Invasion Iowa

[trekgeezer]

As a follower of Shatnerology, I could not let this pass without  giving it a look. I'm almost embarrased to say, I'm finding it highly entertaining.

For those who might not have heard about it, the small (Pop. 928) Iowa town of Riverside declared itself the 'future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk' some years ago. Spike TV sent Shatner and a company of actors (portraying a film crew) to Riverside pretending to be shooting a movie called Invasion Iowa directed by and starring William Shatner.  They recruit towns folk to help the crew and act in the movie.

At first I thought it was kinda mean spirited, even some of the people in on the ruse admitted some guilty feelings over what they were doing. I find the whole thing rather mesmerizing.  

It started Tuesday March 29 and will end on April 1. If you haven't tuned in you should give it a look.  It shows at  8pm Central time and it think it reshows at 10. Friday they are supposed to show the movie itself.

[Mr_Vindictive]

I missed the first episode and decided to pass on it after that.  I did see a few bits and pieces of it though.  I'll wait till they run it in it's entirety some weekend.

[AndyC]

I only caught it last night, having been out of town. Pretty funny. Loved the bits with the impressionist calling up as Sean Connery and Morgan Freeman. And the attempts to convince the priest to let them blow out one of his stained glass windows were hillarious. You could just see him getting madder and madder, but holding it all in.

[Ash]

This show is the bomb!
LOVE BOMB!

I had read that it was really mean spirited but I didn't feel that at all...and I live about 30 minutes from Riverside.
I'm gonna have to go down and pick me up a Shat if they still have any left.

I never realized what a crazy, goofy sense of humor Shatner has.
And the fake film they're shooting...The Disintegratrix and the Gerklon Emperor...
When I heard those names I was like "WHAT!?"
f**kin' hilarious!
Hehe...
This is one show that makes me laugh out loud every 2 minutes.
It's even better for me since I live here in Iowa.
Great stuff!

If this show is ever released on DVD I'm buying it for sure.

[Scott]

Looks like I have another show to catch up on.

[trekgeezer]

Hey Ash, I dug the ditzy leading lady's attempt at a childrens book.  You could tell all the town ladies were just straining to come up with something positive to say.

I also loved the way the Disengratrix couldn't pronounce her own name and the townie actors were all trying to help her.

The actors got all broken up when they revealed the truth. You gotta admit the people of Riverside  really took them in.

I live in Arkansas and I know how it was here when Fox did that stupid show with Paris Hilton and it was all we heard forever. The difference between what they did and what Spike did is that Shatner and crew respected the people of Riverside, that didn't happen here.

Hey and you gotta love that local guy Scottie who was working as Shatners aide, especially when he thinks he's talking to Sean Connery and he says 'let me speak to Captain James T. C***s****r.

Think they still have the Billville sign up?

[Eirik]

I really liked this show in the one episode I caught.  I do admit, there is a mean spiritedness to it - meaning that I can see some of the townspeople's feelings getting pretty hurt and them being pretty embarassed.  But all humor is predicated on meanness of one degree or another, and I have a feeling Iowa countryside folk probably don't have the paper thin skins and sense of self-seriousness that you would find somewhere like, say, Hollywood.  I bet when the secret is revealed, they all have a good laugh.

The scene with the actress doing the children's book was too freaking much.  Stuff like this has all been done before, but it's well done here.

I never watched much Star Trek, but I'm actually kind of intrigued now.  I always thought it was a straight up sci-fi show, but having witnessed Shatner's sense of irony and self-parody, I'm wondering if it wasn't a little more tongue in cheek than all that.  It would cast Treckies in a whole new light for me.

[trekgeezer]

William Shatner under went years of being put down for his acting (actually he can be quite good). He is also well known for his ego and was seriously disliked by all the crew of the Enterprise except Kelley and Nimoy.

When he wrote his book Star Trek Memories, James Doohan flat wouldn't talk to him and Nichelle Nichols after being interviewed by Shatner for the book, asked him "Don't you want to know why we all hate you?"

He seemed sincerely ignorant of the casts feelings. But he did include this little incident as a prologue in the books and I think did make amens with a couple of the crew..

I actually think he is a genius, because he turned what people thought of him into an asset and now he is laughing all the way to the bank. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of Denny Crane on The Practice which became a full time gig on Boston Legal. Denny is hilarious.

If you really want to see him being funny, try to catch the Third Rock from the Sun episodes he was in. He played  the leader of the world that Lithgow and crew were from and his title was "The Big Giant Head". He was nominated for an Emmy for the part.

[AndyC]

I have to admit that the way they sprung the surprise on the town was handled very well. Instead of a movie being filmed in their town, they are the stars of a new TV show. That does put it in a very good light.