William Shatner’s acclaimed run on “Boston Legal” concludes Monday, but he’s already got a new show up and running on the Biography Channel in which he grills fellow celebs.
Valerie Bertinelli tonight. Jimmy Kimmel next week. Leonard Nimoy down the road.
… His genius is a simulation of sincerity that makes it seem as though he is finding profundity wherever he looks. And yet he leaves enough wiggle room for his audience to wonder whether he really is faking it, or whether, in actuality, he isn’t: maybe he is just nuts. …
… What's surprising is how serious this show is, and how grounded is its host. Shatner slumps in a love seat, and in the next seat over sits the guest. He almost effects a shrink-like stance. It's all very disarming and even charming…
… In the two installments made available for review, he turns out to be a perceptive interviewer and a better listener than his blowhard persona would suggest. If only his guests were willing to give up the answers he's trying to get. …
… Shatner sets out to be a tough questioner who digs deep, not just another softball-lobbing entertainment host. … But Shatner's bluster ends up seeming kind of absurd, given the fact that he's conducting a celebrity interview. It's Valerie Bertinelli, for heaven's sake, not Hillary Clinton. While the smarm of "Entertainment Tonight" can be excruciating, and the reverence of James Lipton can be comic, Shatner's bullying seems out of proportion to the importance of his endeavor. By the time Shatner has Bertinelli talking about Van Halen's addiction issues, it's clear he's fishing for something, anything, that will get him a promotional mention in the tabs. Howard Stern similarly pushes his guests, but more humorously, with a tongue firmly ensconced in cheek. …
