William Shatner Previews Boston Legal's Swan Song
William Shatner by Blake Little/ABC
William Shatner has been a TV icon to multiple generations, whether as
Star Trek's Captain Kirk or his current gig as Denny Crane on
Boston Legal (premieres Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 pm/ET, ABC). And who can forget his role in those Priceline commercials? We caught up with him to talk about bobblehead dolls,
Legal's final 13 episodes and how he'd Like Denny to go out.
TV Guide: When fans approach you in public now, what do they usually reference: Captain Kirk from Star Trek, Denny Crane from Boston Legal or your Priceline spokesperson gig?
William Shatner: Probably more Denny Crane than anything else. And instead of the usual "I hate to bother you," which they say when they think of me as Captain Kirk, they come up and go, "Say 'Denny Crane!'" The name is great - it's like a foghorn.
TV Guide: After last season when Denny was arrested twice, appeared before the Supreme Court, joined the Coast Guard and almost ran for president, what's left?
Shatner: There's a great deal more. This season, he's preoccupied with his love arrangements with women. And his equipment. But the mainstay is still him being precariously between senility and [sanity]. And the audaciousness of his ideas, mostly built on his singular thought: himself.
TV Guide: The season will only be 13 episodes long....
Shatner: That's correct. For reasons unknown.
TV Guide: If these 13 episodes are the end of Boston Legal, how would you like to see Denny Crane go out?
Shatner: Well, he could die, or he could shrug off the effects of age. I'd like to see one of those two. [
Pause] I guess dying's not a great idea, but gaining some feeling of restitution of his youth would be interesting.
TV Guide: He's so proud of his undefeated trial record - maybe he should finally lose a case. Don't you think losing a case might be really interesting?
Shatner: Yeah, I think that would be an interesting way to go out. Maybe he finally has to lose one to measure how good he was before.
TV Guide: Do you own the Denny Crane bobblehead doll for sale on the show's Web site?
Shatner: I do. And in the episode we just shot, Denny Crane the character plays with a Denny Crane bear that talks.
TV Guide: Will they be selling those, too?
Shatner: Well, I don't know. That'd be another exercise in futility. By the time they get them selling, we'll be off the air!
