William Shatner aims to get under the skin of celebrities

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - William Shatner, who made his name playing Captain Kirk on "Star Trek", is turning his laser-like focus on the raw nerves of other celebrities in a new chat show starting this week.

In "Shatner's Raw Nerve" premiering on Tuesday on U.S. cable television outlet the Bio Channel, he will interview the likes of actors Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer and Leonard Nimoy.

Shatner said the weekly show allows him to discover an inner truth about each guest. As for his own raw nerves, the 77-year-old Shatner listed things that get under his skin.

"We all have many, but choose a subject -- onions, snakes, loneliness, fear of death," Shatner told Reuters. "I mean it goes from the sublime to the absurd."

In ads for the show, Shatner is pictured sitting opposite an empty chair with a rising flame where the guest should be.

But he said viewers should not expect "Shatner's Raw Nerve" to focus on trying to make his guests angry.

"There are many aspects to a raw nerve that don't have to do with negative emotions, like anger," said Shatner, who has already taped 13 interviews.

For Nimoy, a fellow "Star Trek" traveler, the raw nerve Shatner said he uncovered centered on Nimoy's grandfather.