"Star Trek" legend William Shatner was at Comic-Con on Saturday to promote his new documentary, "Get a Life!", which had its genesis in his 1999 autobiography of the same name. The title arises from the now-infamous "Saturday Night Live" sketch in which Mr. Shatner derided "Trek" fans for their extreme devotion to the show. The tension that the sketch generated in fan communities provided a jumping off point for Captain Kirk himself to exploring the Trek fan phenomenon, first in his book and now with the documentary.
I participated in a round-table interview with Mr. Shatner on Saturday afternoon and was able to hear his thoughts on the film, his place in "Trek" history, and his next projects. He asserted that fans will be happy when they see the film, which was produced with the utmost respect to the faithful fans. The documentary enabled him to look at fandom "... at a far deeper psychological level... " than the previous book allowed, and to find out, "....why people come to Comic-Con and to Trek conventions. It's to see each other and to renew their friendships." When asked if he has become friends with any of his fans, Mr. Shatner responded with a firm, "No", but allowed that, "there are actors who have made lifelong friends, those who have gone from being fan and star to friends who go on trips together." He also mentioned a fan who became Gene Roddenberry's assistant and who has gone on to have a great deal of influence in the "Trek" world.
"Get a Life!" focuses on particular fans, such as "Captain Dave", a wheelchair-bound devotee of the show who regularly attended conventions even when mobility issues made things challenging. Mr. Shatner talked about how inspiring such fan dedication can be. He also noted that there is a "next generation" of fandom happening, as people get married and have children after meeting through their shared passion for "Trek". In fact, Mr. Shatner's next documentary project will look at this coming generation of fans, but he is in the research process and was not able to share details.
The actor was more forthcoming about a series of half-hour programs that he is wrapping up that will feature the "Trek" captains. Mr. Shatner just completed a segment with Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko, "Deep Space Nine"), whom he describes as, "an extraordinary human being." Overall, Mr. Shatner seems comfortable with his role as a "Trek" historian. He notes that after the "SNL" sketch he was '... having trouble getting people to talk to me", but the rifts have been healed, and he says of the film overall that he "loved the joy of learning something new about the fandom."
"Get a Life!" screened for audiences and the press on Saturday night at Comic-Con, and it will premier on Saturday, July 28 on the Epix network. Epix, which is jointly owned by Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, and MGM, provides programming that includes movies, music and comedy specials, and originals. Its content is available across a range of platforms, including Xbox 360 consoles, smartphones, Blu-ray, and more. Epix is also available on most cable networks.
