#1-4: "A Hard Day's Knight"

[KryptonSite]

Count down to the episode's airing and discuss it live with other fans!

Since I'm on the West Coast, 5 1/2 hours for me :P

[dru-zod2501]

so where is everyone?

----- Added 6 Minutes later -----

an episode seemingly unmotivated by scantily-clad sex fiends? an innovative strategy indeed...

[Randy G.]

I just got home & turned it on. I saw Mike chasing somebody that looked like Lindsay Lohan, & she wrecked. What's the object of tonight's mission?

[dru-zod2501]

Something in a briefcase, lots of ppl want it. Mike's been poisoned by some of the people who want it

----- Added 16 Minutes later -----

This would've been a nice excuse to throw the Hoff in arbitrarily he's The HOFF!!

[SparkleforSmallville]

Sounds good! I still have a couple of hours to wait.*sigh*

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----

Are they showing the KR Episodes out of sequence? I noticed last weeks was listed as Episode #6 and this one #3. Of course this is according to DISH :lol:

[Randy G.]

They could be showing them out of order. I haven't looked at the title list yet.

[jym-el]

so, who drives sarah's suv back to the SSC?

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----

Black Van and Rubber mask... So A-Team... i was waiting for Dr. Graiman to appear with a tobacco in his mouth in the end and say... "Don't you just love it when a plan comes together..."

[KryptonSite]

Yeah, they're totally airing them out of order from production order. That made the Spoilers page way disorganized.

[moviefan2k4]

I loved this episode; in my opinion, it's the best of the series so far. the sexual garbage which reigned the last three weeks finally loosened its grip. The most blatant example this week was probably Sarah's low neckline in the second half...and compared to beach bimbos, the pilot's "stripping scene", and last week's "drunk escapade", this episode was much, much better. If the rest of the season were like tonight's episode, I'd be very happy.

The story and characters were all wonderfully done, although Bruce Davison was notably absent as Charles Graiman. The comraderie between Mike, Sarah, and KITT worked very nicely, and the story just clicked in all the right places. For a moment there, I was worried about everything becoming an "Escape from New York / L.A." knockoff, with the whole "deadly poison" scenario...but a different spin was put on it, so I was relieved. Major props to the writers, cast, and crew for the best 40 minutes of the series so far...keep it up! :D

[hansioux]

oh wow, no one has anything to say about this episode?

I thought it was pretty amazing, definately the best episode yet. I am really digging the new Knight Rider now. I am liking both Michael Knights ride a lot...

I just hope they can keep up with the intense plot ideas. By the rate they are going, having KITT almost destroyed and Michael dead and came back to life, they should have a evil KITT soon...

[jym-el]

still don't like the KITT-Transformers thing... if KITT can transform to any 4-wheeled vehicle, then why maintain an ugly mustang shape, a Ford GT would be much sleeker and sportier.

http://www.pignetwork.com/ford%20gt.jpg

[SparkleforSmallville]

KITT as a Police car! :lol: Had to laugh at that one! There were some great lines, action and humor! All my favorites! I don't know why, but I love the Computer Techs. They are funny. great Episode, reminded me of the old Mission Impossible TV series.:)

Michael's line when KITT transformed; to KITT, "the last thing we need is cameraphone footage, of you transforming, on youtube"
and "Yeah that, does not get old" COOL!

[SparkleforSmallville]

Comparably, pretty good ratings. Should go up in the Finals.:

NBC led this atypical Wednesday, which featured the third (and final) Presidential debate. NBC finished first in both total viewers and adults 18-49, beating second-place ABC by 830,000 viewers and 28 percent in the demo.

CBS got a boost in the 8 p.m. hour care of The New Adventures of Old Christine (Viewers: #1, 7.74 million; A18-49: #1t, 2.1/ 6) and Gary Unmarried (Viewers: #3, 7.71 million; A18-49: #3, 2.4/ 7). The two sitcoms, on average, beat year-ago occupant Kid Nation (Viewers: 7.35 million; A18-49: #2, 2.4/ 7 on Oct. 17, 2007) by 370,000 viewers. And Gary Unmarried built by Old Christine by 14 percent in the demo. Sounds like Gary Unmarried is on the verge of getting a full season pick-up, doesn’t it?

Also in the 8 p.m. hour was NBC’s Knight Rider (Viewers: #2, 7.65 million; A18-49: #2, 2.3/ 7), which is not the total bust everyone seems to think; ABC’s Pushing Daisies (Viewers: 6.29 million; A18-49: #4, 1.9/ 6), which dropped considerably from one year earlier (Viewers: 9.86 million; A18-49: 3.7/10 on Oct. 17, 2007); and America’s Next Top Model on the CW (Viewers: #5, 3.18 million; A18-49: #5, 1.5/ 4), which was a clips edition (hence the lower than normal performance). Over at Fox, game five of the National League Championship Series (Los Angeles vs. Philadelphia) averaged an approximate 7.26 million viewers and a 2.4/ 6 among adults 18-49 in prime-time, with the half-hour breakdown as follows:

[RJLCyberPunk]

KITT as a Police car! :lol: Had to laugh at that one! There were some great lines, action and humor! All my favorites! I don't know why, but I love the Computer Techs. They are funny. great Episode, reminded me of the old Mission Impossible TV series.:)

Michael's line when KITT transformed; to KITT, "the last thing we need is cameraphone footage, of you transforming, on youtube"
and "Yeah that, does not get old" COOL!

Indeed and Justin's acting on this episode was top notch he crowned himself on this episode as the new Michael Knight for sure...

[hansioux]

As a BSG (Battlestar Galactica) fan, I love the computer tech guys too. Because Billy is also Billy from BSG.

Where do they shoot the scene by the way? That Airbase structure is either in the Bay Area or Irvine.

[PHOENIXZERO]

Because the GT is a out of production two seater as well as a host of other obvious reasons.

[PHOENIXZERO]

Enjoyed this one too, though I wish they didn't cut the flashback out that was clearly removed from the scene with Mike and Sarah when he collapses and it goes into slow motion shot as Sarah is calling out his name and then she slaps him.

KITT is started to learn to do at least some things on his own. Specially radioing the cops so they left.

[jym-el]

Because the GT is a out of production two seater as well as a host of other obvious reasons.

does Ford still produce the E-series vans and the Crown Victorias? i guess not... then why did KITT transform into an E-series van and a Crown Victoria Interceptor?

your arguement on the Ford GT being out of production does not hold water here as KITT clearly transformed itself into out of production vehicles in the guise of the E-series van and the Crown Victoria Interceptor.

what other obvious reasons (aside from promoting the Shelby GT500 KR)?

take note you said reasons "in plural"... so waht are the "obvious" reasons...

[PHOENIXZERO]

Like I said, the car is a two seater and even if it was just used for "attack mode" the car is out of production and a lot more expensive to replace than a entry level Mustang with some things added to it, they are not going to give a regular role to a vehicle that is out of production, that van and police cruiser are not something that's going to be regularly used, if ever again. The use of the GT500KR Mustang is obviously due to the Ford partner ship, do you think they would sign on and then have a vehicle that isn't being made as the "star"? Those vehicles are probably set/rental vehicles that they rented for a day or two.

I had more "reasons" some of which I mentioned in the above paragraph, but I'm half asleep right now trying to think of them. I already did say it but the car would cost a lot more to fix and replace if it was damaged or totaled and Ford doesn't have a big supply of them and they're just flat out a lot harder to come by. Do you have any idea what it would do to the show's budget to use a car that not only cost over $150,000 bucks (at least from what I looked at) and a lack of support from Ford? They just couldn't use it also because Ford wouldn't permit them to, but again it goes back to the lack of a back seat, that criteria alone is enough to fail it. Granted they haven't really made use of the back seat yet and they stupidly have the backseat removed in "Attack" mode but it's still needed. Yes, a obvious reason is of course the sponsorship deal. There's no good place to even place a scanner on the damn thing unless you're going to cut into the front end and no one would be stupid enough to cut up a car that expensive. Have I mentioned how expensive that car is and the fact that they don't have a eight or nine figure budget like a film would?

[jym-el]

I already did say it but the car would cost a lot more to fix and replace if it was damaged or totaled and Ford doesn't have a big supply of them and they're just flat out a lot harder to come by. Do you have any idea what it would do to the show's budget to use a car that not only cost over $150,000 bucks

There's no good place to even place a scanner on the damn thing unless you're going to cut into the front end and no one would be stupid enough to cut up a car that expensive.

have you heard of body kits and replicas?

funny, coz i own an auto shop and fiberglass bodies are cheap to make from a set mold. the producers could just create a mold of the Ford GT and make dozens of fiberglass kits. that way if they destroy one, they can always pop in a new body. heck, they can even use any chassis for that matter and just drop in the re-produced fiberglass body and have a dozen KITTs on set...

a mold for a whole car would be about $25,000.00 - $30,000.00. to re-produce a car body using the mold would be about $5,000... much less, for multiple reproduction... so do the math...

They just couldn't use it also because Ford wouldn't permit them to
i haven't read any contract where Ford does not allow the Knight Rider producers to use the Ford GT model. can you please post up the link so we may read it?

[PHOENIXZERO]

:rolleyes: Of course much of it has to do with the ****ing sponsorship issue. Obviously I don't have a copy of the damn contract, that is always a stupid comeback, I'm going off what has been said by the producers and the powers that be at NBC have said over the last year. Ford's sponsoring of the show means the use of Ford cars, specifically the the Mustang as the "star". The main deal was for the Mustang because it filled the requirements of NBC and the producers.

They did use it though it didn't do anything, they used one for Journey Into the Knight, but it only had a bit part. NBC/Ben Silverman made the deal with Ford to supply them with Mustangs for the TV movie, specifically the Mustang GT500KR, which wasn't out yet so they used a regular GT and modified it. I'm sure that's at least in some way still the case. They basically got the cars for free for the pilot, I dunno if that's still the case but I'm sure it is and Ford is still supplying them. You don't like the Mustang's shape, I get it and it wouldn't be my first choice either but it's there, get over it, I did ten months ago.

have you heard of body kits and replicas?

No, I've never heard of these here things called body kitts and replicas durr what are dey?!

Don't try to belittle me because you clearly want to argue. They used fiberglass bodies (and eventually rubber for the noses) all the time with the original series along with having a big load of "junk" cars that were provided by Pontiac because they couldn't legally sell them. Even with all the fiberglass body replicas they still need the real thing. Why would Ford want them to use the GT when it's not only no longer in production, extremely limited in supply and way out of the price range of an average person? Ford gave NBCU the Mustang to use for KITT because that's what NBC and the producers wanted as it fit the description of the type of car needed (American-Made Muscle Car, two door, backseat, ect) and Ford wanted to sell cars, obviously the DEAL WAS MADE TO USE THE MUSTANG! They AREN'T going to use kits or fiberglass replicas of the HERO or whatever vehicles it transforms into (at least the non-CGI ones) which is still subject to use, that's for stunt cars, which they're clearly lacking at this point. They probably will up that sort of thing now that they have a full season, hopefully they will be going about making actual stunt cars now.

If they wanted to go with out production cars then there would have been no stopping them from using the last version of the fourth generation Trans-Am or any other car and in a "perfect world" they would but we live and reality and it would cost them money and they'd have no support from the manufacturer so instead of spending money on other things, they would have to spent a large chunk of their budget on the cars. Do you really thinl they would entirely depend on fiberglass? They're still going to need the actual cars and replacements for said cars.

Holy hell I'm really tired of repeating myself.

Let's do it again anyhow, corporate aspects aside, they needed a car that one, had a backseat, two, could blend in with other cars on the road and not stick out like a sore thumb, three I'm sure interior space would be an issue and the Ford GT doesn't look very roomy and make it harder to shoot interior scenes even in the buck, might not be an issue but whatever. Four, there's no good place to put a scanner unless you're going to do significant changes to the front end and then what's the point? **** fiberglass and body kits! Five, the car doesn't scream KITT, sadly even the Mustang does more so than the GT.

But still at the end of the day, like I've now said what seems like a hundred times, IT HAS NO BACKSEAT and that's the only reason needed to disqualify it! How many times do I need to say it? IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT! IT HAS NO BACKSEAT!

[jym-el]

what's with you peeve on back seats? was that where you were born?

again you are talking about deals but nothing to back your info up.

show me a literature where KITT should:

a. have a back seat.
b. be a mustang
c. be one of Ford's existing car line-up
d. not be made of fiberglass

interior shots are not a problem.

have you seen the "behind the scenes" of Fast and The Furious?

they had half molded body parts with cameras attached to the inside and the windows. and these "half cars" were on gimbles to make them move so that the actors may react to drifts, turns and rolls.

considering that the SSC has a gimble, then this would not be a problem.

[jym-el]

how many times did they change the front end of the T-top (K2000)?

sticking out like a sore thumb? was there any other T-top in the original KR series, aside from KARR?

[PHOENIXZERO]

In a filming sense they changed the front end twice unless you want to count the change in Super Pursuit Mode. Obviously they didn't have other models of the same car on the show aside from KITT and KARR, the point is that it's supposed to look like a regular car that we, in the real world would see on a regular basis and the Trans-Am/Firebird was back then. Same deal with the Mustang now. Both shows have referred to the car by the model it is. Well the first season or the original series did anyway until Pontiac told them to just refer to it as a T-Top.

As said by Gary S. Thompson.

"So you have to have a car. And the idea behind a guy going undercover, you put him in a car that's cool but also one that could be sitting in a parking lot, and no one would recognize it there.

http://freep.com/article/20080923/ENT03/809230350/1038/ENT03

Where did I say anything about not using fiberglass at all or that this was a producer mandate?? I said it's used for stunt cars, not the Hero car, unless the Hero car had a fiberglass body in the first place, which in this case it doesn't. It's an issue with how "safe" they've been with the car, they should have some fiberglass shells that they could put on a chassis of some other vehicle so that they can use to do stunts in a practical manner instead of relying on CGI. But they're currently not doing that obviously and they're not going to make a imitation of another car this way either, which is what was done with Knight Rider 2000 and the taking of a Dodge Stealth and turning it into a Banshee IV.

what's with you peeve on back seats? was that where you were born?

I'm not even going to bother responding to this in the way I know you probably would like me to, even though I could have some "fun" with a little comeback, I will try and remain somewhat civil to avoid the always wonderful mod intervention.

The original series used the backseat in multiple episodes, it just makes sense that they need a backseat in this one also for the exact same reason of when Mike needs to rescue more than one person or take more than one person with him, like what happened in Knight of the Iguana where KITT pointed out that he was only able to transport two passengers in Attack Mode when both Zoe and Sarah got in the car. What are they going to do with the GT if the situation arises? Just transform every time into something that's probably going to be worse? I'm looking for the article that mentioned what the producers wanted a car with a backseat but I'm having trouble finding it exactly. It's dumb that they lose the backseat in "Attack Mode" but it doesn't change the fact that the backseat will come into play.

The whole purpose of their not going back to the Trans-Am was that it was no longer being produced.

Here's a few more articles that mainly are on the business side of things. They're from early this year but I'm sure they still stand since Ford is clearly still behind the show.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?id=47370

http://jalopnik.com/340660/how-kitt-became-a-mustang

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=124566

Like I said, the Mustang wouldn't be my first choice either, if it were up to me I would have went with this Acura NSX concept in this photoshopped form that someone did, can't remember who exactly I'll have to find the topic they originated from.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5158/kittacurasideky5.jpg

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/8407/kittacurafrontzp7.jpg

[jym-el]

In a filming sense they changed the front end twice

K2000 changed it's nose twice in season 1 (placement of the scanner and foglights) once in season 2 (placement of the foglights and near the headlights) once in season 4 (near the headlights)

"So you have to have a car. And the idea behind a guy going undercover, you put him in a car that's cool but also one that could be sitting in a parking lot, and no one would recognize it there.

hmmm... let me see, K3000 was just sitting idly in the parking lot in the first episode, then the bad guys, without hesitation, goes straight for the black shelby and try to infiltrate the car. the bad guys were not even second guessing.

like what happened in Knight of the Iguana where KITT pointed out that he was only able to transport two passengers in Attack Mode when both Zoe and Sarah got in the car. What are they going to do with the GT if the situation arises?

if they wanted backseats, the K3000 can just conveniently tranform into a Ford Excursion and they can have all the back seat they need.

Just transform every time into something that's probably going to be worse?

there hasn't been any secret about K3000 transforming... even in front of other people.

if Mercedes could transform a Smart Car (for one) to a Smart for two, and Toyota could make the IQ (for two) and the IQ for four, without changing the design or compromising the space, then Ford could also create a GT for four. i guess, american engineering is not as good as european or japanese engineering... but with CGI, anything is possible.