Retrospectacle: A Neuroscience Blog

The 40th Anniversary of Star Trek (the Big, Big Money)

Posted by Shelley Batts on September 8, 2006
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Yes, indeed today is the 40th anniversary of the first Star Trek airing. And, how do Shatner and Nimoy feel about the franchaise, 40 years later?

If you ask them what still gets them fired up about the late producer Gene Roddenberry’s creation after all these years, you get an answer that — underneath the glibness — is very telling:

SHATNER: Money.

NIMOY: Yeah. The big, the big bucks.

SHATNER: Money. The money gets you fired up.

TOGETHER: The biiiig bucks.

Seriously?

SHATNER: Yes, that was serious. We were very serious about that.

GOLD.

(More under the fold!)


And should Paramount let the Star Trek franchaise sail off into the sunset, whilst it still has fans and some dignity?

SHATNER: So you want Paramount to say we’ve made enough money?

NIMOY: Let’s stop making money. Yeah.

SHATNER: Yeah, yeah.

NIMOY: The stockholders won’t mind.

SHATNER: No, and we’ve –

NIMOY: We should stop making money.

SHATNER: Folks, we’ve made enough money, we’re walking away –

NIMOY: We’re going to take a break –

SHATNER: Yes. It’s been a wonderful ride –

NIMOY: We’re going on vacation –

SHATNER: And no more money.

NIMOY: Right. Off to an island someplace and just …

SHATNER: We’ll just handle the books in a different way and make it look like we made something.

NIMOY: Watch the sunset and forget about money…

SHATNER: Yes.

NIMOY: And your investment? Oh, don’t worry about it, you know.

SHATNER: It’s going to be OK.

NIMOY: We’ll get around to that someday.

SHATNER: You’ll have some other shows.

NIMOY: Yeah, we don’t want to make any more money. No.

Come on guys, tell us how you really feel.

By the way, anyone remember this classic SNL skit?

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Comments

  1. #1 the Ticktockman
    September 8, 2006

    This past weekend at the annual DragonCon (www.dragoncon.org) I spoke to George Takei a bit about the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner. I told him that I spent the whole roast wondering if he’d shake Shatner’s hand at the end, give him a hug, smooches, or whatnot.

    George responded, “Not many people know this, but I did go up to him, hand extended and we did shake hands, but Bill kept pushing my hand away, trying to keep me at arm’s length. So I just stretched my arms out wide and gave him a big hug. Shatner said, ‘You really meant all that, didn’t you?’ And I replied, ‘I LOVE Captain Kirk.’ Nothing about William Shatner, just Kirk.”

    Takei was funny and personable, but his well known contempt for Shatner shone through. Still, the Shatner/Nimoy conversation you relate is damn funny. Cheers,

    -TTm

  2. #2 JaysonB
    September 8, 2006

    denny crane: my poop don’t stink.

  3. #3 Bob Abu
    September 9, 2006

    After Star Trek went off the air, Shatner was nearly dead broke living in a trailer park for several years. So,I think he’s entitled to the money.

    And his acting…I can never understand why he never did any of Shakespeare’s play. He’d be a great Hamlet.

  4. #4 False Prophet
    September 20, 2006

    You know Shatner’s unique delivery of his lines on Trek? That’s iambic pentameter, baby! Try it–take some Captain Kirk dialogue and add a pregnant pause after every fifth syllable.

    (That’s not exactly how iambic pentameter works, but it’s a fun exercise.)

  5. #5 david
    October 9, 2007

    Way, way cool. Shatner is one of the few true entertainment legends in the TV era. Nimoy is legendary, albeit on a smaller scale, as he has only one truly memorable role.

    And together — pop-culture nirvana.