Shatner: The Next Generation Documentary
2 min read
The ever-busy William Shatner has begun a new project, this one focusing on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The actor spoke about his new project ahead of his forthcoming appearance at Destination Star Trek London, at which all five television Star Trek captains will be appearing later this month.
The idea for a documentary about The Next Generation came about as a result of discussions that Shatner had with actors including Patrick Stewart regarding the problems that The Next Generation faced early on when it came to storytelling and how it had to be “reinvented” to get past those problems. “…When I discovered [the basic reinvention of The Next Generation] with conversations with people like Patrick, I felt there was a story there,” explained Shatner, “and that’s the story I’m doing on the vision that [Gene] Roddenberry had that was antithetical to telling the story; man is protected, and there is no emotion between the members of the cast. And then the writers said, well wait a minute how do we write a story and it is that contrast, that competitive attitude that is the basis of the documentary that I am calling The Next Generation.”
The project is still in its infancy. “I’ve just started it,” said Shatner. “I’ve finished the – if you will – sizzle reel, and I am going to present it to broadcasters who have indicated an interest probably next week, but in my mind it is filled with people who have attitudes and thoughts that are diametric opposite to everybody else. So there are people who are in collision with other people that go to make up the first two years of The Next Generation.”
The Star Trek: The Next Generation documentary isn’t Shatner’s only current project though. “I’m working on a Xena documentary,” he said. “I’m trying to sell another documentary – I’ll know soon about whether I’ve got that. I’m looking at a treatment for a series – I’m up for some appointments for a series that I’m trying to sell, a half-hour comedy.”
Shatner will be appearing at Destination Star Trek London, which runs from October 19-21.
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The documentary actually sounds interesting despite Shatner’s history of excessive self-promotion. I’d like to see him compare it to a degree with The Original Series, to hook himself into the documentary, where there actually was emotion between characters (even Spock!) from the start under the same creator, Roddenberry , who brought us The Next Generation.
I’m really looking forward to this. I love learning more about what went on behind the scenes of my favourite show 🙂
As for the Xena documentary… why would anyone want to remember/learn more about that awful show? lol.
Shatner has shown an impressive ability to find the marrow of a story. He’s also a surprisingly good interviewer. It’s odd to see someone so self-centered being so insightful.
Intimations of a lesbian relationship between the two main characters, perhaps?
I’m sure he’ll manage to complete the documentary without watching a single episode of TNG. He’s never done so before and I have no reason to expect he will now.