William Shatner on 50 Years of “Star Trek” and New Hit “Better Late Than Never”

amp8220We were doing a middling successful TV show for three years it was canceled and everyone thought that39s it and on to the next thingamp8221 he adds amp8220Then slowly it snowballed and even while it was rolling down the hill gathering speed and momentum nobody fully realized it Every one of the Star Trek movies that I made six or seven movies they would burn the sets to have room for some other show because they figured that would be the last movieamp8221With Star Trek enjoying continued big screen success under the auspices of JJ Abrams and yet another TV series Star Trek Discovery headed to the CBS All Access digital platform in January 2017 one would think it amp8220highly illogicalamp8221 that the franchise will be going away anytime soonItamp8217s safe to say Shatner wonamp8217t be going away either given the success of his new summer series Better Late than NeverThe fourepisode travelogue series which also stars Henry Winkler George Forman Terry Bradshaw and Jeff Dye ends its run next Tuesdayamp160 Thanks to the power of its leadin Americaamp8217s Got Talent along with strong wordofmouth BLTN has pulled in respectable numbers for the network It seems the misadventures of five unlikely traveling companions was just what America needed over the summer The showamp8217s success took even its stars by surpriseamp8220You just don39t know what America is going to watchamp8221 admits Shatner amp8220We were staggering around in the monsoon season in East Asia and tripping over each other39s feet eating each otheramp8217s worms and octopuses unshaven unkempt and miserable at times joyous at others We were just fending for ourselves to try and help each other with no thought of how this was going to sell The fact it39s as successful as it is comes as a surprise certainly to meamp8221amp8220I had no idea that the show would be successfulamp8221 echoes costar Bradshaw amp8220I39ve been a part of four or five pilots that never made it so the fact we got to actually shoot the show amp8230 I was just so hot and miserable and hurting I never gave any thought that this thing would be more than what it was You do four shows then you sit around and go amp8216Will it be checked outamp8217 amp160You just move on I wanted it to continue because it was so much fun but I39m not savvy enough to know what America is going to want to watch and that is what was cool about the showamp8221While Bradshaw admits heamp8217s enjoyed watching their antics in Asia unravel as a viewer Shatner has yet to see a single frame of the series amp8220I don39t watch it because I donamp8217t like the way I lookamp8221 he reveals amp8220The edit is always somewhat of a disappointment so I find it better to not look at what Iamp8217m doing I39ll look at it sometimeamp8221With all the participants down for a second installment of adventure it likely wonamp8217t be long before NBC greenlights another season However with the charm of the series relying heavily on the surprise element of these four strangers engaging in fishoutofwater adventures could the heart of the series be compromised Not according to Bradshaw amp160amp8220I don39t think you can contrive this stuffamp8221 he says amp8220You canamp8217t make up the dialogue You just have to do it Therefore I think it will still be funnyamp8221 Bradshaw also has his own take on what a second season of the series might involve amp8220We would take bets on which country Bill would pass away inamp8221 he jokes amp8220I thought Thailand I thought that would be a ratings grabberamp8221amp8220I39m waiting for the second season we can call it Where Am I Gonna Dieamp8221 adds Shatner after hearing Bradshawamp8217s revelation amp8220I just hope itamp8217s somewhere airconditioned I do want to go to China and India but weamp8217d have to do when it was cool as the humidity was almost our deathamp8221 For Bradshaw Australia or Russia would provide the perfect backdrop for round two only with one stipulation amp8220Iamp8217d like to do it all before we all canamp8217t walk and talk and seeamp8221 he laughs amp8220Unless they do the show out of wheelchairs then we have 10 more yearsamp8221Leave it to Shatner to have the last word on the matter amp8220Then we can title it Too Lateamp8221The series finale of Better Late Than Never airs Tuesday September 13 at 10 pm on NBCThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet management or associated bloggersamp160 amp160

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William Shatner on 50 Years of “Star Trek” and New Hit “Better Late Than Never”

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William Shatner on 50 Years of “Star Trek” and New Hit “Better Late Than Never”

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