement operation.

It was claimed that the Star Trek actor suffered a heart complication under anesthetic during the operation at LA's Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre last month.

However, the 76-year-old dismissed the claims in a post on his website, writing: "I'm in absolute perfect health. I've never felt better in my life.

"Somebody made up an absolutely foolish story."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/a88 ... ports.html

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Ubuntu Studio Edition

TRexx - Feb 08, 2008 - 04:50 AM
Post subject:

From UPPERCASE Gallery...

The Shatner Show & Book

The Shatner Show art exhibition was hosted from June 16 to August 31, 2007, at the UPPERCASE Gallery in Alberta. All of the artwork is published in the commemorative book.

The Shatner Show book and exhibition is curated and designed by Janine Vangool and written by Glen Dresser. In addition to the over 76 images inspired by the life and career of Mr. Shatner, the book includes quotes from Shatner, as well as commentary by the artists on the pop culture icon and their working methods.

The book is 128 pages, hardcover, 8.5" x 10.5" with full colour throughout.

The Shatner Show art book can be ordered from UPPERCASE Gallery (Canada) or Amazon.com (USA)

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Ubuntu Studio Edition

TRexx - Feb 12, 2008 - 05:55 PM
Post subject:

From CBC.ca...

Just for Laughs on CBC

Episode 15: Feb. 12, 7:30pm on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.)

The Gemini Award-winning Just for Laughs series showcases the best comedians from Canada and around the world. Tonight's show features Adam Hills, William Shatner and Jimmy Carr.

William Shatner has cultivated a career that has spanned over 50 years as a professional actor, director, producer, screenwriter, recording artist, author, and horseman. He is one of pop culture's most recognizable figures and has also established himself as a major Hollywood philanthropist. In 1966, Shatner originated the role of "Captain James T. Kirk" in television series Star Trek. The series spawned a feature film franchise and Shatner reprised the role of Captain Kirk in seven of the Stark Trek motion pictures. Shatner is a series regular on the hit ABC program Boston Legal; the portrayal garnered him his first Golden Globe in January 2005 as well as an Emmy in September 2005. Shatner continues to act, write, produce and direct while still managing to find time to work with charities and further his passion in the equestrian sports. He and his wife, Elizabeth, and his three married children live in Los Angeles.

http://www.cbc.ca/justforlaughs/episode15.html

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Ubuntu Linux -- Studio Edition (Free)

rubypearl - Feb 12, 2008 - 10:09 PM
Post subject:

BIll S & Melanie's 1989 or 1988 Oldsmobile commercial is up on you tube...for the time being:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PqOBOVm-0I

TRexx - Feb 13, 2008 - 07:52 PM
Post subject:

From A&E TV...

A&E Biography: William Shatner

He's William Shatner, the actor who's found many ways to stay in the public eye for decades, even spoofing his overblown acting style in a way far more hip than desperate. This profile looks at Shatner's long and successful career, which now includes a starring role on the hit series Boston Legal. Interviews include: Leonard Nimoy, James Spader, Candice Bergen, and Patrick Stewart; Shatner's favorite impersonator actor/comedian Kevin Pollak; TV Guide's Matt Roush; Robert Schnakenberg, author of the Encyclopedia Shatnerica; daughters Lisabeth and Leslie, his wife Elizabeth and Shatner himself.

This DVD is one of the many titles in A&E's DVD Library and is created in the DVD+R format. This disc does not feature menu pages or special features like standard DVDs, simply the high quality programming you've come to expect from A&E.

Available exclusively at The A&E Store.

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TRexx - Feb 16, 2008 - 07:02 AM
Post subject:

From Forbes.com...

William Shatner must be doing something right. Shares of Priceline.com soared 14% on impressive quarterly results. The online travel company's earnings more than doubled on a huge jump in travel bookings.

Priceline.com (nasdaq: PCLN - news - people ) also gave investors an outlook that was in line with Wall Street's predictions.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/15/barnes ... emove.html

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TRexx - Feb 16, 2008 - 09:59 PM
Post subject:

From TV Guide...

What the Stars Did During the Strike

We found out from the celebs themselves!

William Shatner, Boston Legal -- Shatner is promoting a new book, Star Trek: Academy - Collision Course, an album called Exodus, and working on a new talk show, Shatner's Raw Nerve.

http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Wha ... 91/16.aspx

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angel - Feb 16, 2008 - 10:44 PM
Post subject:

I just want to say thankyou for all your hard work in imparting the info on Bill. It really means alot that you would take the time to do so for us and for all the people who come to visit here. Many thanks.

TRexx - Feb 17, 2008 - 12:02 AM
Post subject:

Quote:

I just want to say thankyou for all your hard work in imparting the info on Bill.

Thank you, Angel.

Bill has helped create a lifetime of entertainment, some of it timeless.

Smile

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angel - Feb 17, 2008 - 12:15 AM
Post subject:

TRexx wrote:

Quote:

I just want to say thankyou for all your hard work in imparting the info on Bill.

Thank you, Angel.

Bill has helped create a lifetime of entertainment, some of it timeless.

Smile

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You're very welcome, TRexx Smile

To you and Bill! Both of you keep up the gratifyingly(is that a word?) great works! Very Happy

TRexx - Feb 20, 2008 - 06:27 AM
Post subject:

From TradingMarkets.com ...

Big Screen Entertainment Group in Production with William Shatner

Tuesday, February 19, 2008; Posted: 03:35 PM

HOLLYWOOD, Feb 19, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Big Screen Entertainment Group (OTC:BSEG) has signed with legendary actor, writer and director William Shatner on multiple projects, and has begun production on their first joint venture.

"We are beyond thrilled to be working with William Shatner, one of the most beloved and respected actors of our time," enthused BSEG's CEO, Kimberley Kates. "After achieving icon status playing Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, he continues to entertain audiences every week on ABC's Boston Legal, 40 years later: Truly an amazing career."

Shatner plays incorrigible lawyer Denny Crane on the hit series, a role for which he has won multiple Emmys. Boston Legal airs at 10pm, Tuesday night, on ABC.

BSEG's Kates, David Zappone, Michael Manasseri and Stephen Eckelberry, along with William and Elizabeth Shatner, spent last week before the cameras working on their first release, a documentary due out this spring.

"This documentary represents the first step in what we hope will be a long and successful partnership between Big Screen and William Shatner," stated BSEG President David Zappone. "His energy and creativity are boundless, and we feel that Big Screen is the perfect home for his future projects."

About BSEG:

Big Screen Entertainment Group (BSEG) is a full service entertainment company designed to develop, produce, purchase, exhibit and distribute products in all media formats, including motion pictures, television, music, publishing, video games and cell phone content.

BSEG has completed four films, two films in post-production and fourteen films in development, one completed casual game, five in development as well as two MMORPG's.

Forward-Looking Statements:

A number of statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including timely development, and market acceptance of products and technologies, competitive market conditions, successful integration of acquisitions and the ability to secure additional sources of financing. When used in this press release, words such as "could," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "potential," "should," and similar expressions are forward looking statements.

SOURCE: Big Screen Entertainment Group

Big Screen Entertainment Group Kimberley Kates, CEO, 323-956-4321 KatesK@bigscreenent.com David Zappone, President, 323-956-4321 Zapponed@bigscreenent.com www.bigscreenent.com www.babysitterwantedfilm.com www.forgetaboutitthefilm.com

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/new ... s/1111223/

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TRexx - Feb 21, 2008 - 05:34 AM
Post subject:

From TV Week...

Ion Stations Pick Up 'Boston Legal'

By Julieanne Smolinski, February 20, 2008 8:50 AM

"Boston Legal," the 4-year-old legal drama from producer David E. Kelley, will begin airing on ION Television this fall.

The show, starring James Spader, Candice Bergen and William Shatner, is distributed by News Corp.'s Twentieth Television. It premiered in 2004 on ABC, where it continues to run as one of the network's top 20 programs.

"We are excited that ION Television will be sharing with their viewers this Emmy Award-winning program," Twentieth Television president Bob Cook said in a statement Monday.

ION Media Networks owns and operates 60 stations and reaches more than 94 million households nationwide.

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/02/ion_ ... ton_le.php

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TRexx - Feb 21, 2008 - 08:33 PM
Post subject:

From Comic Mix...

NBC Universal Will Stream 'Classic' Shows Online

Wed Feb 20, 2008 — by Chris Ullrich

Oh Good, More Tek War!

Recently, NBC Universal announced it will offer full episodes of "classic, fan-favorite series" as streaming videos on four of its network websites beginning later this month. Some of the "classic" TV shows that you'll be able to get at the various sites include: Swamp Thing, The Crow, the '70s version of Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, featuring Gil Gerard as Buck and Twiki the robot, Rod Serling's Night Gallery, William Shatner's Tek War, and Tremors.

According to NBC Universal, you can find the various shows at the following sites:

NBC.com: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, A-Team, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Emergency, Miami Vice and Night Gallery

SciFi.com: Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Night Gallery and Tek War

ChillerTV.com: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Crow, Night Gallery, Swamp Thing and Tremors

SleuthChannel.com: A-Team, Kojak, Miami Vice, Night Gallery and Simon & Simon

What, no Man From U.N.C.L.E or original Star Trek? Where's the love, NBC?

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TRexx - Feb 22, 2008 - 05:09 AM
Post subject:

From PhotoShop Digest ...

William Shatner Pop Art

Posted on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 12:29 pm

We have all seen Andy Warhol's art. When thinking of a Warhol piece, two images come to mind for most people. One being the Campbell's Soup Can and the other being the Marilyn Monroe silkscreen image. Not having a computer, Warhol had to create this silk screens manually, using screens but it he had Photoshop, things would have been much easier for the eccentric artist. This being the modern era, I'm going to take you through the process of taking a photo and making it look like an Andy Warhol silk screen. My subject, William Shatner.

Read the step-by-step and fully illustrated exercise at PhotoShop Digest...

http://www.photoshopdigest.com/photo-ef ... r-pop-art/

Denny Crane. To Serve and Protect.

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TRexx - Feb 24, 2008 - 07:19 AM
Post subject:

From AdWeek.com ...

CBS Rolls Out Classic TV Online

By Mike Shields, Feb 21, 2008

NEW YORK -- CBS has begun syndicating several classic series, including Star Trek and Melrose Place, across the CBS Audience Network.

The distribution network, launched last year with big-name partners such as AOL, MSN, Comcast and CNET, now delivers full-length episodes of a growing library of CBS prime-time shows on over 300 sites, including hits like Survivor and CSI. Now, CBS is reaching into the past to expand this offering, adding full-length episodes of shows going as far back as the 1960s, including The Twilight Zone, Hawaii Five-O, and MacGyver.

CBS plans to add more shows to its network, which also features video upstarts like Joost and Veoh, in coming months, according to officials. "CBS's commitment and ability to move quickly and aggressively to monetize and distribute content online is awesome," said CBS Interactive president Quincy Smith.

The CBS Audience network, along with Hulu -- NBC Universal and News Corp.'s much-hyped joint venture -- is at the forefront on an industry-wide trend towards wide-open video distribution.

However, to date, it's been unclear how consumers are responding to the ability to stream their favorite TV shows in non-TV-centric environments. Neither CBS nor Hulu released much in the way of performance metrics on either venture, and third-party measurement firms such as Nielsen Online and comScore have yet to develop standard means of tracking video usage across multiple sites at once, said industry executives.

http://www.cbs.com/classics/star_trek/video/video.php

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TRexx - Feb 26, 2008 - 09:33 PM
Post subject:

From icWales...

Joe Jackson in Cardiff at last

Feb 26 2008 by Gavin Allen, South Wales Echo

...

While Joe Jackson is exceptionally dedicated to his music he isn't overly serious, and in 2004 he proved that by playing on William Shatner's album Has Been.

"It was one of the greatest studio experiences I have ever had," he says, laughing at the memory of those Nashville sessions with Captain Kirk.

"Shatner is a cool guy, he has tremendous energy and he comes across seeming 30 years younger than he is.

"You know that Bill is in on the joke, it's very funny but in a clever way.

"I remember we were improvising, me on piano and Ben Folds on organ, and Bill was just ranting over this gospel music.

"He was preaching about how everyone will die so we're all equal and I had no idea what I was doing but it actually turned out to be quite musical."

Joe Jackson plays at The Point, Cardiff Bay, tomorrow. Tickets cost £22.50 from 029 2023 0130. Jackson's new album Rain is out now on Rykodisc.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/whats-on ... -20522164/

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TRexx - Feb 27, 2008 - 03:00 AM
Post subject:

From Fruits to Remember...

Fruity Nutty Bar

Fruits to Remember of Beverly Hills was invited to be a part of the pre-Oscars gifting lounge organized by WOW creations. The two-day event on February 19th and 20th held on the penthouse floor of Hyatt on Sunset received scores of A-list celebrities including William Shatner. The event received such a warm reception that had to be extended on Wednesday for an extra hour.

Fruits to Remember displayed a few of the new arrangements designed using the largest collection of chocolate and nuts covered fruit collection in the gifting industry.

Fruits to Remember: Elizabeth & William Shatner

http://www.fruitstoremember.com/index.a ... &ID=21

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TRexx - Feb 27, 2008 - 11:22 PM
Post subject:

From Big Screen Entertainment Group...

William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet

Wednesday, 27 February 2008

Big Screen Entertainment Group (OTC:BSEG) is proud to announce that it has inked a deal to co-produce and distribute a new documentary from William Shatner. The documentary chronicles choreographer Margo Sappington and the Milwaukee Ballet Company's quest to create a new ballet based upon Mr. Shatner's critically acclaimed album, "Has Been." Mr. Shatner co-wrote the album with producer/singer/songwriter Ben Folds, and performed most of the songs on the album, with support from such diverse artists as Henry Rollins, Aimee Mann, Joe Jackson, Brad Paisley and Lemon Jelly.

"This documentary is very unique. I really don't think there's anything else quite like it," stated BSEG CEO Kimberley Kates. "Many of the lyrics from 'Has Been' are of a very personal and poignant nature, and to have those songs interpreted into dance, especially ballet, is quite remarkable to see."

Primarily shot in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin by local production company Special Entertainment, Big Screen and Five Star recently filmed additional footage with Mr. Shatner and his wife Elizabeth at the Falcon Theater in Burbank, California.

"This piece will show a different side of William Shatner, and touches upon details about his life and career that have not been revealed before," said BSEG President David Zappone. "When you add in never before seen footage and information about this legendary television icon, you have the makings of a fascinating documentary."

Big Screen and Five Star will distribute the doc directly under their new, soon to be announced distribution banner.

While perhaps best known as "Star Trek's" "Captain James T. Kirk," Mr. Shatner currently plays "Denny Crane" on ABC's "Boston Legal," a role for which he has won several Emmys, and was recently nominated for a Golden Globe.

The project is scheduled for completion in May 2008.

[Click to Super Size Image]

http://www.bigscreenentertainmentgroup. ... Ballet%22/

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TRexx - Feb 29, 2008 - 03:36 AM
Post subject:

From Luis' Illustrated Blog

William Shatner Sighting. Doh!

February, 2008 (06:55) | By: Luis

THE SIMPSONS NEWS

...

On Wednesday something crazy happened that ruined my day. William Shatner came to the studio! Yeah, you read right, WILLIAM SHATNER, Captain Kirk himself came to the studio. How cool is that? That so rocks. Don't ask me why he was there, I don't know. All I know is, that he was there.

So why did this ruin my day? I DIDN'T GET TO SEE HIM. *SOB* What a bummer. A friend of mine told me that he got in an elevator with him to our floor. So we knew he was in the building but when I went around to look for him, I couldn't find him. WEAK!

http://www.luisescobarblog.com/?p=102

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TRexx - Mar 01, 2008 - 01:23 AM
Post subject:

From Wired...

Shatner's Space Hip Not for Sale

By John Scott Lewinski, February 28, 2008 @ 2:31:25

Taking advantage of the lull created by the recent writers strike, the legendary William Shatner underwent hip replacement surgery. While there were complications, the actor recovered and should be riding his beloved steeds well into his rapidly approaching 80s.

Years prior, after Shatner suffered a kidney stone, the captain sold it to an online casino for charity. With the hip operation behind him, there was talk of Hooker ("He's a good cop!") selling his old hip -- wrenched from its joint and bone-sawed into open space -- for another charitable haul.

But, Denny Crane thought better of it. As he put it, "How bad taste would it be to sell my hip bone?' I then decided it was bad taste, and, for me to decide something is bad taste ... it was really bad."

How can you argue with a man with these kinds of creative instincts?

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/02 ... pac-1.html

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TRexx - Mar 02, 2008 - 10:07 AM
Post subject:

From The Breakfast Show @ Virgin Radio ...

Get Shatner! Launches!

The_Gaz on Monday, 18 February 2008

Right - we exclusively announced on the Breakfast Show today that March will be Get Shatner! Month. It's quite simple really -- in a Who's Calling Christian style, we'll have a month for one of you to get William Shatner on the show for a chat with Christian.

We also have an amazing prize up for grabs. Some of you may remember the marvellous Freddie Mercury Lego Head that made it's appearance on the show back in December.

Well thanks to Lego builder Craig, the person who "Gets Shatner" will be winning a life size bust of the legend himself made out of Lego.

After we "Get Shatner" each month we'll be taking your suggestions for the next celebrity and every month there will be

So make a note in your diary -- 3rd March Get Shatner begins.

http://www.virginradio.co.uk/djs_shows/ ... st&s=1

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TRexx - Mar 02, 2008 - 10:29 PM
Post subject:

From the Ottawa Citizen...

A Twisted Genius

Adrian Chamberlain, The Victoria Times Colonist. Published: Sunday, March 02, 2008

British Columbia music scholar Kevin Bazzana was chuffed to discover Star Trek's Captain Kirk likes his new book about a bizarre and obscure pianist.

Bazzana is the author of Lost Genius: The Story of a Forgotten Musical Maverick, a fascinating, scrupulously researched biography of Ervin Nyiregyházi (pronounced nyeer-edge-hah-zee).

Who, you ask? As the title indicates, Nyiregyházi is almost forgotten today. Yet in his prime, his pals included Rudolph Valentino, Harry Houdini, Theodore Dreiser, Bela Lugosi and Gloria Swanson. The classical pianist began as a renowned prodigy, performing at Buckingham Palace as an eight-year-old and later astounding Europe with performances pounded out in a do-or-die Romantic style.

...

One of the people who helped Bazzana with his 10 years of research for the Nyiregyházi book lives in Los Angeles. It turns out this guy's worked for years as a stand-in for William Shatner on shows like Boston Legal. He e-mailed Bazzana to say that he'd passed along Lost Genius to Shatner. And apparently Capt. Kirk loved the book. He even wants to visit Budapest, Hungary, where the late Nyiregyházi was born in 1903.

"For a Canadian writer, there is no greater review than 'William Shatner liked my book,' so I am very content right now," said Bazzana, an admitted Star Trek fan.

Read the full article in the Ottawa Citizen...

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/new ... mp;k=71392

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TRexx - Mar 04, 2008 - 02:10 AM
Post subject:

From Wall Street Online...

William Shatner to Step Behind the Camera

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Big Screen Entertainment Group and legendary actor/director William Shatner have signed a deal to produce a new feature film, slated to begin pre-production in the coming months. Big Screen's Florida production partner, Five Star Pictures, will be onboard as well.

Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal) will direct the comedy, which is based upon his original story. "We're pleased to be working with Mr. Shatner and proud he has chosen Big Screen and Five Star as his producing partners on this project, which promises to be a funny and compelling film," said BSEG CEO Kimberley Kates. "Discussions are underway with a number of big stars who are interested in participating, as well as a major studio. We will be announcing more details in the coming weeks."

BSEG also recently announced that they are in post production on a brand new documentary with Shatner, chronicling his music career, as well as the original ballet based upon his album, "Has Been." The doc will be distributed by BSEG and Five Star under their new distribution banner soon to be announced.

About BSEG:

Big Screen Entertainment Group (BSEG) is a full service entertainment company designed to develop, produce, purchase, exhibit and distribute products in all media formats, including motion pictures, television, music, publishing, video games and cell phone content.

http://www.wallstreet-online.de/nachric ... 89710.html

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TRexx - Mar 05, 2008 - 02:46 AM
Post subject:

From The Pimm Group ...

Sea Shepherd Defends 'Rotten Butter' Attack

March 4th, 2008

The environmental group Sea Shepherd says it doubts its attack on a Japanese whaling ship off Antarctica yesterday injured anyone. The group threw 24 litres of rotten butter onto the Nisshin Maru whaling ship. Obviously an act of terrorism on the high seas. Lucky Paul didn't ram them. "We live in a media culture and this means that actors and musicians have more credibility to speak on a wide range of issues than the experts in their respective fields. Our organization has the support of Pierce Brosnan, Martin Sheen, William Shatner, and Richard Dean Anderson. How can we fail when we have James Bond, Captain Kirk, the President of the United States and McGyver [on our side]?"

http://thepimmgroup.org/?p=180

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TRexx - Mar 06, 2008 - 09:20 PM
Post subject:

From Great American Country...

Stars React to ACM Nominations

43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards

March 5, 2008

Brad Paisley (four nominations, including Video of the Year): "Any time you get William Shatner to do a makeout scene in your video with Jason Alexander's mother from ‘Seinfeld,' you should be up for Video of the Year!"

http://www.gactv.com/gac/nw_headlines/a ... 38,00.html

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TRexx - Mar 06, 2008 - 09:22 PM
Post subject:

From the Palm Beach Post...

A Real Trekkie'S Field Day: Capt. Kirk At The Ballet

By Post Staff | Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 06:01 PM

South Florida Trekkies, time to break out the ol' communicators!

Capt. James T. Kirk is coming straight at you -- in more ways than one.

A never-aging star of Star Trek to some, and Denny Crane on the ABC hit Boston Legal to others, actor William Shatner has inked several deals with an up-and-coming Boca Raton-based film company -- including a documentary on a ballet set to his music, then a spoof of The Wedding Crashers.

By late spring, Five Star Pictures should be set to release William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet, which highlights the making of the Milwaukee Ballet's performance to a 2004 Shatner CD that had critics howling and fans in a tizzy.

Strange, you say? You have no idea!

"Bill is really a frustrated ballet performer," says Brooks Parsons, Five Star spokesman.

Says David Zappone, L.A. actor/producer and a graduate of the Burt Reynolds Action Company in Jupiter: "I ran into Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock in Star Trek) on the lot the other day and told him about the project. He thought it was the funniest thing he's ever heard."

Yet to Shatner, who turns 77 March 22, Gonzo Ballet is anything but a joke. The 2004 CD that spawned the ballet is very personal -- he recites his own poetry against a background of jazzy riffs as he did on his old Priceline.com commercials. Shatner shlepped all the way to Wisconsin in the thick of last winter to see the dancing of choreographer Margo Sappington.

So happens the performance was taped by a production company. Five Star is using that footage and interspersed it with Shatner interviews.

"He's the first to admit he can't sing," says Parsons. "But he co-wrote most of the lyrics about his artistic journey from Capt. Kirk, which had him typecast for 20 years, to 'Boston Legal'."

I'm told the company wants to offer it up to ABC first, then go to the likes of HBO.

Want more Shatner?

How about a movie that will resonate in South County? Some scenes for The Shiva Crashers are expected to be shot in Florida, also starting in late spring. The flick, directed by Shatner, tells the story of two film business hopefuls who crash a famous producer's shiva in order to network with industry bigs.

"Bill is going to call in every favor from big names for the film," said Zappone. "He's been talking to Ben Stiller, Jay Leno, and Howard Stern."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/cont ... _capt.html

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TRexx - Mar 07, 2008 - 05:43 AM
Post subject:

From USA Today ...

Stars break out in song to honor David E. Kelley's Alzheimer's portrayal

By Victoria Namkung, Special for USA TODAY

BEVERLY HILLS -- Award show season may be over in Hollywood, but stars gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Wednesday night for the 16th annual Alzheimer's Association "A Night at Sardi's" benefit.

Jason Alexander directed a stage production of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie, and the hotel's ballroom was transformed to look like the famed New York restaurant for which the event is named. Boston Legal creator David E. Kelley was honored for his portrayal of Alzheimer's disease on the show, and the award lured most of his cast including Candice Bergen and William Shatner.

"It's a personal cause because my wife's father died of Alzheimer's eight years ago," said Shatner, who attended with wife Elizabeth. "I'm so pleased that David Kelley is getting this award. It's a kick for the cast to present it."

The always busy Shatner talked up his latest projects. "My autobiography Up Till Now is coming out," he said. "And there's a DVD called Gonzo Ballet, which is the making of a ballet set to my music. And I'm going to be doing a talk show called Raw Nerve for Biography Channel.

Read the complete article in USA Today...

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/200 ... rdis_N.htm

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TRexx - Mar 07, 2008 - 02:11 PM
Post subject:

From FemaleFirst.co.uk...

'Resilient' Patrick Swayze

March 7 @ 07:05

Patrick Swayze "will be resilient" in his battle against pancreatic cancer, says his former co-star Lea Thompson.

The actress -- who starred alongside Patrick in the 1984 action film Red Dawn -- thinks the 55-year-old will beat the disease despite it having a survival rate of less than five per cent.

Mary Poppins actor Dick Van Dyke said: "It's so unfortunate. It's unfortunately quite a short span of time -- in one way that's a blessing and in another way it isn't. But my ex-wife died of pancreatic cancer so I feel a little bit bad about that -- it's hard to treat, very hard."

However, Star Trek legend William Shatner was more optimistic, adding: "My deepest sympathies go out to him, of course. He'll be fine -- they'll get it."

See the complete article at FemaleFirst...

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/ ... 19972.html

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TRexx - Mar 12, 2008 - 12:43 AM
Post subject:

From Big Screen Entertainment ...

Big Screen Entertainment Group and William Shatner to "Sit Shiva"

Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2008

HOLLYWOOD -- Big Screen Entertainment Group CEO Kimberley Kates has announced that plans are in motion to begin pre-production on the new William Shatner helmed comedy, entitled "The Shiva Club" aka "Shiva Crashers." The story, based upon an original idea from Shatner, is a funny and touching look into the world of comedy, with a Shiva as the setting.

"Mr. Shatner has come up with a totally new and unique concept, and an extraordinarily strong script, written by Nat Maudlin," Kates said. "We are in talks with a virtual 'who's who' of American comedy, from legendary comedians to today's hottest comics."

Emmy and Golden Globe award winner Shatner, who stars as "Denny Crane" on the ABC hit "Boston Legal," will likely step in front of the camera as well.

Big Screen is co-producing with its Florida partner, Five Star Entertainment, whose Lifetime television series, "The Balancing Act," premieres later this month.

http://www.bigscreenentertainmentgroup. ... _Shiva%22/

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TRexx - Mar 16, 2008 - 02:06 AM
Post subject:

From PR Urgent...

VIP Fine Art Event Featuring Shatener, Tuscani and Gamut Control Scheduled for 3/29/08

VIP EVENT TO PREMIER THE NEXT GENERATION COLLECTORS LIMITED EDITIONS OF ELIZABETH SHATNER & GIORGIO TUSCANI, AS WELL AS GAMUT CONTROLS GEMINI PROCESS, IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 29, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT

(STUDIO CITY, CA -- 14 March, 2008) A VIP Event has been scheduled for March 29th, 2008 at Giorgio Tuscani's Palazzo Di Songi estate in Studio City, CA to premier the Next Generation, Collectors Limited Edition works of Elizabeth Shatner and Giorgio Tuscani. This event will also showcase Gamut Control's Gemini Process, previewing how these highly collectable limited edition works are created. By invitation only, the event will be attended by collectors, media and prominent artists.

Mrs. Shatner, wife of the world famous actor William Shatner, is a self taught photographer who's "Flowrosophy" showcases flora in it's most natural and vivid state. She refers to her work as "Visual Meditation" and relies only on her eye, the beauty of "nature's art" and timing to capture the stunningly real imagery within the natural world. "Every flower has a story to tell and through my art I hope to allow the world to see the pages of the tale unfold before their eyes. I think about the cycle of life, laws of attraction, beauty of perfection of those living things in their prime" states Mrs. Shatner.

Mr. Tuscani's striking work is helping to usher in a "New Renaissance" and showcases a talent honed over years of heartfelt painting. With reference to his Limited Editions, Mr. Tuscani states "I'm not only emotionally sensitive to the energy of a person, but also visually sensitive to the detail in my surroundings, especially where my art is concerned and to see a fine company like Gamut Control in possession of THE cutting edge technology needed to produce an identical twin of my original art makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It's exciting. Gamut Control has taken the DNA of my original art and cloned it!"

Their works are available for sale from Gamut Control and are as sure to appreciate in value as the originals.

ABOUT ELIZABETH SHATNER:

Coming from a background as a Professional Equine Trainer and Judge has given Elizabeth a keen eye and detailed vision. It has allowed her to see further, beyond the basic wonder of nature to the intricate details that only a true artist could bring to life. Elizabeth is "especially inspired to catch Nature's images that she perceives as spiritual and that move her." She has literally gone from "winning the roses to photographing them."

ABOUT GIORGIO TUSCANI:

Born in Verona, Italy and raised in the US, Giorgio has always had a love for drawing and painting. Doing murals, frescoes and private commissioned art for the past twelve years has created a prolific portfolio. Giorgio is also co-authoring a book about his journey in life. "We are all artists. We all create on a daily basis. Our thoughts are our paintbrushes and tomorrow is a blank canvas. So, let's start creating a beautiful painting today for all to see and enjoy tomorrow!"

ABOUT GAMUT CONTROL:

Gamut Control is the first to introduce the Next Generation of giclée technology for the fine art arena. Today's conventional methodologies of image capture, color management, profiling and canvas and watercolor paper printing has been totally overhauled, reinvented and redesigned by Gamut Control. What you see in the original, is what you get on the Limited Edition canvas. Pixel by pixel reproduction and color accuracy with astounding results, a fine art print which offers the quality of the original, something no other printer/publisher is offering today.

Website Link: http://www.gamutcontrol.com

Contact Info:
Brian Plotkin
222 Las Colinas Blvd., #1650 Irving, TX 75039
Phone: (214) 596-1029
Website: http://www.gamutcontrol.com

http://www.prurgent.com/2008-03-14/pressrelease8849.htm

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TRexx - Mar 16, 2008 - 04:05 PM
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From PersonalSpaceflight.Info...

Branson, in India, on Space Tourism

03.12.08

Indian television network NDTV posted a transcript of a recent interview with Richard Branson. (The transcript is very rough; perhaps it has gone through multiple translations, such as from English to Hindi back to English, given the odd language found in it.) In the interview, Branson appears to indicate that SpaceShipTwo will be rolled out at the end of the year, followed by ninth months of test flights before beginning customer flights. He also says, puzzlingly, "In July of this year, we will fly them over ship for the first time" -- a reference to the first flights of White Knight Two?

As for those occasional reports that William Shatner was offered (or had accepted) a flight on SS2, Branson said, "He definitely made it clear that he was quite frightened to go into the space and I got a feeling that he will never actually go into the space." Regarding the risks of human spaceflight, he added, "anybody going into the space will have to accept that there are more inherited risks in the space travel than the airline travel. But we hope that within three years or so, it will be no great a risk."

http://www.personalspaceflight.info/200 ... e-tourism/

NDTV: William Shartner, your good friend and Captain Kirk of Star Trek. You offered him a free ride to the space. But he was found saying that "I want a guarantee that I will be brought back too". So what is the kind of guarantee you are giving to people that they will be coming back safe?

Branson: He definitely made it clear that he was quite frightened to go into the space and I got a feeling that he will never actually go into the space. NASA lost about three per cent of all the people that they sent into the space. There technology is about 50 years old. And the biggest problem they had was on the re-entry back into the Earth's atmosphere. Our technology is brand new. And I think we have overcome some of the technical problems that NASA had, in particular the re-entry into the atmosphere. The whole spaceship turns into a shuttle cock. And instead of having to get the exact tanker right, you can literally come back in like a shuttle cock. And you don't get the heat built up that you get in NASA's space flights. We can't afford to lose our passengers because we are private enterprise business. So we have to make sure that everybody gets a return ticket. And I am not going to send my family up until am confident. I am not going to send other people until I am confident. And in Virgin Atlantic, we have been flying in the sky for the past 25 years. We have never had such incident. Having said that, obviously space travel is more risky at this stage then airline travel. And anybody going into the space will have to accept that there are more inherited risks in the space travel than the airline travel. But we hope that within three years or so, it will be no great a risk.

http://www.ndtvprofit.com/2008/03/07223 ... nt-Br.html

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TRexx - Mar 24, 2008 - 06:48 AM
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From BocaNews.com ...

Beaming into Boca

Published March 23rd, 2008 By Dale M. King CITY EDITOR

Actor William Shatner's TV and screen personae exude self-confidence.

From Capt. James T. Kirk, feckless captain of the Starship Enterprise, to police officer T.J. Hooker and now pompous attorney Denny Crane on "Boston Legal," Shatner is known for his acting -- and even overacting.

But away from the sound stage, Shatner has a more noble and selfless cause. The 77-year-old, Shakespearian-trained actor is an equestrian who devotes much of his free time to promoting therapeutic horseback riding.

He'll bring that message to Boca Raton April 10 when the veteran actor is scheduled to be guest speaker for the Jewish National Fund's South Palm Beach County Tree of Life Dinner. The event will honor Dr. Robert Colton and Jill Viner, and will be held at The Polo Club in Boca Raton at 6 p.m.

National Spokesperson

Jewish, and of Polish descent, Shatner is the spokesperson for the William and Elizabeth Shatner - Jewish National Fund Therapeutic Riding Consortium for Israel. He took on that role because "JNF and I have mutual ambitions in supporting Israel and her people," Shatner said. "It's my homeland."

"I also want to be able to make a difference internationally," he said. "I am particularly interested in what JNF is doing with this project as I see it as a way to foster peace between the nations. What better way to create a dialogue than by helping handicapped children from different countries feel good about themselves? Good will is in short supply and we have to build it. And that requires money."

JNF, which has an office in Boca Raton, says it hopes to raise $10 million to support therapeutic riding programs throughout Israel.

The benefits of riding for those with disabilities have been recognized for more than 3,000 years, Shatner noted. Therapeutic riding has been widely used since the early 1950s as a tool for improving the lives of individuals with physical disabilities.

"Through the JNF endowment, we raise funds for all of the riding centers in Israel, and provide scholarships for children from all walks of life. The endowment will be overseen by a board of trustees who will evaluate expenditures and provide hands-on guidance for the programs."

Because horseback riding gently and rhythmically moves the rider's body in a manner similar to a human gait, riders with physical disabilities often show improvement in verbalization, flexibility, balance, muscle tone, strength, posture, coordination, motor development and emotional well being, said JNF officials.

Increased Confidence

Also, for individuals with mental or emotional disabilities, the relationship formed with the horse can lead to increased confidence, patience and self-esteem.

The William and Elizabeth Shatner - Jewish National Fund Therapeutic Riding Consortium for Israel dovetails with other work the JNF is doing to help the disabled community in Israel as it makes its parks inclusive to all. About 10 percent of Israel's population of six million are people with disabilities, the JNF said.

"An ambassador for good causes can bring about good results," said Russell F. Robinson, JNF of America's chief executive officer. "William Shatner is just the person to achieve those results for this consortium. We are proud and honored to have this relationship with him on behalf of the people and the land of Israel."

In addition to his support of JNF, Shatner has founded the Nerine Shatner Friendly House, a residential home for women recovering from alcohol and substance abuse, and he supports the Hollywood Charity Horse Show.

The Polo Club is located at 5400 Champion Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida. For reservations to the Tree of Life event, contact Robert Swire at 561-447-9733 or rswire@jnf.org.
Dale M. King can be reached at 561-549-0832 or at dking@bocanews.com.

http://www.bocaratonnews.com/news/local ... o-boca.php

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TRexx - Mar 24, 2008 - 07:30 PM
Post subject:

From the LA DailyNews.com...

Randy Travis saddles up for Shatner benefit

Article Last Updated: 03/23/2008 09:41:26 PM PDT

Country music legend Randy Travis and stunt troupe Rancho Indalo Riders will headline William Shatner's Wells Fargo Hollywood Charity Horse Show, set for April 26 in Burbank.

The event is at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive, and begins at 4 p.m. with a silent auction. An arena show runs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with the trick riding, knife tossing, whip-cracking antics of Rancho Indalo Riders.

The event is capped from 7 to 10 p.m. by dinner, dancing, a concert by Travis, and an auction with Shatner as auctioneer.

Proceeds from the event will benefit special-needs children in Los Angeles through local charities Ahead With Horses and the Camp Max Straus Foundation.

"Over the last 18 years we have been able to help thousands of young Angelenos, thanks to the support we receive from our generous sponsors and attendees," said actor Shatner, best known at Capt. Kirk of "Star Trek" and now on "Boston Legal." "We are so fortunate to have Randy Travis for entertainment. He is really terrific and generous with his time and energy."

For tickets and information, call Chris Carley at 818-509-2292.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_8673248

Bill's ShatnerVision comments about the Charity Horse Show...

http://www.livevideo.com/video/ShatnerV ... farg.aspxa

http://www.horseshow.org

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TRexx - Apr 02, 2008 - 04:28 AM
Post subject:

From the blog of John Gushue...

A thought on icon status

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

"Being an icon is overblown. Remember, an icon is moved by a mouse."
~ William Shatner

http://johngushue.typepad.com/blog/2008 ... on-ic.html

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TRexx - Apr 08, 2008 - 05:06 AM
Post subject:

From The TV Tattler ...

8 Questions With: William Shatner

April 3 -- How many actors get the chance to play two iconic characters on TV? William Shatner's done it, first with Star Trek's original captain, James T. Kirk, and again with his Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning turn as brilliant Boston Legal lawyer Denny Crane. He opens up to AOL TV's Kimberly Potts about the next Star Trek movie, his fall 2009 talk show and ... Denny's bid for the White House?!

1. How great is it to have this level of success at this point in your career?

This is a joyful working place. It's full of great material and wonderful people, wonderful actors, so this is one of those ideal moments in an actor's life. And working is good -- it means you're still there! You're still breathing. If I'm working, I can't die.

2. Is retirement out of the question?

I don't know what to retire to.

3. What will Denny Crane be up to in this season's six new Boston Legal episodes?

Running for president! And attempting to show his sensitive side, by crying. [The crying] is for Shirley's benefit. He rigs himself up to something to be able to cry.

4. What will we learn about you in your new autobiography, Up Till Now?

Well, it's a snapshot of my life, and there are episodes that I think indicate growth. Once that was laid out, and there was a rough draft, I was able to see the patterns in my life and comment on them. I think you'll be laughing out loud when you read it.

5. What's your involvement with J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie?

Everybody knows more about it than I. I don't even know whether they finished shooting or not. I've actually had nothing to do with it. It's a shame, and I would have liked to have been a part of it, but the people doing it, for some reason or other, thought otherwise, and so I'm not.

6. Your most recent Star Trek novel, Collision Course, has a young James T. Kirk storyline. Will you be writing more Trek novels?

I don't think so. The publishing company was very negligent on this last novel. I think they may have given up on it, so I would think that would be the last novel from me. Whether J.J. Abrams is capable of reigniting the franchise remains to be seen, and if he does, then perchance it won't be the last.

7. There's an item in Details magazine about your wanting to host your own talk show. Is that true?

I have my own talk show. It'll be [a] weekly, half-hour [show] on the Biography network of A&E, and I'll be talking to people -- in the beginning, celebrities, so that people will tune in, but eventually it'll be somebody's raw nerve that I might be able to talk about. That's the title: Raw Nerve.

8. Fans still talk about your famous 'Get a life' Trekkie skit from Saturday Night Live. If you hosted the show again, would there be a sequel to that skit?

Oh, I think we can move on from there.

http://television.aol.com/tv-celebrity- ... am-shatner

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angel - Apr 08, 2008 - 05:42 AM
Post subject:

TRexx wrote:

From the blog of John Gushue...

A thought on icon status

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

"Being an icon is overblown. Remember, an icon is moved by a mouse."
~ William Shatner

http://johngushue.typepad.com/blog/2008 ... on-ic.html

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I like that quote very much! Laughing

TRexx - Apr 08, 2008 - 10:33 AM
Post subject:

From X17 Online ...

Beam Me Up, Coffee

X17 caught Star Trek legend William Shatner boldly going where millions of people go every day -- the coffee shop!

"Spock, I... need... some coffee!"

Think he was able to negotiate the price of that cup of java?

http://x17online.com/celebrities/willia ... 072008.php

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Mirizor - Apr 08, 2008 - 11:29 AM
Post subject:

And anonymous on this X17.com site posted that Bill's profile is on RichSoulMates.com. Gee...does Bill have the time to post there? Twisted Evil

TRexx - Apr 13, 2008 - 10:22 AM
Post subject:

A special message from William Shatner

Click the image to see a video message from William Shatner!

February 2008

Dear friends,

Nothing in life prepared me for the experience of tinnitus. One day, while filming the episode "Arena" for my television series Star Trek, I was standing too close to a special effects explosion. The blast robbed me of some hearing and left me with screeching tinnitus that I have endured ever since. You know what I mean when I say that tinnitus affects everything in one's life; you know how those first months of living with tinnitus are. No words adequately explain the agony.

It's been many years since that dreadful accident. With ATA's help and the right treatment I've learned to push my tinnitus into the background, at least on most days. I never realized how valuable silence was until that blast took it from me. ATA is working to give back silence to all of us! Its committed staff and volunteers need and deserve our help. Did you know that ATA is the only association of its kind in the world that makes it possible for individuals to band together to fund research for a cure? When I developed tinnitus, a cure seemed like a remote possibility. Today, the world's best researchers are very optimistic that a cure is on the horizon!

David Fagerlie, chief executive officer of ATA, recently visited me at my office in Los Angeles. He calls tinnitus the malady of the 21st century because it increasingly disturbs the lives of more and more people. He shared with me the brutal fact that tinnitus is the number one disability of soldiers injured in the global war on terror. These young men and women doing battle to protect our freedom often come home with sounds they can't escape and will probably have forever, unless we are successful in our fight to cure tinnitus. David told me that even young children develop tinnitus from exposure to loud sounds. He noted a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, which found that nearly 13 percent of all American children have hearing damage from noise exposure alone! Hundreds of thousands -- maybe a million or more -- may have tinnitus from those injuries.

David cares deeply about this growing epidemic and is determined to bring silence back into our lives. He readily admits that he and ATA can't do that without our help. Will you help me fight this important fight? My years on television and movie sets of Star Trek, were full of daring adventures that saved planets from evil empires. But even Captain Kirk couldn't do that without the loyalty and performance of his crew. Think of ATA as a real-life starship and we are the crew leading it toward accomplishing its vital mission.

The future is in our hands. Will we be satisfied with a few dollars going into research, making a cure possible in the next generation or two? I say NO! We have a way to speed the rate of discovery now. Let's take action together. Please join me in making a very generous donation to ATA so that we are doing what we can to bring back silence in our lifetime.

Please go to ATA's donation page and give enough so that you really feel you are making a special contribution to create a better life for yourself and for the millions upon millions of others who are counting on ATA to make a difference. Thank you so very much.

Sincerely,

William Shatner
Member, Honorary Board
American Tinnitus Association

http://www.ata.org/involved/donate_campaign.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7bL9BhESYA (ATA video @ YouTube)

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TRexx - Apr 16, 2008 - 11:41 PM
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From JTA.com...

Shatner explores Passover story in dramatic reading of Exodus

Courtesy of WilliamShatner.com

By Ami Eden, Published: 04/15/2008

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Less than a month after the death of Charlton Heston, another of Hollywood's great over-actors is taking center stage in the retelling of the Passover story.

This week the Jewish Music Group is releasing Exodus: An Oratorio In Three Parts, a dramatic biblical reading by William Shatner accompanied by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

The album is taken from recordings of back-to-back evening performances in April 2005 at the Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Rock.

In an exclusive interview Monday with JTA, Shatner credited David Itkin, the orchestra's conductor, with writing the music and bringing together passages from the Bible and the Haggadah to produce the final text.

"It's his creation," Shatner said, adding that he thought so highly of the production that he made arrangements to have the two performances recorded.

"On the Saturday night that most of this record is taken from, my thrill was connecting with the audience the way we did," the star of Star Trek and Boston Legal recalled.

"The actor, along with 350 voices in the choral group and 75 people in the orchestra, all combined to reach out to this audience of several thousand people. The magic of the CD is that you can hear the connection, especially at the end, between the audience and the actor."

At first glance, the Exodus production sounds more like a project for Shatner's best-known Star Trek co-star, Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy has long been known for mining his Jewish heritage, from basing Spock's split-fingered Vulcan greeting on the ancient Israelite priestly blessing to drawing inspiration from Kabbalah for a book of semi-nude photographs.

But now, at the very end of the performance, it's Shatner reciting the priestly blessing -- to an enthusiastic ovation.

So does the Exodus reading, along with a film in the works titled The Shiva Club, point to some sort of later-in-life artistic engagement with his Jewish roots?

No, Shatner says, just a coincidence.

"My being Jewish does not inform the things I do, necessarily," Shatner explained, speaking by phone during a lunch break from shooting an episode of Boston Legal.

"Exodus is a wonderful piece, no matter what religion you are. The Shiva Club, which is a movie I am attempting to make sometime soon, is about crashing a shiva, if you will. A couple of comics crash a shiva. I could have, I suppose, made it an Irish wake, but the shiva I was more familiar with."

Just as Shatner says his religious background does not inform his art, he also insists that his turn as the narrator of Exodus has not led to any sort of personal transformation or alter his connection to the Passover holiday.

"I come from a Conservative Jewish home in Canada, which is pretty much like an Orthodox home here in the States. And we celebrated Passover every year and held a long seder," Shatner said, adding that he continues to mark the holiday.

"My daughter makes a seder, but it's a little more modern" -- plenty of English, he explained -- "and a little less time than the old-fashioned ones."

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/news/ar ... xodus.html

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TRexx - Apr 17, 2008 - 07:45 PM
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From NY Daily News Gatecrasher...

William Shatner relives 'Trek' in book

Thursday, April 17th 2008, 4:00 AM

William Shatner says he never realized until after Star Trek ended how disliked he was by the rest of the cast.

In Up Till Now, the actor's autobiography, he describes putting in years of hard work after the show to repair his relationship with the other actors.

He developed one of his closest bonds with Leonard Nimoy (the show's Mr. Spock), whose alcoholism during the series he discusses at length.

Nimoy himself writes in the book: "I loved going to the theater in London because they allowed you to drink before the show and during intermission."

Shatner says Nimoy helped him deal with the alcoholism of his third wife, Nerine Kidd, who tragically drowned in their pool with booze and Valium in her system.

Fans of the famous space-opera will enjoy Shatner's gossipy behind-the-scenes stories, including the fuss over TV's first interracial kiss with Nichelle (Uhura) Nichols -- who told him bluntly that she despised him. (As did Scotty, Sulu and Chekov, apparently.)

No wonder he's not in the next Star Trek movie!

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/ ... _book.html

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TRexx - Apr 17, 2008 - 11:34 PM
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From AdSavvy.org...

William Shatner Plus Commodore Vic 20 = Killer Ad

What do you get when you combine William "Captain Kirk" Shatner and the Commodore Vic20?

Geektastic advertising is what you get Smile

Yes, the ad that most sums up my childhood.

[CLICK HERE To View TV Ad @ YouTube]

He wasn't lying -- I really did learn computing with this beast!

You have to give Commodore credit. Who else at that moment in time summed up "space age" more than the guy who boldy groped green alien hotties where no other starship captain had dared to before?

http://www.adsavvy.org/william-shatner-vic20/

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TRexx - Apr 18, 2008 - 04:57 AM
Post subject:

From JewishJournal.com...

Set a place for Shatner at the seder

By Tom Teicholz, 2008-04-18

William Shatner is God. And Pharaoh. And Moses, too.

Just in time for Passover, the Jewish Music Group (a division of Shout Factory) has released Exodus: An Oratorio in Three Parts, performed by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. It is conducted by David Itkin, who created and composed the Oratorio, sung by baritone Paul Rowe and includes dramatic readings from the Bible and from the haggadah, spoken by none other than Shatner.

"It's perfect seder entertainment," Shatner said recently, but more than that, "it speaks to people of all religions. It's something that should be in repertory."

Exodus: An Oratorio is divided into three parts: "Moses and Pharaoh," "The Ten Plagues" and "Redemption." The music mixes symphonic and sacred, modulating strings, choral voices and baritone solos to provide both uplift and ballast to the biblical material -- as well as gentle musical transitions between some of Shatner's narrative performances. While Shatner has been parodied for his ability to bring a level of bombast to almost any material, here he gives a varied and nuanced performance -- his voice varies from sounding like a pulpit rabbi to the muted and conversational tones of a line reading. And then there are the special effects that are his signature -- when he makes his words pop with emphasis: (i.e., I..... AM..... THE..... LORD!)

Exodus was recorded live on April 9 and 10, 2005, at the Robinson Center Music Hall in Little Rock, Ark., where the Arkansas Symphony was joined by a choir of 350.

Click here for a short excerpt of Shatner's performance. MP3. 700K.

"It was quite a happening," Shatner recalled in a recent telephone interview.

The work is just one of a number of new projects for the actor, who turned 76 on March 22. In the next few weeks, his autobiography, Up Till Now, will be released, as well as a DVD of William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet, which is a feature-length documentary about a ballet based on Shatner songs from his Ben Folds-produced album Has Been. And, on April 26, he will host his annual event, Hollywood Charity Horse Show to raise money for a therapeutic equestrian program for handicapped kids.

To listen to Shatner tell the story of Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh, to hear him read of the ten plagues and the story of the parting of the Red Sea, mixed in with choral and solo performances in English and Hebrew, is to realize how much of an icon he has become and what an amazingly diverse career he has had.

Shatner was born in Montreal, Canada, to Jewish parents and grew up in a kosher home. As a teenager, he was a counselor at a B'nai Brith camp in the Laurentian mountains in southern Quebec, according to various Web sites. He attended McGill University, earning a bachelor's in commerce. However, by the time he was 20 he had already landed a small role in a Canadian TV series. Over the next decade, Shatner would perform Shakespeare and appear on the Broadway stage in Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine The Great, as well as the Richard Mason play The World of Suzie Wong, and the Harold Clurman-directed A Shot in the Dark, alongside Julie Harris and Walter Matthau.

During the 1950s, Shatner appeared in several of the "golden age of television" dramas, such as Omnibus, Studio One and The Kraft Television Hour, including "A Town Has Turned to Dust" directed by John Frankenheimer and written by Rod Sterling. Shatner also had roles in such now-classic films as The Brothers Karamazov (with Yul Brynner and Claire Bloom) and Judgment at Nuremberg.

A list of Shatner's credits from the early '60s includes almost every famous series, including The Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, Route 66, The Outer Limits, The Defenders, Dr. Kildare, and Gunsmoke.

In 1966, he assumed command of the Starship Enterprise, as Captain James T. Kirk. Although only 79 original episodes ran between 1966 and 1969, the Star Trek series cemented Shatner in the popular consciousness.

Nonetheless, after the series was cancelled, and following a divorce, Shatner was forced to live out of his truck, performing summer stock. During this period, concerned that he had been typecast as Kirk, Shatner wandered in the wilderness, taking whatever roles he could.

He returned to the helm of the Enterprise for the six Star Trek movies (directing the fifth). And he also returned to TV as the star of the police drama T.J. Hooker, and then to host the reality series Rescue 911.

At the same time, Shatner began to display a sense of humor about his long tenure as Captain Kirk, and the legions of obsessed Trekkie fans, in such films as Airplane II and National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon and in skits on Saturday Night Live. He gained further notoriety as a pitchman for Priceline.com.

More recently, Shatner hit gold again, portraying attorney Denny Crane on Boston Legal, a role he originated on the series The Practice. He is one of the few actors to receive consecutive Emmy awards for playing the same character on two different series.

Shatner's life has also had its share of tragedy: his third wife, Nerine, drowned after mixing valium and alcohol. Shatner recently told Details magazine that he didn't "understand closure ... we grieve forever."

As for his recording career, it began with his much-derided 1968 album, Transformed Man and with his over-the-top spoken word interpretations of songs such as Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." In 2004, Ben Folds produced Has Been, a collection of songs, many of which he co-wrote with Shatner, including featured guest performances by Joe Jackson and Aimee Mann. It was well received and became a commercial success.

Which brings us back to Exodus and its composer David Itkin.

Itkin grew up in a conservative Jewish home, began writing music at 14 and conducting at 16. A graduate of the University of The Pacific Conservatory, he has been music director of the Arkansas Symphony since 1993, while also conducting and serving as music director for the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. It has just been announced that he will leave The Arkansas Symphony after the 2008-2009 season to become director of orchestral studies at the University of North Texas at Denton.

At a seder in 2003, Itkin said he was stuck by the dramatic possibilities of the Passover story. He developed the composition while on sabbatical in Florence, Italy, the following summer and fall.

When Itkin secured a 2005 date for the Exodus Oratorio he still needed a narrator. "We kicked around lots of names," he said, and always considered but was not wedded to using famous Jewish actors. "We kept winnowing and winnowing the list" he said, "and Shatner's name kept coming up. And it wouldn't go away."

Itkin contacted Shatner, and it turned out that not only was he interested, he was available on the needed dates.

"It was intriguing," Shatner recalled.

So with little preparation, other than years of reading the haggadah at seders, Shatner arrived in Little Rock the night before the first performance.

"He was great fun to be around," Itkin recalled.

There were two rehearsals and two performances -- one on Friday and one on Saturday night. Itkin was impressed by how Shatner was able to deliver his narrative within the very proscribed places and vary each character, much like different "takes," affording choices for editing the eventual produced work.

"On Saturday," Shatner said, "everything fell into place." He reveled in the experience of being on stage with 350 choral members and a 72-piece orchestra, he said.

"There's no magic like a live audience," Shatner says in the recording's liner notes. "The performer sends out the words, the music, the love, and he gets back the energy of the audience in waves."

In the final section, "Redemption," he intones the words of the priestly blessing: "May the Lord Bless you and keep you; may he be gracious to you; may the Lord make the light of his countenance to shine upon you; and may he grant you peace."

"The words were like a benediction over the whole audience." Shatner recalled.

At the seders I attend, I am not above some moments of audio-visual enhancement. I recall one spectacular seder where, at the strategic moment, the late Charlton Heston burst onto a screen to part the Red Sea. In recent years, the immediate post-seder entertainment has been funny Passovers songs (like "There's No Seder Like Our Seder" to tune of "There's No Business Like Show Business"). This year may well find our seder going forth with Shatner and the Exodus Oratorio.

And let us all together say: Amen.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=19257

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tdeniset - Apr 18, 2008 - 10:59 AM
Post subject:

Where can you purchase or download this? Says entertainment for your seder, well that is this weekend!

tdeniset - Apr 18, 2008 - 11:05 AM
Post subject:

Found it on cdbaby.com in case anyone else is interested.

TRexx - Apr 18, 2008 - 05:29 PM
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tdeniset wrote:

Where can you purchase or download this?

In Canada the CD will be released April 22, available via Amazon.ca [link].

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angel - Apr 22, 2008 - 01:00 AM
Post subject:

TRexx does such a good service to the gang here with his news! And all in accordance to the prophecy! Appreciate it, TRexx! Very Happy

TRexx - Apr 22, 2008 - 09:28 AM
Post subject:

From ExtraTV...

A Day in the Life of Jerry Penacoli

Posted by WebExtra on April 21, 2008 5:43 AM

...

7:30 AM: The day started by battling an hour and a half of LA traffic to get to the set of "Boston Legal" -- now, the show rarely shoots on-location, and this day their location was north of Los Angeles in horse country: the beautiful Ventura Farms -- a gorgeous location where (and the more mature will remember this show) "The Big Valley" was shot... the newbies will be interested in knowing it's where "Heroes" shoots alot. But, I digress...

9:00 AM Shooting on the set... There's an upcoming storyline between William Shatner's character and a horse farmer (played by Broadway star Christine Ebersol), and it was a cool opportunity to capture Shatner on horseback, and interview him -- and, trust me, he's always in rare form.

10:00 AM: Got a great interview with Shatner, where he reveals alot about this particular episode (second to the last one for this season - airing in May), but also talks about life at 77 -- he can't believe he's that old -- and his recent hip replacement surgery, which he really hasn't talked about... The writer's strike enabled him to make the time to get it done. He's become 'hip' again, but it was his HIP that had been a recurring problem. Happy to report, he's all better...

11:00 AM We learn that "Boston Legal" -- (by the way, I'm biased, it's one of my favorite shows) has not learned if it's being picked up yet by ABC for another season... c'mon!!! It's one of the best-written shows... with one of the best, most prestigious group of actors... It never disappoints, in my estimation. (Again, I digress...)

...

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2008/04/a ... ry_pen.php

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Mirizor - Apr 22, 2008 - 12:02 PM
Post subject:

TRexx wrote:

I remember when Jerry Penacoli used to be in my old hometown of Philadelphia at KYW-3 (NBC) from 1982-1991 before he moved onto the west coast in '92.

TRexx - Apr 23, 2008 - 04:37 AM
Post subject:

From TheAge.com...

The other face of George

Karl Quinn, April 23, 2008

A decade after Seinfeld ended, Jason Alexander and George Costanza remain inseparable.

...

For all that Seinfeld was a mould-breaking show, Alexander is very much a performer of the old school. He tirelessly mugs for the camera, turns the charm on in an instant, then moves on to the next obligation the second his allocated time is up. Never does he give in to the temptation to resent the fact that he and George Costanza are forever entwined.

And for that, he owes a considerable debt to William Shatner.

As a child, Alexander says, "I was a total Star Trek geek." Watching Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, he realised acting (albeit rather hammily) was what he wanted to do with his life.

When he was 18, he auditioned for colleges where he might study drama. "I'd never had an acting class in my life, so I was doing Bill Shatner," he recalls. "I eventually ended up at Boston University because I auditioned for a man who had done Shakespeare with Shatner in Canada when they were both young men. And he said to me, 'I don't know if you can act, but it's the finest Bill Shatner impersonation I've ever seen.' "

About a year ago, Alexander hosted a celebrity roast of Shatner, but their personal connection goes much further back. "He was given to me for my 35th birthday by my friends," he says. "They knew I was a diehard fan. They called him up and said, 'We don't know if you watch this Seinfeld show, but there's this guy on it who just thinks the world of you, and you're the reason he became an actor; could we surprise him by giving you to him for lunch?' "

The two dined, and eventually became friends. "He talked to me about his experience of coming to resent the early success in his life," Alexander says. "He cautioned me against it. I don't know if I would have gone that path anyway, but he said, 'You've created something that is so meaningful to so many people; how often does anybody in any walk of life get to say that? You have to assume this is the biggest thing you will do in your career. And you should be grateful that you've had it once, because not everybody gets to taste that.' "

...

Read the complete Jason Alexander article at TheAge.com...

http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/bcom ... 41615.html

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TRexx - Apr 25, 2008 - 10:22 AM
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From IBM.com...

RU Ready to Boldly Go?

The IBM Rational Software Development Conference 2008 features an exciting line-up of keynote speakers including actor, author, philanthropist, one of pop culture's most recognizable figures and our guest speaker: William Shatner. You also won't want to miss the rest of the scheduled keynote speakers for this year's event!

William Shatner: Actor, Author, Philanthropist, and Pop Culture Hero.

RU Ready to hear a guest speaker of truly heroic proportions? Sure, many may claim the mantle "legend in his own time," but unlike our special speaker, few have earned it. Exemplifying the best of both individual and team achievement, our special guest will boldly take you where no developer has gone before! Get ready to set your agenda to "stun."

Wednesday, June 4

Reservations: 888-828-8850 OR 800-227-1500 OR 407-934-4000
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel
1500 Epcot Resorts Boulevard
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
PH: 407-934-4000
Main Fax: 407-934-4099
Reservations Fax: 407-934-4710

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TRexx - Apr 25, 2008 - 09:28 PM
Post subject:

From GoUpstate.com...

Jan-Michael Gambill ousted from Invitational

Friday, April 25, 2008

...

[Pro tennis player] Gambill also collects Jaguar automobiles, lives in Hawaii, and is a self-proclaimed Star Trek addict, or "Trekkie." He's a close friend of William Shatner and plans to pursue an acting career.

"I'm going out to Los Angeles next month to try to pursue (acting) more seriously," Gambill said. "I've studied it a bit and been on the set of a few different things. But I've never given it 100 percent."

He hopes to sit in on a taping of his favorite show Boston Legal -- Shatner is one of the main stars.

...

Read the complete article at GoUpstate.com...

http://www.goupstate.com/article/200804 ... 018/SPORTS

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TRexx - Apr 25, 2008 - 10:00 PM
Post subject:

From the New York Post...

Michael Starr Report, April 25, 2008

William Shatner (Boston Legal) will discuss his new memoir, Up Till Now, May 12 (8 p.m.) at the 92nd Street Y (92y.org has info). Several of Shatner's Star Trek cast mates already wrote books blasting their former co-star for his perceived selfishness and runaway ego; does he agree? Find out.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252008/tv/starr_report_107939.htm

Date & Time: Mon, May 12, 2008, 7:30pm
Location: Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street (Directions)
Venue: Kaufmann Concert Hall
Code: T-LC5AE08-01
Price: $30.00 All Sections

Following the event, books will be available for sale and for signing by Mr. Shatner.

http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.as ... ge_shatner

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TRexx - Apr 27, 2008 - 08:31 AM
Post subject:

From the WashingtonPost.com...

Brewster Rockit By Tim Rickard

Washington Post - Comics, April 26, 2008.

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TRexx - Apr 29, 2008 - 10:04 PM
Post subject:

Via PR-Inside.com...

Shatner'S Death Denial

2008-04-29 09:02:35

Star Trek star William Shatner is determined never to die -- as life is "too much fun."

The actor -- who turned 77 last month (Mar08) -- insists he never thinks about passing away and is determined to carry on ignoring his own mortality. He says, "I don't plan to die. I'm having too much fun.

"As far as I'm concerned it's not going to happen."

http://www.pr-inside.com/shatner-s-deat ... 562130.htm

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TRexx - May 01, 2008 - 09:14 AM
Post subject:

Via ZWire.com...

Riverside Museum Seeking Volunteers

By Mary Zielinski, 04/30/2008

Just a week before the Riverside History Center takes its Voyage Home to the public, organizers of the long-sought museum were signing up volunteers to staff it.

The informal meeting in the Community Room of the Riverside Senior Village drew more than a dozen people, virtually all of whom were willing to donate hours to staff the museum. Official opening of what the Riverside Area community Club (RACC) and the city has wanted almost since the start of Trek Fest in 1984, is Saturday, May 3. Housed in the former Kwik 'N' EZ convenience store on Highway 22, the museum will be 100 percent volunteer operated.

For Paul LaPorte, who arrived in Riverside about four months ago, the museum is simply a continuation of a longtime interest for the history student. And he will be helping in as many ways as he can, he said, including with exhibits. In fact, the Illinois native did internships in Des Plaines and Chicago museums. Saturday, he told those at the meeting that the History Center will be a repository for Riverside's treasures, both as a permanent gift or on loan for a specified period.

The museum will have a permanent exhibit about Invasion Iowa, the reality show produced by actor William Shatner (of Captain Kirk fame) for Spike TV, including photos and props from the show; a permanent Star Trek exhibit including all the ships shown on the television series, cast photos and all the T-shirts RACC has produced for 24 years of Trek Fest.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... &rfi=6

Trek Fest XXIV: June 28 & 29, 2008

Bill with Riverside local Don Rath, who bestowed blessings on Bill with his ever-present coon penis.

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TRexx - May 01, 2008 - 05:45 PM
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From USAToday.com...

Fans Send a Big 'Save Our Shows' SOS for Boston Legal

By Gary Levin, USA TODAY

Fans want their Denny Crane fix. Boston Legal, featuring the lawyer played by William Shatner, topped the list of endangered series viewers most want back in USA TODAY's 11th annual Save Our Shows poll.

...

Legal producer David E. Kelley says his show's fate may rest with a renegotiation of its price tag before ABC's May 13 schedule announcement. "I don't think it's a show that can last forever like Law & Order," he says. "We have stories in the bank that are good for another year or two. After that, we'd have to sit down and see if it's time to stop."

But Kelley, whose remake of BBC's Life on Mars is also in contention for a fall slot, is familiar with his precarious position: "It's like a dance with a girl hanging out by the punch bowl, hoping we get asked by the time midnight chimes."

Boston Legal (ABC)

Viewers (all are season to date): 9.9 million.

Prognosis: The show's ratings are modest (though dependably stable), and its viewers are older than ABC would like. Renewal may hinge on whether producer David E. Kelley agrees to cut ABC's price tag.

SOS fact: Boston boosters were most often ages 40 to 60.

Fan: The show's "great blend of witty dialogue, interesting ensemble and smartly written episodes are gold," raves Delana Vickers of Winston-Salem, N.C.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television ... htm?csp=34

Prisoners of price tag?: Legal's William Shatner, James Spader.

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TRexx - May 02, 2008 - 05:31 AM
Post subject:

From TheBiographyChannel.co.uk...

Win Up Till Now by William Shatner

William Shatner gets the joke about William Shatner. In fact, most of the time he's the one telling it. His self-effacing attitude, so perfectly parodied in the bombastic character he now plays on Boston Legal, Denny Crane, is one of the reasons for his huge popularity.

While best known for his creation of Captain James T. Kirk, commander of the starship Enterprise on Star Trek, William Shatner has been a working actor for more than half a century. He has experienced all the ups (the awards and acclaim) and the downs (having to live for a time in the truck bed of his camper when he couldn't get work) that are a part of the actor's world.

In Up Till Now he tells us about his remarkable life, from training as a Shakespearan actor under Sir Tyrone Guthrie, to his time on Broadway, his movie career and, of course, his successful TV series. He has worked with an extraordinary range of actors, among them Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Walter Matthau, Sandra Bullock, Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro. He also writes, with glee, about some of his less successful ventures, including Incubus, the only feature ever made entirely in Esperanto. As funny, charming and self-deprecating as the man himself, this book will delight his many fans of all ages.

To read the William Shatner biography click here.

We have five copies of the book to give away, courtesy of Pan Macmillan publishers. Simply answer the question below for your chance to win:

In which year was William Shatner born?

* 1921
* 1931
* 1941

To enter this competition you must be a registered member, please use the login box to the left if you are an existing member or click here to register.

http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/co ... hatner.htm

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angel - May 02, 2008 - 07:54 AM
Post subject:

TRexx wrote:

Bill with Riverside local Don Rath, who bestowed blessings on Bill with his ever-present coon penis.

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Oookaay....that's something you don't see everyday! A coon whatzit....hmmm..Bill sure has got a lot of tolerance. Personally a good old fashioned "Gesundheit" would do it for me. Wink

TRexx - May 03, 2008 - 04:54 AM
Post subject:

From AutographStore.com...

William Shatner Captain Kirk from Star Trek Upcoming Autograph Signing

William Shatner AKA "Captain Kirk" from the original Star Trek will be doing some upcoming celebrity autograph signings for his new book "Up Till Now."

From Amazon: It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner instantly recognizable, called by name -- or at least by Captain Kirk's name -- across the globe. But Shatner neither began nor has ended his career with that role. From the very start, he took his skills as an actor and put them to use wherever he could. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television, whether stepping in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeare's Henry V or staring at "something on the wing" in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. And since then, he's gone on to star in numerous successful shows, such as T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and most recently Boston Legal. In this touching and very funny autobiography, William Shatner reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments, and how he's become the worldwide star and experienced actor he is today.

Below is William Shatner's upcoming celebrity autograph book signing tour...

* 5/12/08 7:30 PM at the 92nd Street Y - Lexington Ave @ 92nd St. New York, NY.
* 5/14/08 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble Union Square. New York, NY.
* 5/17/08 2:00 PM at Book Soup - Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA.

If anyone can not attend any of these autograph signings please contact us today to reserve your signed copy as Autograph Store will be covering some of these events.

http://blog.autographstore.com/?p=56

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TRexx - May 04, 2008 - 03:20 AM
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From MultiChannel.com...

Lowdown On The Upfront: Shatner Shakes Up ION's Upfront

Brandon Burgess, Chairman and CEO, ION Media Networks, and William Shatner of Boston Legal.

Network Rolls Out Primetime Lineup, New Branding In NYC

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 5/2/2008 1:34:00 PM

Unveiling its new primetime lineup and new branding, ION Television brought out some talent -- Boston Legal's William Shatner, The Dead Zone's Anthony Michael Hall and veteran game show host Chuck Woolery -- for its upfront presentation Thursday.

ION's upfront gala, documented in this online photo gallery, was held at the New York Public Library in Manhattan, where the network told Madison Avenue about the bevy of off-network acquisitions it has made. The list includes not only Boston Legal and The Dead Zone, but also ER, The Ghost Whisperer and Criminal Minds, among other shows.

Emmy-winner Shatner kicked off ION's upfront by coming onstage in character as crazy-like-a-fox lawyer Denny Crane. ION Media Networks CEO Brandon Burgess and Stephen Appel, president of sales and marketing, then took over.

RHI Entertainment, ION's exclusive partner in weekend primetime programming, will deliver 12 original movies, including three Westerns, during the 2008-2009 season. Actor Dougray Scott, who will appear in one of the telepics, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, was also on hand for the upfront.

At the event, Australian singer Delta Goodrem sang to introduce ION's new branding as "positively entertaining." Goodrem's music will be featured in the launch of the network's fall season.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6 ... ryid=47200

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TRexx - May 05, 2008 - 08:33 AM
Post subject:

At Left of the Dial Blog...

William Shatner = Greatest Cover Artist Evah?

Thursday, May 01, 2008

I have been looking for these clips for years. Watch 'em whilst you can, 'cuz I'm sure they'll be gone within weeks.

http://scottpeterson.typepad.com/leftof ... atner.html

Bill sings at the 1992 MTV Movie Awards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPcDm2i6VaY (Bill does I Wanna Sex You Up)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maUEvN5sQDs (Bill does I Do It For You)

"You know, balls-wise, Shatner has gone where no man has gone before."
~ Dennis Miller, 1992 MTV Movie Awards.

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TRexx - May 07, 2008 - 06:05 AM
Post subject:

At WallpapersDump.com...

Caption Contest Win $25 - William Shatner

"Spock, it doesn't appear to be a 'cling-on' [Klingon]."

May 6, 2008

Put your creative caps on kiddies. You could win $25 for having the funniest caption for the above photo of William Shatner. You can enter as many times as you like. Please post your captions in the comment area. The winner will be notified and announced on Friday. Good Luck!

http://www.wallpapersdump.com/celebrity ... am-shatner

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TRexx - May 08, 2008 - 06:36 AM
Post subject:

From The Urban Shop Blog...

Shat Hits the Canvas

An illustrated retrospective of bill shatners 76 years of gracing our planet, words by Nic Wilson.

2007 won't be remembered for many things. The Iraq War still sucking. Iranians behaving badly. Setting the Doomsday Clock back to five minutes of midnight. But there is one thing this mediocre year has given us that I believe future generations will actually give two fignuts about: the Shatner Show.

That's right. William Shatner has an art exhibition dedicated to his larger-than-life self, thanks to a husband and wife pair of his fellow Canadians -- Janine Vangool and Glen Dresser. They concocted the show while driving through the Canadian countryside, listening to Shatner's most recent spoken-word album, Has Been -- which was applauded for the same gentle self-mockery that has become the calling card of the modern, gnome-insulting Shatner.

Now I grew up on reruns of the original Star Trek. I learned the lurid lapdance of love from the way Kirk's gaze seduced countless alien women. I'm certain this warped me -- no pun intended -- beyond the reach of modern psychology; I am still inexplicably attracted to green women (partially explaining why I have a complete run of She-Hulk, but head trauma has to figure in there at some point, too).

Vangool (quite possibly the best sci-fi villain name ever), a graphic designer and owner/curator of the UPPERCASE gallery in Calgary, planned the exhibit to feature 76 artists, one to commemorate each year Shatner has graced this undeserving planet of ours with his quality. One artist missed the deadline, so there are in fact only 75 -- but there were enough artists contributing multiple pieces to take care of Shatner well into the next decade.

Vangool describes herself as a casual fan of Shatner's when they started, but that her admiration for the actor only increased, in part because of the fearlessness with which he attacks new projects. She explains, "Canadians are proud of other Canadians," but that he is humorous, iconic, and loved by many. However, she was reluctant to quantify his value -- I am not. He is easily the equal of ten Bryan Adamses. By comparison, Ryan Reynolds is a 5, and Alannis Morrisette is a 6 (Rylannis Reynolsette -- their combined tabloid persona, was a 7.5).

The exhibit is terrifically varied in its styles and tone, an homage in itself perhaps to Shatner's many roles. When asked which piece she'd display in her home, Vangool quickly jumped at Karen Klassen's depiction of "the classic ladies' man Captain Kirk, but he also seems vulnerable and innocent." Dewar's golden nightmare proclaims Shatner the Intergalactic Love God (although it could be argued birth pronounced him thus, and the painting merely echoes that reality). Mark Dulmadge's addition practically screams at you, and is equally disturbing for appearing to be the deranged Trekkie lovechild of Shatner and Gilbert Gottfried (I think I can speak for our magazine when I say that we would pay big bucks, for verified photographic evidence of their coupling).

Zina Saunders delivers up a thoughtful and contemplative Bill, backstage, lit with a low red light -- the actor himself liked it so much he chose it as his gift from the exhibit. Fraser's amorous embrace brings a smile to anyone who remembers the classic fight that inspired it, and, well, a smile of a different color to the herpetophiles among us.

Particularly imaginative is professional LEGO sculptor Sean Kenney's impressive 9,000 piece bust of Shatner's Boston Legal character, Denny Crane.

When I spoke with Vangool about the exhibit, I suggested Nimoy as a follow-up -- he's also 76, beloved, Trek-bonified. The Bad Spock blog has given potential artists a head start, and Nimoy could be enticed by offering to fill half the exhibit with his nude photographic portrayals of plump ladies. But Vangool insists that the gallery isn't about Star Trek, nor even celebrities, and while this dashed my dreams of someday cutting the ribbon at the opening of the Bad Spock BBW exhibit, I realized she was right. Part of the glory of Shatner lies in his uniqueness, and a part of the majesty of the Shatner Show is its limitation.

When asked, Vangool admitted she was tempted to take the Show on the road, but the complexity and time it would have involved made it impossible. Many of the pieces have since been purchased by private collectors (and indeed, some of the other pieces are still up for sale), and sadly, the exhibit closed at the end of August. But it lives on (and prospers) in the book, which can be purchased from the site and in the virtual version of the Show. Vangool promises on a stack of babies (I didn't ask where she got them) that it would stay online until the end of the year, viewable by anyone with access to a Commodore 64 (or higher) at: theshatnershow.com

My writing teachers admonished me about ending with a quote, giving someone else the final say, so this is a rare opportunity to give education the bird, while giving Shatner his due for saying: "out of awe, amusement, or pity, you should come and see this unique show." The Shatner Show book is now available from theshatnershow.com.

Article supplied by Dangerous Ink an eclectic but carefully tailored mix of articles and features, in-depth interviews with upcoming and established artists, high-quality gallery profiles, sequential art, and 1 and 2 page comics from U.K, American, and European artists.

http://the-urban-shop.blogspot.com/2008 ... anvas.html

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TRexx - May 09, 2008 - 03:24 PM
Post subject:

From The Official Adam Carolla Show Blog...

May 8, 2008 -- William Shatner Phones In

CALL ADAM CAROLLA NOW!! (866)901-ADAM

...

8:13 AM - WILLIAM SHATNER CALLS INTO THE STUDIO

William Shatner calls into the studio. William says he is "addicted to Dancing With the Stars", he absolutely loves that show!! Bill cannot stop talking about Adams ex-dance partner Julianne Hough. Bill says, "What a dancer, and what a family!" Bill sounds a little obsessed with the show and especially 19 year-old cutie, Julianne!

Adam asks Bill if he has any life advice for us numnuts, Bill says "learn your ABC's, literally as well as figuratively!"

Bill just wrote an autobiography, Up Till Now available for sale now! Shatner also has a CD available for sale, Exodus which he says will take you to another level. HUH?

Don't miss Bill on his hit television show, Boston Legal which airs on ABC.

...

http://adamradio.wordpress.com/2008/05/ ... -phone-in/

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TRexx - May 09, 2008 - 05:49 PM
Post subject:

From Orange County Register...

William Shatner Goes Where He Has Never Gone Before

In a new book, the 77-year-old actor reminisces about triumphant and sad moments from his live, some of which involved O.C.

By PETER LARSEN, The Orange County Register, Thursday, May 8, 2008

Maybe you were there: Anaheim Stadium, late '70s, William Shatner on stage?

"It was enormous," Shatner says, expanding on one of the many stories he shares in Up Till Now (Thomas Dunne Books, $25.95), his new autobiography.

"I had a huge screen behind me, and some 30,000 people in the stands," the actor says of his performance there, dramatic readings of science fiction classics while an orchestra played behind him.

"And I had such a good sound system that I could whisper and they could hear it. Not only that, but there was an electrical storm glowering in the background, so there was this background of thunder all the time.

"And all somebody had to do, in those 30,000 people, was yell, 'Beam me up, Scotty!' or something to destroy the illusion, and I'd have been dead," Shatner says. "But nobody did."

If it feels like Shatner has always been there, well, as the book makes clear, that's because it's partly true.

After a childhood in Montreal, by the early '50s Shatner was acting in New York City, on stage and in early television, where he stayed into the '60s, starring in Broadway plays, films such as Judgment at Nuremberg, and television series such as The Twilight Zone.

The mid-'60s landed the role that would define the rest of his life: Capt. James T. Kirk, commander of the Starship Enterprise, though as the book reminds us, it was not a huge success in its initial three-year run, and by the end of its flight through space and television, Shatner wasn't any better off financially than he had been when it started.

The '70s brought constant guest spots on dozens of hit TV series. The '80s were defined by his second hit series, TJ Hooker, and the revival of Star Trek as a series of blockbuster movies.

Most recently, his work on The Practice and Boston Legal -- playing eccentric lawyer Denny Crane -- brought him roles worth of Emmy nominations and wins.

And we've not even mentioned his singing.

So there would seem to be plenty of good reasons for the 77-year-old Shatner to want to share the stories of his life, but when you ask him, the one he gives you is unexpected.

"I wrote it because I had the opportunity to," he says, speaking in his deliberate way by phone after a day on the set of Boston Legal. "And I chose to do it because I felt it was a way of explaining to my children and grandchildren who I was … in some minuscule form, like a book.

"So the last while I've been trying to do things that may explain who this creature was that they were looking at, and what was going on inside."

In a way, he explains, one of the most recognizable faces in show business needed to write a book to help his own family recognize who he was and what his life had meant for all those years he'd spent in the spotlight. It was an experience, that Shatner says showed him things about himself he'd never before recognized.

Shatner told his stories into a recorder and sent them to co-author David Fisher, who worked them into rough drafts of chapters, which mapped the actor's life in ways he'd never considered it before, he says.

"I saw my life laid out in a pattern, laid out in a sequential way that I'd never thought of it before, and then I went through the process of puzzling out what was the meaning of all this, where were the repetitions, the habits -- why did I do the things that I did?

"And it was alarming! First of all, the time, the interval between the first story and the last story in my head is about seven weeks," Shatner says. "But it turns out to be considerably longer than that. And it all happened so quickly and I had no idea that it was happening."

Seeing the passage of time in his life's story, Shatner says, encouraged him not just to complete the book, but also to consider everything else that he wanted to accomplish in his life.

"It reinforces a feeling of anxiety of getting thing done, of doing the things you meant to do, or you have in mind to do," he says. "There's an urgency involved that wasn't there before."

And so he talked and talked, and Fisher sculpted the stories into chapters and a book that is filled with stories.

Many are funny -- his encounter with Koko the famous gorilla, who decided to grab him by a most sensitive part of the anatomy, helps open the book.

Others poignant -- after Star Trek ended, freshly divorced and completely broke, he was practically homeless, working in summer stock around the country, sleeping behind the theaters in his pickup truck to save money.

Much of it is told with the self-deprecating tone you've seen him use on TV over the years -- talking about how he launched his singing career with uber-dramatic readings of songs such as Elton John's Rocket Man (which if you haven't seen, both he and I urge you to look up on YouTube.com.)

The tragedy of his life -- the drowning death of his third wife Nerine -- is heartbreakingly told, Shatner finding her body in their swimming pool after returning from a visit to his daughter and grandkids in Orange County.

But other than those few very sad moments, Up Till Now is a fun read, an entertaining book, with off-beat devices used throughout to keep readers on their toes. Periodically, Shatner breaks the flow of his story to suggest readers take a moment to visit WilliamShatner.com and maybe pick up a DVD of Incubus, the '60s cult movie film in Esperanto in which he starred, or a 25th anniversary Wrath of Kahn Kirk action figure.

"The idea is that there's an offhand way of telling a story, that I think insinuates itself better than sometimes just telling the story straight," Shatner says of the casual voice he adopts for the book and the tongue-in-cheek asides for his Web site, his charities and other random thoughts.

"There's more fun, and the idea here was to entertain you both in a comical way and a serious way," he says. "To try to give you rhythms of that and alter you, the reader's, feelings."

What comes through in the end -- what his kids and grandkids hopefully will see -- is the love of his work and of working that have ruled his life since he was a boy. Always Shatner was ready to work -- whether as star of a TV series or a paid contestant on a game show or as a commercial pitchman for companies such as Priceline.com (a gig that worked out well, given the stock options with which he was paid.)

So while he thinks Boston Legal will be renewed for another season, even if it's not, there's no reason he can think of why he wouldn't just look for the next job after that.

"Retirement? I keep saying, 'To where?' TGIF -- you know, I don't understand that phrase. If you're thanking God it's Friday, then you don't like what you're doing Monday through Friday, and that's a terrible way to spend your life."

And it's a life he says he's truly relished livi