I’m probably going to bring down a rain of derision on myself for what I’m about to admit, but given that I’m on record here as defending both the Star Wars prequels and the original Battlestar Galactica, I doubt if I have much credibility left to lose. Therefore I’m going to come right out and say it loud and proud:

I’m a fan of William Shatner.

That’s right, I’m talking about the same Shatner who played T.J. Hooker in the ’80s, who appeared in the notoriously bad ’70s horror film Kingdom of the Spiders, who recorded an equally notoriously bad album in the late ’60s, and who has endured — even among his most solid fanbase, the Trekkies — a reputation for being an arrogant, clueless, and thoroughly unpleasant man.

None of that makes a bit of difference to me. I like him, or at least I like his work. Always have, since I was a small boy looking up to Shatner’s signature role, Captain James T. Kirk, as my very first imaginary hero and friend. That’s why it tickles me pink to see The Shat working regularly on TV again, and that he’s finally regaining a little respect in his twilight years, thanks to his new-found ability to laugh at himself.

I’d like to recommend a short article about Shatner’s odyssey through the post-Star Trek wilderness and back into the public eye. I think the title says it all: How William Shatner Went From Has-Been to Icon in Seven Self-Aware Steps.
It’s an interesting read, even if you think The Shat’s performances contain more ham than the average processed luncheon meat…