# Why didn't William Shatner appear in Star Trek the Next Generation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004 "2009-12-30T03:14:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/21 "2009-12-30T15:09:30Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Shatner gets an undeserved rap for that. Against all these “rumors” I read that Nimoy enjoyed working with him, as did Billy Blackburn and Stewart. So, I’m a bit over people like Doohan or Takei’s version of things. Just sayin’. You should read Wil Wheaton’s account of meeting his long time hero Mr Shatner aka “How Captain Kirk was instantly transformed into **William-Fucking-Shatner**.” ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/22 "2009-12-30T15:10:28Z")
I am just grateful that they got everyone who was alive, except James Doohan, for the Futurama episode, “Where No Fan Has Gone Before”. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/23 "2009-12-30T16:01:11Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > You should read Wil Wheaton’s account of meeting his long time hero Mr Shatner aka “How Captain Kirk was instantly transformed into **William-Fucking-Shatner**.” It’s already been linked to just a few posts above. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/24 "2009-12-30T16:27:32Z")
Thanks, I missed the link. That was a good follow up to the story. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/25 "2009-12-30T16:55:03Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I am just grateful that they got everyone who was alive, except James Doohan, for the Futurama episode, “Where No Fan Has Gone Before”. I’m really really sad that Deforest Kelly had already died by the time this cartoon was made. The inclusion of him and James Doohan would have made it perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/26 "2009-12-30T17:24:58Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I really hated the way he ended up in that movie. He deserved something better than that…like evacuating everyone but himself and ramming his _Enterprise_ into a Borg cube to save the galaxy one last time or other suitably glorious death. Just like his dad! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/27 "2009-12-30T18:52:10Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > the age and health of the actors would probably have had something to do with it. Would they want to sign up for the demands of an entire TV season, at their age? Also you want to avoid being trapped in that typecast role again, after spending years trying to get away from it. > TNG soon established its own brand and after that didn’t need to glance back at the old series very much. It’s noticeable how often they did in the early ones but there’s very little of it later. Avoid being in that typecast role again? Too late. By the time TNG aired, the original seven TOS actors (Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, Doohan, Nichols, Takei, and Koenig) had already appeared in four movies. > [@furryman](#): > > I’m really really sad that Deforest Kelly had already died by the time this cartoon was made. The inclusion of him and James Doohan would have made it perfect. Kelley was in the cartoon, though. Or at least his animated representative was. It was true he had no lines because of Kelley’s passing, and it’s bittersweet, also. Apparently the producers had permission from his estate to include him. [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b3/Futurama\_ep65.jpg/205px-Futurama\_ep65.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b3/Futurama_ep65.jpg/205px-Futurama_ep65.jpg) As for Doohan, I believe he suffered from Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis. And that was before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2004. His health might not have been up to his recording dialogue for the Futurama episode. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/28 "2009-12-30T19:45:48Z")
When the series came out, there was resentment for TOS cast members that they were gypped out of series residuals from the original (got paid for first five showings, then nothing) and couldn’t find work because they were typecast. Then this series appears without them. A television critic with “Newsday” has said he talked with Shatner before TNG went on and Shatner was sure it would be a failure without the original members and a year later was crushed because it was a success. ``` I think once TNG was a success, the producers felt they didn't need too many TOS appearances and it would be best to keep them separate. When you get down to it, doing a new show probably was a big risk. ``` The first part of the Spock appearance was typical TV hype: all kinds of “Spock is on the episode” promotions and he doesn’t show up until 10 seconds are left. He was in more of the second part. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/29 "2009-12-30T19:48:23Z")
Because it sickened him. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/30 "2009-12-30T19:55:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Avoid being in that typecast role again? Too late. By the time TNG aired, the original seven TOS actors (Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, Doohan, Nichols, Takei, and Koenig) had already appeared in four movies. For me, Walter Koenig broke typecasting with his superior role in Babylon 5. They never gave Chekov much to do in Star Trek. Psi Cop Alfred Bester played a big part of B5. The Psi Corp conspiracy was a major story arc in B5. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/31 "2009-12-30T20:02:26Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Because it sickened him. ::golf clap:: ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/32 "2009-12-30T20:24:33Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > When the series came out, there was resentment for TOS cast members that they were gypped out of series residuals from the original (got paid for first five showings, then nothing) and couldn’t find work because they were typecast. Then this series appears without them. A television critic with “Newsday” has said he talked with Shatner before TNG went on and Shatner was sure it would be a failure without the original members and a year later was crushed because it was a success. > > ``` > I think once TNG was a success, the producers felt they didn't need too many TOS appearances and it would be best to keep them separate. When you get down to it, doing a new show probably was a big risk. > > ``` > > The first part of the Spock appearance was typical TV hype: all kinds of “Spock is on the episode” promotions and he doesn’t show up until 10 seconds are left. He was in more of the second part. Yeah, the first part was a teaser. Part 2, including Spock’s reveal, was filmed first in order to accommodate Nimoy’s schedule. His first appearance was added to end of the first part after that filming was completed. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/33 "2009-12-30T20:33:17Z")
Perhaps he couldn’t find his toupe. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/34 "2009-12-31T01:09:04Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > You should read Wil Wheaton’s account of meeting his long time hero Mr Shatner aka “How Captain Kirk was instantly transformed into **William-Fucking-Shatner**.” I did. And I read Part 2 where Shatner was quite down to earth and nice to Wheaton. I have no doubt that Shatner can be a dick upon occasion, as can we all. I just think he gets a bad rap for it. As he says in the Captain’s Summit, he hates the phrase, “I hate to bother you…” because (and he is correct in this) whoever is saying it has already bothered the recipient of that bit of speech. I don’t see the big deal that he’s Shatner and not Kirk. But enough of all of this. YMMV and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/35 "2009-12-31T01:48:30Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > As for Doohan, I believe he suffered from Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis. And that was before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2004. His health might not have been up to his recording dialogue for the Futurama episode. In the commentary for that Futurama episode, they (the Futurama folk, not the ST folk) talk about how they invited everyone to do the episode and Doohan’s response was “Hell no”. They laugh about how “No” would have been bad enough but Doohan had to throw a “Hell” in there. This says nothing about what Doohan’s actual reasons were but they didn’t seem to be a regretful decline due to circumstances beyond his control. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/36 "2009-12-31T05:52:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It’s already been linked to just a few posts above. 🙂 Well, to be fair, I didn’t make it very clear that that was what I was linking. And I only linked Part 2 because it had a link to Part 1, but not vice versa. Part 1 is the one where it seems that Shatner doesn’t like the Wesley character. It does make sense that he’d never seen the show, though. It seemed odd that he had to ask Wil what his character did. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/37 "2009-12-31T06:20:14Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Well, to be fair, I didn’t make it very clear that that was what I was linking. And I only linked Part 2 because it had a link to Part 1, but not vice versa. Part 1 is the one where it seems that Shatner doesn’t like the Wesley character. > > It does make sense that he’d never seen the show, though. It seemed odd that he had to ask Wil what his character did. And the nervous way Wil approached him, in an odd geekish outfit, probably screamed “con fanboy” to Shatner, so he wrote Wil off. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004/38 "2009-12-31T06:31:45Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > As he says in the Captain’s Summit, he hates the phrase, “I hate to bother you…”… And yet he’s Canadian. 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-william-shatner-appear-in-star-trek-the-next-generation/523004.md?page=1)