Happy Birthday Michael Knight (Sr.)

Today is the "official" birthday of Michael Long, who became the first Michael Knight.



Born on January 9th, 1949 (according to his tombstone in the episode A Good Knight's Work, he turns 61 years old today.

Will we see him again? Time will tell...

Tonight on Fiver - Knight Rider!

Tonight sees the debut of last year's Knight Rider TV movie at 8pm on Fiver!

"Sarah Graiman (Deanna Russo) is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' (Bruce Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first K.I.T.T. 25 years ago -- and that her father is in serious danger.

"Sarah and K.I.T.T. track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Justin Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure K.I.T.T. and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search."

Fiver is available as channel 176 on Sky, channel 152 on Virgin, and channel 30 on Freeview! A +1 service is available on Sky channel 177.

All UK fans, don't miss it!

Knight Rider 2000 on Sky Movies Action/Thriller!

The first ever KR revival, the TV movie Knight Rider 2000, is being screened on Sky Movies Action/Thriller tomorrow (Sunday, 6th September) at 11:50am, with an encore showing at 7:10pm.

The movie picks up the Knight Rider story in the year 2000, and the city has banned all handguns. The police now carry ultrasound weapons that freeze rather than kill the perpetrators. However, cops are still being shot by illegal handguns which are being supplied by a mysterious source. Persuaded out of a ten year retirement by his old boss Devon (Edward Mulhare), Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) resurrects his old friend K.I.T.T. (voiced by William Daniels) and sets about uncovering the most horrifying scandal the city has ever seen.

Sky Movies Action/Thriller is available to Sky customers on channel 304, and Virgin customers on channel 404. Sky simulcast in HD on channel 335.

Don't miss it!

Knight Rider Guest Star Passes Away

John Quade, who played Dolan (a Comtron heavy) in the 1982 Knight Rider pilot, passed away on August 9th. He was 71.

Quade had a long and successful career as a character actor, appearing in several Clint Eastwood movies, such as Every Which Way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can, High Plains Drifter and The Outlaw Josey Wales. TV credits included guest spots on Kung Fu, The A-Team, The Rockford Files, CHiPs and Hill Street Blues. He was also a member of the 'Glen Larson stock company', appearing in several of the Larson's other offerings The Fall Guy, Buck Rogers, The Highwayman, Manimal, BJ and the Bear, and Quincy ME. He worked again with David Hasselhoff on Baywatch in 1990.

Most of Quade's characters were bad guys, but his wife Gwen Saunders said the reality was much different. "He was one of the nicest men you'd ever want to know, but he looked mean and nasty... He looked like he could do murder and mayhem at any moment, but he was a big teddy bear -- the kind that he just loved little kids, but they were always afraid of him."

Knight Rider fans will remember Quade fondly for his performance as Dolan, who laughed when Michael Knight warned him that he was "heavily trained in martial arts", and was later shocked after Michael and K.I.T.T. turbo-boosted through the side of his semi trailer.

Knight Rider 2000 on Sky Movies Action/Thriller!

The first ever KR revival, the TV movie Knight Rider 2000, is being screened on Sky Movies Action/Thriller tomorrow (Sunday, 19th July) at 7:05am, with an encore at 4:20am the next morning (Monday, 20th).

The movie picks up the Knight Rider story in the year 2000, and the city has banned all handguns. The police now carry ultrasound weapons that freeze rather than kill the perpetrators. However, cops are still being shot by illegal handguns which are being supplied by a mysterious source. Persuaded out of a ten year retirement by his old boss Devon (Edward Mulhare), Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) resurrects his old friend K.I.T.T. (voiced by William Daniels) and sets about uncovering the most horrifying scandal the city has ever seen.

Sky Movies Action/Thriller is available to Sky customers on channel 304, and Virgin customers on channel 404. Sky simulcast in HD on channel 335.

Don't miss it!

Happy Birthday, David Hasselhoff!

Many Happy Returns to David Hasselhoff, who celebrates his birthday today!

David is probably best-known to most of Knight Rider's current audience as a judge on America's Got Talent, but to children of the '80s, he was Michael Knight (and his evil twin Garthe) in Knight Rider: The Original Series.

On behalf of Knight Rider fans around the world, The Knight Rider Archive sends David best wishes for the day. To see how Michael Knight celebrated his birthday in 1985, click here!

On This Day: 19th May, 1991

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the first ever Knight Rider revival!

Knight Rider 2000 aired as a Movie of the Week and got fantastic ratings, but unlike the most recent telepic it failed to launch a new series. Set in an alternate future, 2000 sees Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare reprising the role for the last time) call Michael Knight out of retirement to investigate the assassination of the city's mayor. Michael is teamed with Shawn McCormick (Susan Norman), an ex-cop who has joined the Knight Foundation after having one of K.I.T.T.'s memory chips implanted in her brain.

There is a detailed guide to the movie, K.I.T.T. - the Knight 4000, articles, galleries and a site-exclusive making-of feature in the Knight Rider 2000 section of the site!

New TV Spot and Info

Knight Rider was a big hit on the Sci-Fi Channel, thanks in no small part to their advertising. If you missed the UK premiere of the pilot movie, the channel is presenting encores -- 10pm tonight, 5pm on Saturday and 7pm on Sunday, with the series commencing at 8pm on Tuesday.

Sci-Fi is available as channel 129 on Sky, and channel 135 on Virgin.

New Knight Rider a Hit on UK Sci-Fi Channel!

The UK Sci-Fi Channel have announced that last night's premiere of the 2008 Knight Rider revival was a huge ratings winner. The press release follows:

London, 13 May 2009: NBC Universal Global Networks today reveals that the premiere of brand new Knight Rider has delivered its SCI FI channel's best series ratings since the first run of Heroes in 2007. Over half a million viewers tuned in for the high-octane, feature-length pilot which guest starred David Hasselhoff.

The premiere made SCI FI the #1 non-terrestrial entertainment channel amongst all adults in digital cable and satellite homes.

SCI FI also enjoyed a steep uplift amongst young adults, with 33% of viewers aged 16 - 34, up nearly 60% on the channel's average. Surprisingly, women aged 16 - 24 outnumbered their male counterparts in the same age group by 6 share points, proving that cars aren't just for the boys.

Jon Farrar, Programming Director (UK), NBC Universal Global Networks commented, "We've always said that the return of K.I.T.T. is an historic TV moment and the viewers have clearly agreed with us. We're thrilled with the ratings and really proud to bring such an iconic series back to life on the SCI FI channel. We've introduced the show to a whole new age group... a generation of young viewers can finally understand why us over 35s get so excited about a talking car."

The series is based on the 1980s vehicle which helped drive actor David Hasselhoff to worldwide fame, but has been completely updated for the 21st century audience. K.I.T.T. is now voiced by actor Val Kilmer and boasts state of the art weaponry, plus the ability to transform or change colour. At the wheel is Justin Bruening, an actor new to UK audiences but a well-established heart-throb in the USA after starring in soap opera All My Children. Bruening plays Mike Traceur, the son of original character Michael Knight.

The series will continue to premiere on SCI FI every Tuesday at 8pm and is also available in high definition on SCI FI HD (available on the Sky platform). Following the feature-length pilot last night, Knight Rider will continue in one hour instalments and go back-to-back with the UK premiere of Dollhouse, another highly anticipated fantasy from Buffy creator Joss Whedon, which starts next Tuesday 19 May at 9pm.

Sci-Fi Channel - Knight Rider is Ratings Winner for Sci-Fi

Tonight on UK Sci-Fi - Knight Rider!

Tonight sees the long-awaited UK premiere of last year's new Knight Rider series at 8pm on The Sci-Fi Channel!

"Sarah Graiman (Deanna Russo) is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' (Bruce Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first K.I.T.T. 25 years ago -- and that her father is in serious danger.

"Sarah and K.I.T.T. track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Justin Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure K.I.T.T. and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search."

All UK fans, don't miss it!

K.I.T.T. Makes MSN's Top TV Tech

MSN have included the Knight Industries Two Thousand in their list of TV's Top Technology. "Between the swoosh of red light on the grille to the repartee with Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff), K.I.T.T. made a whole generation grow up wanting a talking car," they write.

"K.I.T.T. (short for Knight Industries Two Thousand) was clever enough to drive at high speeds while also bantering with the Hoff in a British accent, and could even be contacted through a modified wristwatch. The car’s Turbo Boost came in handy for slow-mo jumps over obstacles and its 300mph speed was also fairly useful. In this case the car was very much the star."

MSN UK - TV's Top Tech Gallery

NBC Streams Original Series: Season 1!

As of Wednesday, NBC.com have started streaming the Complete First Season of Knight Rider: The Original Series, starring David Hasselhoff. Unfortunately for fans around the world, the episodes are only available for Stateside viewers.

Check them out at:

NBC.com - Knight Rider: The Original Series

On This Day: 19th February, 1984

Today sees the anniversary of another classic Knight Rider show, Goliath Returns. Originally airing as a movie-of-the-week, it was the second of three feature-length adventures of the 1983-84 season.

Garthe Knight escapes from prison with the aid of Goliath, rebuilt and now completely invulnerable thanks to the efforts of Adrianne St. Clair, who has also evaded justice. Together they set about kidnapping a prominent scientist in order to sell him to a foreign power, but not before Garthe has also kidnapped Devon and April to force a final confrontation with Michael and K.I.T.T.

It's a fan-favourite, and rightfully so. Written during a long lunch at the Hamburger Hamlet in Hollywood by producers and staff writers Robert Foster, Robert W. Gilmer, Janis Hendler and Tom Greene, Goliath Returns was the first show to bring back successful badguys to challenge Michael and K.I.T.T.

Garthe and Goliath previously appeared in the second season premiere Goliath. Their accomplice, Adrianne St. Clair, previously crossed paths with Michael and K.I.T.T. in the episode Soul Survivor -- although for that episode she was credited as 'Adrianne Margeaux'; the name-change isn't explained, and she is referred to as 'Margeaux' in the episode.

If you haven't seen it, it comes highly recommended and is available on DVD as part of Knight Rider: Season 2.

On This Day: 17th February 2008

It's already a year since Knight Rider returned to NBC as a movie-of-the-week. This feature-length pilot was the fourth attempt to revive the Knight Rider concept, after two earlier TV movies (Knight Rider 2000, Knight Rider 2010) and a syndicated series (Team Knight Rider).

The story focused on Sarah Graiman (Deanna Russo), a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, who was following in her genius father Charles' (Bruce Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from K.I.T.T. (voiced by Val Kilmer) warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first K.I.T.T. 25 years ago -- and that her father is in serious danger.

Sarah and K.I.T.T. track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Justin Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure K.I.T.T. and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long- standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search.

Unsurprisingly, the movie didn't set the world alight critically, but it did well enough in the ratings for NBC to commission a full season of new Knight Rider adventures.

On This Day: 3rd February, 1985

Today sees the anniversary of another classic Original Series show, Junk Yard Dog.

A raid on a toxic waste dump goes terribly wrong when K.I.T.T. is destroyed. In an attempt to rebuild the supercar, the Foundation must call in the original team assembled by Wilton Knight, but there are fears that the car will never be the same again...

On This Day: 14th January, 1983

26 years ago today was the original airdate of a pivotal episode of Knight Rider: The Original Series, and Knight Rider mythology. Hearts of Stone was the first show of the 1982-83 season's "back nine" block of episodes, and the first that was written and produced by Robert Foster.

It's not the most popular of all the shows, but it remains one of the most important. Foster's approach to the material was vastly different to the earlier episodes; there was still humour, but the overall tone was less light-hearted. Suddenly, Michael Knight found himself in situations where he was really threatened, and faced fights that he might not be able to win -- whether it's driving into the middle of a hi-tech gang war or being roughed-up by arms dealers.

The show that Foster inherited was on shaky ground. The show was actually on the verge of cancellation until the extremely popular November '82 episode Trust Doesn't Rust. It was Foster's approach that saw the show successfully ride out three more seasons on NBC.

It's a situation that is being repeated for the most part right now. The current Knight Rider production team dared to try something different for a new audience; some of it worked, a lot of it didn't. And now that we are entering the business-end of the season -- that will see the series either cancelled or renewed -- Knight Rider is finally returning to its original premise: a lone crusader championing the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

Knight Rider (Classic) on iTunes

UK iTunes customers are now able to purchase every episode of David Hasselhoff's original Knight Rider series, after the online store added seasons 3 and 4 to the service.

Season 1 is available for £16.99, while Season 4 can be purchased in its entirety for £31.29. The middle two seasons are available by episode only, and all individual shows cost £1.49 each -- including the feature-length adventures Knight of the Drones and Knight of the Juggernaut, which haven't been split into two parts like the earlier TV movies!

No sign of any of the sequels, or a UK release of the current series (which is available in iTunes' US store). Stay tuned.

On This Day: 10th January, 1986

23 years ago we had one of the last great Knight Rider: Original Series episodes. Killer K.I.T.T. pitted Michael Knight and the F.L.A.G. team against K.I.T.T., who has been re-programmed and, in true Exorcist-style, has become evil.

Happy Birthday, Michael Knight (Sr.)

Today is the "official" birthday of Michael Long, who became the first Michael Knight.



Born on January 9th, 1949, he turns 60 years old today.

Will we see him again? Time will tell...

Knight Rider Christmas Gift Ideas

"I love Christmas! The lights, the trees, the music... the whole spirit of the season makes me feel great." - Michael Knight, Silent Knight, 1983.

Christmas is almost here again, and if you're reading this, the chances are you're either a Knight Rider fan yourself, or someone desperately searching for Knight Rider gifts for that fan in your life. Listed below are some of the most popular Knight Rider items currently on the market.

Knight Rider: The Complete Original Series on DVD

For the first time in the United States, the entire Original Series starring David Hasselhoff and Edward Mulhare has been released on DVD in one set. The 24 single-sided discs include every episode, and the same bonus content as the original season-by-season releases, including 1991's reunion movie Knight Rider 2000, and it all comes packaged in a case with a built-in "scanner light". Press the button and it lights up with the sound of K.I.T.T.'s scanner and the classic theme tune. It's available from various retailers from around $100. (A Region 2 version has also been available for some time, and can be found for discounted prices.)

The new series of Knight Rider starring Justin Bruening and Deanna Russo is currently unavailable on DVD, but is available for download online either episode-by-episode or via a subscription for the entire season. For more information check out Amazon.com, Hulu.com, and iTunes (all US-only). The TV movie that aired in February was released on DVD by F.Y.E., but only available as a special offer while stocks last; more information about this product can be found at F.Y.E.'s website.

Mio Portable Knight Rider GPS Unit

One of the most innovative and popular Knight Rider-related products to hit the stores, Mio Technology introduced the world’s first Knight Rider-inspired GPS. With a design inspired by the original Knight Industries Two Thousand, or K.I.T.T., this GPS brings the magic of the original series to your daily commute with voice guidance and turn-by-turn directions featuring the original voice of K.I.T.T., William Daniels. The GPS features a 4.3-inch widescreen interface, which allows for more on-screen information and additional details about upcoming intersections. More than four million points of interest will assist drivers in locating gas stations, emergency assistance, hotels and restaurants – turning every trip on the road into an adventure. Like the original K.I.T.T., which had multiple modes including normal, auto and pursuit cruising, the Knight Rider GPS allows drivers to choose routing modes including the fastest or shortest route and highway preference. It's available from several outlets from around $260.

More Info about this Product

Hitari Knight Rider Remote Control K.I.T.T. Car

One of the more popular recent Knight Rider toys is this remote-controlled model by Hitari. The car has all the standard remote-control functions -- forward, reverse, left, right and stop -- and also has the voice of K.I.T.T. Press the fuel filler or button on the transmitter and you'll hear the familiar, "I am K.I.T.T., whom you may regard as the voice of the Knight 2000." The model is at 1:15 scale, and available from various outlets.

More Info about this Product

Shelby Collectibles 2008 Shelby Mustang GT500-KR 1/18 Scale - Knight Rider Version

As the new series settled into its Wednesday night timeslot, Shelby Collectibles released this diecast model of the Mustang, which is available from around $40. Neither the model nor the box contains Knight Rider graphics or effects.

More Info on this Product

NBC, the network that produced the original and the current Knight Rider TV series, has several products available:

NBC Online Store

Other Knight Rider items, including some highly collectible products dating back to the 1980s, can be found at the following links courtesy of eBay and Amazon. Please be aware that if ordering items from the following sites, shipping can take some time.

Knight Rider Products at Online Stores:

Knight Rider Products at eBay.com

Knight Rider Products at Amazon.com

The Knight Rider Archive will be celebrating the Christmas season shortly with a huge update of new material, so stay tuned!

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??

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

Knight Rider Picked Up for Full Season!

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that NBC has picked up Knight Rider for a full season, ordering the "back nine" episodes and taking the season's tally up to 22.

They report that "Rider has been modestly rated since its premiere, typically matching CBS' comedy block for second place in its 8 p.m. time slot. The most recent episode was seen by 6.9 million viewers, and earned a 2.3 adults 19-49 rating and 7 share.

"The Rider pickup marks the first freshman fall NBC series to receive a full season order, joining CBS' The Mentalist, Fox's Fringe and CW's 90210."

Love it or hate it, this could prove to be great news for fans of the Original Series -- the producers were in talks to bring David Hasselhoff back as Michael Knight, Sr. at the end of the season.

Congratulations to the cast and crew!

Hollywood Reporter: Knight Rider Gets Full-Season Pickup

Knight Rider Stars Get Revved Up

People.com have a cool Q&A session with three of the human stars of Knight Rider, in which Justin Bruening, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Deanna Russo reveal who has the biggest crush on The Hoff, who is the wise guy, and more.



YouTube: The Stars of Knight Rider Get Revved Up

Knight Rider Archive at KnightCon '08!

I attended KnightCon 2008 in Halifax, West Yorkshire over the weekend. It was a great experience, with a host of replicas, a memorabilia display, and an exclusive video presentation with messages from Jack Gill, Peter Parros, Catherine Hickland, and of course, David Hasselhoff and William Daniels.

Well done to Steve and Rob who put together a great show!

Look for a feature with more photos and video in the coming days!



- Paul

Reviews Everywhere

Knight Rider made its return to primetime television on NBC last night, and the reviews have been flooding in. Predictably, the majority of them have not been favourable, criticising the young cast (especially Justin Bruening and Deanna Russo), Gary Scott Thompson's script and the action sequences.

Ain't It Cool News have declared the show "the Fall's worst new scripted hourlong so far" and rounded up several bad reviews from the press. UK site Den of Geek describe the show as "moronic", and are staggered that "they’ve been able to nimbly limbo under the incredibly low bar that the pilot set... I was frankly shocked how much of a clunker a script they cobbled together for this show. It makes some of this years other new shows seem like they’ve been written by channeling Ernest Hemingway. I’ll go as far to say that this is actually worse than a really bad Hoff-era episode, and that’s saying something."

BuddyTV.com have a more positive, and realistic outlook: "TV critics seem determined to mock its cheesiness, implausibility and general lack of coherence. The frustrating thing is that those critics don’t seem to understand the context in which Knight Rider should be viewed. To compare the series to other serious dramas is a mistake. One cannot review Knight Rider using the same criteria one uses when reviewing Mad Men or Lost. Is Knight Rider cheesy? Of course it is, but why should that surprise anyone? This is a show about a talking car that solves crimes." They suggest that "a more accurate review would judge Knight Rider on the basis of what it’s trying to accomplish. The show has no delusions that it will win an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series or top the critics' "best of" lists at the end of the year. Knight Rider is about fun. It’s a show with sexy stars in ridiculously dire circumstances getting into fast car chases. On that basis, Knight Rider is a rousing success."

SyFyPortal call the show "television's most promising series of the year." Writer Michael Hinman goes on to say, "there was just enough in this first episode of Knight Rider to get me wanting to come back for more. I am not sure exactly what more I can expect... I think I'm not quite ready to give up on Knight Rider just yet."

As the screenwriter William Goldman once said, "Nobody knows anything" -- it's how the audience responds that counts. We'll know soon how many tuned in to see the premiere, and in a few weeks we'll know how well the show retains its audience. In the meantime, here's what David Hasselhoff had to say about the reaction to the Original Series: "You know, I read all this stuff and said, 'Hey, we got bad reviews. That means we're gonna be a hit.' I don't know why, but it seems to be a formula every time."

Knight Interviews at SciFiWire

SciFiWire have posted a new interview with Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo and Gary Scott Thompson, in anticipation of the series' September 24th premiere on NBC. They talk about the challenges of exciting the audience for the series, of keeping K.I.T.T. a car of the future, and going back to the drawing board.

"We went back to the original series to look at what made that work," Thompson says. "We went through the pilot, and then, you know, we don't want to disappoint some of the fans of the two-hour [film], so we have four characters coming from that. So we made sure that those four characters clicked into what the new mythology was for the series. Again, it's 25 years later, so we have to update the car, update the people and be in touch with the times. So I think that's really what we did...just try to bring it up to date."

The speculation about David Hasselhoff returning with his version of K.I.T.T. is addressed. Thompson reveals that "David [Hasselhoff] and NBC and myself, we're discussing," although they "haven’t spoken about William Daniels at this point."

Thompson reveals that most of the episodes are stand-alone stories, but they will all be part of a larger mythology. "It's boy and car save world," Thompson says. "We plan on going a long time with this one. We've got great stars here and a great car. We've got a few new cast members, great writers. There's a lot of stories to tell."

SciFiWire: Knight Revs Up its Premiere!

More on Hasselhoff's Possible Return!

David Hasselhoff has been talking about the new series again, this time on KZZP Phoenix Radio. In the interview, he explained that the people who didn't didn't want him to be a part of the new series are no longer at the network, and said: ""I don't have to be in every episode, I'd be in five, I don't care."

The Knight Rider Online team have learned from an "industry insider" that Hasselhoff's return could indeed be more than just a one-shot, or a two-parter.

"As previously reported, Gary Scott Thompson said that he has been in talks with David Hasselhoff to make an appearance in the new show. The only issue was scheduling. An "industry insider" told Knight Rider Online that the Hoff's role might be a bit bigger than we were led to believe. Rather than being a one-time appearance, Hasselhoff would return in a major multi-episode story arc. Negotiations are not final but don't be surprised to see a significant ongoing storyline featuring Hasselhoff in the second half of the season."

Knight Rider Online: The Hoff's role to be expanded in new series (?)

Soapnet Interview Justin Bruening

Soapnet have been tracking Justin Bruening's career since he left All My Children, and have a short interview with the new Knight Rider. He talks about meeting David Hasselhoff, his love of heavy metal music, and the physical nature of the role. "I do 98% of the fights -- as long as it's nothing that potentially can injure me if it's too dangerous," he says. "I come out banged and bruised, but that would happen with anything."

He also reveals that he drives a Ford Mustang in his off-hours -- although his ride doesn't talk.

Soapnet: Justin Bruening - Hot 'Knight'

News Round-Up

Well, it's been a really busy week! Look for some new updates related to the new Knight Rider movie... and my review will be up shortly!

In the meantime, it's looking really good that Knight Rider will return as a series in the fall. The premiere broadcast brought in almost 13 million viewers, and the encore last weekend pulled in nearly 5 million.

David Hasselhoff has a message for his fans over at his website, describing the experience of shooting his cameo as a "blast from the past", and says he did it for the fans. He also asks that fans of the show let NBC know if they'd like him to be a part of the new series, by clicking the link provided.

Knight Rider UK have obtained a statement from Peter Parros (RC3) about his opinions of the new movie. You can read that here.

Stateside, Conan O'Brien's desk on his talk show was recently modified in homage to K.I.T.T.

Muscle Car Blog - Conan O'Brien's K.I.T.T. Desk

More soon!