Although Knight Rider is a recognizable name for a series, it isn’t really known for its excellence. The 80s series was good, but not great. The same goes for the revamped movie which made for a backdoor series pilot. With such a lackluster history, it’s hard to imagine too many people getting excited about the new series.

I liked the fact that there weren’t any major casting changes between the movie and this episode. Sometimes things change, actors get booted when they don’t test well with audiences. There are a number of shows which see these kinds of changes.

Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman

The plot was rather simple, too simple for my tastes. Mike and Sarah were tasked with retrieving a package and some files but were met by some people from Mike’s past which he doesn’t remember. His lack of memory remains a constant throughout the entire episode. It didn’t get to the point in which it was annoying, but it was repetitive.

The question then becomes why doesn’t he remember what happened. It becomes clear at the end of the episode that not everyone within Knight Industries wishes Mike could remember everything. The secrecy about Mike’s identity and mysterious past was the few things that intrigued me, encouraging me to come back and see more of the series.

My biggest complaint with the show is KITT. I don’t have a problem with the Val Kilmer voice overs. My beef remains with the absurd technological advancements made. There’s also the fact that KITT wouldn’t have been able to run without oxygen. Plus, KITT’s escape from the bad guys early in the episode, going into turbo mode, suddenly flying through the air. And last, Knight Rider is looking less like Knight Rider of old and more like Transformers. The transformations KITT is capable of is laughable. This show shouldn’t be on NBC. It is a show for boys, but not for ones who have hit puberty yet. Seriously, this is a show for pre-teens and doesn’t belong on primetime NBC.

Rating: 4.8

Justin Bruening was chosen to play Michael Knight’s son, Mike Traceur. In the pilot movie which aired quite a while ago, he wasn’t particularly impressive. Traceur was a typical, young womanizer and generally unappealing character.

Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman and Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur

The plot of this TV-movie was rather simple: bad guys wanted the technology developed by a scientist responsible for KITT and some satellites. The guys come after the scientist and then go after his daughter since she knows about his work.

I consider the Knight Rider a fairly typical TV movie, typically a movie you’d never want to spend money for tickets to see it in a theatre. The CGI wasn’t as bad as I’ve seen in most TV movies, but it wasn’t exactly awe-inspiring either.

With any handsome leading man (Justin Bruening), there must also be an attractive leading lady. New Jersey-born Deanna Russo filled those shoes here, playing the role of the scientist’s daughter. Neither Bruening nor Russo will likely ever win an Emmy for an acting performance, but again, it’s a TV movie… my expectations aren’t high.

K.I.T.T.

As for the real leading man, Val Kilmer portrayed KITT after Will Arnett was pulled due to a conflict between General Motors and Ford. Arnett did some work with GM and Ford didn’t want him voicing their Ford Mustang, more or less. KITT has had some pretty nice improvements over the old TransAm I recall in the old series. Being able to drive itself is required, of course, but some of the abilities (able to get near real-time satellite imagery) are a little silly.

As a Pilot, I thought this was a decent way to start out the series. It isn’t great, but I’ve seen far worse pilots and TV movies. Neither the writing nor the acting will likely impress anyone.

Rating: 5.5