{"id":288635,"date":"2021-07-01T18:01:41","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T15:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/william-shatner-to-host-new-show-on-russian-state-run-tv\/"},"modified":"2021-07-01T18:01:41","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T15:01:41","slug":"william-shatner-to-host-new-show-on-russian-state-run-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/william-shatner-to-host-new-show-on-russian-state-run-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"#William Shatner to host new show on Russian state-run TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#William Shatner to host new show on Russian state-run TV<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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William Shatner, the award-winning actor behind Captain Kirk in the \u201cStar Trek\u201d franchise, will now host a new show called \u201cI Don\u2019t Understand\u201d \u2014 on a Russian state-run TV network.<\/p>\n

The 90-year-old actor will host the new show later this month\u00a0on RT America, whose parent network RT \u2014 formerly known as Russia Today \u2014 was\u00a0in 2017\u00a0described\u00a0by US intelligence agencies as part of \u201cRussia\u2019s state-run propaganda machine.\u201d Since then, it has been\u00a0registered as a \u201cforeign agent\u201d in the US<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RT announced the show on Tuesday<\/a> with a promo that said Shatner will seek to \u201canswer fascinating and timely questions that pique the natural interest of everyone, but that the establishment media<\/a> all too often hesitates to tackle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have often pondered the questions we should be asking, but perhaps aren\u2019t,\u201d Shatner said in the press release. \u201cJust how much stuff is in space? When I really think about it, I realize that I don\u2019t understand anything. So, I\u2019m going to ask questions no one else is on TV, and we\u2019ll see if we can take a journey to enlightenment together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Questions will range from \u201cShould I worry about space debris falling from the sky?\u201d to \u201cAre we alone in the universe?\u201d\u00a0to\u00a0\u201cWhat is dark matter?\u201d\u00a0to\u00a0\u201cWhat was before the Big Bang?\u201d<\/p>\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9sxidE4DPow<\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor can be heard saying, \u201cI don\u2019t understand anything, I\u2019m going to ask questions\u201d in a 17-second promo for the show.<\/a><\/p>\n

RT has been widely considered an international propaganda outlet for Vladimir Putin. Back in 2018, the Kremlin said it was studying a move by cable and digital TV providers in the US to take Russia\u2019s RT TV channel off the air in Washington, claiming the move app<\/a>eared illegal and discriminatory.<\/p>\n

\"William
William Shatner will host the new show \u201cI Don\u2019t Understand\u201d later this month on RT America, which has been described by US intelligence agencies as a Russian propaganda outlet.<\/figcaption>
Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr. Scott Atlas, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, apologized for an interview in 2020 with RT, unaware that they are a registered foreign agent.<\/p>\n

RT America also looked to beef up its US staffing ahead of the 2020 election after a number of job postings. RT was accused by intelligence agencies of spreading misinformation in the US prior to the 2016 election.<\/p>\n

And people were not happy about Shatner\u2019s decision to host the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really want to get in bed with RT? Not a great choice and not going to be well received,\u201d one Twitter user commented. \u201cKirk\u2019s on Klingon state television. Who had THAT in the pool?\u201d another joked.<\/p>\n

One reporter for BuzzFeed News<\/a> also shot back<\/a> at Shatner: \u201cRussian state-run propaganda channel RT (formerly Russia Today) found a new Western lackey to try to lend it legitimacy: Captain Kirk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shatner, though, defended his decision to work with RT America. In a series<\/a> of quote tweets responding to comments on his original announcement post, he claimed that the BBC World Service was partially funded by the UK defense budget, which users had pointed out was allegedly \u201cfactually incorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shatner then pointed to the UK\u2019s National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, which states that \u201cWe will invest \u00a385 million each year by 2017\/2018 in the BBC\u2019s digital, TV and radio services around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s political because you need it to be political. You do know that news services such as the BBC World Service are partially funded through the UK\u2019s defense budget? What do you have to say about that?\ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2642\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/ne6ThSKQo0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) June 30, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Shatner then responded to comments by stating that \u201cthe actions of a government really have no bearing on a show about exploring things I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow am I a mouthpiece when they have no input into the content, guests, filming or editing?\u201d he tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shatner further clarified<\/a> that, \u201cI made a TV program and they bought the distribution rights to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, who is also editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya, a news agency owned and run by the Russian government, welcomed Shatner to the network.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Kirk went over to the side of good,\u201d she wrote in Russian on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A rep for Shatner did not immediately respond to The Post\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very proud to bring the inimitable talent of William Shatner to our network and digital platform Portable.TV,\u201d said Mikhail Solodovnikov, executive producer of the show. \u201cIt is a show for the curious intellectual who would rather be educated than entertained by a TV show.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first episode of \u201cI Don\u2019t Understand\u201d will air on RT America on July 12, 2021.\n <\/p><\/div>\n