For those of you who weren't able to get to the Comic Con, we though the best way to show you what you missed, instead of giving a simple review, was to give a detailed transcription of the panel. So here, quick transcription of the Knight Rider 2008 Panel at Comic Con, we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did watching it.
The Knight Rider panel started right on time, but without many of it's scheduled guests. It seems that a delay on the I5 caused many of the cast to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Garry Scott Thomspon and Paul Campbell did very well at keeping us entertained. Gary then called to Deanna and Justin and talked with them at length. Deanna wished for KITT to Turbo Boost as she was stuck by a train. Justin then introduced the 2 Minute teaser of the series.
The first question the moderator asked about what Gary's vision of Knight Rider was, and what we saw in February. They said they realized that the man needs a team behind the one man making a difference, so they weren't just "stuck (with) a guy in a car". "It is 25 years later and audiences are a lot more sophisticated and are looking for something more than that"
When asked about the KITT cave, Thompson said "We call it the KITT cave, but it actually does have a name, it's the 'Satellite Surveillance Chamber' part of 'Knight Research and Development' which is an off shoot of 'Knight Industries'". It is where everything goes on and is a Mission Control with Sat feeds from across the globe, but can also access KITT. Within KITT there is the touch screen inside where they'll be able to communicate back and forth with the "KITTCave" but they will also be able to (with Paul's character) is deal with the computer in a 3D world and pull something out and into the world and watch it spin around.
Paul Campbell plays "Billy Morgan" who controls everything computer and is the goto guy for chemistry, biology and "any ology" He is there to help provide the comic relief and will be the bunt of many jokes.
Yancey plays "Alex Torres" who is the "uber" boss of the team, deciding the team, the missions, who goes out and with whom. But it seems that there will be an ulterior motive to him that we don't know about.
Smith Cho plays a counter point to Alex, and is a linguist and a tech. In the first episode alone she speaks four languages and communicates with other Governments as needed. She constantly drives Billy nuts.
Bruce Davison continues the role of "Charles Gramin" and likes to say how when growing up he used to watch Flash Gordon and watching it when he got older it wasn't quite what he remembered. While everyone loved the original, they all hope that we give them a chance to prove their version of the new Knight Rider.
The thing Gary liked about the original was how Michael Long was shot in the face and could not go back. They've created a mythology around the character of Mike that during the Iraq war in black ops, and what happens if that it follows him home. Does it put the car, the team and him at jeopardy and if it does, what happens to Mike Tracer? In the first episode we will find out this and see the rebirth of Michael Knight.
It talked about how the writers and set designers went to the secret labs at Microsoft and saw what is down the line in 10 years. They pieced together what they saw and it greatly influenced them. One of the interesting things they find is how KITT will evolve and learn and why that is.
Finally Justin and Deanna were able to make it to the con. Justin talked about how his character has grown since the pilot, how he has rounded and made more mythology for the new fans as well as the old one. There is also the chance of romance between Mike and Sarah. Both Deanna and Justin have done Fight school, weapons training, driving training, swat training, and surf lessons.
Sarah's character too has drastically evolved since the Pilot. She is on sabbatical from Stanford and is now beating up bad guys. Deanna joked that the stunt coordinator jokes that he calls her Annie Oakley, cause she has pretty good aim.
They talked about the monster set, with a gimbal, lasers, nano technologies and massive screens. (Just then Bruce Davison Arrives) It took some time to refine the cars and find the designer for the Attack vehicle. When asked about Val Kilmer, Gary talked about what a talent Val Kilmer was, and that his voice will continue to grow and tweak from week to week as intended as the character grows.
When asked about the military in the story line, they say by episode 13, you will start to understand what is "going on" between KITT and michael ("not a sexual thing"). (Then Smith Cho and Yancey Arias arrive)
Merchandising was brought up, and how they hope to take the "Normal" KITT and have it transform into the "Attack KITT". They also hope to build a "KITT Cave" toy, as many cast and crew on set have remarked how it feels like they are inside a Hot Wheels toy. Paul Campbell likes to raise his arms and run into the gimbal and go "VVVROOOOM". Unfortunately this has no concrete information, until the series does well and management decides that it is something they want to do. But they have the likeness rights for all Cast, so it is possible.
When asked about toy wishes, Gary Scott Thompson wants a talking lunch box, Justin would like a PlayStation game, Deana joked about a lunch box that transforms into KITT. Paul hopes his figure has a Kung-Fu grip (which Deanna claims he stole that idea from him). Bruce Davison hopes that his action figure has legs, because supposedly his X-Men figure did not and you had to sit him into a cup.
David Hasselhoff was of course asked about. Justin spoke very favorably and humbled by acting with Hasselhoff. Deanna said how he likes to bust out in song between takes. When talking about a repeat performance, Thompson spoke about how he had an hour breakfast that turned into four hours. He's is super busy with other plans, and talked about other ideas they may work on. They we've already written eight scripts without his character returning (they've only got approval for 13 episodes, with it planned out how it will go to 24 or two seasons.) They want to be sure to use him in a way that is story driven for a two parter or a large one parter. They both agreed the only reason to bring him back is for something speicifc and to extend the new mythology. There is a possibility, depending on schedules.
Questions then proceeded to ask them about the original KITT. Thompson said that "you're probably probing my mind right now, cause thats sorta what if we are going to do it I see no reason we can't see the two KITTs side by side."
Yancey Arias talks about his character being a very smart West Point graduate, very good with, and came in contact with Charles Gramin four years back (which he made up that was inspired by the writing). He runs the team and shows how much urgency in showing that the country and national security is safe. KITT is too integral and respects that it shouldn't be taken lightly. It seems that he will yell at Michael often that he is not handling KITT enough. Makes sure KITT is enhanced and improved constantly for the good of the country and the team.
When asked about tubro boost - Thompson said it will be "Awesome". Specifically the car will jump which was met with a round of applause. "You're going to go, 'quit making the car jump, enough already!'" It will be their version of the turbo boost, and bear with them and they will show us what they can do with great stunts and great technology. "It's going to be different then the originally." They are trying to envelop what has come before, in TV, movies and video games and make it into one thing. They want to make it really cool and really awesome and be a kick butt ride. They want it to be fast, fun and entertainment. Justin added that he goes every week to the writer and say how amazing the script is, because they just keep getting better. They have the ability to upgrade it and bring the tools they need to accomplish the mission. It is also not unheard of, Thompson added, that there might be some version of a "Dark Knight Rider" - Thompsons said "Something like KARR? Hmm, well what do you think? That will be a yes. There will be some version of that that will go through our mythology"
Thompson said he rewatched the series to relearn all the mythology about Michael and KITT to learn that mythology. In the clps we saw, we see Mike Tracer say he's Michael Knight, so we will go back to the roots and the origin of the show. It's twenty five years later, and the Knight Foundation is now not just that it's Knight Industries and we're in the Research Department, but there is a whole mythology that takes this and what its come into from the past.
The Moderator asked of Thompson if he had been to Knight Rider Online to listen to what the fans had to say. Thompson admitted that he went online to the forums, the press to learn what they liked and didn't like or what they missed. "Turbo Boost was the big one, you should know, and I think you do." But they argue that everyone has a vision of what Knight Rider was to them, and also take into consideration that they want to get the new fans involved as well, and it's very difficult, and they will try to get it right. We just need to give them the time they deserve.
