Product Description

Studio: Peace Arch Home Entertain Release Date: 04/10/2007

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #55567 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-04-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

Amazon.com
With tongue firmly in cheek, How William Shatner Changed the World makes an entertaining and altogether convincing case for the positive influence of Star Trek. While the title may be slightly misleading, we can forgive Shatner's light-hearted self-promotion (based on his book I'm Working on That: A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact, written with Chip Walter) because this Emmy-nominated Discovery Channel program is such a constant pleasure to watch, not just for devoted Trekkies but for anyone with a passion for exploration, innovation, and the promise of the future. Originally broadcast in November 2005, the program serves a dual purpose, chronicling the history of Star Trek since its TV premiere in 1966, and demonstrating how series creator Gene Roddenberry's hopeful vision of the future has affected millions of lives, influenced the development of modern technologies, and shaped our future by presenting an inspirational example of humanity's potential.

As he cruises around Los Angeles in a burgundy-colored Aston Martin DB8, Shatner (in the capable hands of director Julian Jones) introduces us to a wide variety of people whose bright, forward-thinking careers were inspired by Star Trek. Along with personal observations by Star Trek veterans George Takei ("Sulu"), Walter Koenig ("Chekov"), writer D.C. Fontana, and Next Generation alumnus Jonathan Frakes, these top scientists, inventors, and space explorers are combined with Shatner's lively narration and highly humorous editing of Star Trek film clips, archival footage, and expert testimonies to show how Star Trek's fiction has had a ripple effect on scientific fact. As a breezy primer on the cultural, technological, and scientific impact of Star Trek, How William Shatner Changed the World is more entertaining than purely educational, but it's still an excellent program for family viewing and classrooms alike, guaranteed to open bright, young minds to a dazzling universe of exciting possibilities. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

What a Great, Fun Show!
This show originally aired on The Discovery Channel. In it, William Shatner hosts an hour-long program about how the technology and ideas presented in classic Star Trek have affected both real-world technology and our ideas about what is possible in the future. Footage of the erstwhile Captain Kirk goofing on his own image (that guy has very possibly the BEST sense of humor about himself of any celebrity) is intercut with interviews and documentary-style footage (narrated by Shatner, of course) of real scientists and engineers (many of whom, you will be unsurprised to learn, were inspired as youngsters by the original Star Trek series). The result is an informative, funny and often inspiring view of what it REALLY means to live "in the future."

It's good to be reminded that the lives we live now used to be someone else's future, and the future we look forward to is a place where people are going to live.

Highly recommended.

How William Shatner Changed the World and I Change my Classroom
The program, How William Shatner Changed the World is great. I have shown it to my Students in my Astronomy classes while we talk about space explortation and the future. I wanted my students to see how our facination with space has influenced our daily lives and how it affected our technology and it's change over time. All of my students were mesmerized and enthralled through the whole show. They loved it.

Thanks William Shatner,
Sincerely,
Kendall Keane
Science Teacher
East High School
Wichita, KS

Excellent Mix of Sci-Fi and Hard Science
This documentary does an excellent job of showing how real-life scientists were inspired by inventions shown on Star Trek. Shatner is a delightful host, too, moving us swiftly and humorously between segments. I plan on using parts of this DVD when teaching my classes this fall.