A Matter of Shatner's Perspective

Shatners been tweeting a whole bunch of Trek past day and its quite interesting, not anything we didnt already know but its still interesting coming from the main guy who was there 50 odd years ago and how he views Trek then and now
(put shatners responses first with the question under as his twitter)

 

"It’s called continuity and people are in charge of keeping everything right. Sometimes they goof" - Bill Shatner
That has some relevance here...

 

I've heard that Bill Shatner doesn't actually run that Twitter account from a couple of reliable people.

 

How much is Shatner worth?
Did that all come from Boston Legal and TJ Hooker?
None from Star Trek. Not a cent after 1970? Not a cent last year?

Shatner likes to say Star Trek is just a job but when they have those 50th anniversary or other docos he sounds different. He says Star Trek was important. That his role was important.

 

well he means he dosnt get any repeat/residual fees for TOS..(apparently thats just how it was with tv before the 70s)

however everything Trek related that came after will have been based on repeat fees, % points on the movies (as well as the millions paid up front) and some kind of deal regarding all the merchandise etc (i think that was one of Nimoys stipulations for returning as Spock for TMP - which will have obviously favoured Shatner as well)

 

Shatner also had profit participation in the television series, which paid out handsomely in the 1980s, but the residuals stopped after the fifth rerun.

 

I think he and the Roddenberrys had to sue for their payments, owing to creative accounting and delays by Paramount.

And I would still say it was T.J. Hooker and the Star Trek movies that finally made Shatner rich, never TOS.

 

My recollection is that the threat of a lawsuit was enough to settle the matter in the 80s, but I could be wrong. There was definitely a case of Hollywood accounting going on there.

 

True, but his work on TOS is obviously what led to T.J. Hooker and the Trek movies. Take away the fame and exposure that he gained there, and he may have just been another struggling actor playing bit parts for the next thirty years.

I still think Shatner is an underrated actor, even now, but I don’t judge him for T.J. Hooker or any of the garbage that he did in the 70s, the man had to earn a living.

 

I assume its someone tweeting on his behalf, a family member or whatever, who knows Bill well enough to know what he'd say. Or at least someone who tells him what folk are saying.

I didn't really think a 90 year old man who prefers to spend his time riding horses would be really interested typing things out on a phone to anonymous strangers.

 

Person hired for tweets: Hey Bill! Someone posted another obscure canon question!
Bill, riding a horse: Just post that I don't watch the shows!

 

It's an old question: if someone posts online about Star Trek canon, would it be noticed by a man riding by on a horse?

 

I think he does when he wants to. The myth that he doesn't know how to use his computer is pretty silly though. He's even trolled reddit a couple of times.

 

Hasn't Shatner crashed several computers through the clever use of illogic? They're no match for him!

 

Kirk, not Shatner. The writers crashed the computers, Shatner said the lines, and Jimm Rugg blowed them up on set.

 

Shatner lost all his accumulated wealth from the series to his wife in the late sixties/early seventies and had to live in a caravan for a while! There's a message there somewhere.
JB

 

Shatner's Twitter says "Star Trek" did not make him a rich man.
Maybe he made $600 million from Priceline.
And I agree a 3 season series + some early conventions appearances would not have made you enough to live on for the rest of your life.
But I'm saying Star Trek includes the movies, books, merchandising, TAS and his appearances at conventions. If he sees 1000 people at a convention and gets $100 that $100 000. Maybe thats not how it works???.
Maybe he thinks there there because of Boston Legal or TJ Hooker but I've seen him at some and not one TJ Hooker question or Boston Legal was ever asked.
Saying that I think that Shatner has the courage of his convictions and doesn't show up to Star Trek events unless they make him (lots of) money. And you know hes nearly 90 so he can damn well go where he wants.
But Shatner is contemptuous of Star Trek fans of his former cast members. And even though I would see him at a convention I take that into account.

I'm sure he spent all his money on supporting his ex wife and none on fast cars and loose women.

 

That just reminded me, I need to get "Kingdom of the Spiders" when the 4K release comes out. Until then, Blu-Ray will do. Even then, those comparison video channels have revealed some 4K transfers manage to look worse next to Blu-Ray despite the crispier visuals because they mucked up the color timing (aka "color grading") or other things. It all goes back to "the megapixel myth".

 

The real reason Bill was broke and living in the back of his truck circa 1970 is this: his divorce was finalized shortly before Star Trek was canceled. The court-ordered alimony was based on his Star Trek salary, which promptly stopped coming in. But by law, he had to keep paying his ex-wife that high alimony in full, no matter what. That's what wiped him out.