CAPTAIN KIRK BEAMS DOWN FOR VERY OWN SHARK TREK

Orca may have had Quint as its captain but now Captain Kirk actor, William Shatner, has bowleggedly gone where no Star Trek actor has gone before...swimming with sharks for Shark Week.

The aptly titled Expedition Unknown: Shark Trek on the Discovery Channel saw the 90 year-old actor link up with Josh Gates to swap the darkness of space for the deep blue sea. Thankfully neither of them were wearing red shirts.

Shatner, who seemed to really relish the experience as the programme progressed, first met some hammerhead and reef sharks, before taking the plunge with tiger sharks.

He told Gates that the programme had made him overcome his fear of these beautiful creatures, whilst creating some wonderful television with one of its icons.

William Shatner, said: “They’re so beautiful, they’re unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Unbelievable. One of the great moments of my life.”

The Trek legend does have a link with Jaws though, he played the killer in a 1976 episode of Columbo, Fade In To Murder, which was set on the Universal backlot and you could see both Bruce and the actual Orca in the background of several scenes.

It's also said that the whale models from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home were almost re appropriated as the great white shark from Jaws the Revenge, but that was unsuccessful.

Words by Dean Newman

If you would like to contribute a guest blog, please visit our ‘work with us’ page