Knight Rider: Season Three

Let’s face it, Americans have always loved cars. Most men define the milestones of their lives by what car they where driving at the time. Cars have become celebrities in their own rights with such notable luminaries as James Bond’s tricked out Austin Martin DB4 or Gotham City’s Batmobile. In the annals of American car lore one car stands out above the rest, The Knight Industries Two Thousand, K.I.T.T. This talking car took hero Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) off to save the day each week. This highly customized 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am was the perfect companion for the crime fighter on the go. It was nearly invincible, was able to jump over almost any obstacle and most of all it could talk (voice by William Daniels) and had a mind of its own. The never did reveal how many miles per gallon it got. By the third season the formula was pretty well established. Michael worked the wealthy Knight Industries and their public face, FLAG, the Foundation for Law and Government. His mission was to go out and fight for justice where the establishment has fallen short. Under the direction of his boss Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare) Michael and K.I.T.T. roamed around the country looking for bad guys to vanquish.

By the third season the stories have become rather repetitive but the entertainment value of the series was still intact. The American public can forgive plots similar to other television series when a talking car is jumping over other vehicles. It also didn’t hurt that the innocent victim Michael was charged with saving was typically a beautiful woman. There was an effort to include some variations on the theme in the story lines. For example Michael finds himself up against a saboteur threatening a defense contractor’s missile demonstration. In the eighties the cold war was winding down but a good old fashion espionage story still made for a good time. This theme was continued in episodes such as the one where Michael and K.I.T.T. have to stop a group of international criminals from blowing up a government space weapons installation.

Of course every hero needs an arch villain. For K.I.T.T. and Michael it was in the form of K.A.R.R., the prototype for K.I.T.T. although seemingly destroyed in season two K.A.R.R. survived, as do all arch villains, only to be found by an easily impressionable young man. The evil car is on a mission to get even with Michael and K.I.T.T. by completely destroying both of them. This season also saw Michael and K.I.T.T. working apart more. In one episode Michael is framed for illegal possession of drugs resulting in his suspension from FLAG. He is recruited by a bad guy to steal a very important key from Devon leaving Michael in the time honored predicament of restoring his good name and catching the villain. Sometimes just being near the good guy can be dangerous such as the episode where a dancer is poisoned with a drug intended for Michael. Even K.I.T.T. is not immune to problems. His memory is erased leaving him unaware of who he is and at the mercy of a teenager.

Michael gets to go undercover as a mercenary in order to flush out the Chameleon, a master of disguise and high end thief. The Chameleon is after a top secret jet pack and only Michael and his super car can stop them. Not all the cases Michael takes on are so glamorous. He helps a family after their race horse is killed to cover gambling debts. He also becomes obsessed with closing down a toxic waste dump after it almost destroys K.I.T.T. the wonder car’s mechanic Bonnie Barstow (Patricia McPherson) is also drawn into the mix with more than the usual screen time when she witnesses a murder and the killer gaslights her.

The return of Bonnie was one of the better things that happened this season. In season two the brunette beauty was replaced with a stereotypical blonde, April (Rebecca Holden) that had many fans in an uproar. Bonnie’s return was a means for the producers to return to the larger ratings of the first season. Bonnie was smart, pretty and had it together. There was no romantic interaction with Michael, the series never did take the bait for that trap and the series benefited.

One thing that has to be said about series star David Hasselhoff, he is a professional. No matter what he gives his all with every performance. He combines his rugged good looks with an innate sense of humor to make Michael Knight a character that audiences can enjoy watching. Hasselhoff was even able to make the flowing longer hair of the eighties work for an action hero. He comes off as being able to take each script is a humorous little twist. This likeable quality made the show. There was also chemistry between him and his unseen co-star William Daniels. Daniels, a veteran of stage and screen is the consummate professional. His distinctive voice gave K.I.T.T. a sarcastic, almost superior feel. Here he plays a car that is not only self aware but one with feelings of being better than the humans around him. It takes a lot of talent to make an inanimate object such a beloved character but Daniels pulls it off. He has made a career playing such roles; just consider his John Adams in 1776 or the head of surgery in St. Elsewhere. Not matter how many times I watch him, or in this case hear him, play such a role he never disappoints.

Universal has made a commitment to bring older series like this to DVD. Season sets of Knight Rider tend to be released along with two other eighties classics, Magnum PI and the A-Team. Universal lets the DVD collector got back to these shows we enjoyed over twenty years ago, bravo! The full screen video is reasonably presented considering the age of the source material. There where a few white specks now and again but not enough to be overly annoying. The color balance is a lot better than what you see on television. The contrast is also very good with no break up. The audio is a re-mixed Dolby 2.0. The channel separation is not what most modern series have but it is acceptable. The only extra for this season set in the inclusion of an episode from the yet to be announced forth season set. The series has its faults but it delivers something so many series produced now don’t, its fun to watch. When you get tired of all the crime scene shows constantly rerunning put this disc in, sit back and enjoy.

Posted 2/2/06