Knight Rider
1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 6 (USA)
84 x 60 minute episodes
The adventures of a rebuilt ex cop called Michael Young and his
incredible talking car. Tailor-made for David The Young and the
Restless Hasselhoff (later to reach the pinnacle of his fine
acting career in Baywatch).
There were babes, guns, fights and plenty of action, and the
show was popular with kids, heterosexual women and folks who
understood it was not meant to be taken completely
seriously!
In the first episode, Hasselhoff's character was rescued from
death and disfigurement by dying millionaire Wilton Knight who
bequeathed the cop his name (Michael Knight), a plastic face,
tight jeans, a mission to protect world peace and . . . a supercar
that could talk! The Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT).
Basically a black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am with optional extras
from hell, such as a cruising speed of 300mph, more armaments than
most third world countries and the ability to jump 50 feet into
the air.
The speed of the car was incredible - every time there was an
internal shot the car was always accelerating! The bloody thing
never seemed to reach maximum speed . . . and like every American
TV show ever, the tyres would screech on dirt roads.
The best part was that the car could speak and had it's own
(somewhat truculent) personality. Although the car was completely
obnoxious it was fiercely protective of old plastic face and would
drive though anything to protect him.
Universal obtained prototypes of the vehicle from GM in order
to boost publicity before its release. Later, GM requested that
Universal no longer referred to the car as a Trans AM due to an
overwhelming number of customers waiting to buy the "Knight
Rider" version of the car.
As luck would have it, the wealthy industrialist Knight also
left Hasselhoff a fortune to finance the Foundation for Law And
Government (FLAG) mission along with a mansion HQ and a loyal
underling, Devon.
Car maintenance was provided by Bonnie Barstow, April Curtis
and black homeboy, Reginald Cornelius III - or RC3.
The show had 4 successful seasons on NBC, and became an
international hit (the title translated as "Super Car"
in some countries. Emmy-Award winning actor William Daniels gave
KITT his voice.
Though the gimmick of the series was the car, much of the
show's appeal was due to Hasselhoff. The tall, handsome former
soap-opera star joked and kidded with his computerised car, and
his tight jeans, wavy hair and laid-back style made women melt.
Hasselhoff was admitted to hospital in October 2007 to
be treated for alcoholism, four months after a judge ordered him not to
drink alcohol as part of a custody dispute with his ex-wife, Pamela
Beach.
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