Second Season...?

[David Whiteheart]

Have we heard if their is a second season since almost a third of the cast is going to be killed off before the first season ends? And if so will Hasselhoff return and take over where Dr. Graiman left off? Or is it still too early to tell? Just curious.

[PHOENIXZERO]

They're already taken care of almost half the cast so I doubt we'd see anymore cuts but it's way too early to tell if the show is going to make it to a second season. I think the ratings would have to improve more for it to have a chance. It might be number one or two in male demos but that's simply not enough on broadcast television, especially these days.

[scottab21]

I hope it survives, this show really grew on me...

[Mr.Marcus]

Nothing has been confirmed. What we do know are the following:
1) NBC committed to a full season and then changed their minds and reduced the episode order
2) 3 Cast members have been let go
3) The series has been "rebooted" twice now before its finished its freshman season. Once after the pilot movie last year and again within the last few months.
4) The ratings powerhouse american idol is back and cuts into KR's timeslot.

Do the math.

I think the show lost its identity before they even brought it to screen. Times have changed and you can't put forth a show today without a strong female lead who kicks butt like a man as opposed to being the damsel in distress and male leads who are sensitive and emasculated. As Dirk Benedict who played Faceman on the A-Team astutely pointed out in an interview, "The feminization of TV today is complete. Male characters talk and act the way women want guys to talk and act." Back in the 80s on shows like Magnum, Knight Rider, A-Team the male leads were broody and a relationship with a girl was superficial and lasted an episode or two. The whole Michael/Sarah romance and the angst brought on by his memory loss and their past relationship next to the Zoe being too sexual for Billy to handle are feminine ideals that's better reserved as story lines for 90210. Guys don't want to see that in a show that's targeted specifically for them. We want to see Michael and KITT on the road kicking butt, having girls swoon as opposed to being nervous around females, saving the day, and driving off into the sunset. Not dealing with the angst behind Sarah moving on and the awkwardness that exists and then talking to KITT about those feelings! Barf!

This is compounded by the fact that most girls don't tune into KR since its a traditionally male show and something like gossip girl is more appealing to them. So this show never caught on with its target audience or with anyone else for that matter. It was too feminine for the male audience and not feminine enough to capture the female demographic. Plus it wasn't engaging enough from the start. Too many characters and bad writing which didn't focus the show where it should have been, on Michael and KITT.

[Lynda414]

I have to disagree on the what you say is the feminization of Knight Rider. The main female characters are too weak to appeal to a female audience. Sarah acts like a 13 year old girl, and is nearly helpless in a crisis. All Zoe seems to care about is being crazy and sex. They certainly don't appeal to me.

I believe that the point of them was just for alternating eye candy designed to appeal to males more. They tried to pretend to make them something more to give Mike conflict, but failed.

Also, Mike is hardly emasculated or sensitive. I think his problem is just stupidity.

I know you have a beef against television in general about the feminization of TV, but it's just not on KR. They try so much to appeal to their target audience, which is male, that they went over board. I have never heard from any male fan of any other show what I have heard from the male fans of this one. That there is TOO much T&A. Seriously, when a straight guy says that, there is something wrong.

Oh, and not every girl likes Gossip Girls, have you seen how many members of the KRO community are female? And it's not just because of Sarah and Zoe.

Bah, I am going to end here or I will be at this all night.

[David Whiteheart]

Nothing has been confirmed. What we do know are the following:
1) NBC committed to a full season and then changed their minds and reduced the episode order
2) 3 Cast members have been let go
3) The series has been "rebooted" twice now before its finished its freshman season. Once after the pilot movie last year and again within the last few months.
4) The ratings powerhouse american idol is back and cuts into KR's timeslot.

Do the math.

I think the show lost its identity before they even brought it to screen. Times have changed and you can't put forth a show today without a strong female lead who kicks butt like a man as opposed to being the damsel in distress and male leads who are sensitive and emasculated. As Dirk Benedict who played Faceman on the A-Team astutely pointed out in an interview, "The feminization of TV today is complete. Male characters talk and act the way women want guys to talk and act." Back in the 80s on shows like Magnum, Knight Rider, A-Team the male leads were broody and a relationship with a girl was superficial and lasted an episode or two. The whole Michael/Sarah romance and the angst brought on by his memory loss and their past relationship next to the Zoe being too sexual for Billy to handle are feminine ideals that's better reserved as story lines for 90210. Guys don't want to see that in a show that's targeted specifically for them. We want to see Michael and KITT on the road kicking butt, having girls swoon as opposed to being nervous around females, saving the day, and driving off into the sunset. Not dealing with the angst behind Sarah moving on and the awkwardness that exists and then talking to KITT about those feelings! Barf!

This is compounded by the fact that most girls don't tune into KR since its a traditionally male show and something like gossip girl is more appealing to them. So this show never caught on with its target audience or with anyone else for that matter. It was too feminine for the male audience and not feminine enough to capture the female demographic. Plus it wasn't engaging enough from the start. Too many characters and bad writing which didn't focus the show where it should have been, on Michael and KITT.

So you're saying that American Idiot is the equvalient to KARR? So it's going to beat the sheet metal off of KITT's ratings and is going to kill off the only thing besides Fox News and 24 worth watching on TV? Is there anyway to get Stephens revived to terrorize the Fox ratings juggernaut of American Idiot? Just curious.

I really think KITT as a serial series like 24 is the answer to the ratings, or in syndication on USA or SciFi instead. Do you think it would survive then?

David

[Mr.Marcus]

So you're saying that American Idiot is the equvalient to KARR? So it's going to beat the sheet metal off of KITT's ratings and is going to kill off the only thing besides Fox News and 24 worth watching on TV? Is there anyway to get Stephens revived to terrorize the Fox ratings juggernaut of American Idiot? Just curious.

I really think KITT as a serial series like 24 is the answer to the ratings, or in syndication on USA or SciFi instead. Do you think it would survive then?

David

I'm not sure KR in its purest form can survive in this social climate. Gender roles are merged. Its not about the brooding hero and the superficial damsel in distress anymore. At its core KR is about a guy and his high tech car who go around saving the day and getting the girl only to move on to the next mission and the next girl in the following episode. That's too sexist a concept to survive today. Today the guy has to have a deep sensitive side and the girl has to be able to beat up guys while still looking hot. This takes the machismo out of the concept. Now we have Michael talking to KITT about his feelings for Sarah. Something like that doesn't appeal to guys except for the emasculated few and that's not good for a show targeted specifically for guys. The formula does work for a show like Smallville which is targeting both males and females in the 18-49 segment or whatever it is. This isn't to say T&A is the solution since good storytelling needs to exist and sadly KR lacked this early on when the ratings mattered the most. Its only recently that the storytelling has gotten much better. Keep the storytelling, dump the Michael/Sarah angst, add a little more practical stuntwork, keep the show focused on Michael and KITT with everyone else serving solely in a limited fashion and you have a winner.

I don't think it would survive as a serial either since that's too complex for something simple like KR. No, KR only works in episodic fashion with story arcs limited to 2 episodes as opposed to the length of an entire season. It seems like they are going in this direction now but IMO its too little too late and the damage is already done.

[K.A.C.I.]

I have to disagree on a number of points, but I do agree that what you're calling the "Michael/Sarah angst" could be toned down, though I think it's an interesting concept because it gives us an aspect of a character that's more multidimensional and complex than just a macho meathead with a fancy car.

So you're saying that American Idiot is the equvalient to KARR?

American Idiot is an AWESOME song.

[Lynda414]

They really need to stop beating us over the head with their relationship. It's annoying, and KITT is spending way too much time spying on them and trying to dissect it with leading questions. Can't he get a hobby?

[Sky_Blue_Civic]

They really need to stop beating us over the head with their relationship. It's annoying, and KITT is spending way too much time spying on them and trying to dissect it with leading questions. Can't he get a hobby?

KI3T reminds me of Edward from Twilight(I only read part of the book because I was curious about why other girls liked it so much),to a certain degree.He's always watching over them...Just like how Edward does with that lead girl Bella.

[Lynda414]

They really need to stop beating us over the head with their relationship. It's annoying, and KITT is spending way too much time spying on them and trying to dissect it with leading questions. Can't he get a hobby?

KI3T reminds me of Edward from Twilight(I only read part of the book because I was curious about why other girls liked it so much),to a certain degree.He's always watching over them...Just like how Edward does with that lead girl Bella.

God, I would never have thought of comparing those two. But I can see it. They're both dead fish when it comes to personality too. KI3T even fails at playing the straight man. And they're supposed to be the deadpan ones.

But seriously. He's picking up hormone levels from rooms away. He tried to convince Billy and Zoe to make out in the front seat. Maybe he's just really lonely.