William Shatner, in conjunction with Spike TV, has pulled off a nice little hoax. You may remember we reported briefly in a recent News Roundup that Shatner was directing a movie he and Leonard Nimoy co-wrote called "Invasion Iowa." Well, not only were the inhabitants of Riverside, Iowa punk'd, or "Spiked" as the case may be, but also numerous Web sites, including this one.

In a press release today, the recent Emmy-winner Shatner revealed that "Invasion Iowa," the independent science fiction time-travel film he purportedly wrote, directed, produced, and starred in on location in Riverside, Iowa, is actually a fake. Shatner stood in front of a crowd of hundreds and revealed to the people of Riverside that they are now the unwitting stars of their own television series for Spike TV. In a generous gesture, Shatner then offered, as a thank you to the townspeople of Riverside for being such good sports, a $100,000 city service contribution that was presented town officials.

"I fell in love with the people of Riverside," says Shatner. "And the hardest part of this whole experience was containing my empathy for the individuals who listened to and identified with the soap opera that we played in front of them."

A crew of producers, writers, and actors spent more than a year planning this carefully crafted hoax, which lampooned the craziness of Hollywood before an audience of "small-town America." Shatner played the role of an increasingly over-the-top version of himself. His eccentric faux "entourage" ranged from his harried, neurotic assistant, to his spiritual advisor, to his flighty leading actress, all of whom were played by improvisational comedic actors.

Executives at Spike TV feel the scale and scope of the TV-based hoax is unprecedented. The series held auditions and cast several local residents for roles in the faux film, then hired more for its fake film crew. These individuals, mostly from the city of Riverside, became the unknowing stars of a television series.

The show's creators and executive producers Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and William Shatner chose the city of Riverside, population 978, in large part for its status as the "future birthplace" of Shatner's legendary Star Trek character, Captain James T. Kirk, who was born in the quaint Midwestern farming community on March 22, 2228. Since 1985, thousands of fans have gathered annually in Riverside for "Trek Fest." Traditionally held during the last week in June, Trek Fest welcomes fans who come to celebrate their love of the Star Trek television series, films, and lore. ("Invasion Iowa" has no connection to the Star Trek franchise.) The "Invasion Iowa" cast and crew spent ten days in town shooting at various locations, bringing in nearly a million dollars to the local economy.

The show is set to debut on Spike TV in early 2005. That is, if this isn't just one big hoax of a hoax! Meanwhile, the ghost of Orson Welles is smiling.