The Largely Forgotten Comedy Sequel, in which William Shatner parodied Star Trek

William Shatner started his career as a promising young actor in the company of the prestigious Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario. But when, despite strong notices for his performances, he failed to rise to stardom like his fellow Canadian Christopher Plummer, Shatner lowered his sights and embraced the philosophy of a working actor. This is not a punch. He shone in his “The Twilight Zone” episodes and was excellent as a racist interloper who unleashes violence on the black residents of a small town in Roger Corman’s “The Intruder.” But he also took so many guest roles on television that he ran the risk of depressing his value because of his ubiquity.

Three seasons and several great episodes of “Star Trek” fixed it up for Shatner, but throughout the 1970s he became closely associated with a kind of ridiculously serious, lightly parodied demeanor. The ne plus ultra of…