Knight Rider

[Garp]

Has anyone stuck with the new Knight Rider?

I'm just watching last weeks episode and I must admit I'm really starting to enjoy the show. Felt a bit awkward to start with but everything is pulling together quite nicely even if they do have a habit of stealing a few ideas from films (current episode is a bit of a homage to 'Speed'.) After the first few episodes they stopped trying to include lots of women in bikinis too which helped raise its respectability a few notches. The new KITT is a grower too, though it's a big pair of shoes to fill. It's a shame NBC has decided to cut this series short by a few episodes. It hasn't helped that their TV schedule for it has been a bit weird. Tivo has been helping people I'm sure for watching it, but Tivo systems don't show up on the stupidly outdated Neilson ratings system that the TV companies use.

From what I understand it should be hitting UK terrestrial soonish, preceeded by a documentary (which a former work colleague should be appearing in, complete with his own replica KITT)

[petemc]

I really couldn't stand it. It was so cheap and tacky and not in a good way.

[Mark]

Didn't even know it existed. Used to love Knight Rider too and have seen one of the original cars (in a museum in the Lake District, of all places).

Hope it does come to terrestrial. No idea where it'd go though.

[Wryel]

Originally Posted by Mark

Didn't even know it existed. Used to love Knight Rider too and have seen one of the original cars (in a museum in the Lake District, of all places).

Hope it does come to terrestrial. No idea where it'd go though.

Keswick? I went there. Went there again last year and my girlfriend wouldn't believe me it existed, and still doesn't.

[leowyatt]

I remember it being mentioned but haven't actually seen it yet. Will probably give it a go and see if it ruins one of my favourite shows.

[TinkerBell]

I haven't heard of a new one

I love Knight Rider! I always used to sit down in front of it as a kid and everytime David Hasselhoff came onto the telly I used to shout "Loooook, Daddy is on TV" LOL

[Darrin]

I have every episode in AVI. I don't get the channel it is broadcast on in this stupid apartment complex.

I am really beginning to like it. Val Kilmer I think does an EXCELLENT job as KITT.

[Wossi]

Started watching it, but got bored quite quickly. I don't think that they showed the actual pilot which told you the background of the new car and everything. Luckily I saw the pre-air episode a while before it started so knew what was going on.

[Kainz]

Colossal FAIL in the states. Iirc it was 'cancelled' or something very rapidly for having a 'terrorist of the week' formula to it. It returned a few weeks ago and is just as dull.

I've watched every eps so far and they've just butchered a classic show. Possibly the worst TV series I have ever seen to come out of the states in my mind. I stand by my initial comment that the show is "Baywatch with a Transformer"

[Garp]

Originally Posted by Kainz

Colossal FAIL in the states. Iirc it was 'cancelled' or something very rapidly for having a 'terrorist of the week' formula to it. It returned a few weeks ago and is just as dull.

Not in the slightest, it hasn't been cancelled, just this season shortened by a few episodes, along with pretty much every single major series on the channel (NBC), even the really strong ones. To broaden it's appeal it's had a slightly minor tweak to the format to bring it more towards it's predecessors style, with more of a focus on Mike and KITT. IMO they've done a good job post tweak (effective from the start of the second half of this series, starting end of December), it does feel more like the original, and they've taken the opportunity to ditch a few extraneous characters along the way.

I've watched every eps so far and they've just butchered a classic show. Possibly the worst TV series I have ever seen to come out of the states in my mind. I stand by my initial comment that the show is "Baywatch with a Transformer"

Here is something to consider. The original Knight Rider was "Baywatch Nights with a fancy talking car". It really was. Only nostalgia really adds anything significant to the original series. It always was a kids show, never anything more, an excuse for KITT to drive fast and pull off various stunts, and Mr Hasslehoff to run around like a tough guy.

So the production company decides to come along and remake what is a kids show and a bunch of adults start whinging and whining how it's not the same. Go figure. The eyes you're watching it with have the benefit of about 20 years maturity too, so they're hardly the same.
Truth is they've taken a kids show, tried to add in a bit of adult humour and stuff in it to do their best to please the nostalgia brigade, but it is still at it's heart a kids show.
This new series is, like the first, an excuse for a fancy car to pull crazy stunts, and a new Mike to run around being a tough guy. Big difference is instead of a has-been cop, you've got a former special forces army dude, e.g. someone who can actually fight and is a lot more logical for the kind of direct on-scene action Mr Hoff never really was suited for.