Reilly2040's Blog

Well, this week’s episode formally started the new “reboot” of the Knight Rider series into something closer to the original 80′s series.   Although not obvious from this episode itself, this is part 1 of a 3-part story which will shake up the status quo.

The first change is the new opening which I’ve linked to above.   To be honest, I’m pretty ambivalent on it.  A lot of it feels like it cuts around too quickly to me, and there are a lot of shots that are obviously tacked in and will presumably change as main cast members exit over the course of the next few episodes.

The build up to this transition also started in last week’s episode I felt.  Aside from the conversation between Billy and Zoey, which was about as subtle as Brian Blessed (“KARR Lives!!!!!!”), we also had a much more shadey Torres (something we’ve been expecting going by the videos linked to in his Knight Industries profile).   To be honest, its been a bit of an issue I’ve had with this plot arc.   Torres seems to be a shadey character, hiding Mike’s past from him, involved with KARR etc, however in many of the episodes he’s a friendly member of the team.  I’d have preferred to see him more stand-offish from the beginning if he’s truely using the team for his larger gameplan (of course, he may not be, we’ll find out in a couple of weeks).

And talking of KARR, we’re seeing more footage of him in the various trailers.   The newest being here:

I’m really impressed.  The CGI looks very detailed, and its obvious a lot of time and money have gone into making KARR look good.   If you watch carefully (and the HD version will probably help), you can see he’s got a yellow scanner bar at the top of his head, so its nice to see that confirmed

Overall, I’m still enjoying this series and I’m optimistic about the new direction.  The cast’s always felt a bit big, and Bruce Davison’s Graiman has been criminally wasted in this show.  We’re seeing a lot more building of the relationship between KITT and Mike in the newer episodes, and the production team have been promising more action with KITT which we saw with the return of Turbo Boost this week, and the classic Ski Mode is due for a comeback as well.  These were pretty much at the core of the appeal of the original series, so should boost this new series as well.

There’s a good interview with Gary Scott Thompson regarding the show’s future here on Knight Rider Online.  Well worth a look, and I found it interesting and candid.  I liked his point about how Knight Rider appeals strongly the male demographic, which gives it an advantage.   Hopefully if the KARR episodes and the reboot can give the ratings a bit of a boost, we may still get a second series.

With Knight Rider on a break till the end of the month (and it being quite slow comics-wise at the moment for me), I figured its a good opportunity to weigh-in on the show so far.

The show’s got a lot going for it. In these days of dark and gritty remakes, thanks to the success of Battlestar Galactica, Gary Scott Thompson has chosen to turn his back on the norm, and instead try to recapture the spirit of the original, and aim for his show to primarily be fun.

Its a move I’m whole-heartedly in favour of. As Bionic Woman proved, dark-and-gritty isn’t necessarily a blank cheque and can backfire horribly (and in truth, I tend to find even Galactica a bit hard going at times). Doctor Who is currently enjoying huge success by being a fun, family-focused show, and that’s the same feel I think Knight Rider should be aiming for.

Which is not to say that either is an easy line to tread. While Bionic Woman didn’t take off, going down the fun route can also go wrong. There’s a danger of pushing it too far and being seen as too silly for a start. Something that Knight Rider’s so far avoided I’d say, although some of the technology being used has required a blind eye (although its nothing worse than some of the things the original KITT would do back in the day).

The cast seems to have settled in well.  The only exception I’d really make is Sydney Poitier’s Carrie Rivai, who’s role in the show has been taken over by Torres (FBI liason to Knight Research).  As a result, she’s not really had much to do in the episodes so far.  Even Billy and Zoe, who I originally wasn’t too keen on have grown on me and I quite enjoy their interplay now.

The arc plot regarding Mike’s past has been a bit of a mixed bag.  I like the mystery and the way that both Graiman and Torres seem to be in on it, and the hints that Mike has met KARR before.   However in some of the earlier episodes a nod to it seemed to be chucked in at the last minute with the villain suddenly remembering meeting Mike before (just before he himself dies).   There’s also the issue with Mike having to fake his own death and change his identity (becoming Michael Knight), and yet the next episode he’s looking up old friends.   There needs to be a bit more consistency regarding Mike’s need to change his identity.

I’m really liking the new KITT.  While the Mustang was a controversial choice for the new car, I’m a fan of its looks.   I’m not a huge fan of the attack mode (as I’ve said previously), but its been used sparingly in the show, so it doesn’t bother me that much.  I’m really enjoying the scenes where we see KITT bonding with the other members of the team, be it watching westerns with Mike, or helping Billy and Zoe spy on Mike and Sarah.

The big fan-excitement at the moment is, of course, coming from the KARR plotline.  He’s first mentioned in Knight of the Living Dead as the reason Graiman secretly built a self-destruct into KITT, and when KITT finds some details on KARR, Mike finds them familiar.   Its caused excitement and complaints in equal measure (as is the norm with fandoms), but I’m in the excited camp.  Granted, while this looks like it may not be the original KARR is a bit of a dissappointment, there’s still the chance that he’ll turn out to be the original CPU in a new body.   His appearance as some kind of warbot hasn’t proven popular, but looking at the pictures on the Knight Research website, I’m wondering if he’ll actually take the form of a Mustang that will transform into the warbot.  Personally speaking, I’ll be perfectly happy if that’s the case.  Otherwise they’d be losing the “evil doppleganger” element that made KARR so popular in the original series.

If I had to make a change to the tone of the show, it would definitely be to tone down the T&A.  Some episodes have suffered a lot worse than others, but the over-long shots lingering on women in bikinis seem to be at odds with what should otherwise be a fun family show.

Of course, the word has come down that NBC have now quietly cut the number of episodes this season, with the season now running to only 17 episodes instead of 22.  Its not a good sign, especially when combined with the flagging ratings following the week off at Halloween.   It’ll be a real shame if this show dies off now.  I’m really enjoying it, and the tweaks to make it more like the original sound promising.  I just worry that they may be coming too late in the game.

What I would be tempted to do, is a heavy advertising campaign focusing on the return of KARR.  If it is the same CPU as the original (something that’s in doubt, granted), then some ads featuring clips of KARR from the original show teasing his return in the new show could work as a ratings grab.   Not to mention, that if the door’s still open for Hasslehoff to return, now’s the time.  Although with the number of episodes cut, I don’t know if that window’s passed.

I’ve been really enjoying the new series of Knight Rider so far. While the first couple of episodes were perhaps a bit formulaic, over the last two or three, it really seems to have found its footing, and they’ve been really solid, enjoyable stories. Granted, last week’s Halloween episode could’ve done with a bit more KITT-action, but the teases about KARR were more than enough to make up for that.

However, the big news this week is the leak of cast changes, following a two-part story over episodes 10 and 11. This is interesting, as previously it looked like episodes 12 and 13 would be the KARR 2-parter. I wonder if those plans have changed, or if its just a mistake in the story.

However, the affected characters are Graiman, Carrie and Torres. To be honest, I’ve felt Graiman and Carrie have struggled so far int he series, and haven’t had an awful lot to do. Torres has received more focus, but then he basically nicked Carrie’s role as the FBI liason. I’ll be sorry to lose Graiman though. I like Bruce Davidson as an actor, and he filled the older, mentor slot in the show’s cast nicely (Devon for the new series if you like). Its telling that both FBI characters are leaving, and with the show being said to be getting away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula, and focusing more on Mike and KITT helping the everyman (more in line with the original show), it seems obvious that the fallout from the KARR storyline will have Knight Research severing its official ties with the Government.

I can’t help but think this may be a good thing though. If only because there has been the danger of the episodes becoming a bit formulaic over the start of the season. There seems to have been an awful lot of state-of-the-art weapons smuggling going on that the FBI were powerless to do anything about for some reason.

I am sorry to lose Graiman though. It does slant the cast younger, and I presume this is to appeal more to their target demographic. And of course, while I do like the idea of the character, as I say, it doesn’t feel like he’s had a lot to do this season so far.  I do hope that in amongst these changes though, they address some of the forced humour between Zoey and Billy.  While I wouldn’t necessarily want to lose either character, giving them a bit more depth wouldn’t hurt either.

Regarding KARR, well going from the revelations in Knight of the Living Dead, I’m still waiting to see how this plays out.  Its not been explicitly said that this new KARR doesn’t use the original’s CPU, although it is looking like a new prototype borrowing the name of the original.  Of course, given that Graiman was supposed to have been key to the original KITT’s development (and so you presume the original KARR’s as well), it does leave him looking like a bit of an idiot that he gave both prototypes not only the same name, but also the same dodgy programming that resulted in them going a bit evil.

Well, in news that seems to be shocking most of the industry, Knight Rider has received a full season order.

This is great news.  As I’ve said many times here, I’m enjoying the new series, so its good to see it getting a good chance to prove itself, especially with the fluctuating ratings, and general feeling in the industry that it would be up for the chop.   We do know that the studio had ordered four more scripts the other week, so presumably they liked what they saw.

KARR’s return (if true) should help give the show a boost as well.  Lots of trailers with clips from KITT vs KARR and Trust Doesn’t Rust to play up the return of the evil KITT should help with the general viewing public.

Some interesting developments in the new series of Knight Rider this week. Despite ratings that have been slightly concerning, the studio’s ordered 4 more scripts. A good sign. And this week’s episode had a big spike in the ratings, which is also positive.  The show’s been performing well in its target demographic apparently, so that’s good news.

But most interestingly are the rumours that KARR will be involved in episode 12. His still-active CPU at the end of KITT vs KARR has been dangling plot thread for over 20 years. Is it about to be resolved? I certainly hope so. KARR’s always been a fan-favourite, and if he is being brought back, some heavy advertising should help give the show a boost mid-season.

Now if they can just sort out getting the Hoff and William Daniels back for a couple of episodes (heck, go for broke and tie them into the KARR storyline).

I really enjoyed this week’s episode as well. While the show still has its faults (largely for me, the Billy and Zoey “banter”, which comes across painfully forced) I’m enjoying it as a good, lightweight action show. This week’s ticking timebomb plot of Mike being poisoned rattled along well and while I can’t put my finger on anything specific, this week’s episode really felt like the best yet out of the 4 that aired. Here’s hoping the show settles in over the course of its run and goes from strength to strength. I’d love it to find its feet, and get a second season.

Its always nice when music videos reference old shows I love, so here’s the video to No More Kings’ Michael (Jump In) which is a nice treat for us fans of classic Knight Rider

Well, we’re now two episodes into the first series of the new Knight Rider, and so far I’ve been enjoying it a lot.

The second episode was probably the stronger of the two so far. The first serving more to setup the arc-plot regarding Mike’s past in black ops and, of course, explain his name change to Michael Knight. This allowed the second a bit more free reign as an adventure of the week type story to throw in some nice character moments (loved the scenes with Mike and KITT watching the western) with the first episode having set things up.

Both episodes have been high on the action quota, and the second especially harked back nicely to the feel of the original series, with Mike travelling to a remote town, getting involved in street races and, as I mentioned, some nice building in the friendship between Mike and KITT.

Its also interesting to note some of the changes Gary Scott Thompson’s brought in. The “KITT cave” makes a lot of sense for the scale of the operation (realistically one engineer maintaining KITT in the back of a truck isn’t likely) although the humour from the supporting techs is sometimes forced. The arc plot with Mike’s past is welcome, and much in the style of Doctor Who, seems to be something being drip-fed into episodes for the regular viewers, while the episodes themselves remain stand-alone, probably building up to some revelations in the finale.

The changes to KITT are a bit of a mixed bag. I definitely appreciate the reasons they changes KITT’s attack mode. In the pilot, it wasn’t instantly obvious which car you were looking at in a particular scene without checking closely (the spoiler usually being the quickest give-away), and there’s no doubt this is a more aggressive-looking attack mode. However I prefer the sportier lines of KITT in his regular mode, and the blue underlighting (forming the Knight Research logo) is really just a bit over-the-top. However the good news is that the attack mode is also being used quite sparingly so far, with the Shelby remaining the main “hero” car of the piece which I definitely like.

I do miss the iPhone-inspired screen from the pilot, but the new HUD works well. Although there have been a couple of times when Mike’s been driving and its clearly obscuring his view of the road. It perhaps needs to be more obvious that KITT’s driving while Mike’s using the screen (safety first ). KITT’s new vocaliser (for want of a better term) seems a little busy to me, but I do love how they’ve included the three bars from the original series in it.

How the series fairs in the modern age of networks being quick off the mark to cancel shows remains to be seen, but, while its still finding its feet, Knight Rider strikes me as filling a gap in the market with some good “switch your brain off and enjoy the ride” action.

With Season 1 of Knight Rider due to start in about a month, there’s a load of new trailers appearing online.   Here we get a tease about turbo boost:

But, while we don’t get to see a lot, there’s a sense of fun in thisclip that hits the mark for me

So, the San Diego ComicCon brought a tonne of news over the weekend. The big news from the Knight Rider TV show, aside from the sneak peak posted earlier, was the official reveal of the new attack KITT.

Replacing the attack mode from the 2-hour TV movie, Gary Scott Thompson’s quoted as saying he felt the original looked too similar to the regular-mode KITT (something I can kind of agree with. I know that during the pilot, I had to keep checking for the spoiler to tell the difference in some scenes). He also felt that the attack mode needed to look more aggressive and threatening. Which there’s no doubt this certainly does.

I’m still undecided though.  I really don’t like the big vents on the bonnet (although I appreciate that they’re there for a practical purpose).   Its a bit too fast-and-the-furious for me, whereas the fanboy in me cries out for a KITT that looks sleek.  Certainly, anyone that was still struggling to accept the Mustang is really going to be bothered by this I suspect.

I do get a really good vibe from the 1 minute preview though.  For me, the tone came off well, and it felt suitably action-packed.  Mike adopting the Michael Knight name is a good move as well.  While I liked the iPhone inspired main screen for KITT in the pilot, the new windshield display does look cool.  Unsure about KITTs new vocaliser, but I do like how its more of a tribute to the classic three bars the original KITT had.

Slightly baffled by the repeat of the “are you a homosexual” joke however.  It wasn’t particularly funny the first time, and it seems odd to directly lift some dialogue from the pilot like that.   I wonder if it’ll make the final cut of the episode…

Only last thing I will comment on is the blue neon lighting under the attack mode KITT.  In the States it may be cool, but over here, its generally associated with muppets who’ve got a stereo more expensive than the rest of the car, and drive like complete idiots.

Not to mention, excessive neon lighting on cars gives me Joel Shumaker Batmobile flashbacks.

NBC have posted a new one minute sneak peak of Knight Rider season 1.

Looks like its going to have a lot more action than the pilot, and KITT’s going to have a lot more gadgets.

Interesting how much KITT’s been redesigned though. New dash (pity, as I liked the one in the pilot) and the transformation effects are completely reworked.