Shatner's Raw Nerve

What a great surprise!

On a quite Saturday early morning looking for some TV, I found Shatner Raw. It has very honest content and is well produced. Great Show.

It was not what I expected. Most talk shows today are hype and do not go deep. Mr. Shanter appears to be really interested and "in-tune" with his guests on the show. As a result, the viewer has the potential for learning from the experiences of these very successful people.

This show is now on my must to watch list.

Thanks Bill

Steve

Wow.

OK, a celebrity interview series with William Shatner hosting. The joke almost writes itself, doesn't it? No! Heck No! There is no doubt that in many regards the iconic Shatner winds up being a comedy/self parody element rather than a "serious" talent. This interview series shattered that perception for me.

If you want something in depth, that really gets to the essence of what has made a celebrity what they are today, a real honest glimpse of what makes them tick, instead of the plug for recently made material and a couple of gratuitous cliché "funny moments", this is the series you want to watch - forget the late night talkies. No BS! The first of these I saw, I thought it had to be a fluke. Luck. No one gets a celebrity to expose themselves this way! After I'd seen three or four more, and each interview reached that same level of intimacy, I knew this wasn't luck. This was indeed talent. Maybe it is the crew behind the scenes doing the magic, but Shatner is putting the face on it, and he is not just pulling it off, but performing absolute magic.

Wow.

If you've been avoiding this only because of the camp factor involved with things William Shatner, do yourself a big favor, put that aside, and watch two episodes. You won't regret it. Heck, you'll be hooked.

If you can point to a better celebrity interview series, please email me directly, because that is something I want to see! I _have_ to see the rest of these, even if the interviews I haven't seen yet are only shadows of the couple episodes I've seen.

10 out of 10. Kudos, Shatner!

William Shatner sitting down with interesting people, having an informal chat about life sounds rather campy but I have seen some of my favorites interviews on his show. Shatner's charisma seems to have an effect on the people he interviews. The contrast of watching a man who is usually rather self absorbed, reaching out and empathizing with his guest is enjoyable. Interviews with past Star Trek cast members have been especially memorable for me. Watching Bill have to face the realities of how his co-stars remember their interactions is priceless.

An intimate set with horse shoe shaped club chairs facing each other like Yin and Yang symbols. Expect the usual overly theatrical delivery, and mostly softball questions, interlaced with interesting personal details, and the occasional scandalous revelation. This is still Bill "Captain Kirk" Shatner but we see a side of him that we don't get to see when he is 'in character'. I'm impressed with how well he manages to listen and focus on his guest.

All in all I highly recommend it if you are trying to kill 30 minutes. ;-)

I have looked for it on DVD for years and can't find it. Supposedly it is on Amazon Prime but I can't find it. I don't see any reruns anywhere. I have searched the internet for a way to buy the series but it is nowhere to be found. And that is truly a crime... this series deserves to be available for people to see.

I really don't know what compares to these interviews. They are not your everyday interviews. Shatner goes deeper than day-time talk show hosts, 20/20, Barbara Walters, etc etc. I am honestly surprised that some of these people allowed Shatner to delve so deep into their past pain. The episode that got me hooked was the one with Carol Burnett. The conversation they had about her past, alcoholism, abuse... the tears that fall out of Shatner's eye were very much real. I can see why this is called Raw Nerve... it is definitely raw. Fans of Shatner will enjoy this because he loses his characteristic ego and drops his emotional guard, and he puts himself into the minds of the people he interviews as they discuss very personal things.

If you can find this anywhere then enjoy it while you can, because it might disappear into the void and just become a fond but short-lived memory for those of us that Tivo-ed it a decade ago.

My only complaint about Shatner's Raw Nerve is that it only lasts for a half hour. With commercial breaks built in -- it often feels like you are losing precious time that you want to spend watching Bill and his guests in the innovative "love seat." I have enjoyed every single episode that I have seen without exception, but what he pulled out of Gene Simmons was not only a touching interview, but something that taught me a lot about success. Not a "how to make it" per se, but what I heard from the man transcended anything in any other interview given by the man as advice I will walk away with and follow.

This is a crown jewel in William Shatner's impressive portfolio and I hope it continues.