"Knight Rider" (1982) TV series 1982-1986

Creator:

Glen A. Larson
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

26 September 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A lone crimefighter battles the forces of evil with the help of an indestructible and artificially intelligent supercar.

Plot Keywords:

Forces Of Evil | Artificial Intelligence | Detective | Electronic Music Score | Famous Opening Theme

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

David Hasselhoff	...	Michael Knight / ... (84 episodes, 1982-1986)
Edward Mulhare	...	Devon Miles / ... (84 episodes, 1982-1986)
William Daniels	...	K.I.T.T. (84 episodes, 1982-1986)
Richard Basehart	...	Narrator - Opening Titles / ... (83 episodes, 1982-1986)
Patricia McPherson	...	Bonnie Barstow (62 episodes, 1982-1986)

Series Directed by
Georg Fenady		(11 episodes, 1983-1986)
Winrich Kolbe		(11 episodes, 1983-1986)
Sidney Hayers		(10 episodes, 1982-1986)
Bernard L. Kowalski		(7 episodes, 1982-1984)
Harvey S. Laidman		(6 episodes, 1983-1986)
Jeffrey Hayden		(5 episodes, 1983-1985)
Bernard McEveety		(5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Bob Bralver		(4 episodes, 1984-1986)
Charles Bail		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Alan Myerson		(3 episodes, 1983)
Gil Bettman		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Daniel Haller		(2 episodes, 1982)
Paul Stanley		(2 episodes, 1982)
Charles Watson Sanford		(2 episodes, 1985)

Series Writing credits
Glen A. Larson		(83 episodes, 1982-1986)
Robert Foster		(12 episodes, 1983-1985)
Janis Hendler		(8 episodes, 1983-1984)
Rob Gilmer		(7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Gregory S. Dinallo		(6 episodes, 1982-1986)
Tom Greene		(6 episodes, 1982-1984)
Richard C. Okie		(6 episodes, 1984-1985)
William Schmidt		(5 episodes, 1982-1983)
Gerald Sanford		(5 episodes, 1984-1985)
Burton Armus		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Deborah Dean Davis		(4 episodes, 1982-1986)
David Braff		(3 episodes, 1982-1983)
E. Nick Alexander		(3 episodes, 1986)
Steven E. de Souza		(2 episodes, 1982)
E. Paul Edwards		(2 episodes, 1982)
John Alan Schwartz		(2 episodes, 1982)
Jackson Gillis		(2 episodes, 1983-1986)
Virginia Aldridge		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Stephen Katz		(2 episodes, 1983)
William Elliott		(2 episodes, 1984-1985)

Series Produced by
Glen A. Larson	....	executive producer (84 episodes, 1982-1986)
Robert Foster	....	executive producer (71 episodes, 1983-1986)
Gino Grimaldi	....	producer / co-producer / ... (70 episodes, 1983-1986)
Robert Ewing	....	coordinating producer / associate producer (69 episodes, 1983-1986)
Tom Greene	....	producer / co-producer (63 episodes, 1982-1985)
Ronald Martinez	....	associate producer (42 episodes, 1984-1986)
Bernadette Joyce	....	associate producer (39 episodes, 1982-1984)
Bruce Golin	....	associate producer (36 episodes, 1984-1986)
Joel Rogosin	....	supervising producer (30 episodes, 1983-1984)
Burton Armus	....	supervising producer / producer (28 episodes, 1985-1986)
Rob Gilmer	....	co-producer (21 episodes, 1983-1984)
Gregory S. Dinallo	....	co-producer (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bruce Lansbury	....	supervising producer (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gilbert Bettman Jr.	....	associate producer (20 episodes, 1982-1983)
Steven E. de Souza	....	producer (20 episodes, 1982-1983)
Gerald Sanford	....	producer (17 episodes, 1984-1985)
Robert A. Cinader	....	co-executive producer (11 episodes, 1982)
Hannah Louise Shearer	....	producer (11 episodes, 1982)
George E. Crosby	....	associate producer (6 episodes, 1984)
Stephen Downing	....	co-producer (3 episodes, 1983)
Mark Jones	....	co-producer (3 episodes, 1985-1986)
James M. Miller	....	producer (2 episodes, 1984)

Series Original Music by
Don Peake		(72 episodes, 1983-1986)
Stu Phillips		(12 episodes, 1982-1984)
William Broughton		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
H. John Penner		(83 episodes, 1982-1986)

Series Film Editing by
Lawrence J. Gleason		(18 episodes, 1982-1985)
Lawrence J. Vallario		(15 episodes, 1983-1985)
Domenic Dimascio		(12 episodes, 1983-1986)
Grant Hoag		(12 episodes, 1984-1986)
Stanley Wohlberg		(11 episodes, 1982-1984)
Beryl Gelfond		(9 episodes, 1982-1984)
Edward Nassour		(6 episodes, 1985-1986)
Howard B. Anderson		(5 episodes, 1983-1984)
William Martin		(4 episodes, 1982-1983)
Dayle Mustain		(4 episodes, 1984-1986)
Edwin F. England		(2 episodes, 1982)
Ron Rutberg		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
April Webster		(40 episodes, 1982-1984)
Joe Reich		(21 episodes, 1984-1985)
Donna Dockstader		(20 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ron Stephenson		(2 episodes, 1982)

Series Art Direction by
Russell J. Smith		(33 episodes, 1982-1984)
Frank Grieco Jr.		(21 episodes, 1984-1985)
Louis Montejano		(21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Seymour Klate		(9 episodes, 1982)

Series Set Decoration by
Lynn Smart		(82 episodes, 1982-1986)

Series Costume Design by
George Whittaker		(6 episodes, 1982)
Richard Hopper		(3 episodes, 1982)
Jean-Pierre Dorléac		(2 episodes, 1982-1984)

Series Makeup Department
Allen Payne	....	hair stylist (62 episodes, 1983-1986)
Jeremy Swan	....	makeup artist (5 episodes, 1982-1984)

Series Production Management
Ronald Martinez	....	unit production manager (80 episodes, 1982-1986)
Frank Crawford	....	unit production manager (3 episodes, 1982)
Zane Radney	....	unit production manager (2 episodes, 1984)
Edward D. Markley	....	unit production manager (1 episode, 1982)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce Humphrey	....	second assistant director (57 episodes, 1983-1986)
Robert Villar	....	first assistant director (34 episodes, 1983-1986)
Jack Gill	....	second unit director (30 episodes, 1984-1986)
Louis Race	....	first assistant director (21 episodes, 1984-1986)
Bob Bralver	....	second unit director (20 episodes, 1982-1983)
Don Wilkerson	....	second assistant director (20 episodes, 1982-1983)
Charles Watson Sanford Jr.	....	first assistant director (19 episodes, 1982-1984)
Richard Coad	....	second assistant director (6 episodes, 1986)
Fred Miller	....	first assistant director (5 episodes, 1982-1983)
Phil Bowles	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1982)
Ronald Martinez	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1982)
Barry K. Thomas	....	dga trainee (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
James Passanante	....	paint foreman (11 episodes, 1982)
Glenn Forbes	....	assistant property master (unknown episodes)
Ed Keyes	....	property master: second unit (unknown episodes)
George Tuers	....	property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
John Shouse	....	sound editor / sound effects editor (61 episodes, 1983-1986)
Pat Somerset	....	sound (58 episodes, 1983-1986)
Walt Jenevein	....	sound effects editor (12 episodes, 1982-1983)
Stan Gordon	....	sound (9 episodes, 1982-1984)
John R. McDonald	....	sound (8 episodes, 1982)
Sam Gemette	....	sound effects editor / sound recordist (2 episodes, 1983)
Barney Cabral	....	adr editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Scott Forbes	....	special effects technician (11 episodes, 1982)
Wayne Rose	....	special effects (5 episodes, 1985)
Larry Fioritto	....	special effects coordinator (unknown episodes)
George Zamora	....	pyrotechnician (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Charles Gibson	....	visual effects (41 episodes, 1984-1986)
Jim Michaels	....	visual effects producer (36 episodes, 1984-1986)

Series Stunts
Jack Gill	....	stunt coordinator / co-stunt coordinator (64 episodes, 1983-1986)
Andy Gill	....	stunts (51 episodes, 1982-1986)
Bob Bralver	....	stunt coordinator (26 episodes, 1982-1984)
Marian Green	....	stunts / stunt double (9 episodes, 1982-1986)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts / stunt coordinator (5 episodes, 1983-1986)
Dean Raphael Ferrandini	....	stunts (5 episodes, 1984-1986)
Richard Epper	....	motorcycle stunts / stunts (4 episodes, 1982-1985)
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt performer (2 episodes, 1983)
Jerry Summers	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 1982)
Kenny Bates	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jean Coulter	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Tom Elliott	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Harold 'Hal' Frizzell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
David Hasselhoff	....	stunt driver (unknown episodes)
Terry James	....	stunt double: David Hasselhoff (unknown episodes)
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Eric M. Miller	....	utility stunts (unknown episodes)
Sherry Peterson	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Pat Romano	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Michael M. Vendrell	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
James Winburn	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Chevalier	....	camera operator: second unit (unknown episodes)
Randall Robinson	....	first assistant camera: second unit (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Donna Dockstader	....	casting (1 episode, 1986)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barry Downing	....	costume supervisor (48 episodes, 1983-1986)
Karen Braverman-Ohrberg	....	costume supervisor / costumer (27 episodes, 1984-1986)
Judie C. Champion	....	costume supervisor (21 episodes, 1983-1984)
Don Snyder	....	costume supervisor (10 episodes, 1982)
Gilbert Loe	....	costume supervisor (3 episodes, 1983)
Nancy McArdle	....	costume supervisor (2 episodes, 1983)
Gregory B. Peña	....	co-costume supervisor / set costumer / ... (unknown episodes, 1982-1984)

Series Editorial Department
Steve Johnson	....	colorist (21 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Music Department
Glen A. Larson	....	composer: theme music / composer: main theme (84 episodes, 1982-1986)
Stu Phillips	....	composer: theme music / composer: main theme (84 episodes, 1982-1986)
Richard Lapham	....	music editor (83 episodes, 1982-1986)
Jerry Cohen	....	music editor (2 episodes, 1982)
William Broughton	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Bradley Carow	....	assistant music editor (unknown episodes)
Carl Cedar	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Udi Harpaz	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Ralph Kessler	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Kim Richmond	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Nathan Scott	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)
Jack Smalley	....	orchestrator (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Alan Kaminsky	....	driver (20 episodes, 1982-1983)
Chris Haynes	....	production driver (9 episodes, 1982-1985)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (2 episodes, 1982)

Series Other crew
Winnie Rich	....	script supervisor (82 episodes, 1982-1986)
Joyce Heftel	....	script supervisor: second unit (41 episodes, 1982-1984)
Richard C. Okie	....	executive story consultant / story editor (21 episodes, 1984-1985)
Michael Eric Stein	....	story editor (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Janis Hendler	....	executive script consultant (18 episodes, 1983-1984)
David Braff	....	story editor / executive script consultant (16 episodes, 1982-1983)
William Schmidt	....	story editor (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Gregory S. Dinallo	....	executive script consultant (7 episodes, 1985)
Larry Mollin	....	executive story consultant (6 episodes, 1984-1985)
Robert Sherman	....	executive story consultant (4 episodes, 1984-1985)
Greg Knapp	....	medic (4 episodes, 1986)
Tom Lazarus	....	story editor (3 episodes, 1984)
David Carren	....	story editor (2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Gerald Sanford	....	executive story consultant (2 episodes, 1984)
George Barris	....	car designer (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Robert A. Cinader	....	in loving memory (1 episode, 1982)
Marcel Rafael Marcelino	....	dedicated to the memory of (1 episode, 1984)

Production Companies

• Glen A. Larson Productions
• Universal TV

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982-1986) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Bravo Television (????) (UK) (TV)
• CIC Victor Video (198?) (Japan) (VHS)
• Independent Television (ITV)
• MCA/Universal Pictures
• RTL (1985-1986) (West Germany) (TV)
• Studios USA Television
• TV Asahi (1984) (Japan) (TV)
• Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) (1984-1987) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005-) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (season 1)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 3 and 4)
• Universal Pictures (2005-) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (season 1)
• Universal TV
• V8 (2001-2003) (Netherlands) (TV)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Universal Title  optical effects

Also Known As:

A Supermáquina (Brazil) [pt]
El auto fantástico (Argentina) [es]
El coche fantástico (Spain) [es]
K 2000 (France) [fr]
Knight Rider (West Germany) [de]
Nattens riddare (Sweden) [sv]
O Justiceiro (Portugal) [pt]
O ippotis tis asfaltou (Greece) [el]
Ritari ässä (Finland) [fi]
Supercar (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

46 min (90 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:MG6 | Australia:M (some episodes) | USA:TV-PG | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Glen A. Larson Productions

Trivia:

William Daniels who did the voice of K.I.T.T., never appared in the credits in any of the 4 seasons.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The copyright date at the end of the credits on the first (pilot) episode shows the roman numerals MCMLXXVII (1977) instead of MCMLXXXII (1982). Some people have suggested that this may have been when the idea was conceived rather than produced.

Quotes:

[closing narration - early episodes]
Narrator: Michael Knight, a lone crusader in a dangerous world. The world... of the Knight Rider.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Amazing Stories: Remote Control Man (#1.10)" (1985)

Who cares what people think, it was still Entertaining...

A lot of people laugh at David Hasselhoff and write Knight Rider off as a corny piece of 80s television. I still think this is one of the coolest shows ever, and I freely admit that Knight Rider can be pretty idiotic at the same time. The series was basically a cartoon and that can make it hard for some people to revisit when they grow up. I think that Knight Rider is one of the best unintentionally hilarious shows ever created. The silly aspects of the series make it just that much more entertaining in adult life. Knight Rider is an endearing and nostalgic series that finds a way to entertain you despite how ridiculous it can all be. "Michael & KITT", how can you not feel the tug of the old days back in the 80s when you hear that? We all grew up with this show back in the 1980's as kids, the appeal of a cool looking black sports car that could TALK was irresistible back then. Today I guess we look back at Knight Rider and wonder "wtf". It might make us recoil, and get pretty damn embarrassed with some of the out there stuff we used to think was so cool.

The immense flaws of logic and continuity that plagued Knight Rider were easily hidden to a casual child viewing the show back in 1982 (I was 5 years old), but they really stick out like a sore thumb when viewed through adult eyes. The same damn stock footage was used ad nauseum, the frames were sped up to make a car going 20 mph look like it was zipping along at 400 mph, blue filters were always used to make it look like it was night time; and as others have mentioned, the fight scenes were never, ever believable. I don't think they even had any kind of trained fight specialist on Knight Rider, it always seemed like the director just told Hasselhoff or the stunt doubles to simply go out there and just make up some crap that could pass for jujitsu or tae-kwon-do. But again, this is what makes Knight Rider so fun.

This series is loaded with all kinds of unintentional hilarity. Some of my favorites are when David Hasselhoff's stunt double wears a mustache in a take, or the episode when the stunt double's Michael Knight afro wig accidentally flew off while he was doing one of those patented "Hasselhoff-Fu" roundhouse karate kicks. It seemed like Michael Knight could take down any bad guy with one well placed karate kick to the head. Let's all be honest with ourselves, a big reason this show was popular was because it featured a really cool looking black car with that cool looking red scanner mounted in the front. Everyone loved that car, and there is no doubt that is the reason Knight Rider is a part of American pop cultural lore. I'm 26 1/2 years old today and I still like this show because it's my childhood, and because it's from the 80's that we all love and grew up in. Things would get so stupid, you often wondered if there would be a button on KITT's dashboard that would say "Drive Very Fast" instead of "Super Pursuit Mode". The show didn't magically become any more nerdier in the 2000's then it was in the 1980s. Even back in the early-mid 80s most people over the age of 15 had a tendency to laugh at Knight Rider. It was always cool to children that didn't pick apart the series, but not so to anyone above the 9th grade. The prime target audience was boys that were roughly 9 years of age. So if you were already over the age of 13 back in 1982 when Knight Rider first aired, then you were likely going to always be too cool for a show like this that leaned on being a live action cartoon. Yes it is amazing that this series lasted on NBC's prime time for 4 years. But aren't we glad it did?