Interview with Billy West about William Shatner

This video was taken at the Archon 30 sci-fi/fantasy convention earlier 2006. Billy West (who does various voice on Futurama) tells us of talking to William Shatner about having him guset star/voice on an episode of Futurama.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Archon
• Billy
• West
• Futurama
• William
• Shatner

[shamelessfan]

nice video thanks for posting this

btw which episode of futurama was shatner in ?

[shadowwing77]

The episode was "Where no fan has gone before"

[AndrewTiffin]

That red jacket he's wearing looks a bit like Fry.

[Umbrao]

What a legend.

[faffaflunkie]

@Marsdevilsvolta I was more disappointed about Billy. Had Billy hung on at WXRK he could have named his own price at SIRIUS. Howard has his agent do all his negotiating. I don't see how Jackie's crawling back later to get his old job back has anything to do with anything- the station fired Jackie, not Howard. If you remember the FCC was breathing down Howard's neck and the station was paying millions in fines to keep the show on the air. Had Howard walked they probably would have locked him out.

[Marsdevilsvolta]

@faffaflunkie i agree jackie was delusional and he made a huge career mistake. he put everyone in a tough spot and if i remember was contacting the show a month after it all went down to try and get his job back. i could also understand that howard would still be pissed to this day. we have to agree to disagree, i believe howard did do everything he thought he could at the time, but if that were robin you know howard wouldved done more, hed done it for him before. just pissed it ended i guess.

[faffaflunkie]

@Marsdevilsvolta About three weeks ago Howard discussed in detail for the first time the circumstances of Jackie's departure from the show. I don't bother to record the show anymore- I used to record all his shows on FM- but basically Jackie was delusional. Howard does not negotiate himself, however Jackie's wife Nancy negotiated for Jackie. This was fine for Jackie's club appearances but she was seriously outgunned going up against CBS radio. Howard did the best he could to keep Jackie anyway.

[Marsdevilsvolta]

@faffaflunkie we agree on the state of the show today, but howard had everything to do with it back then, there were many options for howard and there is no doubt he couldve had them stay if. howard threatened to take his show to another radio station i believe they would have paid up and if not he wouldve gotten the money needed elsewhere. it might have even been more lucrative we dont know. sure jackie was stupid, but howards attitude and ego are what really has killed the show.

[faffaflunkie]

@Marsdevilsvolta Howard had nothing to do with what his radio station WXRK paid people. Howard even offered to have "Super Agent" Don Buchwald negotiate for Jackie, even though it was a clear conflict of interest and could have (as events have unfolded would definitely have) cost Howard big money in the long run. Howard's show is terrible now. Sirius found out you can't pay a radio guy a half a billion dollars because it saps the incentive to get up at 4:00 am and prepare for a four hour show.

[Marsdevilsvolta]

@faffaflunkie howard had a problem judging peoples "worth", he has a huge ego and by letting billy west walk and then jackie he was saying 'this is my show, this was my idea, i dont need you guys and can get other guys to do your work and will be just as successful, watch me" . he is so stubborn that he let his show slip into a steady decline to prove a point. if howard were still smart he would hire both jackie and billy back for whatever the cost and the show wolud be as big as before.

[Dokugo]

That red fry he's wearing looks a bit like a jacket

[ksb78]

Its Fry telling some of the story and Stimpy telling some of the story.

[photoglyph1]

Billy West voiced the greatest character ever; 'Stimpy...'

[faffaflunkie]

@exactomacto I'm referring to the demise of "Futurama" on network TV where voice actors (sweet work) can get upwards of $20,000 per episode. "Adult Swim" and dot.coms don't count. You see he (Billy) has to work weekends to make ends meet. I just hope someone validated his parking.