Entire Town Punk'd By William Shatner
Riverside, Iowa--the whole darn town--got punk'd by actor William Shatner. It seems that Riverside long ago anointed itself as the "future birthplace" of Capt. James T. Kirk, the "Star Trek" character portrayed by Shatner. The people in this town love Shatner and all things Trekkie. They even hold an annual "TrekFest" and parade where the entire town dresses up as "Star Trek" characters. So when Shatner showed up on their streets with a film crew in hand for a new low-budget, sci-fi movie called "Invasion Iowa," they rolled out the red carpet.
But it was a spoof! The Associated Press reports that Shatner and Spike TV were actually filming a new reality show about a small town playing host to a Hollywood film shoot. The show is set to debut next year. The news was delivered to the townsfolk on Tuesday night when they were invited to view the scenes Shatner had shot so far. Some 800 people showed up. "Everything in front of and behind the cameras was faked," Shatner said. "The only thing that was real is the love we have for Riverside."
Spike TV said in a statement on Wednesday that a crew of producers, writers and actors had spent more than a year planning the "carefully crafted" hoax. "It's hard to imagine any undertaking more audacious, hair-raising, and ultimately rewarding than what we just finished in Riverside," said producer Paul Wernick.
But this town should not be too annoyed at being punk'd. Shatner and the producers have donated $100,000 to the city for community projects. In addition, the cast and crew personally gave the town $12,000 for the Riverside Elementary School Book Fund.
Riverside, Iowa--the whole darn town--got punk'd by actor William Shatner. It seems that Riverside long ago anointed itself as the "future birthplace" of Capt. James T. Kirk, the "Star Trek" character portrayed by Shatner. The people in this town love Shatner and all things Trekkie. They even hold an annual "TrekFest" and parade where the entire town dresses up as "Star Trek" characters. So when Shatner showed up on their streets with a film crew in hand for a new low-budget, sci-fi movie called "Invasion Iowa," they rolled out the red carpet.
But it was a spoof! The Associated Press reports that Shatner and Spike TV were actually filming a new reality show about a small town playing host to a Hollywood film shoot. The show is set to debut next year. The news was delivered to the townsfolk on Tuesday night when they were invited to view the scenes Shatner had shot so far. Some 800 people showed up. "Everything in front of and behind the cameras was faked," Shatner said. "The only thing that was real is the love we have for Riverside."
Spike TV said in a statement on Wednesday that a crew of producers, writers and actors had spent more than a year planning the "carefully crafted" hoax. "It's hard to imagine any undertaking more audacious, hair-raising, and ultimately rewarding than what we just finished in Riverside," said producer Paul Wernick.
But this town should not be too annoyed at being punk'd. Shatner and the producers have donated $100,000 to the city for community projects. In addition, the cast and crew personally gave the town $12,000 for the Riverside Elementary School Book Fund.
