Tags
a-z challenge, action, april, blog, cinema, david hasselhoff, drama, film, ford shelby, KITT, knight rider, meme, movie, mustang, review, smurfin the web, trans am, transport
Kicking onto the letter “K” now and after yesterday’s trip into space and teleportation of spacecraft, we are firmly back on solid ground today and driving around the State of California fighting crime with FLAG (The Foundation for Law and Government). True fans will remember what I’m talking about here – that’s right, its KITT from the highly successful TV show Knight Rider.
Developed in in 1982 and featuring a pretty fresh-faced David Hasselhoff, with big bouffant hairdo and leather trousers (Ooooo I hear all the girls cry) and with a pretty good back story, I remember watching this show religiously every week. Looking back on it now of course, its cheesy as hell, but when I was 10 it was great. All that action, all the punch ups and fast car chases were just what a young boy wanted to see. Now, what about Michael Knight’s car KITT? Well, the Knight Industry Two Thousand was a highly computerised and advanced Pontiac Trans Am. The main difference of course was it TALKED!
(K)night (I)ndustry (T)wo (T)housand
I guess on the face of it, the car looks pretty naff by today’s standards, but at the time it was pretty cool, like The Bandit’s in the Smokey movies. The voice of KITT was actor William Daniels who actually requested not to be credited in the show, but I think he did a great job and brought a real personality to the car, which of course was the idea. KITT also has a prototype, its name is KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot) and appeared in a couple of episodes of the show, basically as a baddie version of KITT.
Years later, there was a TV movie featuring the original cast but the Trans Am had disappeared and been replaced by a revamped Dodge Banshee, a truly horrible looking car. The whole show was then placed on the old shelf we wouldn’t see it again for nearly twenty years.
Knight Rider 2000 KITT
In 2008 a new series was released which featured Michael Knight’s son behind the wheel of KITT who was now being voiced by Val Kilmer (and really well I may add) but the show didn’t last very long and was finally sent out to pasture. When it was announced the show was to be renewed, speculation was rife about what type of car would be used, and in the end, this was what they came up with.
Shelby Mustang KITT
The Ford Shelby Mustang woudn’t have been my choice, but it’s still a great looking car. I would have gone for something a little sleeker, but hey, that’s just me =) I will sign off for today but before I go, here is a revamped version of the theme tune that we all love and remember so well…
Yep, I had the same love you did for this show and have even made my kids watch some episodes. The Foundation for Law and Government has shown up in some of my RPG’s and in an anything goes game I once made up the Baron Industries Five-FIfty – BIFF! It’s not often you get to play a talking car in D&D type game but it was a lot of fun.
Also, the concept car was a Pontiac Banshee and was one of the concept cars leading up to the 2003 redesign of the Firebird, so it’s a legitimate successor : ) I think they used another make for the actual shooting car but the body shell was based on the Banshee.
Parts of that movie were shot in San Antonio, Texas. I had grandparents living there and it was quite a shock when I started recognizing buildings the first time I saw it on TV!
I used to watch this religiously as well. I had the pleasure of seeing the car somewhere as well. Can’t remember where now 🙂
Whoo hoo! I was right!!! 🙂
I only saw the opening episode for the 2008 re-vamp of the show… how many episodes did it run?
It only ran for another 16 episodes before being cancelled.