US cable network Reelz will soon premiere a new documentary, Star Trek to Twilight Zone: TV's Favorite Sci-Fi, which promises never before heard tales and insights from actors.

William Shatner has this to share on fighting for his vision of Kirk:

The only one who's validating the character, mostly, is the actor. So, yeah, it's in my opinion requisite to make a fuss up to a certain point about retaining the characteristics of the character.

One of the big differences between film and television is that in film it's common to reshoot the same scene multiple times. Then in post-production someone selects and stitches together whatever makes for the best end result.

TV actors are expected to be able to get every scene right the first time. By being able to slip fully into their character. So on some level they could be more intimately familiar with their character than anyone else.

But writers, showrunners and the like should also be able to understand each of the characters and write for them convincingly. That's their job.

And they don't always welcome critiques from actors.

Gates McFadden was famously axed from Star Trek: The Next Generation because she questioned the limited use being made of female main characters, including her own:

I had been in conflict with one of the male writer-producers about certain things I thought were sexist. What I’ve heard is that he said “Either she goes or I go”. I was shocked that they let me go, because I knew my character was really popular.

While he was later let go and Gates asked to return, this and other cases like it demonstrate that most actors are disposable. They can't and should be be expected to guard character integrity.

Mark Hamill offered critique during filming of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and later spoke publicly about that:

The actor said he spoke to Johnson about “a fundamental difference” about the integrity of the Luke character, but then said, “It’s not my movie anymore.”

But the director wasn't receptive to that feedback and now we have crazy murderous uncle Luke who tries to kill his nephew in his sleep.

Maybe it's not our Star Wars anymore.

We weren't able to find any information about release date or service for this documentary in Australia but will keep an eye out for it.

References

Barrett, D (October 2, 2018). Fan favourite Star Trek: The Next Generation actress Gates McFadden recalls being fired and later re-hired on the show. SBS.

Busch, A, Hipes, P (December 22, 2017). Mark Hamill Interviews Reveal ‘The Last Jedi’ Was Not His Vision Of Luke. Deadline.

Zilio, B (October 21, 2021). Never-Before-Seen Interviews With William Shatner & Leonard Nimoy Detail Wild Behind-The-Scenes Tales From 'Star Trek,' 'The Twilight Zone' & 'Lost In Space'. Radar.