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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed shows.
Knight Rider
EMAILPRINTSERIES: NBC, Wednesday 8:00p (60 minutes)
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 28 votes
Read user comments
Rate this show >
Show Info
Genre(s): Drama
Created By: Glen A. Larson
First Air Date: September 24, 2008
Summary
Starring Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamila Poitier, Paul Campbell, Yancey Arias, Bruce Davison, and Smith Cho
KITT gets a makeover as well as a new driver in the form of Michael's son (Justin Bruening).
Episode Guide & More Info: More about this show at TV.com
Also On The Web: Official Show Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker
Silliness limits this cartoon, which forces actors to take a back seat to know-it-all KITT (voice by Val Kilmer).
Read Full Review >Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Knight Rider is something for 12-year-old boys (and 12-year-old-boys at heart), undemanding, unsophisticated, no deeper than the thickness of a comic-book page.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray
A show that delivers every ounce of cheese its package promises, if not the recommended daily allowance of calcium.
Read Full Review >Hollywood ReporterRay Richmond
You've got to figure that it doesn't bode well for Knight Rider given the fact its human stars--which also include Sydney Tamilia Poitier, Paul Campbell, Bruce Davison and Yancy Arias--are eclipsed by computerized graphics and an emotionless hunk of sleek metal.
Read Full Review >Kansas City StarAaron Barnhart
["Gary Unmarried"] has lots of laughs. But not as many as tonight’s episode of the new Knight Rider.
Read Full Review >SlateTroy Patterson
Knight Rider arrives tricked out with just enough eccentricity to avoid utterly craven stupidity.
Read Full Review >New York PostAdam Buckman
You've heard of artificial intelligence? How about no intelligence, which is the sum total of what went into transforming a 1980s TV show nobody cares about into a new, updated version nobody will watch.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-TimesMisha Davenport
I'd be inclined to dismiss this as lighthearted children's fare, like David Hasselhoff's original "Knight Rider" from the '80s, but the violence, dialogue and skin shown on this version aren't exactly kid-friendly. Not even kids should have to suffer through this, though. Here's hoping KITT and crew get booted.
Read Full Review >NewsdayVerne Gay
Knight Rider is a disaster, a remake so deliriously and delectably bad that you have to watch just to tell your grandchildren that you were there.
Read Full Review >USA TodayRobert Bianco
Seldom has a major network launched a show boasting as many terrible performances or jaw-dropper moments as this premiere.
Read Full Review >Washington PostTom Shales
Russo tries to pick up the gaping chasm of slack and get a little energy going, but she just looks embarrassed to be yelling at a car, arguing with a car, flirting with a car, whatever.
Read Full Review >VarietyBrian Lowry
The "Knight Rider" revival movie set the bar low in terms of expectations, and damned if the series premiere still doesn't go skidding under it. Frankly, this convoluted hour sent me scurrying to NBC's website looking for clarification about the plot, but--whew, what a relief--there really isn't much of one.
Read Full Review >Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Everything--the characters, the action--seems stubbornly flat.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune
[An] almost hilariously cheesy remake of the David Hasselhoff original.
Read Full Review >Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
The real problem with the new Knight Rider, though, isn't that it's stupid (again, it's a show about a guy and his talking car) or that Bruening's terrible (the Hoff would be the first to say he's no master thespian). It's that it's a show whose time has long passed.
Read Full Review >TimeJames Poniewozik
They truly do not make them like this anymore. And thank God for that.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia InquirerJonathan Storm
Knight Rider, a remake that stays true to the awfulness of the original. It's so bad it's good, in a bad way.
Read Full Review >Miami HeraldGlenn Garvin
I'm paying a bounty of $5 per vicious blow administered to the heads of any NBC executive involved in any way with Knight Rider, which cost me an hour of my life and 50 IQ points that I'll never get back.
Read Full Review >San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
It's the kind of bad that sells cheese or gets entertainment presidents fired--one or the other, or both.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this show is 5.9 (out of 10) based on 28 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Alexander V. gave it an8:
Wow, people are taking this show way to seriously. Knight Rider is not, as far as I can tell, supposed to be so utterly realistic that it could be happening right down the street from your house. I understand that almost none of the events could happen. I understand that the CGI can get a little awkward at times. I understand that the premise is slightly absurd and unbelievable. I understand that a lot of what they do in it is based in utter falsehood - from their mangling of the concept of "audio fingerprinting" to morphing nanites. Yet, I enjoy watching this show, and it is, in fact, one of the only two shows that i watch, at all - the other is The Office. Sure it's absurd and completely unrealistic, but so is most every TV show/drama out there. The others, however, don't have the guts to admit it. It IS a sci-fi type of show. Besides, the U.S. Government is light years ahead of the private sector, who knows what's truly possible anyway?! My point is, it's supposed to be an enjoyable ride, with just enough basis in fact to make it almost to the point where you could believe it. Think about it - wouldn't you like to have a talking Mustang? I know that I would. The show is massively enjoyable if you take it at face value and don't try to analyze it to death. It's not ER. It's not some stupid soap with psychotic, convoluted plot lines. It's not any one of a hundred cookie-cutter mudpiles out there right now. It's just a fun, lighthearted, enjoyable ride. And a nostaligic one at that for some of us.
Taoman T gave it a7:
The show is uneven. It is, at times, either good, above average, mediocre or bad. This is valid for all aspects, such acting, special effect, action scenes etc. Over all it is a light but enjoyable show like its predecessor.
KS U. gave it a0:
Knight Rider is the kind of show that brain dead wanna-be "car people" enjoy watching. Anyone who has any knowledge of cars, or half a brain wouldn't like this drivel in any way. There is absolutely no redeeming value to this show. And, the "attack mode" KITT is an utter POS.
Dio D. gave it a3:
This is the epitaph of POOR. Poor casting, Acting, Directing,Producing and anything else you could possibly throw into the melting pot of horrible. The show has no flow to it. It has alot of style and flash but no soul. i could have directed a new Knight Rider and done the casting. People say that the old 80's version is just as chessy etc. Guess what everyone who is a fan of Knight Rider can watch the old 80's series revamped rather than watching this. All these females.....oh my lord. Like all these characters and no soul. I just watched my own worst enemy now that is how you bring balance to a television series. Casting,Acting,Story...everything intriguing captivating . I'm still wondering how NBC ended up with this. This show belongs on HBO. It gets a 3 because of what the car can actually do.
Kristy M. gave it an8:
Some of us really do enjoy this show. Everyone needs to quit picking on it. Sure the acting is a bit campy, but so was Vegas, which was a big hit.
Daniel K gave it a0:
The show is TERRIBLE. Just simply atrocious. I really was interested in it, and started watching the premier episode, and immediately realized that I would not like the show. I then tried to watch the second episode the next week, and I simply could not make it through more than 10 minutes. I ended fast-forwarding through it and deleting. There simply is no redeeming factor to Knight Rider, the bottom of the barrel all around. It really feels like a joke when watching it, like something that could be written by SNL. I'm also amazed that NBC decided NOT to cancel it! They are renewing it for more episodes. Wow. Guess the Ford advertising makes it worth it for them.
SH gave it a10:
Is the show cheesy? Are some of the FX laughably lame (i.e. Attack Mode... WTF?) YES, but are you forgetting just how cheesy & often stupid the original 80's series with The Hoff was? Stop complaining! If you hate the show so much, watch your ever-overglorified Pushing Daisies or some other dreck that only giddy teenagers or shut-ins would like. As for those of you complaining about the T&A, get real. Transformers movie was geared towards 10-15 year-olds as well and it featured an entire scene discussing masturbation!!! Talk about awkward & inappropriate!
