This weekend, we’ve got last-chance art exhibits, early holiday shopping and lots of beer.

Plus, 101.9 Day! Read on to learn more.

Sip some brews

This Friday, Oct. 18 is our beer release party with Batch Brewing! Ryan Patrick Hooper (host of In The Groove weekdays noon to 3 p.m.) will be your host for the evening as you get to be the first to try “It’s So Kölsch In The D,” an easy-drinking German-style lager designed to appeal to the masses — just like the programming at WDET. Guests will also enjoy live music from Sugar Tradition, Winestoned Cowboys and the Allen Dennard Trio while cozied up on Batch’s heated patio. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25. For more information, visit our events page.

Related: Winestoned Cowboys perform Live On WDET

Then, keep the brews flowing at the 15th Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival at Eastern Market on Saturday, Oct. 19. Guests will get to sample Michigan-made beers while listening to a lineup of local musicians between 1-6 p.m. Food from Detroit-area restaurants will also be available for purchase. Tickets are $60 in advance or $70 at the door while supplies last. For more information, visit mibeer.com.

Rep your radio station

Saturday, Oct. 19 is also 101.9 Day, which is the perfect opportunity to join Team DET! Show off your public radio pride with a Team DET t-shirt, baseball hat or zipper tote bag when you make a sustaining gift of $10.19 per month at wdet.org/give. Your gift supports Detroit’s legendary public broadcaster during our 75th year of service to the community.

Start your holiday shopping

On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Michigan Makers Market returns to The Hawk in Farmington Hills. This indoor juried art fair features more than 50 local artists across various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, jewelry and other wearable art, fiber art, ceramics, printmaking, and more. This year’s market features an Oktoberfest feel with live music on The Hawk patio and beer, wine and hot pretzels available to enjoy while shopping. The market goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit their Facebook event.

Explore new music

This week through Saturday, Oct. 19 is Edgefest 28, an annual avant-jazz festival at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. This exploration of new music — both improvised and composed — features a diverse roster of innovative international and local artists. Day passes are $60 to $80, and packages are available starting at $200. For more information, visit kerrytownconcerthouse.com.

Catch this exhibit

This weekend is your last chance to see Double ID at The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Through the lens of W.E.B. DuBois’ work, Double ID showcases striking contemporary artworks that focus on the inner self, identity and evolving spirt of Black men. The exhibit features works from the CCH Pounder-Koné collection, where artists across the diaspora capture the images of Black men amid a myriad of influences. For more information, visit thewright.org. 

Walk with purpose

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is holding annual community walks across the country this weekend, allowing people to remember loved ones who died by suicide while also working as a community to create more mental health support. The Metro Detroit Out of the Darkness Walk will take place at Cricket Field on Belle Isle this Saturday, Oct. 19. On-site registration starts at 8 a.m. and the program starts at 10 a.m. For more information, visit support.afsp.org.

Related: Out of the Darkness Walk on Belle Isle aims to shine a light on mental health, suicide

If you or someone else needs support, a trained counselor can be reached by calling or texting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Save the date

Mark your calendars — The Rock & Roll Horror Show is coming back from the dead on Friday, Oct. 25! Now in its second year at the Cadieux Cafe, the show will feature live performances from garage rock royalty, The 3-D Invisibles and Eastside Elvis & the Motor City Mafia, as well as tarot readings from Moon Club (featuring our own Amanda LeClaire), all hosted by Modern Music’s Jon Moshier. Join us for a night of spooks and scares, and wear your best costume to be featured on stage as best dressed! This event is 21+ and tickets are $25. For more information, visit our events page.

There’s a long history of Irish and Mexican people blending together in North America and in Detroit specifically. 

After a 19-year hiatus, the Mexican Irish Festival returns to the Southwest and Corktown neighborhoods on Sunday — celebrating both cultures and how they intersect in the city. 

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Former President of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation Maria Elena Rodriguez joined The Metro to discuss how the festival started along with the history and cultural fusion of MIrish – Mexican and Irish – people in Detroit. 

There are many commonalities between the two cultures, Rodriguez says. One thing that many Mexican and Irish people share is the Catholic religion.

“Ask an Irish person and ask a Mexican person, the answer may be the same. It’s like if things are going well, ‘It’s God’s will.’ If things are not, you know, if it’s really awful, ‘It’s God’s will.’ You know, so that’s how we kind of look at life,” Rodriguez said. “And we love to party, not to stereotype or generalize. And we have huge family gatherings. I mean, there’s all of that that parallels, not to say it’s exclusive to us, but we embrace it. And so much so that over 50% of the weddings that take place at Most Holy Trinity in Corktown are MIrish.” 

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation with Maria Elena Rodriguez about Detroit’s Mexican Irish Festival and history.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 11, 2024: 

• Poet, educator, Gilda Fellow and lifelong Detroiter Brittany Rogers is releasing her new book “Good Dress” on Oct. 15. She joined the show to discuss the collection of poems and short stories about community, womanhood and the audacity of Black Detroiters. 
• The Detroit Repair Cafe is a band of crafty and creative people that will help you fix your broken items and keep them out of the trash. And at the Halloween Repair Cafe, they’ll even help you make your Halloween costume on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ArtBlock. To talk about the Detroit Repair Cafe we were joined by its founder, Diana Graham. 
• The Detroit Documenters are teaming up with their newsroom partners, including WDET, for a Detroit Public Schools Community Board Candidate Forum on Oct. 15. There are 22 people running for three open seats. One of the moderators, WDET Education Reporter Sascha Raiyn and Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade, joined the show to preview the forum.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

This week, we’ve got plenty to do that crosses cultural borders — beer release parties for public radio, benefit brunches for the preservation of Black artistry, comedy shows for election season and more.

Plus, where you can best enjoy crisp air, crunchy leaves and apple cider. Read on for details.

Meaningful meals

Join us for the next installment of Ann Delisi’s Essential Cooking at TAKOI on Sunday, Oct. 13. Chef Brad Greenhill will prepare a special 5-course meal with a beverage pairing for guests to enjoy as part of TAKOI’s Ten-Year Anniversary Tour. Located in Corktown, TAKOI is known for modern Thai cooking accented with Michigan seasonality, a DIY mentality and a penchant for local food production. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and seating is at 6 p.m. Limited spaces remain! To learn more, visit our events page.

Then, on Sunday, Oct. 13, The Black Canon is hosting an exclusive brunch and art experience designed to help preserve and elevate Black artistry in its many forms. This inaugural fundraising event will feature a curated art exhibit, a panel discussion with emerging artists, a silent auction, and brunch selections by award-winning chef Rashard Carodine. This benefit brunch will take place at Taylor’d Garden in Livonia from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $65 and guests are asked to dress in “Black Chic” attire. For more information, visit their Eventbrite page.

Related: Black film history treasures coming to Livonia – The Metro

Election entertainment

On Saturday, Oct. 12, actor and comedian Tim Meadows (Saturday Night Live, “Mean Girls”) is headlining Comedy Caucus, an evening of stand-up comedy and live music in support of Gretchen Whitmer’s Fight Like Hell PAC. Hosted at the Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac, guests will enjoy performances by nine up-and-coming female comics from around the country, as well as live music by actor/musician Michael Shannon (George & Tammy, Boardwalk Empire) and Jason Narducy (Verböten, Superchunk). Tickets start at $48 and doors open at 6:45 p.m. For more information, visit timmeadowslive.com.

Related: Tim Meadows’ Comedy Caucus coming to Pontiac this weekend – The Metro

Then, keep the election entertainment going at a live recording of our weekly politics podcast, MichMash! In partnership with Gongwer News Service, co-hosts Zach Gorchow, Alethia Kasben and Cheyna Roth will be at UrbanBeat in Lansing’s Old Town neighborhood on Wednesday, Oct. 16 to share their insights and interview guests about all things politics as the November election nears. This free event goes from 7-8:30 p.m. For more information, visit our events page. 

Birthday celebrations

Head to Spot Lite Detroit on Saturday, Oct. 12 for a special edition of House Your Life in celebration of DJ Minx’s birthday! She’ll be spinning tracks from open to close starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and the event is 21+. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Related: DJ Minx brings deep house delicacies, plus Sun Ra, Marvin Gaye + Rock Steady Disco exclusives – In The Groove

Speaking of birthdays, this year marks WDET’s 75th! To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with Batch Brewing in Corktown to create a custom beer just for you. Join us at Batch Brewing for the official release party on Friday, Oct. 18 from 7-11 p.m., hosted by In The Groove’s Ryan Patrick Hooper. In addition to beer tastings and mingling, there will also be live performances by Sugar Tradition, Winestoned Cowboys and the Allen Dennard Trio. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25. For more information, visit our events page.

Cultural experiences

For the first time in over 10 years, the Mexican Irish Festival returns to Southwest Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 13. This festival brings together two vibrant Detroit sub-cultures, featuring ballet folklórico and Irish step dancing, Mexican mariachi and Irish folk music, and more cultural collaborations (corn beef empanadas, anyone?). The festival goes from noon to 5 p.m. at El Mercado on Bagley St., and is free and open to the public. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Fall festivities

Saturday, Oct. 12 is the third annual Pontiac Harvest Festival, featuring pumpkin bowling, rock climbing, bounce houses, a DJ, and of course, apple cider and donuts. Festivities are open from 1-5 p.m. at Pontiac City Hall, and admission is free. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Then, head over to the Farmington Hills Nature Center on Sunday, Oct. 13 at for a Fall Color Walk. This guided hike will highlight the beauty of the season under a canopy of color through Heritage Park and Woodland Hills. Participants will learn why and how leaves change color and search for animals preparing for winter. The guided hike is open to all ages, admission is $3 and advance registration is required. For more information, visit their website. 

The sun is shining and the air is crisp — making for a perfect weekend to get into some fall activities. Local foodies will delight at the more than 50 food truck offerings at Detroit’s Harvest Fest & Food Truck Rally this weekend, while music lovers can stroll through Woodbridge and enjoy some plein air live music performed on residential porches throughout the neighborhood.

Plus, catch WDET’s own Quinn Klinefelter on stage at the upcoming Detroit Story Fest at the Detroit Film Theatre, who will be sharing an intimate behind-the-scenes look at his story on how shrinking government budgets are changing the way some municipalities — like Detroit — handle burials of unclaimed bodies.

Detroit Story Fest

WDET is teaming up with Back Pocket Media and other local media partners to reimagine some of our best reporting live on stage at Detroit Story Fest 2024, set for 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Detroit Film Theatre. The event will feature stories and performances from award-wining journalists, musicians, performance artists, writers and podcasters from WDET, BridgeDetroit, Michigan Public, Detroit Free Press, Chalkbeat Detroit, Planet Detroit and others. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at wdet.org/events.

Fall festivals

More than 50 food trucks will be lining the Dequindre Cut from Jefferson to Wilkins this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5-6, for the Detroit Harvest Fest & Food Truck Rally. The family-friendly event will offer live music and entertainment on four stages — including a dedicated kids stage featuring circus performers, spooky science shows, breakdancing demos and more. There will also be activities for kids, like arts and crafts and an inflatable fun park, as well as a pumpkin patch and photo opportunities. Tickets are $5 in advance or $8 at the gate, with free admission for kids under three, seniors 65 and older and active/retired military personnel.

The city of Ferndale is hosting its annual Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 5, at Martin Road Park, 1615 East Lewiston Ave. The family friendly event will feature a host of fun activities for kids, from hayrides and pony rides, to arts and crafts, carnival games, pumpkin painting, a trick-or-treat trail and more. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at bit.ly/ferndalefallfestival.

The Detroit Parks Coalition is hosting the Buffalo Soldiers and Blues Freedom Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Rouge Park, to celebrate the legacy of the all-Black U.S. Army regiments who served in the 19th and 20th centuries. The free event will offer pony rides, games, food, and live music from Big Pete and Friends and others.

Porch concerts

Take a stroll through Detroit’s historic Woodbridge neighborhood and enjoy some live tunes from local artists and performers like The WB5 — an MC5 tribute band — Gabriel Traditional Band, Audra Kubat, Cye Pie and more. The 4th annual Woodbridge Porch Concerts, set for 1-6 p.m. this Saturday, is also being held in conjunction with the annual tapping of Woodbridge Ale, a beer made by Brew Detroit using hops grown in yards and community gardens of Woodbridge. 

Art exhibitions

The Detroit Institute of Arts continues its exhibit of ofrenda altars in celebration of Dia de Muertos through Nov. 3. The DIA partnered with Detroit’s Mexican Consulate, the Southwest Detroit Business Association and MexicantownCDC for the community exhibition, featuring various objects important to lost loved ones, like favorite foods, drinks, mementos and pictures. More information at dia.org.

The Congregation is hosting a solo exhibition titled “Undeniable Joy” by local artist Ashley Menth through the month of October. Featuring vibrant and expressive scenes, Menth’s work will be on display through Oct. 28, with a special reception planned from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 12.

The Detroit Parks Coalition’s Freedom Arts Festival is celebrating the Buffalo Soldiers on Saturday at Rouge Park with a family-friendly blues festival.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Buffalo Soldiers were an all-Black U.S. Army unit that made a name for themselves during the 19th century. The Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association (BSHA) has kept the history of African Americans in the military alive by introducing youth in the community to horses housed in Rouge Park. In 2007, with support from the Friends of Rouge Park, BSHA worked out an agreement with city officials to operate the Rouge Park barn after the Detroit Police Mounted Division relocated. 

Read more: Detroit students follow the path of the Buffalo Soldiers in Yosemite

The Buffalo Soldiers and Blues Freedom Festival will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Rouge Park Horse Barn, 8886 Lahser Rd., Detroit. The free event will offer pony rides, games, food, and live music from Big Pete and Friends and others.

Friends of Rouge Park Program Director Lex Allen and Land Stewardship Manager Antonio Cosme joined The Metro on Thursday to discuss the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and how they’re being honored through this weekend’s event.

Use the media player above to hear the conversation with Allen and Cosme.

More headlines from The Metro on Oct. 3, 2024: 

• Vice Presidential Candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz met on Tuesday for their only scheduled debate of the 2024 election. Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump took the stage in September and are not likely to meet for another debate. We are 33 days away from the election and absentee voting has already started in Michigan. To discuss what young people are thinking about the election and the importance of local media today, freelance reporter Sam Robinson joined the show. 
• Some residents and experts believe that Detroit no longer needs to capture taxes to grow downtown since it is already developed. The Metro Producer Sam Corey spoke with Citizens Research Council of Michigan President Eric Lupher on a new report they published advocating for the phasing out of the tax capture practice.
• Last week, the Michigan House passed two bills that aim to improve reading instruction. They specifically would help schools identify and teach students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. They would also require that public schools and teacher programs emphasize phonics to teach children to read. American Public Media Reporter Chris Peak joined the show to discuss the new bills. He investigated U.S. reading curriculum for the podcast “Sold a Story.”

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The fourth annual Woodbridge Porch Concerts are set to take place this Saturday, featuring live music from local artists with connections to the neighborhood. 

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Every year the event grows with more businesses participating. One of the features is Woodbridge Ale, a beer made by Brew Detroit with hops from Woodbridge gardens. 

What’s more, The WB5 — a tribute band to MC5 — will be playing in honor of MC5’s 2023 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Vicky Bash, a member of the Board of Directors for Woodbridge Neighborhood Development, and Dave Nantais, a neighborhood resident and a performer at the Woodbridge Porch Concerts , joined The Metro on Wednesday to chat more about the event.

Use the media player above to hear the conversation with Bash and Nantais.

More stories from The Metro on Oct. 2, 2024:

• The Tigers are good, the Lions are good, but will the Pistons luck change? A lot of fans are wondering if the Pistons are going to be worth following this season.  Recently, the team hosted its media day, which gives everyone a good preview of the upcoming season. Pistons beat writer for the Detroit Free Press and co-host of The Pistons Pulse Podcast Omari Sankofa II joined the show to discuss.
• Detroit Public Theatre just kicked off its 10th anniversary with a new fresh take on Hamlet. WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper sat down with Detroit Public Theatre Co-founder Courtney Burkett to learn more about the show “Fat Ham.” 
• Vice President of the Center for Equity, Engagement and Research at Detroit Future City Ashley Williams Clark joined the show to discuss a new report looking at ways to grow the middle class in Detroit.  

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

The Charles H. Wright Museum is hosting a series of carefully curated lectures by both nationally-recognized and local performers.

The series, titled The Wright Performances, kicked off on Thursday with a set of performances from internationally acclaimed actor, playwright and director Roger Guenveur Smith — best known for roles in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X,” and Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster.”

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Smith began the series with the first of three solo performances, titled “Frederick Douglass NOW.” Smith joined The Metro on Thursday before the show to talk about Douglass and this weekend’s performances.

“We’re in a very extraordinary political moment in this country. And I think that Douglass certainly [would have] a lot to say about this particular moment,” Smith said. “He spoke in 1861 when Fort Sumter was fired upon by Confederate troops. And he saw it as an immediate opportunity for the country to liberate the one-seventh of the inhabitants of the country who were enslaved at that point,.

“He saw the Civil War as an abolition war, and I think that he would see this particular moment as a continuation of that war in which people are fighting for freedom and people are fighting for a certain kind of slavery.”

Smith will perform the second one-man play of the series, “Otto Frank,” on Friday, followed by “In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat” on Saturday.

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with Smith.

More headlines from The Metro on Sept. 26: 

• The Federal Reserve recently lowered interest rates to hopefully tame prices, but a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau just showed that Michiganders household incomes are falling behind rising prices. To discuss why this is happening, and what can be done about it, economist Don Grimes joined The Metro.
• A collection of musicians are coming together at the Fox Theater for Smooth Jazz Fall Fest. Founder of Detroit Musix Sam Donald and Co-owner of Anderson and Denham Entertainment Derek Denham joined the show to share more about the event.
• Detroit is full of artists, but many of them are not well known. Art Clvb is a new app that works to connect artists and collectors. And as part of their work, the app is throwing an in-person event called Art Fair at five locations around Detroit starting Friday. The event will include about 200 artists selling their work. Detroit artists Dorota and Steve Coy joined the show to talk about the Art Clvb app and Art Fair event.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

There’s an exciting array of events to check out in the metro Detroit area this week, from a weekend-long celebration of all things floral in Parker’s Alley to a giant block party marking the end of Detroit’s Mural in the Market festival and more.

Plus, the Detroit Black Film Festival continues through Sunday, spanning across five metro Detroit locations. Read on to learn more.

Flower festivals

If you’re looking for Instagrammable moments in Detroit this weekend, look no further than Parker’s Alley in Bloom, a floral festival hosted by Bedrock in partnership with Parker’s Alley retailers and Shinola Hotel. The event, running through Sunday, Sept. 29, features beautiful flower installations, special floral-themed cocktails, a flower truck and bouquet giveaways, live art, vendors and more.

Seasonal celebrations

The Boston Tea Room in Ferndale is hosting an Autumn Equinox Witches Market from noon-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, featuring more than 30 local vendors made up of small businesses, artists, and makers; as well as food trucks, DJ sets from DJ Sassi Blaque and more. The free event will be held outdoors outside the Tea Room, located at 1220 Woodward Heights, with a rain date planned for Sunday, Sept. 29.

Woodward Corner Market in Royal Oak is hosting its annual Fall Fest from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, featuring an appearance by former Detroit Lion Stephen Tulloch, owner of Circle House Coffee, and a handful of local food and drink vendors. Don’t forget to grab a cider float, courtesy of Blake Farms and Ray’s Ice Cream (while supplies last).

Film festivals

Detroit’s fifth annual Black Film Festival continues through Sunday, Sept. 29 across metro Detroit, showcasing the voices and stories of Black independent filmmakers. Spanning across locations — The Carr Center, Marlene Boll YMCA Theater, DoubleTree Hotel and Michigan State University Detroit Center in Detroit; and Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak — the festival aims to uplift both seasoned and emerging filmmakers that reflect African American experiences, narratives and culture in their work. For tickets and more information, visit filmfreeway.com/detroitblackfilmfestival.

Block parties

The week-long Murals in Islandview (MIIV) public art festival in Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood will conclude this Saturday, Sept. 28, with a giant Design Core Detroit’s Month of Design block party from 1-8 p.m. in front of Spot Lite Detroit. The free event will feature food vendors, a makers market from Design Core Detroit, a 1XRUN print sale, Detroit Electronic Quarterly record fair, and music curated by House Party.

Theater

“Fat Ham,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by James Ijames, opens this Thursday at Detroit Public Theatre, kicking off its 10th anniversary season this year. Called a “hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy” by The New York Times, the story follows Juicy, a Black and queer young man working to advance his education online when his father’s ghost shows up and demands that Juicy avenge his murder. The show runs through Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, visit detroitpublictheatre.org.

Community development

The 2024 Detroit Food Summit is taking place this Thursday and Friday, Sept. 26-27, at Marygrove College, 8425 West McNichols Rd. The Detroit Food Policy Council’s 13th annual event will offer collaborative conversations on a variety of topics relating to local food systems. The event is being hosted by Orlando Bailey, executive director of Outlier Media. Malik Yakini, former executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network and co-founder of the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, is the keynote speaker.

Star Trek star William Shatner will be at the Fisher Theatre on Wednesday to present a special screening of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

The award-winning actor — known to Trekkies as James T. Kirk — will be taking the stage after the film to share behind-the-scenes insights and answer audience questions, moderated by WDET’s own Ryan Patrick Hooper.

I spoke with Shatner ahead of his Detroit appearance to discuss his connection and introduction to the iconic series and its important place in film and TV history.

Listen: William Shatner shares Star Trek insights ahead of ‘Wrath of Khan’ screening

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Ann Delisi: What did you think the first time you saw the first script for Star Trek?

William Shatner: I was in New York. The phone rang, and it was [Star Trek creator] Gene Roddenberry, who said, “We’ve made a pilot, an hour show called Star Trek, with an actor called Jeffrey Hunter — who was a well known and very good looking guy — and we presented it to NBC, and NBC said, ‘We don’t like it but we like this idea.’ And they said we’d like to make another pilot, and spend millions of dollars on it. They want me to recast it and do a whole new pilot.” So they called me and said, “Would you be interested in playing the captain?” And I went back to Los Angeles to look at the pilot that they had made with Jeffrey Hunter. And I thought, my gosh, it’s really interesting. It’s a little pedantic, a little serious; maybe they could lighten it up a little — I made that suggestion — and we made this pilot, and it sold.

AD: So there was not necessarily a playbook for you to go by, because you were creating a character from the future. So what was your thought process when creating that character based on just this pilot that you saw in the script, and nobody really knew what the future of Star Trek was going to be at that time?

WS: The influential factor in Star Trek was a series of books called “Captain Horatio Hornblower.” The writer had written this group of people on a sailing ship going around the coast of America, which wasn’t plotted, so it was unknown. And so here was this captain and his crew sailing the unknown who just happened to be on Earth, but what was over the horizon was unknown. So this character was brave, loved his men, but was so curious about what was coming up that it overcame fear. And I thought that’s a great way to play this character, because you’re in the middle of finding these weird creatures who may or may not be friendly, but isn’t this interesting? Isn’t it curious? Isn’t it actually amazing? And that’s the way I played Kirk, mostly. A source of wow, awe and wonder.

AD: The series, of course, didn’t last very long, but the staying power of its message and its characters did. And then along come the films. Were you surprised that these films came along? Did you, in your mind, sort of write Star Trek off in terms of something that you would work on again?

WS: Well, we were canceled after three years. So there’s 79 hours of Star Trek that I did, and then it was canceled, and that was it, that was the end of the job and everybody went on to other things. Six years later, they decide, for a number of reasons, to make a film, and the film was not that successful — especially at first. It subsequently has made money, but not the kind of money the people at Paramount were anticipating. So they decided. They went through a lot of decisions about making another film, and then they made another film much more cheaply, and harkening back to what Star Trek used to be. And that’s the film I’m going to be showing at the Fisher Theatre. This iconic film, “Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan” and its importance in our film history is that if it hadn’t been as successful as it became, there’d be no Star Trek.

AD: When you see old episodes pop up or you see the film, the films get they get shown, especially the ones that you were in. Do you stop and watch them?

WS: Not at all, exactly the opposite. When a 50-year younger you is on the screen, you’re looking at it thinking my I disparaged the way I looked, I look pretty good there. I wish I felt about myself then the way I feel about that now.

AD: It was so apropos and so poetic that you would end up in space yourself back in 2021. What was it like to be in space?

WS: It was awesome. For me, it became overwhelmingly sad. I’ve been an ecologist for the longest time, pontificating on global warming 50-60 years ago. And now that it’s upon us, while I was up there I saw more acutely than ever the sadness of what we’re doing, and how little time we have left to correct. And that was my overwhelming feeling.

Use the media player above to hear the full interview with William Shatner. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit broadwayindetroit.com/events.

Listen to Ann Delisi’s Essential Music Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET and Sundays 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.