Screenhead

For those of us who can remember the days when David Hasselhoff wasn’t known for his talent show motivations and peeing in his pants, there will be great jubilation (or sacrilege) in hearing that the classic TV show Knight Rider is making a return. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, I feel sorry for you and your sad, empty lives.

While information about the return isn’t plentiful, Dark Horizons is saying that NBC will fund a Doug Liman-directed pilot which may see US TV screens in a matter of months. There’s no word on who will play the new Michael Knight, or what his talking-car best buddy KITT will resemble since the original Pontiac Trans Am is no longer being manufactured.

In other Knight Rider news, 2008 may be the release date of the Knight Rider feature film. It’s being scripted by Glen Larson, who wrote much of the original series, as well as that other classic 80s show, Magnum PI, plus wrote for and produced Battestar Galactica (this guy is the architect of 80s culture). Again, info is scant on the movie. Hasselhoff may be making a appearance in the film, according to this article. Also, if you believe it, this thread on IMDB features a person directly involved in the production, and has some interesting things to say about what’s happening.

I’m sure die-hard fans of the original will be whining about trying to resurrect such an important series, but come on, it was a kids action show. Our appreciation for it is 99% nostalgia. There’s nothing wrong with bringing it back to out TV screens, as long as it’s cheesy enough, and doesn’t try to take itself so seriously, like some other ridiculously serious shows on air at the moment.