Though NBC kept touting that the revival of Knight Rider was a success, the ratings have told a different story. Just about everyone in the industry was shocked when the network gave the Justin Bruening series an order for the back nine episodes. Now, to little surprise, NBC is pulling the plug.
Knight Rider debuted on September 24th, as a follow-up to the TV movie that aired last February. The new TV show takes place 25 years after the original exploits of Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) and his high-tech, four-wheeled partner KITT (voiced by William Daniels). Mike Traceur (Bruening) is the son of Knight and the driver of the newest KITT (voiced by Val Kilmer). The car was built by Charles Graiman (Bruce Davison), the father of Mike’s former girlfriend, Sarah (Deanna Russo). As in the original series, Mike and KITT work together to thwart evil and save the innocent. The rest of the cast includes Paul Campbell, Yancey Arias, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, and Smith Cho.
A few revivals of Rider have been attempted over the years but none have been a success. The newest version is, unfortunately, no exception. The premiere episode debuted to just 7.35 million viewers and a 2.5/7 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. The audience for Rider’s second episode grew to 7.77 million while the demo remained essentially flat at 2.4/7. The following three episodes averaged about 7.2 million but the demo began slowly dropping with each new installment.
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Likely due to the state of the rest of NBC’s sagging schedule, the network decided to stick with Rider and gave the series a greenlight for nine more episodes. This would bring the order to a full 22 installments for the season. Soonafter, the ratings took a serious hit in the November sweeps period.
After a week off, Rider’s audience sank to just 5.12 million and a terrible 1.6/4 in the demographic. The ratings weren’t much better for the rest of the month.
A few days after the first November ratings dip, showrunner Gary Scott Thompson announced that the show was going through a retooling. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “We’re moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen.”
As a part of this effort, three castmembers were let go — Poitier, Arias and Davison. Thompson maintained that this move had nothing to do with their performances. The decision likely had more to do with an effort to cut costs and make the bottom line more attractive to the network.
It seems the network hasn’t been sufficiently impressed by what they’ve seen and execs have cut the episode order back to 17 installments. The cast and crew are currently working on their 17th episode, written and directed by Thompson. They’re expected to wrap some time next week.
That episode, now the Rider season finale, is scheduled to air on February 25, 2009. The five remaining scripts will be utilized on the off chance that the series is renewed for a second season. Unless the ratings seriously improve, there’s no way that that will happen. Not even Mike and KITT will be able to save the day. Stay tuned! 
Image courtesy NBC.
Man this used to be my favorite show in 08-09. I got all my friends watching it and they loved it. We would talk about it everyday at school after a new episode. I miss all those memories please bring the show back!
PLEASE PUT KNIGHT RIDER BACK ON. GIVE IT ANOTHER CHANCE. IT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE STUPID REALITY SHOWS AND PLAIN COP SHOWS YOU SEE ON TV NOWADAYS. IF YOU GIVE IT A SECOND CHANCE, THE RATINGS WILL BE BETTER. JUST CONTINUE IT LIKE IT WAS THE LAST 5 EPISODES.
i want the the new knight team back and i love the cast on the show which were very fun to watch and with watching what kitt can do with that mustang just blew my mind away. there has to be a way to make this work. i have always came home in time to watch the show and i am still watching it on my computer and please please please bring me more. you can see the voting on your fans that there are more people who wants to see it more than the ones who don’t. in my… Read more »
First of all, no one can expect that the new knight rider to ever be like the one back in 82. However this new version must be allowed to earn its place as a cult classic. To begin with, put the hoff in some more of its episodes. Like it or not, he is the original Michael Knight, and his presence will add to the success of the new series. Further, show us some signs that KITT is still around and not that disgraceful opening of him being a scrap heap. That did in fact turn off a few people.
I think NBC made a VERY wrong decision about taking KNIGHT RIDER OFF THE AIR. I love the show since I was a kid. THEY NEED TO PUT IT BACK ON THE AIR. I HOPE THEY READ THIS AND GET IT BACK ON THE AIR. I AM GOING TO TELL ALL MY FRIENDS TO BOYCOTT NBC. I GOT LOTS OF FRIENDS AND THEY GOT FRIENDS AND THEY GOT FRIENDS. SO THINK ABOUT YOUR RATING THEN. THANKYOU SO MUCH.
HI PLEASE DON’T TAKE IT OFF AIR, I THINK THE NEW KNIGHT RIDER IS AWESOME. ITS SO COOL TO SEE A COOL SHOW,RATHER THEN ALL THE COP SHOWS. I THINK IF THEY GOT DAVID HASSELHOFF BACK ON THE SHOW THE RATINGS WOULD GO UP, BIG TIME. PLEASE LET IT RUN FOR ONE MORE SEASON. GIVE IT A CHANCE, YOU GOT TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY. IN THE LONG RUN,I NO THE NEW KNIGHT RIDER WILL BE A BIG HIT.
Knight Rider should go for a second season on NBC and I don’t know why you guys aren’t gonna renew it for a second season. David Hasselhoff could maybe appear in some of the episodes but I think Justin Bruening does a better job because the show is about Michael Knight’s son Mike Tracuer who is played by Justin Bruening and later changes his name to Michael Knight. They are making a movie about Knight Rider in 2012 and I bet David Hasselhoff is probably going to be it.
Are you kiding me right? How can you stop this series? Give me “logical” explanation. People like charakters, sense of humor, situatons…. Maybe I will be hate it for that. I like two seasons of original series. The otrhes ne like: “Yeah this is KITT so go on…”
But this series made me suprise.
When I first saw it I was like: “yeah another trash…” But when I saw six – seven episodes, I must say Cool! Charakters are funny and also KITT. The one and ONLY logical explanacion about cancel this show is MONEY!!!
So I don
I love Knight Rider and it should go for a second season. I liked the old Knight Rider too and I also like the new Knight Rider because it’s a good show and I like how KITT can transform and stuff.
NBC should bring back KR, who ever made the decision to cancel KR should be fired from NBC. I was just getting back into KR again. I guess I will switch to another network that is more entertaining than a person sitting in front of T.V. talking about a bunch of nothing.
I watched all of the old knight rider shows as a kid growing up and thought they did a great job in picking the shelby mustang to be kitt my suggestion is dont cancel a show that has alot of potential with a new car that turns eyes even at a car dealership but continue and produce new shows promote the show more the new era of people dont know much of the old knight rider so the new audience is confused as to why david hasselhoff made a distant brief appearance bring hasselhoff back for a few shows yes… Read more »
UNCANCEL KNIGHT RIDER!!
I soo cant believe that KR was cancelled!! It was all my friends and I talked about. I really wish the show was still going, but then again whishing gets you no where, and why on earth would they be dumb enough to replace it with the “Jay Leno show??” I mean really? The show is pointless and a waste of time!! Not to mention since NBC has been having issues with Leno and O’Brien… at which point they might as well kick both of them off and put KR back on. =D
I actually watched every episode when it aired because it was a really decent show. I was actually looking forward to the next season coming out and wondered where it was when my CSI’s/House started their seasons. I figured they took a leave for a bit but I didn’t know the show was cancelled. For Jay Leno? Really… C’mon…
I was right on but one minor detail in the one of shows in the mid 80’s mike gets married and his bride get shot by assin. the new show they never explanded how the the hoff had a son and . The car was right on and a good cast.
Knight Rider is a superb programme which deserves a second chance. It was gearing up nicely. I’m fed up of these TV Execs messing with us. If you like it but there aren’t enough others who like it, it gets cancelled. Why should we as viewers get invested in anything the TV companies produce???? What a waste.