Knight Rider 2008: The Thread

[Neto Magnus]

Just saw the pilot. It had some good ideas but it just felt like watching a rip off of the original series rather than a remake/sequel/homage. I want to give this show a chance but I doubt it. Val Kilmer as KITT was good though.

I miss the Trans AM.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

It was okay as a stand alone TV movie but I just don't see the appeal as an ongoing series, Val as KITT is okay but not enough scenes to show off the gadgets and not a single turbo boost.

I was flipping channels between Family Guy and KR so I wasn't extremely bored, there was a hint of the classic theme at the end but then it faded to black.

The original series had some great episodes with KARR, Garth Knight and Goliath but a few eps were just Michael and KITT going after petty jewel thieves or evil corporate drug bosses, I don't see how a new series could incorporate something new.

 

[Neto Magnus]

It was okay as a stand alone TV movie but I just don't see the appeal as an ongoing series, Val as KITT is okay but not enough scenes to show off the gadgets and not a single turbo boost.

I was flipping channels between Family Guy and KR so I wasn't extremely bored, there was a hint of the classic theme at the end but then it faded to black.

The original series had some great episodes with KARR, Garth Knight and Goliath but a few eps were just Michael and KITT going after petty jewel thieves or evil corporate drug bosses, I don't see how a new series could incorporate something new.

omg, they butchered the theme song.

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Hopefully the rumored theatrical remake of Knight Rider brings back the Trans Am.

 

[M.O.Steel]

Hopefully the rumored theatrical remake of Knight Rider brings back the Trans Am.

I don't know. It would be cool to see it as a "cameo", but the remake should have a new car also.

 

[Neto Magnus]

I thought this series replaces the movie?

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

I don't know. It would be cool to see it as a "cameo", but the remake should have a new car also.

But Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes Of Hazzard as horrible as they were remained faithful to the vehicles of the shows.

 

[Neto Magnus]

well of course teh new KITT should be a new car. But in '82 they introduced a whole new Trans Am that no one ever saw before, hence making KITT look more futuristic. The KITT now is a mustang thats been around for a few yrs.

 

[Kenny Eugene McCall]

The perfect line-up for Mondays on NBC next season would be:

8:00pm - Heroes

9:00pm - Knight Rider

10:00pm - Las Vegas

Seriously!

 

[M.O.Steel]

But Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes Of Hazzard as horrible as they were remained faithful to the vehicles of the shows.

WHile you have a good point there, the idea of teh car is supposed to be futuristic, whereas the cars in those movies are not really integral to the story so having a retro car still works. However, KITT is supposed to be the symbol of future car technology, i'm not sure if a retro-car would fit in the story (but i'm not shunting the idea completely). like the poster said, even having a mustang is too old already, but you can let that slide.

Similar to this is batman. If you have a story set in today's time, you can't really have the batmobile from the Adam West era, right? The car is a future version of the current state of automobiles. Same with KITT, it's the future of car technology, and an even better example would have been teh concept car of the camero if bumblebee hadn't taken it yet.

 

[BlackLantern]

The perfect line-up for Mondays on NBC next season would be:

8:00pm - Heroes

9:00pm - Knight Rider

10:00pm - Las Vegas

Seriously!

I like Las Vegas on Friday nights....if anything it should be moved up to the 9 oclock spot

 

[Stealth_Prime]

Watched the movie last night; didn't quite excite me as much as the earlier series. (I watched the DVDs of the Michael Knight-Devon Miles era in order and then followed by that short lived series TKR) and honestly I wasn't too interested with the Mustang.

Very common.

the only difference is that they souped it up (it totally lacked a distinct personality)

.....I agree with the earlier posts where the first appearance of K.I.T.T. was supposed to be the most cutting edge of technology--That show really set the trend for the brand of Pontiacs and that's what made it so popular to everyone.

I'm okay with other cars; heck I was hoping they would have used a Ferrari again like they did for KRO; it had something going for it.....

but this time? I won't lie; it hasn't grown on me yet.

 

[The Caped Knight]

The Hoff with the new K.I.T.T.

 

[Rocker22]

Haha, good one.

 

[dark_b]

Yes, it's a sequel, but it isn't the same computer. This is the Knight Industries Three Thousand. KITT on the original series was the Knight Industries Two Thunsand. So it makes complete sense that they didn't use another 1982 Trans-Am.

I think it's obvious that they can use the 1982 Trans-Am if the 2000 cameos later on, because they had two or three 1982 TAs in Graiman's garage at the beginning of the movie.

Since the car is no longer in production, I don't think GM really has any say in the matter. It's not like they'd have to provide them for the show.

And as for the story that William Daniels wouldn't want to return.... where'd that story come from? As a KR fan, I'd heard nothing like this, ever. Daniels wasn't approached because they never planned on using him for the 3000.

If Daniels returned for KR2000 and appeared on the Simpsons as KITT (several seasons ago, the very late 90s, I believe), I don't think he's got anything against the character or the show.

easie there.

i meant its sad that the old KITT and new KITT wont talk to eachother.

 

[ultimatefan]

But Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes Of Hazzard as horrible as they were remained faithful to the vehicles of the shows.

Both these versions were tongue-in-cheek and kinda self-parodic, and they had no intention of selling toys, which is part of the deal with KR.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I still think they should've gone with the new Camaro. It's a concept car, so it's automatically more unusual than the Mustang, and it's much sleeker and better-looking to boot.

Still, I didn't mind the similarities to the original show. To those who didn't like it: what exactly did you want to see done differently? If it had been too drastically different, people would've slammed it for not capturing the spirit of the original show. As it is, I think they've paid their necessary homages to the original show, set up a similar status quo for the current KR crew, and could easily move forward into a pretty solid TV series that is reminiscent of the original KR while updating it for the present.

Regarding the usually boring stand-alone episodes where KITT and Michael rounded up jewel thieves or whatever, they're something of a standard for TV shows, even today. That said, there is more freedom now for most showrunners to pursue more intricate, season-long arcs. Hopefully, if there is a new series (and ratings on the movie would seem to indicate there will be), the people behind it will take a look at other wildly successful sci fi shows of today and realize that long-running arcs and consistent character development are the keys to a good show and shoot for those.

Oh, unrelated to all that, I downloaded the pilot movie of the first Knight Rider series, Knight Rider 2000, Knight Rider 2010, and the first and last episodes of Team Knight Rider. I'm gonna make a Knight Rider marathon for myself and see the various incarnations, up to and including the new TV movie.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

So why didn't NBC just order 13 episodes of this show. It's obviously a setup for a new series, that, now given it's ratings success, will premiere in the fall, why not just run with it.

That said, thought the show/movie was okay, didn't really wow or grab me. I do like that it's technically a sequel, not a remake/reimaging. If it was a series I'd probably only watch it if there wasn't anything else on. They really needed to make KITT cooler, I remember watching the original as a kid and thinking KITT as such a cool car, this new KITT wasn't nearly as cool, wow, he can change color and is bulletproof, big deal, he needs more features.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It costs money to produce 13 episodes. They probably wanted to be sure people would be interested this time after getting burned on the new Bionic Woman series.

Personally, I thought the fact that KITT could become an immovable object at the end was pretty cool. And, really, the banter between Mike and KITT would be what makes a series watchable for me. We didn't get much of that in the movie, but if KITT is as self-assured in the series as he was in the movie, I think the banter could be pretty entertaining.

 

[BlackLantern]

and another note, Knight Rider did make use of contemporary and popular music during its run in the eighties so for all of you out there who have an issue with popular music.....Learn to deal with it....or go back to your basement and listen to 'Octopus Nation' or whatever indy band is popular this week

 

[ROBOCOP CPU001]

loved it, and i really hope a series is produced.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I didn't have an issue with the popular music. I've learned to just tune pop music out when I hear it usually.

I was a bit disappointed that the theme music was butchered. That's about it.

 

[BlackLantern]

just a modern twist on the new theme....I liked it...I understand lots of people on here have disdain for anything popular or mainstream, like it makes you cooler than you are...

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Sounds like you have more of a chip on your shoulder for people who don't like things you perceive as mainstream, to be honest.

Anyway, I just didn't think the new theme sounded very good. It was a dilution of one of the greatest TV themes of all time, and dilution is never good. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't as good as the original theme.

 

[BlackLantern]

I'm not saying the original theme was any less because it is fantastic, but its basically a synthesizer....How could anyone expect it NOT to be changed??