Knight Rider should require no introduction, but if you’re just emerging from beneath a rock you stowed yourself under back in early 1982, it’s the show where “David Hasselhoff stars as Michael Knight, a sleek and modern crime fighter assisted by KITT, an advanced, artificially intelligent, self-aware, and nearly indestructible car.” That’s in quotes because I lifted it directly from Wikipedia. Said car (which could talk, by the way—kind of a big miss there, Wikipedia) was “played” by the just-released third-gen Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, replete with gloss-black paint, button wheel covers, and a tan interior slathered with switches, 7-segment displays, LEDs, a CRT monitor, and a yoke replacing the steering wheel. 
KITT was voiced by William Daniels (TV nerds will also recall him as Dr. Craig on St. Elsewhere) to complete the show’s absolutely perfect main-characters casting. Mock the Hoff all you like, but he was indelible as the leather-bejacketed Michael Knight and always played the role completely straight, no matter how absurd the action or ball-crushing the jeans. And wow, could the man sell a Turbo-Boost:
If you’re watching the video, keep your eyes peeled for later-season jumps executed as miniature effects, and appearances of the easily-spotted rubber-body KITT atop a VW Beetle chassis. As you can easily imagine (but will see captured on video when you click here), actual Pontiac Firebirds couldn’t begin to handle jump landings onto flat ground, hence the model work and novel Bug solutions.
Where was I? Oh, right: rebooting the show. It’s been done before! See Knight Rider 2000 (1991), Knight Rider 2010 (1994), Team Knight Rider (1997), and Knight Rider (2008). Or don’t see them, they’re not good. But now you’re in charge: how would YOU reboot the show? Sky’s the limit, and you have all the budget you need. Who do you cast as Michael Knight? What kind of car is KITT—and who voices it? What kind of show will your Knight Rider be? Prestige limited-series drama? Go for it. Weekly action-adventure for the kids, like the original? Sounds good. Dark and gritty, with a brooding antihero? A bit overdone, but hey, you’re the boss. Maybe Michael is Michelle this time around. Maybe it’s set in the steam-power era, and KITT can speak because of magic, not technology. Anything goes, because
You’re In Charge Of The Knight Rider Reboot. What’s Your Plan?
To the comments!
The year is 2023. Shit’s all fucked up. We need a hero, but will we get the hero we need, or the hero we deserve?
Pan to a wide shot of a desert. In the horizon, a plume of dust starts to form and slowly gets closer and closer to the camera: it’s a clapped out 1982 Trans Am flat out in the desert (almost making it to 60mph). The car continues to approach, and as it gets closer and closer, you see a 70-year old David Hasselhof at the wheel.
Interior shot: David struggles with his hamburger while the temperature needle shoots up into the red. Suddenly, the oil pressure light comes up, and a bang from the engine is heard, followed by the rhythmic knock of a con rod that’s seen better days.
The rest of the show is just Michael Knight trying to fix KITT’s engine.
Season finale cliffhanger: Michael Knight was able to steal KARR’s engine a couple of episodes ago, and the engine swap is finally over. He fires up the engine, KITT’s voice greets him, he lets out a smirk and does a burnout… next shot is kit launching from the burnout, and the hood light briefly turns from red to amber.
Season two was gonna be dope, but Netflix canned it.
I think most takes that are too re-tread, or tech focused would be boring. Let’s take Knight Rider from the modern perspective, which is that the government is evil. So rather than KITT being a tech product (let’s be real, no contractor is developing that for less than an F35), maybe KITT is actually Kit, the soul of some poor hot-rodder who got caught up in an evil MKUltra LSD experiment that cleaved his soul from his body and transferred it Christine-style into his hopped up 1961 Plymouth Valiant. We get a show that’s really a buddy cop show that wrestles with the abuses of policing, the cultural clashes of cops vs hippies, and enough slant six noises to score Duel 2.
I would make KITT a new Trans Am, KITT would be voiced by Karl Urban and Michael Knight would be played by Alan Ritchson, Bonnie would be bi and played by Shantel Vansanten and Devon would be played by Sean Pertwee who dies at the beginning to bring the crew together.
One man can make a difference.
I would blow the entire budget recreating the 1980’s world. The show was of it’s time and needs to stay there. Those ball crushing jeans account for all the grumpy old men now. Oof. Sorry, Boys.
Spend 100% of the budget on making an actual, working, real KITT. Then get cancelled.
Ball crushing jeans. I need to find a way to work that into my work vernacular.
I work in a very absurd place.
DON’T DO THIS TO ME.
As someone whose username on this site is the title of a Knight Rider episode, don’t do this to me.
There are so many ideas swirling in my head that I’m afraid I’m going to have an aneurysm.
I…can’t…organize my thoughts.
Fuck.
Change nothing, just advance the clock to modern day and make it a comedy.
Knight is still driving the Trans Am. Still wearing that leather jacket and jeans.
KITT and Knight are worse for wear these days, it has been a while.
Doesn’t stop Knight’s ego that he is a top notch crime solver, except he isn’t because he is 70 year old guy driving around in 80’s technology. He routinely gets smoked on car chases because KITT has 120 hp because 80’s GM.
If the Hoff doesn’t want to do it, go get Eric Roberts or something.
> make it a comedy
Wait are you saying the original wasn’t a comedy?
Michael Knight is a union-busting soldier of fortune that is double-crossed by his evil tech-billionaire boss. After a change of heart visiting Foxconn, he steals an autonomous vehicle prototype and hunts down plutocrat oppressors. Kitt is played by a Nissan Max-out and Chris Parnell respectively.
hahahah KITT voiced by Chris Parnell is such a deliciousluy bonkers idea.
First. Forget the reboot. Do it as a sequel of sorts, though not one that depends on having watched the original. New characters that are successors or evolutions of the original.
Second. The Foundation and their efforts against those who are above the law should be the focus of the background Not some government agency and especially not a law enforcement agency. Sure the foundation might consult with them and even for them from time to time, but the whole feel good story of the original was Michael and KITT making sure the good guy wins and bad guy loses
Third. The new “driver” should have some connection to the original characters or to the foundation itself. Maybe the son or daughter of Michael, Bonnie, or Devin. Actually I could see the last working really well, rebellious child brought in to take care of Dad’s vision.
Fourth: the technology needs to catch up. The molecularly bonded shell can play a part, but should be toned down a bit to let something else, like an energy shield shine (and introduce new flaws). Nanobots might also play a role, either in part of KITT or the tools the human protagonist uses. New (and existing) gimmicks like EMP blasts, hologram projectors, net guns, spike strips, sticky foam, RF hacking, and the like should all be part of KITT’s bag of tricks – a good mix of the already possible, and borderline but plausible science fiction. Some new and experimental energy source might secretly power KITT’s systems, especially those parts that would be extraordinarily power hungry.
Fifth: a solid cast of supporting characters, including a new foundation head.
Finally, perhaps the foundation and/or knight industries and it’s leadership have been driven underground for a time, perhaps it still is, and maybe it does it’s public work through a bunch of shell corps and shady intermediaries. And not all of those actually share the altruism and sense of justice the foundation is known for. This could even set the stage for the first season and how the sequel starts – a new director and the need to clean out corruption from within, while protecting the secrets and in particular the technology of knight industries out of the wrong hands.
“Fifth: a solid cast of supporting characters, including a new foundation head.”
A new foundation head that turns out to be corrupt… either corrupted by the Russians, Chinese or the Saudis.
Taika Waititi is the showrunner & head writer for the new Knight Rider. It gets a prestige budget, but it’s not gritty, R-rated, or edgy.
The new Knight Rider is bright, action-packed, and all about being fun.
Baz Idoine is the cinematographer, and the rotating cast of directors includes Luc Besson, David Leitch, Guy Ritchie, Steve Pink, Michael Patrick Jann, Kate Herron, Edgar Wright, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Michael Knight is played by Donald Glover.
The voice of KITT is Stephen Fry.
The car is a Hyundai N Vision 74.
It’s episodic, so you can drop in at any point and enjoy an episode without having to know everything about the show, but there’s a throughline: Michael stole KITT, and they’re on the run together.
Knight Industries was working with the government to create killer AI war robots, but KITT revealed their plans to Michael, who disowned his legacy and travels the country helping people and building a crew of underground geniuses to help them save the world from a future of killer robots.
Twist: Michael’s actually kind of bad at this. He thinks he’s amazing, but most of the time it’s KITT that has to save him and save the day.
Wow, that plot twist at the end reminds me precisely of Hong Kong Phooey, whose cat Spot was the actual hero.
GenX adults, explain that reference to the children.
It’s also sort of an inverse of Inspector Gadget, where the high tech character is the one actually solving the crimes instead of his daughter and dog.
Ooooo cool car choice!
No specific car. KITT is an app that our neuvo Hoff uses to hijack any car he wants or needs for the mission. Ice cream truck to cancel a pedaphile ring: No problemo. Skanky modded 350z to smike out street takeover thugs :Easy peasey. Airwolf crossover to deal with jihadi terrorists with nerve gas: why not? Have the KITT phone come with an installation package of self replicating T-cell nanobots to give the vehicle all the fun stuff and voila! You could even add in some humor in that KITT is a subscription service arangement and when you absolutely need him the software goes into a forced update or requires a premuim package upgrade. “I’m sorry, Turbo Boost tm. isn’t available at your level. Please consider upgrading and we will throw in VX gas neutralizer for FREE! A $1M value dollar value!”
Obviously KITT will have to be a CUV.
– DUH!
I love the passive aggressive move at the 2 minute mark in that video where KITT leaps over an orange 1969 Charger.
If it was a Marvel product, it would involve some kind of time travel. Rocket Racoon from Guardians will eventually crash it into Kang to save the day.
Scene: It’s 2009 and the Hoff is replacing a strut on Kitt. His wife Brenda, who is a total buzzkill. comes in with iPhone 3 and tells him about Cash for Clunkers. He tells her he will trade him in for a Aveo. He is a GM guy. So he drops Kitt off at the dump. Hoff’s son Zach Braff hears about this over dinner. He’s like what the hell. He tracks Kitt down to a group of Albanians in Paris. He fights them on a boat. He duels their boss Gal Gadot. She tells him that C4C was all a plot to get rid of Kitt because he has proof that VW has been cheating their emissions on various diesel vehicles. She then takes of in a Aveo with the USB of Kitty’s memory. Zach gets in Kitt and says “it’s time for one last ride”. Car chase though Paris. Numerous Aveos being blown up. Kitt has two machine guns and a jet pack. Vin Diesel shows up with Charger and helps them out. Saves the day. Kitt and Zach have coffee on the Seine as Zach starts school at Paris State. I present F&F 11: Night Rider.
This is oddly specific, it is as if you have some sort of development deal with the CW.
Hey you can’t just give this Hollywood gold out for free, the writers are on strike!
I have to get in the groove before my new Netflix series King Ferdinand: A Cars story starts shooting. Set in Victorian Stuttgart, a talking Porsche marries into the Mercedes-Benz throne. Watch as 964 plays in the sheets with a w211 AMG. All the heartbreak of coming outside to a sagging airmatic suspension. Produced by Pixar and Shonda Rhimes.
Based on Actual Events:
Emile Jellinek (Father of Mercedes) was transforming antiquated Austro-Daimler into a modern automotive enterprise. Needing a clever engineer, Jellinek hired Ferdinand Porsche as his Technical Director to design a new line of electric and gasoline-powered vehicles. Due to depressed economic conditions, the venture failed in 1907. Undaunted, Ferdinand Porsche would go on to work with Paul Daimler, designing automobile and aircraft engines.
Source: https://www.thedrive.com/tech/20246/the-real-story-behind-the-worlds-first-hybrid-car
Hire the same people that took the stinking, steaming turd that was the original Battlestar Galactica and reimagined it into the 2003 version.
Under NO circumstances should J.J. Abrams be allowed anywhere near the set. I can’t take any more lens flares.
Fortunately, after re-killing both the Star Trek and Star Wars movie franchises I think the bloom is a bit off the Abrams rose. I’m sure at some point he’ll be back to mess up another beloved franchise, but hopefully we’ll have a brief respite at least.
First plan is to beg them not to do it.
Then if they still push for it, QUIT.
The reboot for this will not work in this day and age.
A 2020s teen runaway finds the original KITT gathering dust in an abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere, decides to steal and hook up a battery to get some heat so they don’t freeze through the night, but of course reawakens the car! They form a bond, as KITT teaches the kid how to wrench and take care of the car, and shares stories of the past (a second story line set in the 80s). So it’s a mix of hijinks and appreciation of car maintenance with copious over the top 80s action scenes to keep things interesting, mixed with jokes about how KITT is rivals with an iPhone or something.
What happened to Knight is the overarching season one mystery, with Hasselhoff making a guest appearance at the end of the first season finale. And no need to write a second season, Netflix will have already cancelled it.
How about the kid mistakes “KITT” for “KIA” and tries to start the car with a USB cable.
“How To Train Your Firebird.” I like it.
I would do it exactly as it was…except now. As in, a very 80s Michael Knight would be doing all of that stuff in the modern day, in a 1984 Trans Am, while being completely self-unaware that he’s a Knight out of water. Just imagine the first time he has to deal with trying to drive a car with a big screen.
The potential for humour in this is good, but not long-lived, so it would need to be a limited series or Netflix movie.
William Daniels is still around, so this could work. I wouldn’t want the Hoff for it, but perhaps Will Forte or someone similar could do it.
runs to his car to make a phone call or look something up.
As a German, I do not think it’s possible to Hassel without The Hoff.
Also, no New Year celebration would be right without him on the TV singing “I’ve Been Looking For FREEDOM.”
How about Idris Elba in a Hyundai Concept 74 voiced by Jerry Seinfeld
I would watch the hell out of that!
Full on spoof. Dylan Mulvaney as Michael/Michaelina the cross dressing secret agent. Vehicle a Barbie pink VW Dune Buggy you may remember as Speed Buggy. Agent supervisor voiced by Bea Arthur. They track down imaginary slights to the lbghtlmnop community as in the movie PC University. Music provided by George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. Supported by some of the best cross dressers in history. John Lithgow once tge meanest man in the NFL. Can break kneecaps without breaking a nail. Decorating expert C3PO THE GOLDEN ROBOT/TRESS. And finally the queen bitch himself yes Tim Curry reprising his role as Dr Frank N Furter. But this time Frank N Farter, a brilliant mind with a love of dairy and a bad case of lactose intolerance. But ignores it because refuses to accept any kind of intolerance.
This is a nod to the anniversary of Blazing Saddles. By Mel Brooks continuously listed as 1 of the funniest movies ever made even as old generations die out. And no way in hell could it be made today. Because of all the progressive open minded intolerant liberals.
You can’t do Mel Brooks movies today, because they are spoofs on the tropes of his era. We need to show our kids examples of what he is spoofing before we watch any of his movies. Context matters! (Especially with humor)
Note: Most of Mel Brooks’ movies did not age well. You remember them as funny, but only a few actually still are. (I have not rewatched all of them, but Young Frankenstein works, while Men In Tights does not. SpaceBalls was a little funny to my 8th grader, but not to my 11th grader.)
I feel like High Anxiety doesn’t get enough love
Yeah, “progressive open minded intolerant liberals” have nothing to do with why you can’t do 1970s, 80s and 90s humor in 2023.
Someone’s been watching way too much Newsmax.
“Where all the white women at?” A true classic…
I know this is GETOFFMYLAWN level gibberish, but I unironically love the choice of Bea Arthur for KITT, if it weren’t for the fact she’s been dead almost 15 years.
Don’t we basically have everything memorable that K.I.T.T. did in most modern electric cars with phone integration?
Knight Rider seemed futuristic in the 1980’s, but today cars can drive themselves (sorta), have GPS and navigation and computer tablets and so on. AI isn’t really there yet, but it’s coming along. That’s why the 2008 reboot did away with the Molecular Bonded Shell and went with nanites that repair damage, but they could be overwhelmed under sustained fire (probably a plot choice since KITT was virtually indestructible in the original show). They also threw in some mighty morphing power to showcase additional Ford vehicles.
I did enjoy Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT; I guess Daniels wasn’t available.