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.
 Loading ... |
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.
Nothing can replace the old series which I liked when i was a kid but this show I liked they need more shows like this other then what there playing today
Don’t get me wrong. I loved the old Knight Rider. But a few things killed me on the remake. 1> Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500. Sorry but you should have stayed with GM even if GM has turned to **** over the past few years. 2> Transforming KITT? Come on this isn’t Transformers. This is Knight Rider. Stop trying to merge 2 genres. 3> How short of a series it was. Except for the above problems, I thought the series was great and I loved how they would sneak in little things to give homage to the original. Like when… Read more »
Keep the star (KITT) but kill the rest!!!
This is a great show (Knight Rider) and practically the whole world enjoys watching it. Do not kill the show since its the only one thats worth watching on tv and brings back warm memories
The theme music, with its crappy alterna-metal stylings, killed it for me. And it was downhill from there. Utter dreck. So glad someone did the world a favor and took this horrendous abortion behind the proverbial barn and shot it.
This is pathetic to kill out a show that was so different from the rest of the common reality shows that they all copy from one another. And i loved the old “Knight Rider” when i was a kid, and this brought it all back. This was a abit different and alot wanted too much of the ole.As back then there was no possible way to do what can be done now with CG.Shows and actors were gettting better within their characters, cant say i liked when they killed out the few characters but who is to say if they… Read more »
I love knight rider!!<3 please give us a second series
Come on give me a break, I watched the original Knight Rider as a boy and never missed a show. I was ecstatic when I found out that they brought back KITT(shoulda used camero instead of mustang) but have seen all of season 1 at least a dozen times and think that there isnt enough KITT fans to keep the ratings up is a joke. We have wated long enough bring us season 2 already.
give us back our show, we r loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this is really depressing 2 me i would do anything to have knight rider back if everybody would like sign a pettison then we could have it back i know more then 7 million people like knight rider they prolly just didnt know it came on b4 it was to late and by the way mike and KITT always save the day including today we just need to help them a little
Im not sure how you can say this show wasnt great, the polls I see loved it. I think the show should def be brought back, really they seem to be bringing all kinds of other retro shows back. My opinion is bring it back & see where it goes.
I like this series and I watch this show online. Even I download some episodes which is very interesting and entertaining.
I think you need some of the old cast to play in this move to give it a chance ! just my opinion
pls pls pls pls make some more i realy like to watch it , u cant stop!!!
A question why does every show I watch that has the CIA and FBI in it have to have a hot chic named Sarah? Look at Chuck!