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Knight Rider - Knight of the Phoenix
pilot episode
USA 1982
produced by
Tom Greene, Harker Wade, Glen A. Larson (executive) for Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal/NBC
directed by Daniel Haller
starring David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, Phyllis Davis, Pamela Susan Shoop, Lance LeGault, Noel Conlon, Michael D. Roberts, Bert Rosario, Richard Anderson, Vince Edwards, Richard Basehart, Ed Gilbert, Shawn Ora Engemann (as Shawn Southwick), Brian Cutler, Barret Oliver, Alma Beltran, Tyler Murray, Victoria Harned, Larry Anderson, Ed Hooks, Charles Napier, John Quade, Red West, Dennis Fimple, Bob Harks, Herbert Jefferson jr, William Daniels (voice)
written and created by Glen A. Larson, music by Stu Phillips, theme music by Glen A. Larson, Stu Phillips
TV-series
Knight Rider, Knight Rider (David Hasselhoff)
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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There was once a hero cop called Michael Long (Larry Anderson), but he
was shot in the head by villainess Tanya (Phyllis Davis), who was to steal
something or other from a hotel casino in Reno when he interfered. Rather
miraculously he survived his shot in the head and was brought to dying
billionaire Wilton Knight (Richard Basehart), who gave him a new face
(that of David Hasselhoff), a new identity (he's called Michael Knight
now), the supercar KITT that can drive at superspeed, jump, is impervious
to bullets, and can't only talk, it's actually hard to shut it up. And
Michael is also given a new boss, Devon (Edward Mulhare), who's pretty
much his boss in Wilton Knight's private organisation for justice and
stuff. So in his new identity, Michael follows Tanya to Silicon Valley,
where she's a higher-up in the IT company Comron, but she and security
chief Wilson (Vince Edwards) are really only working there to steal the
company's secrets. To gain Tanya's attention, Michael and KITT enter (and
win) a company-organized stock car race, and of course, Tanya wants to get
her hands on the car immediately afterwards - and that Michael's thrown
into jail after getting in the barroom fight with the other stock car
drivers (fan fave Charles Napier being one of them) and KITT is impounded
(and brought to Comron by corrupt cops) really ought to help. But of
course, KITT escapes from Comron, springs Michael from jail, and the two
somehow manage to enter the Comron compound where Michael catches Tanya
red-handed as she tries to steal secrets, but is wounded by security, and
Tanya and Wilson make an escape to the next airfield - but of course
Michael and KITT catch up and trash Tanya and Wilson's plane before Tanya
shoots herself when trying to hit KITT but being hit by her bullet
bouncing back ... Back in the 1980s, gimmick shows were the big
draw on TV, and Knight Rider was one of the most popular of
the lot, as the thinking and talking car, something that's almost taken
for granted today, was pure science fiction. The show as such always
followed a strict formula, Michael and his car meet a damsel in distress
(Pamela Susan Shoop in this episode), baddies do something evil, Michael
does some sleuthing, and ultimately there's a KITT related resolution,
with quite a few shoot-outs, car chases and fist fights in between and the
car also handling the comic relief. As for this particular
(double-)episode, it seems stale by today's standards, as the plot is too
formulaic, the talking car no longer a big draw, some corners were cut in
the action department, and David Hasselhoff might be likeable but he's
also a bit lacking in acting range, but it makes for quite ok nostalgic
television. It's really if you don't expect something big but are in for a
walk down memory road, you won't be disappointed.
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