Leonard Nimoy made an appearance on National Public Radio's (always hilarious) news quiz Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! on Sept. 20. (Can you make an appearance on radio? Oh, well.) He played the game known on Wait Wait as "Not My Job" in which he had to answer questions about Dr. Spock. He was, of course, a hoot, as was the host Peter Sagal, a self-professed fanboy. You can hear it (Nimoy's segment or the entire show) here: http://www.npr.org/programs/waitwait/ I strongly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of Nimoy. And who here is not? There is also a funny photo of Nimoy teaching NPR elder statesman Carl Kassel how to do the Vulcan Salute. The show will be archived but I don't know if the photo will be.
Yes. Ah, I see -- you thought I made a boo-boo. Yeah, Leonard Nimoy, originator of the role of Spock on Star Trek, did have to answer questions about baby doctor Dr. Spock. The game "Not My Job" is a regular feature of Wait Wait, and the guests are always having to talk about stuff that's...well, not their job. So you'll have, say, Jimmy Carter of the fab gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama answering questions about former President Jimmy Carter, or Kevin Clash, the voice of Elmo, answering questions about famed cable jerk Bill O'Reilly (my apologies to any of O'Reilly's fans, but surely he likes being a jerk?), or Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell answering questions about the marginally talented singer Madonna (sorry, Madonna fans, but I can't make an apology here). It's a hoot, I tell you, a hoot. Even when Leonard Nimoy isn't the guest.
That was great. I, too, listen to this show all the time but missed it this weekend. The host, Peter Sagal, really is a Trekkie. He knew off the top of his head that Theodore Sturgeon wrote Amok Time. He was also very willing to make himself the butt of the jokes. Very good. Sagal did make one mistake. He said in the new movie this will be the first time somebody else has played Spock. In STIII, didn't Nimoy's son play a teenage Spock on the Genesis planet?
Thank you for the head's up. I love WWDTM, but I missed it this week. I'm looking forward to hearing the replay.
JustKate: Thanks for posting this! It's one of the funniest mistakes average people make about Spock, calling him Dr. Spock -- hell, even Joan Collins called him that in an interview I saw, on some anniversary show on TOS. That, and the infamous mispronounciation of Star Trek as Star TRACK! Red Ranger
For anyone interested, there is a funny reconciliation of Mr Spock and Dr Spock in a Farscape episode (2d half of season 1). John Crichton says something along the lines of "Is there a 'What to Expect When You're Expecting a Leviathan Baby' reference book by Dr Spock... Mr Spock ?" as both would have to contribute their expertise.
I remember that! Farscape cracked on Trek a number of times, like when Crichton referred to Moya as the Federation starship SS Buttcrack! -- RR