Knight Rider

Key takeaways

Knight Rider belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Knight Rider to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Knight Rider from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Knight Rider is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of Knight Rider is its three-television series: the original Knight Rider (1982–1986) and sequel series Team Knight Rider (1997–1998) and Knight Rider (2008–2009). The franchise also includes three television films, a short-lived spin-off series, computer and video games, and novels, as well as KnightCon, a Knight Rider convention. Beginning with the original television series and continuing with the subsequent films and series, the franchise has developed a cult following and spawned many pop culture references. The original Knight Rider series followed the adventures of Michael Knight, a sleek modern-day crime fighter who uses a technologically advanced, artificially intelligent automobile. This car, named KITT, is virtually indestructible, due to a high-tech coating applied to it called a "molecular bonded shell". Knight Rider stories usually depict either average citizens, or ethical heads of corporations, being bullied into subservience to an overbearing or ruthless criminal organization. The protagonists of each particular series are instructed by the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG) to assist in some manner. The protagonists have the assistance of a high-tech, self-aware, and nearly indestructible vehicle.

Overview The series debuted in 1982 and ran for four seasons on NBC. These adventures were continued with the television films Knight Rider 2000 and Knight Rider 2010 and the short-lived Team Knight Rider. One other television movie, Knight Rider, served as a pilot for the 2008 television series Knight Rider. In 1985, a spin-off series, Code of Vengeance, also premiered.

Knight family tree

Television Three television series make up the bulk of the Knight Rider mythos: Knight Rider (1982–1986), Team Knight Rider (1997–1998), and Knight Rider (2008–2009). There also was a spin-off series, Code of Vengeance, that ran for one season (1985–1986). In total, 133 Knight Rider episodes have been produced across the seven seasons of the four various TV series.

Knight Rider (1982–1986)

The original Knight Rider series saw Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff), a crime fighter who uses a high tech, artificially intelligent automobile, the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT). This car is a virtually indestructible weapon that fights for justice, and is voiced by actor William Daniels. The show was created and produced by Glen A. Larson, and was originally broadcast on NBC from 1982 to 1986. The show has 90 episodes over four seasons.

Spin-off: Code of Vengeance (1985–1986)

The two-part episode Knight Rider episode "Mouth of the Snake", was a backdoor pilot for a 1984 series to be called All That Glitters. Rejected by NBC, the lead character and actor were recycled for a short-lived 1985–1986 series titled Code of Vengeance, in it, David Dalton (Charles Taylor), a Vietnam veteran-turned-drifter, travels across the United States in a camper van, with only his dog for company. Dalton involves himself in the personal lives of people he meets. In a similar fashion to Knight Rider, he uses his fighting skills to help them gain justice over their enemies. The Dalton character was retooled for the planned spin-off series, whose pilot, Code of Vengeance, was a surprise ratings success in June 1985. A subsequent series, to be called Dalton, was ordered by NBC for midseason, then production was cancelled after just four episodes were completed. These aired in the summer of 1986 as a television movie titled Dalton: Code of Vengeance II and as a part of a fill-in series called Dalton's Code of Vengeance.

Team Knight Rider (1997–1998)

Team Knight Rider is set ten years after the original series, with the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG) using a team of five "highly skilled operatives" to do the job that Michael Knight used to do. They are Kyle Stewart (Brixton Karnes), Jenny Andrews (Christine Steel), Duke DePalma (Duane Davis), Erica West (Kathy Trageser), and Kevin "Trek" Sanders, (Nick Wechsler). In one of the episodes it is implied that Jenny Andrews is the daughter of Michael Knight. However, it is never confirmed. The series was created by writer/producers Rick Copp and David A. Goodman, and was distributed by Universal Domestic Television. It ran for a single season of 22 one-hour episodes before it was canceled due to poor ratings.

Knight Rider (2008–2009)

The new Knight Rider series followed Michael "Mike" Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight, as he takes up the mantle of the FLAG driver. This time, he is driving the Knight Industries Three Thousand, also known as "KITT". The series stars Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur/Knight, and Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman, Traceur's former girlfriend and love interest. Sarah is the daughter of Charles Graiman, played by Bruce Davison, the creator of a new generation of KITT, which is voiced by Val Kilmer. On May 19, 2009, NBC announced that Knight Rider was canceled after one season because of poor ratings.

Future In 2016, it was announced that Machinima, YOMYOMF and NBCUniversal Brand Development are developing a Knight Rider reboot with Justin Lin producing and directing the series.

Television films

Knight Rider 2000 (1991)

Knight Rider 2000 is a television sequel movie to the original Knight Rider series. It aired on May 19, 1991. It was directed by Alan J. Levi and written by Rob Hedden and Glen A. Larson. The movie sees Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) teaming up once again with Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare) in a near future science fiction setting. He is also paired up with a new supercar, the "Knight 4000" to combat Thomas J. Watts (Mitch Pileggi), a former police officer turned psychotic killer. The movie also starred Susan Norman as Officer Shawn McCormick, and Carmen Argenziano as Russell Maddock (and the voice of the Knight 4000). The movie was developed as a pilot for a proposed new series, but despite high ratings, the plan was abandoned.

Knight Rider 2010 (1994)

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Knight Rider

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Knight Rider claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Knight Rider before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Knight Rider ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Knight Rider

In research: Knight Rider appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Knight Rider in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Knight Rider is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Knight Rider, Television franchises, Universal Pictures franchises, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Knight Rider outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Knight Rider in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Knight Rider means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Knight Rider out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Knight Rider in simple terms?

Knight Rider is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson.

Why does Knight Rider matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Knight Rider?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Knight Rider.