Knight Writers Updated

Eric Buchman of the production staff has given the Knight Writers Blog a Thanksgiving update, honouring a holiday of peace and gratitude with some photos of people fighting! The selection of behind-the-scenes shots come from the episodes Knight of the Iguana and Knight of the Hunter, but there is also a shot from the upcoming episode Fight Knight.

Check them out:

Knight Writers Blog: Happy Turkey Day

Happy Birthday, Patricia McPherson!

Many Happy Returns to Patricia McPherson, the one and only Bonnie Barstow, who celebrates her birthday today! Knight Rider fans the world over will join the Knight Rider Archive in wishing her a great day!

Knight Rider trivia buffs will know that it was actually Bonnie's birthday three days ago (November 24th). Both character and actress share the same birthstone: Topaz. That's a kind of Topaz Connection.

Knight Fever & The "Reboot"

Knight Fever, the second episode of the series to be filmed and the next to air, is being held back until New Year's Eve, December 31st. In that show, Mike must stop the spread of a computer virus that threatens a total global meltdown. The job gets much harder when K.I.T.T. is infected. Meanwhile, Mike's jealousy begins to show when Sarah reconnects with an old flame who may be the key to solving the latest mission.

Shapeshifter, a Knight Rider insider, tells Knight Rider Online, "The show IS going to change quite a bit after [Knight Fever]... Eps 10 and 11 will be the transitional episodes, and a lot is going to happen. It won't just be dropping some characters -- the whole mission, and organization behind the mission, is going to change, and the K.I.T.T. cave, when used at all, will be utilized in a different way. Their whole world is going to be rocked."

Alex Torres' Secret Videos

Updates at NBC's Knight Industries Research website have revealed two video files with clues to Michael's missing memories. The files (which were filmed for the episode A Hard Day's Knight) feature the return of The Shield's Paula Garces as Kelli, and can be found under Alex Torres' personnel file.

The first is titled: "MT Forced Coercion: Experimental Memory Extraction." The extraction method involved "6 gauge needle injects a radioactive isotope directly into subject's temple. The isotope acts as a chemical tracer, marking all recently formed neural patterns and allowing them to be manipulated by a properly-tuned synaptic reader." Known side effects of the procedure include headaches, nightmares and severe memory loss, and the procedure is incredibly painful. If it's successful, the subject will have no recollection of it.

The second video is called: "MK Dream Surveillance: Experimental Subconscious Image Tap," and was recorded 10/15/08 at 03:02 am. Notes state that "REM state induced at approx. 3am via psychoactive drug administered without subject's knowledge. Subject's personal sleeping pod was prepared with hidden sensors specifically attuned to subject's neural biochemistry." Michael had no awareness of the test trial or its results.

Magazine Watch - SFX & Death Ray

Knight Rider has been on the air for two months now, and the reviews of the first few episodes are starting to appear in the genre magazines. The latest issues of two of the UK's finest sci-fi mags feature the show in their TV sections:

SFX rounds up the first four shows, which average between 2 and 3 stars out of 5. They note that "it's incredible how many opportunities the characters find to lose their clothes" but, "once your brain accepts the 1980s Saturday afternoon vibe, it's enjoyable in a goofy way." A Hard Day's Knight scores the highest with reviewer Dave Bradley, who concludes that "hints at a story arc about gaps in Michael's memory from his time in Beirut may possibly lead somewhere interesting, but Knight Rider mainly feels like pure 'guilty pleasure' television, the sci-fi equivalent of Baywatch."

The bi-monthly DeathRay features two pieces on the show: an article about the background of the series in their US TV round-up and a less-than-positive review. They state that "It's a kid's show re-created by middle-aged geeks, and their biggest mistake is to do it 'adult' without making it grown up. The result suits no-one, like later Airwolf." It's not all doom-and-gloom though; reviewer Guy Haley adds: "The chatty car's still the star, and the new K.I.T.T. is realised with escapist glee, with Val Kilmer appropriately deadpan as its voice. Such is the strength of Knight Rider's core ideas that if NBC can sort out the juvenile mess round it, and make it just for the kids, it could still be a ratings hit."

Neither magazine has any confirmation of a UK broadcast date. Be sure to check them out!

Notes From The Underground: Go On Vacation...

Billy updated his Notes From The Underground last night, and he talks about the events of Knight of the Zodiac. "Last night I got a second chance to do something I regret not doing years ago -- using my advanced degree in mathematics to beat the house in sin city," he writes. "I know what you’re thinking -- card counting is illegal. Nope. It’s just the kind of thing that can get you locked up in a secret room with no cameras and burly Casino guard with a name with no vowels. Which is why I was about to chicken out.

"But then the most amazing thing happened. I met someone sweet, beautiful, funny, and smart. I met Courtney Flynn. And we just clicked. Now, I never click with anyone. I usually over think things to death, killing the moment. What happened between Courtney and me is so rare, so special, so treasured… I’ve got to preserve it like a limited edition first run Red Dwarf action figure."

Notes From the Underground: Go On Vacation, Leave On Probation

Knight Writers Updated

Knight Rider writer and co-executive producer Matt Pyken is this week's contributor to NBC's Knight Writers Blog. The focus is last night's Las Vegas-set Knight of the Zodiac, and there's plenty of behind-the-scenes trivia!

The first problem the production team encountered with this episode was the location. "It’s 300 miles from us here in LA, and not a great town for shooting a TV series," he says. "If that seems counter-intuitive, think about it. Shooting inside a casino is a big deal. Security is all over the crew, and if you want to simulate a casino heist, forget it. When there’s real money around, the real guys with the real guns tend to get nervous. Then there’s the disruption factor; Las Vegas casinos make more in a day than we could ever pay for a location fee, so they’re not particularly keen on 200 members of a TV crew settling in for a few days.

"Enter the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. These nice folks just happened to build a huge Vegas-style hotel and casino 90 miles east of Los Angeles on the edge of the desert near Palm Springs. We took our entire crew of 200, put them up for three days in the hotel, ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch and shot this episode of Knight Rider everywhere from the casino to the pool to one of the cabana-style suites. It was awesome and it looks exactly like Las Vegas."

So, all of the driving scenes of Mike and K.I.T.T. in Vegas were special effects, a technique the show has utilised from the get-go. "Without getting too technical, our visual effects wizards composite Kitt in with real footage of Las Vegas -– footage we were able to get from the series Las Vegas, a show Gary Scott Thompson created and I wrote on for five years," Pyken reveals. Surprisingly, the special effects team that works on the driving scenes is actually located in South Africa!

This episode seems to have been a lot of fun for all involved. Courtney Flynn, Billy's love interest in this episode, was named after Courtney Flynn, who works on the show. Another lucky member of the crew hit a $4000 dollar slot jackpot!

Knight Writers Blog: Knight of the Zodiac

Knight of the Zodiac Highlights

The Official Knight Rider Website has updated with video highlights from last night's episode, Knight of the Zodiac. In the clip, Mike passes muster with the Zodiac crew. It's only available Stateside, but if you can, check it out!



NBC.com: Knight of the Zodiac Highlights

Tonight... Knight Rider: Knight of the Zodiac

Don't miss tonight's new Knight Rider episode, Knight of the Zodiac at 8/7c on NBC!

"Mike, K.I.T.T. and Billy head to Vegas to take on a money laundering ring -- Mike (Justin Bruening) goes undercover in Vegas to bust a money laundering operation. Billy (Paul Campbell) joins Mike and K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) on the mission, only to spark a romantic adventure of his own. Meanwhile, Dr. Graiman (Bruce Davison) locks horns with an old rival and former flame, who comes to assess how "green" the K.I.T.T. Cave is. Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison star. Smith Cho recurs."

Be there!

On This Day: 19th November, 1982

26 years ago today, K.A.R.R. burst onto the scene! Created by writer and producer Steven E. de Souza, K.I.T.T.'s not-so-friendly prototype was the focus of the ninth episode of the series, and the segment that cemented the series' popularity and saved it from cancellation. In his autobiography, David Hasselhoff says:

"We were in danger of cancellation when Jan McCormack [David's manager] contacted her connections at Universal and pleaded, 'Give us another four weeks.' She got us a reprieve and in those four weeks we pulled things around, thanks largely to an episode called Trust Doesn't Rust in which writer Steven de Souza introduced K.I.T.T.'s evil twin K.A.R.R.

"Trust Doesn't Rust was probably the best episode of the first season and one of the best in the series' entire run. It certainly was the Jekyll and Hyde of talking cars. In December, Knight Rider got better numbers for NBC on Friday nights at 9 pm than its twenty-six previous shows in that slot."

K.A.R.R. would return in 1984's classic K.I.T.T. Vs. K.A.R.R., and is due to return in the new series' episode Knight to King's Pawn!

The Return of David Hasselhoff?

Aint It Cool News have been alerted about plans for Knight Rider's future via a statement made from a producer of the Anaconda movies -- the last of which starred David Hasselhoff:

"The producers of Sony's 2009 release Anaconda 4 (or whatever it was called) which stars David Hasselhoff said they're going to make more of them, but it won't star David.

"He said that David will probably be too busy to do a 5th film in the series (he did 3 & 4 back to back) because he's returning to TV.

"The plan for the next season of KNIGHT RIDER, says he, is for David Hasselhoff to be a regular on the show. He'd be teamed with his on-screen son Mike Tracer (Justin Bruening) to solve weekly adventures in the hopes that that boosts ratings. I wish them luck ;) "

In essence this move would bring the show in line with David's original pitch to NBC last year.

Aint It Cool News: If There's A Second Season Of Knight Rider, Will The Hoff Return For Father/Son Adventures Of The Week??

Notes From The Underground: Wanna Bet?

Billy's Blog got its weekly update last night, and he talks about the bets he made in I Wanna Rock and Roll All Knight. "Man, I’m still feeling the rush. Is this what it feels like to put everything on the line and go all in? Maybe I should finally make that trip to Vegas after all…" Tune in next week as he actually gets to make the trip -- he and Mike head to Vegas to take on a money laundering ring.

Notes From the Underground: Wanna Bet?

Knight Writers Updated

The Knight Writers -- this time Teresa Huang & Rachel Mellon -- updated an excellent piece on their show I Wanna Rock and Roll All Knight. They talk about the dualistic nature of the characters, and how they worked that into the show. "Our primary meditation was on sexy criminals running around in a hot car," they say. "We loved creating Nikki & Max as a reflection of our heroes Mike & Sarah. Both drive hot cars, but Nikki & Max are expressive and reckless while Mike & Sarah are measured and bottled up. They teeter on the edge but never drop off."

They also reveal that the episode was originally written to feature a 1967 Black Panther Camaro, "a car that turned out to be so priceless that we couldn't even fake it. There are only two left in existence," so the show used a 1970 Dodge Superbee. Teresa and Rachel also reveal that they stepped in as background actors in the Anderson Valve scene, and Rachel can be seen delivering a wrench in the foreground!

Knight Writers: I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight

NBC Behind the Scenes: Car Crash

The Official Website updated an exclusive behind-the-scenes video of the car crash stunt featured in I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight! It's only available Stateside, but if you can, check it out!



NBC.com: Exclusive Behind the Scenes

I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight Highlights

The Official Website has updated with video highlights from last night's episode, I Wanna Rock and Roll All Knight, and demonstrates that male/female dynamics don't compute for K.I.T.T.! It's only available Stateside, but if you can, check it out!



NBC.com: I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight

Tonight... Knight Rider: I Wanna Rock & Roll All Knight

Don't miss tonight's new Knight Rider episode, I Wanna Rock and Roll All Knight at 8/7c on NBC!

"A criminal couple with congressional ties threatens to reveal the secrets of Knight Industries -- Knight Industries is hot on the trail of a Bonnie & Clyde-esque criminal couple, only to discover their true identities have a serious impact on a national congressional race. As the mission unfolds, Mike (Justin Bruening) and K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) are forced into action to save Agent Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier). Deanna Russo, Paul Campbell, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison star. Smith Cho recurs."

Be there!

Catherine Hickland Writes Self-Help Book

Catherine Hickland, who played Michael Knight's star-crossed lover Stefanie Mason in Knight Rider: The Original Series, has written a "self-empowerment guide", The 30-Day Heartbreak Cure: Getting Over Him and Back Out There One Month From Today.

"By getting 'back out there,' I don't necessarily mean in the dating world, though that's fine if that's your goal," she told TV Guide. "In 30 days I will have you back out there really living in the world without the anger and blame that can keep you prisoner in a bad relationship years after it's over. You will be able to put down your emotional baggage and be free."

Catherine, of course, was married to David Hasselhoff during the Knight Rider days, and their characters married in the popular episode The Scent of Roses. In a peculiar twist of fate, Catherine went on to marry a real-life Michael Knight -- Michael E. Knight, who played Tad on All My Children... who also happened to be the onscreen father to current Knight Rider Justin Bruening.

TV Guide.com: Catherine Hickland Offers Other "Heartbreak Kids" a 30-Day Cure

The book is available for pre-order at:

Amazon.com: Pre-Order The 30-Day Heartbreak Cure: Getting Over Him and Back Out There One Month From Today

Vote Knight Rider For People's Choice Award

Knight Rider has been nominated for a People's Choice Award in the Favorite New TV Drama category. It's got off to a rough start this season, but get behind the show!

Pictured is David Hasselhoff, who won a People's Choice Award for Knight Rider: The Original Series' first season, way back in 1983!

People's Choice Awards Website

Happy Birthday, Peter Parros!

Best wishes to Peter Parros (RC3), who celebrates his birthday today! On behalf of Knight Rider fans, the Knight Rider Archive sends Peter Many Happy Returns of the day!

Knight Rider Revamped - Three Cast Members Dropped

The Hollywood Reporter has broken the story that Knight Rider will be undergoing big changes leading into the 'back-nine' episodes that were recently ordered by NBC.

"It's a reboot," says Gary Scott Thompson. "We're moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen." This will, of course, make the show feel much more like the Original Series, but also a better fit into the network's newly rebranded crime drama Wednesday lineup alongside Life and Law & Order.

The biggest change involves the fact that three regulars on the show will not be returning: Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Carrie Rivai), Yancey Arias (Alex Torres) and Bruce Davison (Dr. Charles Graiman). There are no immediate plans to add new regulars to the show, which will now focus on the five remaining characters: Mike (Justin Bruening), Sarah (Deanna Russo), Billy (Paul Campbell), Zoe (Smith Cho) and K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer). The producers also are looking to do stunt guest castings.

Thompson stressed that the decision to let the co-stars go was a difficult one tied to the show's change in direction and had nothing to do with the actors.

The revamps will kick off with the two-part episode Don't Stop the Knight, which filmed last month. According to Reporter, "NBC is planning a major push, including possibly airing on Sunday after an NFL football game in January, with the conclusion airing the following Wednesday. Such a move would bring Knight back to Sunday night, where the two-hour movie/backdoor pilot drew big ratings in February."

The Hollywood Reporter: Knight Rider Goes Back to its Roots

Complete DVD Set Reviewed

The excellent TVShowsonDVD.com have published their review of the recent release of Knight Rider: The Complete Original Series on DVD.

"My initial reaction is 'yes, upgrade,'" says Gord Lacey. "The single-sided DVDs used in the set are a huge plus, and the standard double-slim cases means you aren't going to risk scratching the discs every time you go to watch them. All the content from the season sets are there, though there's nothing new in the set."

It is worth my adding that the Complete Series set includes the corrected version of the Season 3 release, with all of the original sound effects intact (the two Prince songs from Knight of the Drones and Dead of Knight are still missing, but this is due to a licensing issue). For that reason alone, it's worth the upgrade!

TV Shows on DVD: Knight Rider Complete Series Review

Notes From the Underground: Boo!

Billy's Blog is back on track with another entry that ties in to last night's episode. This week he talks about Torchwood ("How come more people aren’t watching the best British sci-fi/fantasy series on TV?!? If you don’t know who Capt. Jack Harkness is, that’s your problem not mine, you troglodytes!"), about Halloween pranks (send him your ideas), and about this Halloween's one highlight ("Sorta.") Head on over there and check it out, but beware -- there are spoilers!

Notes From the Underground: Boo!

Knight Writers Updated

The Knight Writers Blog has been updated last night with a behind-the-scenes perspective of last night's show. Knight of the Living Dead was originally supposed to air on 29th October, a couple of days before Halloween, but unfortunately it was preempted to make room for President-Elect Obama's commercial. Even more unfortunately, another tie-in was nixed by the move to November:

"October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Ford and Knight Rider partnered to make Kitt one of their "Warriors in Pink" for this very special cause. This limited edition Warriors in Pink Mustang is for sale at many dealerships across the country, and proceeds from the sale of each one are donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. You can find out more about this project and other Warriors in Pink at "the Ford Warriors in Pink website."

GST also teases about the return of K.A.R.R. (to be seen in the episode Knight to King's Pawn), and reveals that more content is on its way to the Knight Industries Research website. You just had to be paying attention when Sarah entered her father's password into the computer.

Knight Writers: Knight of the Living Dead

Knight of the Living Dead Highlights

The Official Website has updated with video highlights from last night's episode, Knight of the Living Dead and shows the team racing to identify the infiltrator who activated K.I.T.T.'s self-destruct program. It's only available Stateside, but if you can, check it out!



NBC.com: Knight of the Living Dead Highlights

Tonight... Knight Rider: Knight of the Living Dead

Don't miss tonight's Halloween-themed episode, Knight of the Living Dead at 8/7c on NBC!

"Trick or Treat -– Halloween turns deadly when a tech is murdered inside Knight Industries headquarters -- An infiltrator murders a tech inside Knight Industries headquarters and the team must find them before they kill again. Meanwhile, Mike (Justin Bruening) and Sarah (Deanna Russo) are stuck on a flight during a storm and must try to stop K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) before he self-destructs. Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Paul Campbell, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison star. Smith Cho recurs."

Don't miss it!