The Captains: A Comic-Con Preview

When it comes to Star Trek there is no one more familiar with it than William Shatner. Beginning in 1966 he played Captain James T. Kirk for three seasons and started a franchise that continues today. “I was enthralled with Star Trek from the beginning.” Bill says, “I had seen a pilot that was made with Jeffrey Hunter and they (NBC) didn’t buy it but said we like the idea, recast it. So, Roddenberry called me in and asked me if I would like to do it. And I saw the film and we talked about that film and from that moment on I was enthralled.”

Beginning with Captain James T. Kirk, five other captains have graced the bridge. Scott Bakula, in a prequel, played the first Enterprise captain Jonathan Archer. Kirk was next in line with the original series and he was followed by Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard. After Star Trek: The Next Generation, Avery Brooks became a captain on Deep Space Nine and he was followed by Kate Mulgrew who became the first female captain on Voyager. Next, in a re-boot of the franchise J.J Abrams cast Chris Pine as the young James T. Kirk entering the academy and gaining his first command. A second Star Trek film with Pine is currently in the works.

Since Bill Shatner has been associated with Star Trek for over 45 years he’s been able to watch this phenomenon first hand, “Star Trek has had an enormous influence on many individuals and in this film I’ve heard myself say that I rejected that for the longest time, like it didn’t seem real. And then gradually, over a period of time I began to accept that people have taken Star Trek to their hearts.”  So in this spirit William Shatner created his documentary The Captains. It was, “A voyage of discovery for me. It’s a work of love, both for the material and people I got to know so much better.”

Bill goes on to describe in more detail his labor of love, “I met essentially, for the first time, all the guys. Some, most, I knew vaguely from some event that we might have passed though. But in engaging them in conversation and in exploring their psyches as I do in the film, I came to know all. And although the time can’t be measured in weeks and years, the hours we spent together were meaningful and I discovered traits among the six of us that I had no idea about. I discovered things about myself in examining them and preparing to talk to them. I examined myself and that’s what my voyage was on this film. So it’s about the captains and it’s about getting to know them and it’s about something that I arrived at, the epiphany that I arrived at in the film.”

When describing the documentary further Bill adds, “I tried to think of a fun approach to each individual so it was fun in the interview and took it way from talking heads. And with Chris Pine I put a table and chairs on Melrose Avenue right where the Paramount Studios has its gate and we arm wrestled on Melrose Avenue. And so, with Scott, I thought well, I’ll take him out to a horse ranch I know, where I have some horses, and interview there. But I made sure that we didn’t see each other. And then we walked down that road and met for the first time we thought it was great fun and laughed ourselves silly from then on. And we start to talk about how similar all our lives have been and how different.”

According to Scott Bakula, William Shatner is, “The beginning and end of this whole thing, and it’s not over as Mr. Pine is very well aware of. And it’s just a remarkable phenomenon to be a part of. And it’s all really because of him that we’re all here.”

When William Shatner entered the room to talk about The Captains the place erupted with cheers and applause. When the moderator commented on this enthusiastic response Bill says, “Audience reaction like that is unmeasurable. You can’t even put it into words.” But Scott Bakula admits, “I understand us (the fans) but I was overwhelmed by the world wide impact of what he started.” Star Trek is loved all over the world and has influenced millions. Perhaps this film can give us a better understanding into this series and the captains that have steered her course. Forty-five years in the making Star Trek still has something to say.
 
The Captains is currently available at EpixHD.com.