Shatner's Dark Comedy

By Stephen M. Silverman

Monday August 31, 1998 12:00 AM EDT

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William Shatner appears to be subscribing to the theory that if you're handed a lemon, make lemonade. The "Star Trek" captain and current Priceline.com pitchman has told the Hollywood Reporter that he's developing a comedy project for him to direct and produce, inspired by last August's death of his wife, Nerine. "The Shiva Club" (tentative title), named for the Jewish period of mourning, would revolve around two show biz hopefuls who show up at the home of a famous -- and just widowed -- comic. "During the process of sitting shiva," Shatner, 69, told the Reporter, "the concept occurred to me: grief can be funny." Shatner found his wife Nerine, 40, at the bottom of their swimming pool. The coroner's report called the drowning an accident, though alcohol and Valium were in her system.