After years of speculation, abortive and likely imaginary movie pitches, it looks like K.I.T.T.’s saviour might be fellow rolling robot Optimus Prime. And if you have no idea what we’re on about here, then clearly you’re not a child of the ‘80s, and you need some explanation to soothe your iSpod soul.
Airing in the ‘80s, Knight Rider was a beloved action drama TV show that featured David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a former cop turned crime crusader who rode around the US (mostly to places that looked like LA and the surrounding area) sorting out problems with his indestructible super car, K.I.T.T. (which stood for Knight Industries Two Thousand). Michael and the snarky, talking car beat the bad guys thanks to a bulletproof frame, turbo boost jumping ability and the Hoff’s legendary, lady-charming perm.
Rumours have abounded for ages that the car and plot would be dragged from mothballs, and at least one other TV show has been created like a phoenix from the ashes. But movie rumblings have never amounted to anything.
Now it looks like US Network NBC is taking a cue from Transformers’ success, reasoning that since kids love robot cars, the world is ready for a new version of K.I.T.T.
And the network has hired Bourne Identity director Doug Liman to supervise a new two-hour TV movie that could serve as what’s known as a “backdoor pilot” for a refreshed series. And the Transformers effect will be all over the new show – as the producers are planning to have lots of other super-powered vehicles to challenge K.I.T.T.
Yes, it’s all very exciting, and that sound you hear is David Hasselhoff pitching a tent outside NBC’s offices so that they realise he’s still up for taking the wheel…
