Captain Kirk actor William Shatner reflected on the legacy of Star Trek, which debuted in 1966, after the franchise’s latest iteration, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, was canceled.
William Shatner took to social media to explain the heart and soul of Star Trek.
ICYMI:
Variety reported that CBS Studios and Paramount+ decided to end Starfleet Academy after its second season. “We’re incredibly proud of the ambition, passion, and creativity that went into bringing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to life.”
Word on the street is that Starfleet Academy was canceled primarily due to low viewership. It failed to attract a significant audience, despite positive critical reviews. The series, which focused on a younger, diverse cast, also faced intense online backlash and polarization among fans for being too “woke.”
From the desk of William Shatner:
“Star Trek exists in more than one world. It exists in the fantasy of science fiction – weird and wonderful things that play with unimaginable possibilities of exploration and human endeavor. But it also exists in the fantasy of human beings, the perfection of human beings, the exploration that human beings have made since the dawn of time and the continuing exploration – physically, mentally, and morally.”
“It’s that aspect of Star Trek that I’ve always loved, to look at something physically that doesn’t exist now by these talented writers & designers but also to tackle the eternal human questions the agonies, the ecstasies. Star Trek should exist for a long time to come based on those truths. I, for one, would love to see its continuity. It’s with sorrow that I hear about the cancellation of the new Star Trek series.”
William Shatner’s POV:
Captain Kirk shared a kiss with Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, which was the first interracial on-camera kiss shared by an interracial couple on scripted American television. Keep in mind, this was at the height of the Civil Rights conflicts of the 1960s.
William Shatner reflected on the “woke” casting choice for the time. “During the first airing of my Star Trek series, a kiss was objectionable. Many southern stations pulled the episode & condemned the show.”
“Using today’s vernacular, it would absolutely be called ‘woke DEI crap’ because it went against ‘norms’ of society for its time. Not a lot seems to have changed.”
“And when the Next Gen came out,” continued William Shatener, “there was tons of hate.” Critics said it “wasn’t Star Trek.” Ultimately, he noted, “Star Trek is different for everyone.”
