Victor Kros wrote:Knight94 wrote:IF KR08 is cancelled, and that is a big "IF", it's partially because of those who crapped all over it, wanting it
cancelled. Some said it's cuz it's not the original, that ONLY the ORIGINAL will do. Some because they hate
KR anyway. Either way, they wanted to take it away from those of us who do like it and wanna see it stay.
I personally hope it's just the end of the season, not the series. Those of you who keep hating on it, don't
watch. Change the channel a'ready.
I disagree with you compeltely. Your statement makes absolutely no sense considering that Knight Rider has FAILED TO HOLD SUSTAINED RATINGS, NBC doesn't care whether you support the show or not or even if you like or hate it, all it cares about is the RATINGS and obviously no matter what excuses people keep trying to invent for its lack of direction, story development, design, character development, promotion, etc. the bottom line is that not enough people are watching it and that is why it's in danger of getting placed on the chopping block.
Changing the channel because "you don't like it" kills your ratings and in broadcast that equals failure.
Your support doesn't matter and it doesn't make a difference to the studio brass who don't even get what Knight Rider is about. They have to "get it", they have to understand that ratings
is not the measuring stick to what makes a successful show.
The fans DO matter and they SHOULD make a difference. Here we are telling them everything that would keep us watching. We give them free advice better than any focus group on what we like to see and what we don't like to see and apparently that doesn't matter because the episodes are shot so rapid fire that when they try to change things, it's already too late and they've blown through half their budget!
They have to accept that if they want a #1 show, they need to create a #1 show and give a #1 show the budget it needs to have a lasting run. Clearly with its third attempt at "rebooting" itself, this series has finally reached potential enough to sustain an audience and win over some new followers but it is not where it needs to be to go four seasons. The fact it has to "hope" it can get a second season speaks to its lack of lasting potential.
Those are the key words "lasting potential". Make a show that is designed TO LAST, not just to peddle a car or some other product. Don't design a show that is meant to rely on slang or just sex appeal.
If it were planned better
from the start, it wouldn't have this issue now and it would have had enough money left to turn things around. Now it's plagued with people trying to save a sinking ship that has been patched together more than once. The result is we get episode inconsistancies which distract from our ability to follow along with the story for the week. Jumbling up episode orders is always a risky venture but when you have no other choice...at least you try to turn things around and I commend them for the effort.
The blame doesn't lie with the fans whether you're an advocate of preserving the respect of TOS or if you don't care about the original mythology and just go along for the ride with this "new mythology" -
the blame lies with NBC's lack of respect or care to make a #1 show with lackluster planning, sloppy writing, and frivilous spending FROM THE START.
They value
product placement over substance. Knight Rider is a show where YOU NEED TO WRECK CARS at some point, the whole appeal of Knight Rider aside from "One Man Can Make a Difference" (which is now a team apparently) is seeing this super advanced car take a beating and keep on ticking. Turbo Boost should not be the stunt of the week, it should be the norm with KITT. It's one function that is unique to K.I.T.T. alone (and you could debate KARR). Ski Mode, grappling hook, crashing through solid objects...these were all a given in the original series for one general purpose, to make us believe that KITT was virtually indestructable and unique.
So please stop playing the "all the haters, all the people who hate the show, all the original TOS who watch things through rose tinted glasses are the reason this series is getting cancelled" card and really
do some credible research instead of creating yet another thread of unecessary whining.
I'm really exhausted with reading posts where people keep pointing fingers at "haters" and original series fans as if we're the downfall of the great new Knight Rider utopia. Face the fact that some people like this show and some people do not.
That's our god given right as viewers to decide what we find "good" and what we think "sucks". It's our right to say what works and what doesn't work. You can't police people's objective views because you happen to watch the series with the perspective that it's figuratively the best thing since sliced bread. If you like the show great but respect the opinions of those who choose not to.
Stop pointing fingers at other viewers and point them at THE STUDIO.
Our opinions don't matter when they're using focus groups that know nothing about Knight Rider to begin with. Unless NBC is going back to Comic Con or promoting that
they want to know what you think about the series - you're just numbers to them. If you were anything more, they would be blitzing fans with merchandise, with hot wheels cars, with everything you as fans ask them to give you in order to keep your attention focused on their series. NBC would be running commercials consistantly and marketing Knight Rider as agressively as they started. I mean they even had a standee in a movie theater! They went that tenacious with their marketing campaign...
Then what happened? All that promotion, all those billboards just disappeared and if that's not a clear sign of the studio having their doubts, I really don't know what is.
Where are the t-shirts, where is the merchandise? Short of a few choice tradeshows...you get NOTHING.
They don't have the budget right? Yet look how much they've invested in Heroes merchandise which is now collecting dust on the clearance isles of Toys R Us, while Shelby GT500KRs are flying off the shelves.
Here's an idea! Stop making crappy merchandise for shows that aren't pulling their weight and start putting money into what people ASK FOR. It's the old saying - GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.
Start off small to test the market if need be but really...do SOMETHING. Clearly it is a well known fact that toys of the original KITT sell like hot cakes. Ebay is littered with people clammering to get Knight Rider merchandise from t-shirts to posters to signed photos and KITT cars. The Joyride KITT was so sought after, they had to do a second release just to meet demand!
You Knight Rider 08 fans want to make a difference and keep Knight Rider on the air?
Tell people to keep watching it...even if they hate it. To NBC all that is going to matter is the ratings.
Not your letters of support, not your passion, not you opinions, not your advice.
ratings.
If Knight Rider gets renewed in NBC's eyes, it's not because anyone made a difference to them, it is not because they have a "good show", it will be because it's the best of the worst. They would rather renew an existing series with an established questionable fan base than take a chance on a new set of pilots that may not go anywhere.
If it's renewed, no matter the reason for fans its a sign of victory and hope. It will however be an uphill battle to keep Knight Rider on the air and the only way this is going to work is if they learn from their mistakes with the first season and write a stronger and more cohesive story arc. They need to focus on what works, not what is "cool" or "trendy" - what makes the episode work and what keeps people watching them.
Drop the reliance on modern trends, drop the reliance on CG, and make a show that is created in a more cost efficient manner that makes the story stronger, then worry about the effects. This is what made Knight Rider work...stories with HEART as well as action. It's not just about the gimmicks, it's about using KITT's technology to progress the story, not just to show off a new feature or to flash some product placement moment.
Mroe driving, more car action, more visually kinetic moments. I swear you look at this last episode with the "claw" crusher right? Notice how KITT doesn't even move and it's the slowest "claw" in the history of on screen car crushing moments...now you compare that to
Not a Drop to Drink when KITT and Michael are facing the backhoe.
Of course the backhoe doesn't touch KITT just like the claw but you know what the difference is? MOVEMENT. KITT races around avoiding the backhoe as it slams down back and forth --- this worked wonderful for the KITT vs KARRE fight when KITT was avoiding KARR's powerful arms --- but in this episode it was so slow and anti-climatic that you just lose interest. A laser and some sparks its going to cut it when it's the climax of the episode and therefore should be the most exciting. At the end of the day Knight Rider is a show about a CAR and what the CAR CAN DO, how the CAR MOVES, how the CAR LOOKS IN MOTION. KITT isn't supposed to just sit there like a stone and helplessly face danger, he's supposed to take on all on challenges head on providing it doesn't jeapordize Michael's life.
Look back at the climatic moments of Knight Rider like
Buy Out or even
Hills of Fire and
Out of the Woods. Even
Circus Knights which was not the best episode (pretty much a rehash of Slamming Sammy's Stunt Show Spectacular) had some of the best stunt work in the season. KITT jumped through fire, he used Ski Mode, he took on a clown car with a friggin flamethrower and all in ONE EPISODE. These are the intense moments you want to see again and again and these are what is missing from this series now.
Whoever happens to make Season 2 of 08 needs to go back to the basics and watch Season Two of the original series because it is the one season of Knight Rider's entire four season run that has the most episodes that are for the most part not only watchable in a single season but also rewatchable...the rewatch value is key.
By Season Two, Knight Rider found its footing to warrent an oustanding Third Season and if the new Knight Rider can just understand what works and ditch what doesn't work, it has a shot of sticking around for awhile.
You're free to disagree with me but as far as I'm concerned this die has been cast, we'll see what the outcome is.
=VK=
is not there then I will believe it. Until then I am believing that the show is still on. I am not out to ruffle any feathers here in my first post here but, I am just tired reading that the show is cancelled when no one really knows that. Here is hope and keeping the faith that this Knight Rider will be back and better then ever. Thanks and take care,
