William Shatner: “No, Kaley Cuoco is not my daughter.”
William Shatner talks with USA TODAY’s Brian Alexander about “Star Trek,” his new album “Bill,” and misconceptions about his life and career.
“Let’s enjoy this!”, USA TODAY
William Shatner hopes the latest Star Trek show is given a chance to prosper for a long time.
The Star Trek actor, 95, appeared on the X show on March 23 to lament the news that the latest series of the sci-fi series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, will end after its upcoming second season.
“Sad to hear of the cancellation of the new Star Trek series,” he wrote.
In a follow-up post, Shatner mocked critics who celebrated the show’s cancellation by claiming it was “woke.” He argued that the original “Star Trek,” famous for its interracial kiss between Shatner’s Captain Kirk and Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura in a 1968 episode, would be considered “woke” today.
“During the first broadcast of my ‘Star Trek’ series, the kiss was so offensive that many Southern stations pulled the episode and condemned the show,” he wrote. “In today’s parlance, it would definitely be called ‘woke DEI crap’ because it went against the ‘norms’ of society at the time. It doesn’t seem like much has changed.”
Shatner also reflected on how Star Trek: The Next Generation, the now widely beloved sequel to the original Star Trek, received “a ton of hate” from fans when it first premiered, concluding that “Everyone’s Star Trek is different.”
Holly Hunter starred in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” which premiered in January and centered around a class of Starfleet cadets. Some on social media labeled the show “woke” and mocked its diverse casting and storylines, including the introduction of the first openly gay Klingon character.
Even members of the Trump administration agreed. In January, President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, shared a clip of the show originally posted by an account called End Wakeness, calling on Paramount to “save” Star Trek by giving Shatner “full creative control.”
In a segment on “The View” in January, Whoopi Goldberg, who played Guinan on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” ridiculed the “woke” criticism. “This is a show that was made with the idea of people coming from other planets and finding a way for us all to live together,” she said, also asking why Miller was “focused on a TV show” rather than more pressing issues.
Among critics, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy received generally positive reviews, with the show receiving an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critic Angie Hung wrote in The Hollywood Reporter that the show was “a mess” but “so full of charm that I’m going to reject it outright.”
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is scheduled to air a second season, which was ordered before the first season aired. On Monday, CBS Studios and Paramount+ told Variety that they were “so proud of the ambition, passion and creativity that went into bringing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to life,” adding, “We look forward to sharing the upcoming second and final season with you and continuing to celebrate the cast, crew, and all that has been achieved with this series.”
