Hell in a Handbasket.

[Aretelio]

Seriously, folks, it's where this world is going. Straight to hell.

My normal cheerful demeanor has been drastically altered after cruising the wide lanes of the information super-highway and, if you don't mind the automotive reference, being rear-ended by an eighteen wheeler.

Yes, this information is almost as bad as getting passed by a mini-van. A turbo-charged mini-van.

Now for a little back-story:

I was a kid growing up in the 80's. I watched TV. Not lot's of TV, just at night. Some of my favorites were Rip Tide, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Simon and Simon, Magnum P.I., etc.

However, my favorite show growing up was most definitely Knight Rider. I just loved it. I watched every epsiode, had every toy, wore leather (imitation!) jackets and basically thought I was Michael Knight.

(On a side note, I was too young to realize how much Hasselhoff sucked, but hey, I was a kid!)

Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist.

For those that don't know, here's the show in a nutshell:

Michael Long is a crimefighter who is seriously wounded during his work. Nursed back to health by a mysterious benefactor (chairman of the Knight Industries), he regains consciousness a new man with a new face and a new name: Michael Knight. His mysterious benefactor (through the guise of associate Devon Miles) provides Michael with equipment and support so that he can continue his crime fighting work. The most notable piece of equipment supplied, is "KITT", a nearly indestructible high-performance sports car fitted with artificial intelligence.

The whole show was just the best thing ever to a young kid. A car that could talk (with William Daniel's voice!) and drive itself! Are you effing kidding me! Crime fighting and hi-jinx! Sign me up!

Though, most episodes consisted of The Hass botching his investigations and K.I.T.T. saving him.

Now, I'll be honest and tell you I can hardly watch the show now. It's terrible. Sure, I've got the series on DVD for nostalgic purposes, and I'll admit that I may pop one of the DVDs in now and again for a fix, but all-in-all...not so much. When I was a kid the show stimulated my imagination. Nevermind the fact that when you watch the show now you can see the man in a 'seat costume' driving the car when it was supposed to be driving itself.

Anyway, I'm rambling. The show brings back good memories of my childhood so it has a certain senitmental value for me on some level.

Which brings me back to now.

I had heard rumor of two things:

1. NBC (or CBS....one of the networks!) is remaking a Knight Rider television series
2. There is going to be a feature-length Knight Rider movie

So of course I was a bit interested about the prospect of this.

Then someone in #guildwars posted a link to pictures of what was rumored to be the new Knight Industries Two Thousand. Now, I know a thing or two about automobiles; and I know that the original K.I.T.T. was a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am.

So I'm thinking to myself, "Wait a second, they stopped making Firebirds/Trans Ams in 2002. How can they re-make a show whithout the one thing that made it famous to begin with?" K.I.T.T. was the show.

I click on the link wondering what I'm about to see and I'm greeted with this image:

The new KITT: A Shelby GT500KR

A Shelby GT500KR. What is wrong with the world? This was as bad as seeing Bumblebee as a Camaro. Why can't we just have some continuity anymore? Why do they have to **** with everything. Is there nothing sacred anymore? Is money and marketing and advertising and money the only thing people think about?

Don't get me wrong, I think the Shelby GT500KR is a bad-*** vehicle; and I can even admit to it looking pretty damn cool with the "scanner LED" in the hood scoops (even though the site says those were Photoshopped for effect). Still, it angers me. The decision to choose a different vehicle to portray K.I.T.T was one that had to be made. Or was it? Why not wait for the next generation Firebird and Trans Am to emerge? Don't we want to be true to the original series? Probably not. It's just another attempt at product placement.

Couldn't they just wait a bit and use this?

I think it's all wrong.....just plain wrong.

There's also another purported image floating around about them using a Koenigsegg CCX as well, but that seems to be an older rumor.

This isn't horrible either.

I guess it doesn't bother me quite as bad as it seems. I just don't like when things that bring me a small bit of enjoyment are modified in order to generate income.

Stop explointing my childhood memories, you bastards!

I'm done now.

[The Harlequin]

Meh, Knight Rider was clearly derivative...



Gotta find Wonderbug's Magic Horn!


"But it's Knight Boat, the crime-solving boat!" --Homer

[Zalis]

Stop explointing my childhood memories, you bastards!

We're the target market now. (aside from 'tweens begging their parents for stuff) They'll exploit anything they can to get 20-somethings to cash in on nostalgia.

Suck it up.

[Jax The Malevolent]

Meh, Knight Rider was clearly derivative...



Gotta find Wonderbug's Magic Horn!


"But it's Knight Boat, the crime-solving boat!" --Homer

OMG I thought I was the only one who remembered this show. Ahh the good old days.

[Imyours Shesmine]

I'm sorry but putting an LED display on any high performance car in todays world would constitute BLING.

It probably gets worse regards to marketing. Todays KITT would have a female voice, rant on about the environment, the radio would only play R&B and it wont have an ashtray inside.

Michael Knight will be played by either Johnny Knoxville or Seann William Scott.

[The Harlequin]

Michael Knight will be played by either Johnny Knoxville or Seann William Scott.

What about wise-cracking Will Smith? Think back to MIB2, if you dare...

[Aretelio]

Well, in the new TV series (scheduled to air in 2008) the main character, a.k.a. The New Michael Knight, will be named Mike Tracuer and will be played by Justin Bruening:

He looks pretty weak.

The Hass is still in negotiations for the series. I can only imagine he'd take the place of Devon as the character who deals with Traceur.

The one promising piece of this is the new voice of K.I.T.T., it's Will Arnett. He's been on 30 Rock a few times and I actually think it might be a good voice for the car. Especially if he speaks like he does on 30 Rock!

The Mustangs are being used on NBC's television show. Here's a Youtube of them introducing the new K.I.T.T.

According to IMDB, the movie isn't going to be around until 2010. There's no more information available at this time.