I recently wrote a piece here about producer David L. Wolper and mentioned that one of the series that he produced was Police Woman for NBC. Starring Angie Dickinson as sexy LAPD detective sergeant Pepper Anderson, Police Woman ran for four seasons and liberated the airwaves for other two-fisted, female-anchored action dramas of the era (Charlie’s Angels, Get Christie Love!, Amy Prentiss, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, Cagney & Lacey). It also provided guest-star work for actors like…William Shatner.

Yes, you’ve stumbled into The Shatner Observatory.

William Shatner appeared in “Smack”, the eleventh episode of Police Woman’s first season (December 6 1974). On “Smack”,  Mr. Shatner worked with director John Newland, who had previously directed the actor in episodes of The Defenders, The Bold Ones and Star Trek.

But what we’re interested in today is the collaboration between William Shatner and Angie Dickinson. Thirty-six years after “Smack”, that single Police Woman episode marks the last time that Mr. Shatner and Ms. Dickinson would act with one another. And here’s the really interesting part: The actor and actress, in twin careers that have each spanned fives decades, appeared with each other only three times…and all within one year.

Three months before their 1974 Police Woman, Mr. Shatner and Ms. Dickinson shared the big screen (and a couple of nude scenes) in a low-budget, Roger Corman Bonnie and Clyde riff, when Big Bad Mama was released in September of 1974.

And it was at the beginning of that same year (January 23 1974, to be precise) that had Bill and Angie appearing with Andy Griffith and Robert Reed in the ABC Wednesday Movie of the Week presentation, Pray for the Wildcats.

Again, in over 50 years in the same business, William Shatner and Angie Dickenson only worked together three times, and all roughly within one single 12-month period. Strange, no?

Certainly no stranger than this clip from Pray for the Wildcats. Shatner plays one of three advertising executives who get bullied by potential client Andy Griffith into risking their lives on motorcycle trip through Mexico. Mr. Shatner doesn’t have much to do here, but check out his white-sideburned wig and the enormous pause he takes before delivering the last word of his line. And what’s that bit of business he’s doing with his glasses..?