Captain’s Courageous

Shatner’s Raw Nerve, Dec 2, 10pm, Bio.

It’s been 75 years since Carl Denham brought a huge ape named Kong to New York City and claimed he was the 8th wonder of the world, so it’s not a secret that we should be skeptical of big promises. That’s why we came to Shatner’s Raw Nerve with some trepidation. The series’ title and tagline, “heated conversation with the hottest names in Hollywood,” seemed to promise disappointment.

In fact, guest number one, Valerie Bertinelli, is still amazingly cute at age 48, but, let’s face it, she’s not a hot name in Hollywood. Yet there’s considerable heat generated by Raw Nerve’s pilot. Much of the credit goes to Shatner. At least on this first outting, he’s a darned good interviewer. He jumps on Bertinelli with the aggressiveness of a seasoned pro, pushing her into difficult places with impressive results.

But this is not attack journalism for its own sake, and it’s not all attack journalism. There’s a depth to Shatner’s questions that, frankly, will surprise many viewers. Despite his puffy eyes, he’s listening, challenging Bertinelli’s responses several times during the course of this 30-minute show as he sits facing her at 90 degrees, a somewhat confrontational angle.

Some of the best parts, though, occur when Shatner departs from his line of questioning and engages in an exchange where Bertinelli is not being pressed for answers. The two discuss divorce, prompting Shatner to reveal his personal life, if briefly. His story includes a pair of divorces and plenty of bitterness toward his erstwhile partner. Here’s where things get even more interesting. “What’s that [anger] getting you?” Bertinelli goes on the offensive, asking the questioner a question. “Not much,” is Shatner’s weak response. He nervously moves the inquiry back to Bertinelli.

Of course, the 800-lb gorilla (sorry, Kong) in the room is this: Is Shatner that good an interviewer or he is merely a very good actor, with a very familiar voice, reading pre-written questions? It’s very difficult to say.

Another conundrum: Can Raw Nerve find more guests willing to open themselves up to Dr Shatner’s scalpel as much as Bertinelli did? While she clearly didn’t want to talk too much about her past sins—she admits to adultery, drug use and food addiction—it can’t be denied that she’s on the circuit, promoting a book that delves into her life story. It’s a story replete with, yes, you guessed it, adultery, drug use and food addiction.