Jim Thy Image.

Our thanks to reader Adam, who recently emailed us an interesting link we wanted to share with you. The email carried the subject heading "Shatner touches his toup", which in toupological parlance we label as a "Real hair reflex".

The moment comes 5m 40s into this video of a December 1974 appearance of Bill Shatner in the game show "Tattletales". The actor's then wife Marcy Lafferty is the woman in the TV partnering with her husband:

Late 1974 and throughout 1975 is the era of the Bill Shatner toupee that is perhaps the least discussed and least understood of all. Not because of its oddness, but rather the opposite - because it looked so good compared to the previous "Lost Years" style.

The "Lost Years" style as seen in 1974's Impulse.

We're not even sure we have an official nomenclature for it other than the not-entirely-satisfactory "Retro Jim" - perhaps "Jim Thy Image", as around this time, Bill Shatner was likely getting the first strong inklings that his own personal lost years would be coming to an end thanks to incessant talk of the return of Star Trek (Gene Roddenberry was working on a script called "The God Thing", which would later be reworked as "In Thy Image" and ultimately become Star Trek: The Motion Picture).

The rare and mysterious retro-Jim style as seen in 1975's The Tenth Level.

We've speculated here before that this may have led the actor to slim down and get this strongly Jim Kirk-like toup by way of preparing for a return to center stage. A couple years later, when, conversely, it seemed that Trek might remain in development hell, Bill Shatner may have tossed the new toup into a river in an angry rage.

Ditching the toup after learning that Star Trek's return faced more delays?

After that, did Bill Shatner decisively turn to the un-Kirk-like "TJ Curly" by way of distancing himself from the shattered hopes of the past?

I am not Kirk.

Underscoring the abilities of this rare gem of a toup is the particular "Real hair reflex" itself. It's a carefree brush, with no evident restraint or concern visible from Bill Shatner in how he handles this toup. Simply put, if you didn't know it was a toup, you'd never know...

Later in the clip, Bill Shatner - ever the tease - asks fellow panelist and Columbo villain alumni George Hamilton "How does he get his mustache like that?".


We should also add that this particular toup is a little longer than the other examples of the "Jim Thy Image" (does that name work?). It's as if it still has 10% of the "Lost Years" in it. Perhaps at this time, Bill Shatner was still unsure about whether he was fully in the right mindset to once again play Captain Kirk - in a very real sense, his hair was serving to express these complex emotions.

Anyway, getting a definitive answer on why Bill Shatner parted ways with such a great-looking toup is one of the tougher challenges of toupology. Perhaps one day we will find the answers...

We're back!

Famous statue outside Archive Building 1A of the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies.

We're back after our brief break and hope that our readers too enjoyed a rest from the eternally challenging, but hopefully boundlessly rewarding subject of William Shatner's toupee-wearing! But now a new year is upon us and, as Captain Kirk once said: "There's still so much of their work to be done in the galaxy..."

First, our latest poll in which we asked our readers for your take on the question of why Bill Shatner chose to make another very explicit hair reference in his newest book Shatner Rules.

16% said that it was another small step towards the actor admitting that his hair isn't real; 29% said that mentioning it would make people believe that Bill Shatner is not hiding anything and that his hair is real; 53%, a majority, suggested that it was a clever nod to those in the know, while hoping that others wouldn't really notice. In political parlance, was Bill Shatner firing up his base?

Thanks for voting!


Next, we turn to a newly discovered "Real Hair Reflex" from a parody of the movie Se7en (1995). The short clip was made for the 1996 MTV movie awards and has Bill Shatner playing all the main roles in character as T.J. Hooker, the host of Rescue 911 and a sort-of out-of-costume Captain Kirk:

"Who are you? Who are you really?" asks Kirk perhaps hinting at the interesting duality (or triality) that presents itself in Bill Shatner's wearing of a toupee.

"What do you mean? I am the host of the hit series Rescue 911," responds the prisoner at the back of the car.


But the other Shatner, T.J. Hooker, evidently better understands the subtext and undertakes a rather prolonged scratch of the rear of the toupee. Is it conscious or subconscious that hearing the question "Who are you really?" causes this Pavlovian response?


Here's the moment in slow-motion:

Finally, there's also a fourth Bill Shatner, the one in the box (so as to not spoil the movie for those of you that haven't seen Se7en, we'll leave it at that). Interestingly, we see the "TJ Curly" modified here somewhat with the hair combed down at the front.

It's almost mop-top-like in a way...


A shame that Bill Shatner didn't more fully try this style with the "TJ Curly".

And finally (there's more still that you've very kindly sent us in terms of tips, which we'll get to in our next post) an interesting picture tweeted to us by a reader (yes, we're on Twitter!) of a whale interacting with Bill Shatner.

Whale to Bill Shatner: "Where I come from, size, shape, or color makes no difference, and nobody has hair..."

Looking at the picture, you may be asking yourselves this question. Is the whale part of an underwater Shatner toupee community and is it trying to get some close-up proof? Or is it confused by sensing a fellow smooth-skinned brethren but then seeing a full head of hair?

There's a funny caption contest in there too, we feel, so any ideas, please let us know in the comments section...

A ruffle and a scratch.

Imagine having crucial Bill Shatner-related toupological information in your head and not even knowing it: matters of texture, thickness, firmness and other invaluable tactile data. At the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies we have computer models, robots, toupee mockups and all manner of tools at our disposal to help us in understanding William Shatner's toupee-wearing.

A toupological experiment carried out on a "Turbo Shatner" robot at the WSSTS.

But nothing beats first-hand information.

"I agree!"

And that is what we find in footage (recently uploaded to YouTube by "zainin666") from a 1983 episode of Battle of the Network Stars - a series, which ran from 1976 to 1988 - in which celebrities compete in all manner of sporting events. Bill Shatner was something of a regular.


However, in this instance, and after a rather arduous inflatable kayak race, a (mock or semi-mock) argument breaks out among some of the competing celebrities - specifically Bill Shatner and none other than Mr. T - about the rules.


As this argument is unfolding, one of the competing celebrities sneaks up behind Bill Shatner and gives him a rather thorough hair ruffling.

A brief struggle ensues...


...with Bill Shatner swiftly pulling away his smiling co-star's hands from his toupee.


The moment in slow-motion:

Who is this bold celebrity? It's actor Edward Albert, most famous for his role in the terrific 1972 movie Butterflies Are Free.

Edward Albert and Goldie Hawn in Butterflies Are Free (1972).

Why did he do it? What did the toupee feel like? How did Bill Shatner react afterwards? Sadly, whatever crucial tactile and other toupological data Albert could have revealed has likely been lost forever. The actor passed away in 2006.

Mr. T (left), Edward Albert (center) and William Shatner (right).

Back to the scuffle! Moments later, having had his hair ruffled...


...Bill Shatner performs a subtle "Real hair reflex" action just to make sure everything is still alright up there:

What's rather extraordinary in general about the appearances by Bill Shatner in this series is that the actor found himself outside of the toupologically safe confines of the film set for an extended period of time - and in front of the public. What if something went wrong with the toup!?!


The likely reason for this, asides from Bill Shatner's risk-taking nature, is the added security provided the the "TJ Curly - phase II". With the toupee now anchored to real hair at the sides, it was far more secure and durable. Kayaking, wet hair, arguments with Mr. T - no problem!


Interestingly, the wetter the toup, the more realistic and less toup-like it appears.


And who is the interviewer/host?

Toup meets toup - a year before in 1982 (the toup down the sides is more noticeable).

Why, it's Howard Cosell - this legendary picture says it all:


You can watch a collection of Bill Shatner's appearances in Battle of the Network Stars courtesy of "zainin666" below:

Poll result and thank toup it's Friday!

After numerous multiple choice polls, we thought it was time for something simple. Two questions. Two choices. Is it fair to say that Bill Shatner has never admitted to wearing a toupee?

The poll seemed very close as voting began, but in the end one option moved to a significant lead. 34% thought that no, it was not fair to say that. 64%, a clear majority, thought that it was fair and that Bill Shatner's various jokes and hints on the subject over the years do not in and of themselves qualify as clear admissions of toupee-wearing.

Thanks for voting!


Now, one rather extraordinary toupological item via the Shatnerologists at More Shat, Less Shame: In September 1981, Bill Shatner made a guest appearance on the short-lived late night comedy series Fridays. Inexplicably, in one sketch Bill Shatner's "hair" is combed forward in a hitherto unseen style.


Watch the scene, which refers to an air traffic controller's strike taking place at the time, below:

For the rest of the show, Bill Shatner's toupee is standard in style for the time, meaning the cap-like first phase of the "TJ Curly" (around 1983, this toupee style was replaced with one that also went down to the sides - see here for more).


This obviously begs the question: why was the hair changed for this one sketch? You've probably all seen that classic scene in a number of movies where someone says something so shocking that everyone in the room instantly stops talking and the music playing in the background screeches to a halt. Is that what happened here? Did some unknowing creative at Fridays say to Bill Shatner "Hey, why don't we comb your hair forward for this sketch?"


Silence. The entire production team stares at the guy. He begins to sweat and blush.

"What did I say?" The poor guy knows nothing about how sensitive this subject actually is.


Bill Shatner finally calms the situation, putting his arm around the now trembling producer.

"Sure. Sounds like a great idea." A huge sigh of relief is heard from everyone else. Only later is the producer informed of just what kind of a minefield he inadvertently trod on.

"I had no idea! I thought it the hair was real. Otherwise, I would never have made such a suggestion."


We'll have a new - and we think timely - toupological analysis for you early next week! Oh, and want to join in on "The Long Khan"?

"The Deadly Years" - an HD study.

The Star Trek website trekcore.com continues its important mission to bring us better quality images of William Shatner's toupee with the publication of high-definition screen-caps of the original series episode "The Deadly Years".

As Trek fans will know, this particular episode features probably the most remarkable changes to Bill Shatner's toupee in the entire three-year run of the series. The plot sees a landing party, which includes Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Chekov exposed to a particular form of radiation that brings about rapid aging. All the actors get to have considerable fun with these circumstances.


Let's have a look what happens to Captain Kirk's hair in the episode - click on the below images for more HD detail.

We start out with the usual "Jim Kirk lace", albeit looking rather more freshly-combed than usual (a sort of combed by your mother after having a bath look).


During the first phase of aging, the hairline is raised a little, with a widow's peak visible and the hair either side of it receding more than normal.


The front lace allows the hair to be combed back, while still maintaining a natural-looking hairline.


As Kirk ages, he gains more wrinkles, but his hairstyle stays the same.


Rather unusually, the sides are gray (Bill Shatner's real hair has been dyed - correction: a reader tells us its a spray-on hair color), while the toupee starts out light brown and slowly gets yellower.


We do see areas of receding at the top sides not normally seen.


Then, as the aging process continues, something truly extrordinary happens.


Bill Shatner's hair not only turns white, but his hairline moves down and his hair actually thickens!


Whereas the first hair stage was likely a modified version of Bill Shatner's usual lace, here we have a new lace with gray hair. The style is combed back into an unusual shell.


During the very final aging stage, we get yet more weirdness. Kirk's hair thickens yet again and the famous frontal swoosh makes a sudden comeback.


Astonishing...


So what happened? It's possible that Star Trek's head of makeup Fred Phillips intended for stages 2 and 3 to continue the trend visible in stage 1. That would have meant a graually receding hairline and a continuing thinning of the hair. Did Bill Shatner step in and refuse? Did Phillips, in true Scotty fashion say "But Bill, I cannot make it any thicker, it isn't realistic!"?

Did Bill Shatner, echoing Kirk talking to Scotty, retort: "I want thicker hair in five minutes or you're all dead!" Was the Phillips-Shatner relationship fraught with tension over occasional rejected hairpieces?

Fred Phillips with Leonard Nimoy.

In a sense, the strange reversal evident in the episode serves as a precursor to the later shocking increase in hair thickness visible as the "Jim Kirk lace" became the "Lost Years" of the 1970s and then the even thicker hair of the "TJ Curly" era (below).


Also of note is that cameras were allowed in to photograph the aging hair and makeup being applied during the production of "The Deadly Years":

This really is what it seems to be, glue going over the lace line.

Was an agreement reached beforehand that no pictures showing the toupee being applied onto Bill Shatner's head would be allowed? Or were the photographers only allowed in once the "hair" was on? Why is there a young toupee but aging makeup being applied in the picture above? Some falsification for the cameras?

See startrekpropauthority.com for yet more images from the makeup chair.

This publicity exercise contrasts sharply with a previous toupee-related incident in which a photographer was brought in to take pictures of Leonard Nimoy's Spock ears being applied a year earlier - Bill Shatner was angry as he didn't want to risk having his "little makeup secrets" revealed.

There have been some rumors out there that Bill Shatner may have worn a wig on top of a toupee during the aging stages in this episode. Upon consideration, we don't think there's any evidence to support these claims - after all, the cast and crew knew the actor wore a toup and all that ever mattered was that us the audience be kept in the dark. To place a wig on top of a toup would thus have been completely pointless and would also have looked ridiculous.


At the end of the episode, Kirk makes one of the most awesome returns in the history of everything. The acting captain Commodore Stocker is failing at his job, frozen as the Enterprise is pummeled by the Romulans. Enter Kirk, young once again, his toupee back to normal! A truly iconic Star Trek moment.


We'll conclude with two short clips of Kirk mentioning hair in "The Deadly Years": once Dr McCoy's and then his own (including a "Real Hair Reflex", pictured above). The latter of the two features a unique explanation for what has happened to his hair "radiation will do that to you". Perhaps that's also the explanation for why Captain Kirk's hair seems to get thicker as he ages in this episode! These are possibly the only ever times Bill Shatner as Kirk mentioned hair in the entire Star Trek series (any other examples, please let us know):