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Knight Rider returns
The classic sci-fi adventure series gets a reboot, and a whole new car
The new KITT model for Knight Rider the new series, played by a Ford Mustang
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In the wake of the phenomenal response to Sky/NBC’s Battlestar Galactica TV series in 2004, and the cult, if not commercial, success of Michelle Ryan’s take on the Six Million Dollar Woman comes yet another rebooted Glen Larson classic. Knight Rider is to return to TV screens in 2008.
The original 1980s series featured David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a mysterious vigilante righting wrongs across a suspiciously clean America with the help of an artificial intelligence, K.I.T.T., embedded in his heavily modified Pontiac TransAm.
Hasselhoff went on to create Baywatch and became an ironic icon with an acute awareness of the nature of his appeal. The car, which all but the most pedantic viewers prefer to call K.I.T.T., has surfaced on eBay more than once: a number of TransAms were used for the show and several more have since been modified by enthusiasts to resemble the Knight Industries 2000.
The 2008 show Knight Rider stars Justin Bruening as Michael Knight’s estranged son Mike Tracer, an ex-Army ranger and creator of a new K.I.T.T. Purists are already expressing outrage that this time K.I.T.T will be portrayed by a Ford GT500KR rather than the classic Pontiac.
Ford are planning to market a limited edition replica K.I.T.T complete with Cylon-style ‘scanner’ light on the front. It’s said to be a coincidence that the 2008 5.4 L supercharged V8 Ford Shelby GT500-KR has those initials at the end of its name. The Shelby Mustang has been known as ‘King of the Road’ since its 1960s debut but fans will still no doubt draw the obvious inference.
It’s thought that the new model K.I.T.T. might even be able to ‘transform’ into a humanoid robot, although this feature is unlikely to be implemented on the retail model. Ratatouille and Grindhouse actor Will Arnett will be replacing William Daniels as the voice of the car.
The feature length pilot for the reimagined Knight Rider will premiere in the United States on February 17, followed by a full series later in the year. Hasselhoff, star of the original 80's TV show is expected to make a cameo appearance as Michael Knight.
New KITT v old KITT, which do you prefer? Leave your comment on the form below
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