KnightRiderLegacy
Page 13
24.4
Ring of Fire
19.1
Knightmares
22.5
Silent Knight
22.6
A Knight in Shining Armor
21.4
Diamonds Aren’t a Girl’s Best Friend
22.6
White-line Warriors
21.4
Race for Life
24.9
Speed Demons
26.2
Goliath Returns
26.9
A Good Knight’s Work
20.5
Mouth of the Snake
13.2
Let it be Me
18.8
Big Iron
16.6
Knight of the Drones
28.6
The Ice Bandits
20.7
Knights of the Fast Lane
24.3
Halloween Knight
20.4
K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R
21.2
The Rotten Apples
19.2
Knight in Disgrace
21.7
Dead of Knight
18.2
Lost Knight
18.9
Knight of the Chameleon
16.8
Custom Made Killer
23.9
Knight by a Nose
21.4
Junk Yard Dog
20.2
Buy Out
22.5
Knightlines
19.8
A Knight in Decline •
115
The Nineteenth Hole
20.5
Knight and Knerd
20.3
Ten Wheel Trouble
20.4
Knight in Retreat
21.0
Knight Strikes
21.0
Circus Knights
15.3
Knight of the Juggernaut
23.6
K.I.T.T.nap
19.3
Sky Knight
16.7
Burial Ground
17.0
The Wrong Crowd
16.5
Knight Sting
18.7
Many Happy Returns
20.1
Knight Racer
17.2
Knight Behind Bars
16.7
Knight Song
18.8
The Scent of Roses
18.2
Killer K.I.T.T.
18.0
Out of the Woods
18.4
Deadly Knightshade
17.9
Redemption of a Champion
18.9
Knight of a Thousand Devils
18.1
Hills of Fire
21.0
Knight Flight to Freedom
18.1
Fright Knight
18.1
Knight of the Rising Sun
19.4
Voo Doo Knight
18.6
116
• Knight Rider Legacy
A “fans-eye-view” of David Hasselhoff [Courtesy Linda Borchers] CHAPTER ELEVEN:
AFTER THE SUN SET
After the 1986 cancellation of Knight Rider, each star went in their own direction. Perhaps the biggest success story is David Hasselhoff, who utilized his singing and acting abilities to become the “Elvis” of Germany and rescued a drowning show from television oblivion. Before any of that happened, however, David did not have much luck at landing a role after Knight Rider’s end. He recalls, “I used to see casting breakdowns that said
‘David Hasselhoff-type’. When I approached them, they said, ‘No, not you. You’re over’.” David received a call not long after Knight Rider’s cancellation from a European magazine writer interested in doing a story on him. Although he was depressed about being out of a job, David agreed to the meeting, where he found out that his 1984 album, Night Rocker, was a surprise hit in Austria. Within two weeks of that interview, David built a K.I.T.T. replica, shipped it to Austria, and was singing “Night Rocker” to a sold out concert. He later received a call from a producer asking to remake the song, “Looking for Freedom.” David did the song, which sold over six million singles in Europe. To this day, David cannot walk the streets in Europe, as he is considered bigger than The Beatles and Michael Jackson.
In 1989, David ran into Brandon Tartikoff, Entertainment President of NBC, at a mall. He told David that he wanted to give him another shot at a starring role in a television series. David was sent a tape about a group of lifeguards on the Santa Monica beaches. He immediately fell in love with the series and told his manager to get him the role. Baywatch was sold to NBC as a two-hour movie of the week and was later sold as a weekly 117
118
• Knight Rider Legacy
action series. After only three episodes were aired, NBC execs feared that the series would run out of new material very quickly. The producers weren’t quite sure what the show was supposed to be during the first season. The second half of the first season brought a steep decline in the ratings and NBC decided to axe the show. Creator Greg Bonnan reacquired the rights and called David Hasselhoff to see if he would be interested in reviving the series. David Hasselhoff was huge overseas (thanks to his music career and Knight Rider) and Bonnan believed he could use that to his advantage in trying to sell Baywatch to foreign distributors. David recalls a meeting with one of those distributors: “They wanted Knight Rider. I said, ‘I can’t give you Knight Rider. ’ They said, ‘What can you give me?’ I said, ‘Well I can give you Baywatch. ’ They said, ‘Does it have a talking car?’ I said, ‘No, it has me.’ They said, ‘Well, we buy it anyway.’”
Baywatch thrived in syndication and, within three years of its rebirth, had a loyal audience of over one billion viewers. “I have nothing but a big thank you to NBC for Knight Rider,” says Hasselhoff, “and a big thank you to NBC for canceling Baywatch.”
Edward Mulhare, an accomplished stage and screen actor, appeared in such series as Murder, She Wrote (“One Good Bid Deserves a Murder;”
“Stage Struck”) and MacGyver (“Three For the Road”) after Knight Rider ended . In 1991, Edward revived his role as Foundation boss Devon Miles in the made-for-TV movie Knight Rider 2000 and later appeared in the motion picture Out to Sea. He passed away in 1997 after a losing a battle with lung cancer. Ironically, his final role was with David Hasselhoff in an episode of Baywatch Nights entitled “Frozen Out of Time.” William Daniels comments, “After Knight Rider was over, I had some private socializing with Edward Mulhare. He was a lovely man.”
Immediately after leaving her role as Bonnie Barstow, Patricia McPherson had guest starring roles in MacGyver (“Jack of Lies”), Star Trek: The Next Generation (“Angel One”), and Matlock (“The Witness Killings”). “At the end of the ’85-’86 season,” recalls McPherson, “I was working on an action/adventure film where I played a diver. The dive
After the Sun Set •
119
knife came up out of the sheath in a running scene and cut my Achilles tendon in half and that took a year to heal. That’s when I started getting more involved in wetland issues. I decided that acting was fun and I would still like to go back and do things, but I needed to do something ‘real’.”
McPherson left Hollywood to become a full-time activist at the Ballona wetlands. “This planet is in trouble with regard to overpopulation and the ongoing development and the use of its resources. We’ve lost over 95% of our wetlands along the pacific flyway. Steven Speilberg and Dreamworks had intended to put their studio on top of the Ballona wetlands. They were going to be the anchor tenant for the Playa Vista site. Certainly, with me as an actor, I donated money to these sort of things, but it became apparent to me that I couldn’t just donate money towards them anymore. I had to get involved and make a difference.”
K.I.T.T. awaits filming outside the Knight Rider Soundstage at
Universal Studios [Courtesy P. Sher Jr./Code One Auto]
“I created K.I.T.T.,” says William Daniels of his four-wheeled alter ego.
“He’s computerized, but I won’t let him come out cold. I understand the personality of the car.” During and after the series’ run, Daniels would have 120
• Knight Rider Legacy
children come up to him and ask what television show he was in. “I told them I do the voice of the car on Knight Rider. The kids yelled, ‘That’s right!
You’re him! You’re him!’ After that, I was an instant hit.” Daniels reprised the role in the 1991 television movie Knight Rider 2000 and signed on to play school teacher Mr. Feeny in ABC’s Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000. In 1999, Daniels had the distinct honor of becoming President of the Screen Actor’s Guild. “I was asked to come over and meet with commercial actors who wanted desperately to see some changes in the contract, to suggest someone who could head their slate,” says Daniels. “A candidate for president has to be recognizable. I had that. They needed someone who is independent, who didn’t have an agenda. On an impulse, I said, ‘How about me?’” Interestingly, one of the opponents running against Daniels was Angel Tompkins, who guest starred twice on Knight Rider. “In some ways I’m not suited for this role,” adds Daniels, “I come from nowhere. I have no agenda. I’m not a political person. I have no past experience in the union.”
Although he only starred in Knight Rider’s final season, Peter Parros definitely made a mark on the series and went on to guest star in a number of other series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation (“A Matter of Honor”), Seinfeld (“The Trip”), and Step By Step (“Pretty Woman”). In 1989, Parros won the role of Office Gus Grant in the short-lived remake of the television series Adam 12. Seven years later, in 1996, Parros signed on to the daytime drama As the World Turns as Dr. Ben Harris, a role he enjoys to this day. Like Peter Parros, Catherine Hickland also found success in daytime television, having appeared in six different soap operas since 1980. Hickland tried to establish herself throughout the 1980’s as a soap star, with moderate success. Although her marriage to David Hasselhoff ended in 1988, Hickland is no doubt still reminded nearly everyday of her time with Hasselhoff and performing on the Knight Rider set, thanks to her current husband. His name? Michael E. Knight, from All My Children. They have been happily married since June 27, 1992.
Hollywood has taken advantage of Knight Rider’s popularity by making references to it in other television shows and even featuring cameos of the After the Sun Set •
121
cast. Seven years after the series aired its final episode, the cast reunited in the United Kingdom for a tribute to David Hasselhoff on This is Your Life. David recounts the story of how he won the role of Michael Knight while his wife and father sit around him. The host surprises David with a video message from his star vehicle, K.I.T.T. The footage used here is of the K.I.T.T. car displayed at Universal Studios, Hollywood. He tells David that he will sink a couple of gallons of gasoline to his health and happiness, to which David comments, “Cars don’t age.” The host chimes in and replies, “My car is Japanese. I can’t understand a word it says.” The voice used as K.I.T.T.’s is not William Daniels. His voice modulator is different and appears on the monitor inside of the car, all the while his scanner and headlights flashing. “In your four-year spin in Knight Rider, ” the host continues, “you also had some long-running, human co-stars.” Edward Mulhare, Peter Parros, and Patricia McPherson surprise him with a very special (and very rare) appearance together. Edward tells of his time on the Knight Rider set, calling it a highlight of his professional life. This appearance was the first time the cast had completely reunited since the series’
conclusion in 1986. This would also be the final time they would be together, as Edward Mulhare passed away from lung cancer in 1997. References to Knight Rider were not limited to the live-action television setting, either. They have popped up on three separate occasions on Fox’s cartoon comedy The Simpsons. In “Lisa’s First Word” (December 3, 1992), the family recalls the magical moment when Lisa uttered her very first word. Bart holds up a copy of TV guide with Knight Rider on the cover and asks Lisa if she can say David Hasselhoff. In “And Maggie Makes Three”
(January 22, 1995), the family sits down in front of the TV to watch their favorite program Knight Boat. The black Trans Am is traded in for a black speedboat complete with a red scanner and Michael at the helm. William Daniels reprised his role as the voice of K.I.T.T. in “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace” (September 20, 1998), marking the only time that Daniels voiced the car outside of the series and Knight Rider 2000. Homer, feeling the effects of a mid-life crisis, is livened up by his family, who shows 122
• Knight Rider Legacy
him a film reel of his life. After scenes with his family do not cheer him up, Bart shows him a clip of K.I.T.T. riding through the desert saying, “Hello Homer. It’s me, K.I.T.T., from TV’s Knight Rider. You’re family has asked me to invite you to a very special…,” but the film reel breaks before he can finish. William Daniels recalls, “When I told my son in New York that I was going to be on The Simpsons, I think that was the first time he was really impressed with what I was doing! The Simpsons is a great show and I am glad they thought of K.I.T.T. in one of their jokes.”
In MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch, famous Hollywood personalities are animated and battle to the death in a wrestling-style arena. The August 13, 1998 airing pitted David Hasselhoff versus former Entertainment Tonight co-host John Tesh. K.I.T.T. sits with the audience, his Trans Am body downgraded to a dune buggy. The battle begins and Tesh manages to open an umbrella inside Hasselhoff’s mouth to rip his face off. Just as it appears that Tesh has won, Hasselhoff calls for K.I.T.T. and the dune buggy starts up, turbo boosts over the crowd, and lands on Tesh. Hasselhoff wins, and K.I.T.T. remarks that it’s nice to be working with him again. Also from the animated landscape comes an episode of Futurama entitled
“The Honking” (November 5, 2000). A scientist tells a few people of his latest invention: “I was working on Project: Satan, a savage, intelligent military vehicle built from the most evil parts of the most evil cars in all the world. The steering wheel from Hitler’s staff car, the left turn signal from Charles Manson’s VW, the windshield wipers from the car that played Knight Rider…” When the scientist is told that Knight Rider wasn’t evil, he responds,
“His windshield wipers were, it didn’t come up much in the show though.”
With over 200 episodes of David Hasselhoff’s latest series Baywatch, viewers could pretty much count on a couple of references to Michael and K.I.T.T.’s adventures. In “Rescue Bay” (March 5, 1994), a Hollywood producer becomes interested in developing a television series based on the lifeguards. When the deal doesn’t work, Mitch (David Hasselhoff) makes a comment that the producer made a deal with a foreign distributor to put the show in syndication. One of the lifeguards says, “You know. Like
After the Sun Set •
123
Knight Rider. ” Mitch comments, “Oh yeah, I remember that show.” In
“Talk Show” (February 17, 1997), Mitch is scheduled to appear on a talk show where the other guest is Jay Leno. As Mitch prepares to introduce himself to Leno before the taping, Leno comments to his agent that they should make a show revolving around a talking car.
Around 1985, K.I.T.T. received a special display at Universal Studios in Hollywood. The car was parked in a dock over a reflecting pool of water. For a while, visitors could sit in K.I.T.T., talk to him, and have him respond (the voice was not William Daniels, but a voice actor doing impressions). The car had hidden cameras placed all around the display to allow the voice actor to “see” what was going on around. When a tourist approached, K.I.T.T. would ask what they were wearing or doing, and flashed his headlights and said “cheese!” whenever his picture was about to be taken. Eventually, though, they took away the voice and visitors could only sit it the car. In 1998, t
he car was removed from its display and when it came back, it was tucked away in a small back alley of the park. The doors were locked and the windows were completely darkened. K.I.T.T. greets fans on the Universal Studios tour in 1986
[Courtesy P. Sher Jr. /Code One Auto]
124
• Knight Rider Legacy
An original K.I.T.T. car is on display at the Star Car Museum in the United Kingdom. After the series ended, Universal Studios gave Hasselhoff and his wife two of the original cars. The museum phoned David and asked if they could buy the car. Hasselhoff agreed, and the car is now a prime attraction. Incidentally, the car had the original twin television dashboard. Although each of the series’ stars have gone on to other projects, they all hold fond memories of their time on Knight Rider. “There was genuine love for one another,” McPherson recalls. “The crew was like a second family to me.” While the hot desert sun has set on the original series, the future looks bright for the series’ stars, and their cars. George Barris K.I.T.T. on display at the Barris Star Cars Museum, Gatlinburg, TN [Courtesy P. Sher Jr./Code One Auto] CHAPTER TWELVE:
KNIGHT RIDER SEASON ONE
First Season Technical Credits
Producers: Harker Wade, Steven E. de Souza, Hannah Shearer Co-executive Producer: R.A. Cinader
Executive Producer: Robert Foster
Supervising Producer: Joel Rogosin
Coordinating Producer: Gian R. Grimaldi
Created By: Glen A. Larson
Associate Producers: Gilbert Bettman, Bernadette Joyce, Robert Ewing Executive Script Consultant: David Braff
Story Editors: David Braff, William Schmidt
Theme By: Glen A. Larson, Stu Phillips
Music By: Stu Phillips, Morton Stevens, Don Peake
Director of Photography: H. John Penner
Art Directors: Seymour Klate, Russell Smith
Set Decorations: R. Lynn Smartt, Richard Friedman, Hal Gausman Casting By: April Webster, Ron Stephenson, Mark Malis, Film Editors: William Martin, Edwin F. England, Lawrence J. Gleason, Stanley Wohlberg, Beryl Gelfond, Lawrence J. Vallario, Domenic G. DiMascio
Sound: John R. McDonald, Jim Alexander, Stan Gordon, Alan Bernard Unit Production Managers: Ron Martinez, Frank Crawford, Edward D. Markley, James A. Westman
125
126
• Knight Rider Legacy