I'd say that Bio Channel's marketing campaign for its new talk show, "Shatner's Raw Nerve," is pretty successful - except that it's not for the show that they've actually created.

BY DAVID KRONKE >TV CRITIC

The campaign's principal image - host William Shatner looking mischievous opposite a chair in flames - suggests an interview gone horribly awry. Bio's press materials suggest that the series' intent is for Shatner to ask questions so personal that his guests become uncomfortable. The first two episodes suggest that something else is at work, and it's not as interesting as you might hope.

William Shatner will be taught in future acting courses the best way to remake a career. He morphed from a hammy actor into a hammy actor who was agreeably, lovably in on the joke. He's probably never been busier than in the past few years, when he's appeared in all manner of programs, specials and commercials - at this point, it'd probably behoove him to learn how to say "no."

This show doesn't quite fall into that latter category, but it's hardly what you want from the guy, either. On its face, it's a standard-issue celebrity-interview show, only Shatner's kinda-sorta channeling an evil version of Oprah Winfrey - he's asking the same questions Oprah might ask, but he's ostensibly seeking a different reaction, but really, he's not.

And he's really interested in divorce (having gone through two himself), and he's happy to talk about himself at length.

From the outset, one senses that a certain distance has been created between Shatner and his subjects: The set consists of two chairs facing one another, yet separated by their right arms, in a kind of blocky letter "S." No one has this sort of alignment of furniture in his or her home, and if they do, they probably don't have many friends.

Tonight's episode features Valerie Bertinelli, who we learn is a good sport far before we learn she's Shatner's neighbor. He presses her on her divorce from Eddie van Halen, on her Catholicism, on her inability to forgive herself and other spiritual issues ("Is there sin, and do you have to pay for sin?").

Initially, Bertinelli's just being the sort of revealing-yet-glib personality you've seen on a dozen different talk shows, and then, after he repeatedly dissects responses that were intended lightheartedly, she backs off offering anything that might offer genuine insight into her life.

When Shatner asks, "What makes you happy?" she simply responds, "Life."

"You're filled with guilt but not filled with the ability to forgive yourself," Capt. James T. Kirk diagnoses Barbara Cooper Royer, which qualifies as a minorly surreal moment in the history of television.

Next week, Shatner interviews Jimmy Kimmel, and it's obvious from the initial gushing introduction ("When TV history is written, Jimmy Kimmel will appear among the kings of late-night") that the gloves will remain on.

Kimmel shares some vaguely amusing anecdotes and amiably discusses his divorce, but this interview feels more like a standard-issue late-night schmooze fest. This is, however, likely the only place you'll ever hear a host ask a guest, "Have you ever made love with someone who was drunk?"

-- David Kronke, (818) 713-3638 david.kronke@dailynews.com www.insidesocal.com/tv/