Shatner To Host 'Iron Chef' Specials On UPN

When Enterprise debuts on UPN in August, Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) won't be the only Star Trek lead actor to appear on the network. At its recent upfront presentation, UPN announced that it has signed William Shatner (James T. Kirk) to host two Iron Chef specials late this Summer.

Iron Chef was originally created in Japan, but attracted a cult following when it aired with English dubbing and subtitling on the Food Network. The original version was hosted by Takeshi Kaga, who played a rich gourmand who used his money to build a special Kitchen Stadium. As Chairman, he hosted weekly cook-offs in the stadium, pitting master chefs against each other to prepare a multi-course dinner in an hour.

Shatner will take over as the Chairman for the American version, a role that will require him to oversee both the contest and the eventual judging by a celebrity panel. He has signed on to host at least two specials, the first of which will be airing the Friday before Labor Day, but if these perform well Iron Chef may be turned into a regular series for UPN.

UPN Entertainment President Tom Nunan said the show would fit in very well with the rest of his network. "While at first glance it might not feel like the most natural fit for a UPN program, it actually is," he told the New York Post. "Candidly, this show isn't about Wasabi or pudding or sushi. It's about the Iron Chefs that compete against each other in this sort of intense, very theatrical, over the top, gladiator-like style."

The news was announced at UPN's meeting with advertisers on New York on Thursday, which itself was also hosted by Shatner. Jokingly referring to UPN's recent acquisition of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Roswell, he introduced network president Dean Valentine as a man who "develops original shows or pays the WB for their shows."

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