Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

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Skav
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Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by Skav » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:40 am

Okay, we are all fans of the original show but what is it that made you fall in love with it?

I suppose we can talk about the new one if you wish, but talks about what we like and disliked about it have already surfaced and been done.

To start with, and while controversial, let me say I find the whole "one man can make a difference" theme rather cheesy and quite annoying. Probably more so because I've heard the line more times than I can care to remember in recent years, so it's definetely not a reason for my liking of the show!

For me, though, and as a starter, it was the fact that the stunts were real! They trashed real cars, and most of the jumps and other stuff were authentic, with the exception of model shots.

I loved the partnership and banter between KITT and Michael, and the team work involving the other FLAG members - Devon and Bonnie.

Other superficial things are KITT's dash and scanner, which will forever live in on memory.

Yours?
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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by knightfever » Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:27 pm

I was 7 years old when Knight Rider aired the first time. KITT is what made me love the show originally. It was a black Trans-Am(although I didn't know what kind of car it was until "Trust Doesn't Rust" aired, and KITT said "He's going to give Trans-Am a bad reputation) that could talk, jump, ski, put out heat flares, was indestructible, had the ejection seats, so on. That was the reason I loved the show. I was 10 when SPM was added, and while I know there are a lot out there who didn't care for it, I did. It was all about the car. When it went off the air, I was a heart broken pre-teen. By the time it started going into syndication, I was 15 or 16 years old when a local Houston channel started showing it. I enjoyed watching the show again, taped it every chance I got. The thing that made me love the show to this day still happened in the second season episode "Knightmares." In one scene, when amnesiac Michael is talking to KITT about his life before the accident, KITT, when giving his impression of Michael talks about Michael's love of loud rock-n-roll, hamburgers, etc., but then says "And he's someone that I am very fond of." KITT had become more than the sum of his parts to actually form an "emotional" bond with Michael. Michael was no longer his driver, but rather his partner. This was something that was lacking in KR08. It very well could have happened had the show been allowed to continue.

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by Skav » Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:05 pm

Good post, Knight Fever! :good:
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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by roDa » Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:06 pm

It's awesome how KITT says he isn't human and that he cannot feel this and that and then he's scared as hell as in junkyard dog :lol: Definitely, KITT's humanity is a big attractive to the show. However, I think I was catched just by the "talking car", the awesome design of the Trans-am, and the cool intro. I watched it for first time in Retro (now TCM). I have to admit I have a taste for old movies and series, and just like KR, I got catched by Wonder Woman, another campy jewel haha.
Those streets have more potholes than Devon has neckties. :lol:

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by knightfever » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:53 am

Thanks Skav. This is a great thread. :D

roDa, you sited the other episode that touches the heart. It's the opposite of what was special to me in Knightmares. This time, KITT was the one in trouble, and Michael was determined, not to rebuild his car, but to help his partner through a time of trauma.

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by MJknight » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:23 am

I think I first caught wind of Knight Rider on May 5th 1992 (please don't ask me how I remember this, I still have no idea) and I just remember seeing this amazing car with Hasselhoff as it's driver. At 10 years old I didn't take much of the story in aside from seeing an action feature. I saw a little more of it in the mid 90's when ITV started rescreening it but that was when they cut episodes to shreds.

Then, in 2005 - I got a freebie DVD from the Dailystar that had an episode of Knight Rider on there which was Trust Doesn't Rust, and at that time, I could vaguely remember what the show was like and I thought why not? it's a free DVD.

Watched that episode for the first time and I was just blown away by it! For me, it had everything - cars, good stories, cool stunts, a car that could talk, think and drive itself, and it was one of those shows that everyone could enjoy without having to resort to T&A and profeinity every minute.

And after a while, KITT's dialogue would rub off onto me when such lines as "for want of a better word", "oh my goodness" or "critique the work later". OK, that last one was Michael, but it was something that became more of my vocab.

To quote David "it had heart, humour and action". And I agree - it was a show that people from different generations from 7 to 77 could enjoy and it taught the right lessons which SG started to do towards the end, but it was all too little too late by that point.

The ensemble was also a huge key factor in the show's success. David was born to play Michael Knight I, Edward Mulhare was perfectly placed as Devon Miles, he gave the show that touch of class that balanced out Michael's over zealous passion and determination. There was no one better to play Bonnie than Patricia McPherson as the cerebral no-nonsense mechanic with a heart of gold.

And William Daniels is KITT. His voice, sense of humour and chemistry with David was the biggest factor in the show's longevity and why it continues to be enjoyed today as the relationship between Michael and KITT-Prime was that of best friends.

Knight Rider has that same shelf life as Back to the Future, imo. It has something for everyone: action, adventure, mystery, romance, fantasy, sci-fi and you have a much sought after cool car that millions of fans all over the world adore.

If I were to name the episodes that defines Knight Rider it would be:
1: Race for Life
2: Scent of Roses
3: Brother's keeper
4: Blind spot
5: Knightmares
6: Knights of the fast lane
7: Final Verdict
8: Inside out
9: Junk Yard Dog
10: Short Notice

And of course the theme rings true with many fans "One Man Can Make a Differene". If it's cheesey, so be it. But for me, no cheese means no personality. And I could not imagine Knight Rider of either Generation not being cheesey.

When I started to take in and appreciate what the theme stood for, it just resonated with me how I could make changes in my life and help make a difference and others.

It is because of Knight Rider that I am the person that I am today and I am better for it, and it's what inspired me to start Knight Watch and my other shows/podcasts on Youtube.

One Show Can Make A Difference, I can't say it better than that.

Good night....from the Knight
One Man Can Make A Difference - Wilton Knight

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by james olden » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:39 am

all the stunts was real a car.i think this was the first show that a car actually talked and drove itself "although it wasnt real lol i you to think ki2t was real when i was a kid.
i remember watching knight rider since i was like 5 yr old.a few days later my fried ryan across the street had the ertl talking ki2t with michael knight actiion figure i tried to steal it from him lol.then around chrismas time my parants tried to look for that same ki2t all over town it was sold out so i just got the pedal ki2t that you sit in. anyways the next yr we went to disneyland and universal studious when we was at universal studious my pops took me over to see ki2t.i still got them pictures of me sitting inside the season 2 ki2t ima post them in a few days.
On the Quest for filling in the gaps from right after after Scent of Roses 1986- Knight Rider 2008

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by musicmaniac1965 » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:48 am

for me, it's a show from my child hood, watching together with the familly. i have, and always will like things that involves computers, cars, speed, action, and humor. and guess what? for me, the knight rider tv series has all that, and a beautifull trans am to top it off. the voice of kitt was beleavable (and even still is for me..), and from the pilot to the last episode, i liked the conversations between kitt and michael. even now, whith all those advanced computers, and superb graphics, technology hasen't come so far as we can have a nice conversation with the pc. so a lot of things what was amazing that kitt could do, has been done in real life (abs, airbags, traction controll, nitrous instead of turbo boost, improved chassis, and so on), but communication with a computer is still not possible in a way as kitt and michael could. so even today, with all the technology, i can still watch the show without the continous thought that it is, and looks fake. with the old A-team show, i can't. as there they shoot more bullets in a episode than there are used in a war movie, but there's no blood, cars ALWAYS flip around in the same way, and the script writing is there even more noticable than is with the knight rider. for me, michael and kitt makes the show, the bond they have together, and how they act when they are seperated, still feels good to me now as it did those many years ago.

i really liked answering this question. as i just finished watching the first episode from season 4, dvd 2 :-D and felt like looking to more knight rider topic's, and so i can't go wrong here :-D LOL.thanks for reading, and have a nice day.
Kind regards,

musicmaniac1965

:kitt: :karr:

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by DMC4EVER » Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:49 am

They boardcasted KR after The A-team here, 6Pm until 7PM A-team, and then 7PM to 8PM Knight Rider, that where the moments wich I realy liked, I liked KR bicose it has the cool car :kittside: an nice enemy :karr: and bicose it has good jokes. Me favorite episodes are with :karr: . I also like Golaith and Golaith returns.

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Re: Just what do you like about Knight Rider?

Post by james olden » Tue Dec 07, 2010 1:44 am

DMC4EVER wrote:They boardcasted KR after The A-team here, 6Pm until 7PM A-team, and then 7PM to 8PM Knight Rider, that where the moments wich I realy liked, I liked KR bicose it has the cool car :kittside: an nice enemy :karr: and bicose it has good jokes. Me favorite episodes are with :karr: . I also like Golaith and Golaith returns.
goliath was a great episode i like knight and knerd i sware nicolas was a freekin geek lol
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