Shatner, Regis, Brokaw Beaming to Hall of Fame
William Shatner is boldly going where, well, quite a few have gone before.
The erstwhile Captain Kirk joins fellow small-screen staples Regis Philbin, Tom Brokaw, director James Burrows and producer Leonard Goldberg as the newest inductees into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
"This year's inductees have each helped shape our industry and serve as inspiration for everyone involved in our business," Dick Askin, chairman of the TV Academy, said in a statement. "It is an honor to recognize their careers and we are pleased to welcome them into our Hall of Fame."
The all-star quintet was chosen for its "lifetime of excellence" and "significant contributions" to the boob-tube landscape that have left "an indelible mark on the television business."
They were selected after being submitted as candidates by ATAS members and industry heavyweights, with the final decision made by the Hall of Fame selection committee, headed up by Sam Haskell, president of Magnolia Hill Entertainment.
"Each of the inductees has had a tremendous impact in both television and entertainment," Haskell said.
In other words, the five are more than one-trick ponies.
Shatner, 75, became a household name helming the original Star Trek series. He has gone on to flex his Hollywood muscle as a director, producer, screenwriter, author and--to the delight of late-night talk show hosts--recording artist backed by the likes of Aimee Mann, Ben Folds and Joe Jackson.
He has also appeared in several hundred TV shows, including starring stints in TJ Hooker, The Practice and his recent Emmy-winning turn on Boston Legal.
Aside from cohosting Live with Regis and Kelly, the omnipresent Philbin, 74, has emceed the ABC game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, counted down the New Year on ABC and Fox, and is currently fronting the Simon Cowell-produced reality competition America's Got Talent. The four-time Emmy winner recently set the Guinness world record for "most hours on camera," logging an impressive 15,000 and counting.
Brokaw held the anchor seat at NBC's Nightly News for 21 years before retiring in 2004. The 66-year-old news vet, who has been lauded with several Emmys, a Peabody Award and the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, is currently at the beginning of a 10-year contract with NBC News as a special correspondent.
Burrows, 65, is best known for his behind-the-camera magic on such classic sitcoms as Friends, Frasier, Cheers, which he was cocreator, Wings, Night Court, Taxi and, more recently, directing Will & Grace.
Goldberg, probably the least well known of new Hall of Fame class outside of Hollywood circles, is a former studio boss who has produced for film and television for decades. The 72-year-old mogul partnered with TV titan Aaron Spelling on several hits, including Charlie's Angels, Hart to Hart and Starsky and Hutch, and won a Peabody Award for the telepic Brian's Song and an Emmy for Something About Amelia.
The fivesome will join some esteemed company. More than 100 Hollywood luminaries have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984, including Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Oprah Winfrey, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett and Walt Disney.
The date of the upcoming induction has yet to be set.
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