Is it the right time for Knight time?

Though the Knight Rider movies, have remained stuck in neutral for the better part of the nineties, Knight Rider, the TV show, is revving back into high gear..

Do you need more proof that the 80s kicked ass? If the Miami Vice movie, the new Battlestar Galactica series, the new Bionic Woman series, and the new Transformers movie isn’t enough, here’s another one: Knight Rider is returning to the network that made David Hasselhoff a household name..

This isn’t so much surprising as it is exciting, especially for many adults today, who grew up watching K.I.T.T., the super Trans Am Firebird.. What is interesting is that the news came only 24 hours after plans for a new David Hasselhoff show were announced.. NBC must have been thinking if Hoff gets a new show, why not bring back the car to fill out the line - up? K.I.T.T. can send his thanks to a certain fellow named Optimus Prime.. It seems superpowered robot cars are all the rage in Hollywood..

NBC plans on bringing Knight Rider back with a two hour premiere, much like a stand alone movie.. Following that, if the TV movie does well then they will go ahead with a series based on the characters from the new TV movie.. Dave Andron will pen the pilot, which could be ready to air by spring 2008, following how well it’s received the series could be on the air as early as fall 2008..

Following in many network’s footsteps, NBC will also be hedging their bet with an experienced director at the helm, in much the same way that Frank Darabont, McG, and Allen Coulter have been utilized on various pilots for the different networks.. The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman is slated to produce and possibly direct the pilot, if his schedule permits.. Liman just completed shooting the feature film Jumper and has previously directed the pilots for The O.C. and Heist..

Part of the reason the resurrect Knight Rider, according to NBC’s Ben Silverman was the success of this summer’s Transformers movie.. This new spin on an old classic will be heavily influenced by Transformers.. Going even further, Silverman implied that the cars may change shape in the newer version of the show.. Does this mean we will get a K.I.T.T. Transformer?

The trade also mentions that there will likely be evil cars that the hero and the new car ( It’s still unclear if they will keep the K.I.T.T. name ) will face - off against.. Other variables are still being worked out such as the car talking and the name of the hero, but NBC said it will..

” Essentially remain focused on the story of a single man fighting for justice with the help of his super - advanced car..”

” Success of Transformers had a role in inspiring NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman’s decision to revive Knight.. The thinking is that smallscreen f/x have advanced to the point where it’d be feasible to have a weekly series in which cars shift shapes..”

” There’s also huge potential for advertiser integration.. General Motors was all over Transformers, and it’s easy to see NBC striking a rich deal with a single automaker to serve as the exclusive auto brand for the new Knight.. It’s understood preliminary talks have already begun..”

Knight Rider originally aired from 1982 to 1986.. Hasselhoff and original K.I.T.T. voiceover actor William Daniels reprised their roles in the 1991 TV movie Knight Rider 2000.. There was also a 1994 TV movie, Knight Rider 2010, more loosely based on the original series.. The syndicated Team Knight Rider series, which took place in the same continuity as the original series but had none of the earlier characters, aired from 1997 to 1998..

Knight Rider chronicled the efforts of Michael Knight, an undercover cop shot in the line of duty and left for dead.. After getting a new face and identity, he becomes the lead agent for a dying billionaire’s secret Foundation for Law and Government, where he’s partnered with the yappy Trans Am, K.I.T.T..

No word yet on who will play the hero this time around, but the Peacock is looking for some new blood..

Should the Hoff remain uninvolved in the project, it’ll be the second such snub in the past year: The brothers Weinstein snapped up the film rights to Knight Rider in 2006 and Hasselhoff’s name has never once been attached, even in cameo form, to the project..