by Unknown
21
to tell how Michael Long looked before the shooting, Michael was going to need major reconstructive surgery. Using a World War II picture of Wilton, Michael’s face was recreated in his image. Wilton had taken a body from a medical school and placed it out in the desert for the police to find. Michael’s fingerprints were also changed, and Michael Arthur Long was declared legally dead. With a name change, the newly christened Michael Knight was born with one mission and one mission only—apprehend those criminals who were above the reach of the law, and prove that one man really can make a difference.
Michael would need help, however. That help came in the form of the Knight Industries Two-Thousand, Michael’s new super-car partner. Joined together unwillingly, Michael and K.I.T.T. constantly bickered. Michael was the stubborn one who always seemed more interested in women then in the case, and K.I.T.T. was the by-the-book computer who treated Michael more like a son than a partner and a friend. Since they were always paired together, a bond naturally formed between them, and eventually made them inseparable. With Devon Miles, Michael’s new boss, and Bonnie Barstow, the mechanic who took care of K.I.T.T., Michael felt like he had finally found his true destiny. Michael became infatuated with Bonnie immediately after he had met her, but she did not return his feelings. To her, Michael was just “the nut behind the wheel”
who constantly ran K.I.T.T. into the ground with his car stunts that would put a production line model into the junkyard. Michael eventually gave up on trying to start a relationship with Bonnie, and they slowly grew close as friends.
In the Spring of 1983, Michael heard that his former fiancée, Stevie Mason, had been arrested on false charges. Michael took on the case, and the two quickly reconnected with each other. Michael’s heart and head wrestled with each other. His heart told him to never leave Stevie again, but his head knew that it could not be that way right now. Michael cleared her of all charges and she was placed in the Witness Relocation Program. 22
• Knight Rider Legacy
Michael and Stevie parted ways, but not before embracing and each taking a little piece of the other with them.
That following Fall, Michael discovered that Wilton Knight, Michael’s second father, had children of his own. Michael was shocked to meet Garthe Knight, Wilton’s only son, who could be Michael’s twin with the exception of some facial fair. Michael confronts Devon only to find out that Wilton had constructed his in Garthe’s image. Since Garthe was a convicted criminal, sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison, no one thought he would ever be seen again. Wilton wanted a son that he could be proud of. Garthe managed to escape his African prison and devised a plan to steal government missiles. Michael caught Garthe and sent him back to prison.
Michael’s past caught up with him again when Cameron Zachary discovered that he was really Michael Long. Cameron wanted revenge on Michael because he blamed Tanya Walker’s death on him. He captured Michael and deactivated K.I.T.T., but in the end, Michael managed to put him behind bars as well.
Throughout the years, Michael would run into Stevie and Garthe Knight again, as well as his old partner on the police force and Wilton Knight’s daughter Jennifer. It would not be until early in 1986 when Michael re-evaluates his life at the Foundation for Law and Government. On a routine case involving a theft at a government data center, Michael was seriously injured by a gunshot wound. Michael had lost his purpose and was unsure of his future. Devon, sensing Michael’s agony, managed to contact Stevie. This time, Michael vows to not let her walk out of his life again and proposes to her. At the wedding ceremony, just seconds after they are wed, the same man responsible for shooting Michael managed to kill Stevie. In a fit of rage, Michael went out on his own to catch the gunman. After making peace with Stevie’s death, Michael went back to the only home he knows—the Foundation. He stayed there another four years until he again began to lose his purpose.
THE F.L.A.G. FAMILY •
23
In 1990, Michael quit the Foundation, moved into a cabin deep in the woods, and started a rather unprofitable bass charter. He stayed in seclusion until February 2000. The Knight Foundation was in danger of losing funding and Devon requested that Michael help them until the Knight Industries 4000 was completed. Michael reluctantly agreed under the condition that he was partnered up with K.I.T.T. again. Michael managed to stop some crooked cops and saved the Knight Foundation from going under, proving once again that one man can make a difference. The son of a British Member of Parliament, Professor Devon Miles grew up in Great Britain, passing his time by playing cricket and riding motorcycles. In fact, Devon made quite a name for himself in the tourist trophy races. During World War II, Devon was with the O.S.S. in France. It was in a Paris cafe that he met a young lady and quickly fell in love with her. However, he had a duty to his country and was forced to part ways with her. While undercover, he met a young man named Wilton Knight. They quickly developed a friendship that would last almost thirty years. Soon after that, Devon was captured twice in German prison camps and managed to escape both times. While he was being held captive, a London bombing killed his father, Cedric, and his mother. The war ended and Devon decided to head overseas to the United States to start a new life. He began to make government contacts that would prove useful in the future. He became re-associated with his old military friend, Wilton Knight, in the early 1960’s. Wilton had since become a billionaire and was in the process of beginning a new organization dedicated to fighting crime—the Foundation for Law and Government. Wilton appointed Devon the chairman of F.L.A.G. when it was officially created in 1965. Devon was responsible for overseeing F.L.A.G.’s administrative concerns, as well as appointing lawyers for their legal branch.
One of Devon’s greatest passions was his antique automobile collection. He owned a 1937 Bentley, 1920’s Cadillacs, a 1952 Nash-Healy, 1950’s Mercedes’, and a 1982 Mercedes convertible. His love of cars eventually allowed him to oversee the construction of the Knight 2000 in 1982. 24
• Knight Rider Legacy
Devon was also one of three people that Wilton Knight trusted with the formula for K.I.T.T.’s molecular bonded shell. Wilton died in late 1982, leaving Devon in charge as the executive director of the Foundation for Law and Government.
Devon remained the head of F.L.A.G. (Later renamed The Knight Foundation) until the year 2000, when Thomas Watts injected him with a lethal dose of poison while in the hospital for a blow to the head. Devon died, but his legacy—Wilton’s legacy—lived on.
Born on November 24 in Marin County, Dr. Bonnie Barstow was responsible for maintaining K.I.T.T.’s systems. Although Bonnie’s father wanted her to be a doctor, her heart was set on becoming a computer scientist. She attended M.I.T. as well as Stanford University where she earned a degree in robotics and computer science. Her father was a private pilot for Wilton Knight and managed to get her a job at Knight Industries as a cybernetic technician immediately after obtaining her degree. Around the time that Bonnie joined F.L.A.G., Wilton Knight and Devon Miles began work on the Knight Industries Two-Thousand. Bonnie helped to develop K.I.T.T.’s voice and Wilton believed that without her help, K.I.T.T. could not have been built. Bonnie was also responsible for designing the Knight Industries semi, showering it with computers and auto cruise capabilities. Until the Fall of 1985 when RC3 joined the team, Bonnie would occasionally drive the semi as well.
From 1982 through 1983, Bonnie maintained K.I.T.T.’s systems and occasionally added new functions such as Micro Jam, Grappling Hook, and a long range infrared tracking scope. In the Fall of 1983, Bonnie left the Foundation to pursue further studies at a San Francisco university. During her absence, April Curtis took over her duties at the Foundation. During a mission in the San Francisco area, Michael surprised Bonnie at the university and asked her to come back to the Foundation. Hesitant at first, Michael and Devon persuaded Bonnie to return. She stayed with the Foundation for the next two years, but what she did after that remains a mystery.
25
Brought in as a replacement for Bonnie Barstow in Fall 1983, April Curtis contributed many new features to K.I.T.T. including a Third Stage Aquatic Synthesizer, Chemical Analyzer, Trajectory Guide, and Silent Mode. Although most of her background remains a mystery, it is known that April has a sister named Laura Phillips and a niece named Becky. She helped to decipher a bizarre code being transmitted during a rock concert using her past knowledge as an employee at a travel agency. She and Michael often bickered, but it was clear to see they were close friends deep inside. When Bonnie returned in the Fall of 1984, April disappeared. It is not known if she left the Foundation or was simply transferred elsewhere. A tough kid born and raised in Chicago, Reginald Cornelius III, or RC3 for short, spent most of his youth out on the streets of Chicago, being taken care of by his old friend Keith Lawson since he was six years old. RC3 was afraid of heights due to an incident when he was a child. He was being chased and was trapped on a roof. The only way down was to jump. Once he became a bit older, he began to fight for justice around the streets of Chicago. Borrowing a rifle that his brother brought back from Vietnam, RC3 made a dummy rifle out of rubber. He ran around the streets calling himself “The Street Avenger.” When Michael was cornered in a dark alley, RC3 came to his rescue. Bonnie had hired RC3 and some of his buddies to rebuild a demolished K.I.T.T. during a routine mission. Once Devon had seen RC3’s work, he thanked him for his help and offered him a position at the Foundation. RC3 would, on occasion, help Michael out with a few missions. While not busy, he began to build a motorbike that was given to him. It was destroyed twice, but RC3 loved it so much that he rebuilt it. RC3 was also given the responsibility of driving the F.L.A.G. semi.
The Knight Industries service rig, or the semi as it was commonly called, was a black GMC rig (license plate California 1U13265) outfitted with state-of-the-art electronics. Designed by Bonnie Barstow in 1982, the semi had seen many exterior redesigns. When originally completed, the trailer was painted in all gold with black accents on the bottom, a large 26
• Knight Rider Legacy
knight’s head insignia on both sides, and the words “Knight Industries”
written below it. Immediately after Michael and K.I.T.T.’s first mission, the trailer of the semi was painted all white, no doubt preparing it for the new paint job it would receive. After staying all white for six months, the semi was finally given a new paint job in January of 1983. The semi was now all black, with gold trim and a knight chess piece on both sides. A few months later, another minor upgrade was made when the semi was repainted again with the same black paint job, but the gold stripes were slightly different and the knight chess piece was larger and up a bit higher. The original interior of the semi had a wealth of computers on every side, as well as tools hanging on the walls and several storage shelves containing various replacement parts for the Knight 2000. Near the back of the trailer was a place to sit complete with a table, coffeemaker, and phone. In the Fall of 1983, the interior of the semi received an upgrade as well. The area for K.I.T.T. to park was left untouched, however, the lounging area was completely renovated. A new computer wall unit was installed, as well as carpeting and walls to cover the trailer’s shell. Also added at that time was a Circuit Analyzer. This computer device descended from the semi’s roof and, when connected to K.I.T.T., could diagnose any malfunction. In the Fall of 1984, the semi also received an extended cab to allow more passenger or cargo room. The semi had the ability to drive by itself, but it was a strict Foundation rule that someone must be behind the wheel at all times. It also had a weaker form of K.I.T.T.’s molecular bonded shell, no doubt added after K.A.R.R. turbo boosted through the rear door.
Knight Industries was the parent company, and was divided into five branches. The fiscal branch was responsible for the financial aspect of Knight Industries. The next branch was The Knight Foundation, which was the charitable aspect. The research and development branch was located at the Knight Estate in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Knight Estate included a private airstrip, laboratories, electronics lab, and warehouse. Half of the estate was designated as testing space, with a controlled THE F.L.A.G. FAMILY •
27
experimental environment. The technical staff here was responsible for designing and testing all upgrades that K.I.T.T. received. Wilton Knight died here. Also included at the 200 acre Knight Estate was the next branch of Knight Industries, the medical branch. This part was built and staffed in the early 1970’s and was headed by Dr. Ralph Wesley. He was the man responsible for looking after Wilton Knight during his final years, as well as rebuilding Michael Long’s face after he was shot. Knight Industries had also dabbled in space and microprocessor technology during the 1970’s. The fifth branch of Knight Industries was the legal branch, more commonly known as the Foundation for Law and Government. Located in Los Angeles, F.L.A.G. was responsible for handling those special cases in which the criminals were too large for conventional policemen to capture. Devon Miles was the executive director. F.L.A.G. also branched out into three divisions: the A-Team program, the Megaman Project, and Team Knight Rider. The only thing known about the A-Team Program is that William Key served as an overseer to it. In the late 1970’s, while F.L.A.G. was busy building the Knight Automated Roving Robot, the Megaman Project was born. Ken Savage was the first “product” of this project, which involved giving a human being mechanical parts, thereby creating a bionic man. Ken Savage’s wife, who was also a F.L.A.G. agent, was killed during a mission and Ken retired in 1981. The third and final branch was Team Knight Rider. The Team Knight Rider pilot program consisted of one man, Martin Jantzen, and one car, the Knight Reformulation One. Jantzen had an unstable personality, and thereby infected the car in the driver-car symbiosis. Jantzen was locked up and K.R.O. was sent away to be reprogrammed. The new program, started around 1995, consisted of five highly trained operatives combined with five highly intelligent vehicles. Since the days of Michael and K.I.T.T. were over, F.L.A.G. needed a new team to carry on Wilton Knight’s legacy and fight for justice.
CHAPTER FOUR
ONE MAN CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The beginning of Knight Rider was not without its share of excitement and hesitation of its major star who inherited the mantle of one man making a difference. “I was as nervous as anybody else,” David Hasselhoff says.
“This is salesmanship. It is something I have to do because it’s part of the job. I’m able to do it because I believe in myself. But deep down inside, I am scared just as anybody would be.”
Many fans of the series still wonder who played Michael Long during the opening minutes of the pilot. The actor, named Larry Anderson, explains how he was cast in the role that would eventually make Hasselhoff famous. “My understanding was that a new opening for the movie was written very quickly which included an (overnight) casting session to find the actor to play the role of Michael before the makeover. Obviously, the choice for an actor was narrowed to someone who had the same approximate physical features (height, weight, hair, etc.) as Hasselhoff. The casting director knew me from other projects and called me late in the afternoon to come to a casting session at Universal to meet the producers. I got a call the same evening to report to the set the next day (or possibly two days later). As I remember it, the make-up and hair department did all the curls in my hair to match David’s natural hair (mine is straight) and on to the set I went with warm script pages in hand. Crazy, huh?”
Fans can also notice that Anderson speaks with Hasselhoff’s voice and never appeared in the credits for the episode. “I am not sure how the script 28
One Man Can Make a Difference •
29
read before they tacked on the new opening, but it’s plain that the producers felt the set-up needed further development. The reason why such obvious points were not thought of until so late in production was because, as I understand it, my scenes were not part of the original shooting script and weren’t wr
itten until after most of the principal photography was in the can. I hadn’t even read the script and didn’t have the time to think it through. Therefore, I later chose not to be credited in the episode, as no actor would lay claim to a performance where someone else is speaking his lines for him!” Anderson also indicated that the movie was shot and all that remained were his scenes. “This was a one day shoot. I never saw a writer nor read the script except for my pages. When I shot the part, I had no idea of the story other than a brief fill-in by someone on the set. I know nothing about the car nor did it hold any special significance to me at the time. All I knew was that I was to run out of the casino, jump in a car, and start driving. It’s fairly obvious that the studio had to dub my lines as only the face changed in the transition from Michael Long to Michael Knight.” Anderson also adds that, “The location was a mocked-up casino in the lobby of a hotel near the L.A. International airport.” It is Hasselhoff who gets out of the car to confront Tanya Walker, not Larry Anderson, and the legacy of the Knight Rider is born. The first season of Knight Rider was a season of growing relationships and serious to lighthearted storylines that explored three different relationships. There was Devon Miles, the head of the Foundation for Law and Government, who constantly berated Michael Knight for his attitude; Michael dealing with K.I.T.T., his new partner, as they get used to each other on and off the road; and the flirting between Bonnie and Michael until the episode “White Bird.” Of course, Michael fails to convince Devon that he has no interest in females, vacations or Bonnie for that matter, who would rather flush K.I.T.T.’s systems then be on a date with this knight in shining armor. Altogether, the first season was the inverse of what Knight Rider was during its fourth season and remains a season of immense changes and character development.