DIGG THIS --> Knight Rider: An Open Letter To NBC

Last Spring we got a preview of the NEW Knight Rider. It sounded promising, and we even got a special visit from the Hoff. So with much anticipation, I've watched the first 3 episodes, only to be disappointed.

Like many television of movie remakes of recent years, more often then not, they royally screw them up. Name a few you say? The Dukes Of Hazard, Starsky and Hutch, Planet Of The Apes, The Bionic Woman, and Dragnet (The Series). And I'm not looking forward to the new Star Trek movie by J.J. Abrams, because he admitted he was not sticking to the ORIGINAL Star Trek "universe".

Note to all would be producers of TV and movies remakes. DO NOT DEVIATE FROM THE ORIGINAL STORY. If you think you're gonna put your own spin on it and it will be wildly popular, you better take a look around before you spend the studios money.

Knight Rider has gone off the beaten path from it's ancestral roots, and it's not being successful. What do I mean?

1. The shows writers and producers need to watch and re-watch the original series, especially the 2 hour pilot. From a show foundation standpoint, they are trying to reinvent it.

Mistake #1, don't re-invent the show, stick with what worked. Michael and KITT were a crime fighting team. They helped people, small businesses, and towns. The new "Team" only goes after the big fish.

Mistake #2, the foundation (F.L.A.G) is out, and the FBI is in. Listen, KITT's not gonna save the world from another 9/11 style attack. But he might help put some bad guys in jail.

Mistake #3, there are way too many people on the "Team", mostly because a show has 5-7 main characters. The other team members detract from the stories.

Mistake #4, government conspiracies and cover-ups are not required to make a successful show. In the original series, we knew who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. Now we have a leader that is not exactly forthcoming about his intentions, and he would eliminate anyone of the team to further his agenda. I would remove this element of the show immediately.

Mistake #5. Because of the deviations, Mike Traceur's past is continuously coming back to haunt him. Something we didn't have with Michael Knight (Long). The attempt to kill off Mike Traceur in the series premier was short lived, since Mike Traceur keeps running into people from his past.

2. Bring back some of the original cast. I know that Edward Mulhare is no longer living, but his character could be revived but someone else filling the role. Patricia McPherson dropped out of show business in 1991, but would be a welcomed guest to the show.

What would really give the show a shot in the arm is the return of the Hoff and/or the original KITT. The show has nothing to lose at this point.

3. The original show features special effects and sounds. Some of these are corny, but the red light on the front, and the swishing sound are the only special effects from the original series brought to the new series. Fans identify with them, and is part of the entertainment. You need to work on that!

4. KITT is too vulnerable. In the TV movie and the first 2 episodes, KITT was incapacitated. This is unacceptable. The car is the show... The car is the show... THE CAR IS THE SHOW! Don't forget that.

5. KITT is too much like a real car, makes too much noise like a car. In this day and age loud cars are a menace to society. The original KITT was much more "science fiction" in every way, and I think that was part of it's attractiveness.

6. It's like the network wants to see this show fail, like the Bionic Woman did. The network and executives want things a certain way, see this article, and then can't understand when the show just doesn't appeal to even us hardcore fans. If NBC is still making new episodes of Knight Rider after Christmas, I will be very amazed.



Regards
John Crawford

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