Knight of the Phoenix (Knight Rider episode)
Encyclopedia
Knight of the Phoenix is the syndication title to the two-hour long pilot (originally aired on NBC as just "Knight Rider") to the popular 1980s television show Knight Rider, which starred David Hasselhoff
, Edward Mulhare
, Richard Basehart
, and William Daniels
(who was uncredited as the voice of KITT
). It first aired September 26, 1982, and was written by Glen A. Larson
and directed by Daniel Haller
. The pilot was rebroadcast as a two-part episode during further broadcast syndication.
The only regular cast member that didn't appear in the pilot is Patricia McPherson
. Many celebrity guest stars were featured including Vega$'s
Phyllis Davis
and her sister Deborah Ludwig Davis, Baretta's
Michael D. Roberts
, actress Pamela Susan Shoop
and former child star Barret Oliver
. The pilot also features Elvis Presley
's two best friends, Lance LeGault
and Red West
.
casino in the Las Vegas Strip
where Los Angeles
police detective Michael Arthur Long, (Larry Anderson) who is on a six-month long special assignment to protect Tanya Walker (Phyllis Davis
) and Charles Acton (Ed Gilbert), who are playing a game of craps. The two are technology executives of Consolidated Chemical Corporation, who have become the recent victims of apparent industrial espionage
.
Long spies Fred Wilson (Vince Edwards
) and is aware that he is giving orders to Lonnie (Shawn Southwick) to go into the elevator up to Acton's hotel suite, and take pictures of the computer
micro chip
. Long now tells his partner Muntzy (Herb Jefferson, Jr.
) to keep an eye on Lonnie going into the hotel suite 214. Lonnie takes pictures of the micro chip via microfilm.
Acton then decides to call it a night. Wilson gives orders to Long to take care of Acton. Wilson asks Lonnie if she was followed or was witnessed entering the suite; she confirms that an electrician (Muntzy in reality) may have made her. Wilson then tells Lonnie to get out of the room (that he will take care of the electrician in the hallway), and tells her to get east of out town where he will meet with her later. Long then tells Muntzy to follow Lonnie. Tanya and Long both convince Charles to go the cashier to cash his stack of gambling chips he won at the craps table. Muntzy now decides to follow Lonnie. Wilson then gives an order to Security Guard Vernon Gray (Lance LeGault
), lurking in the shadows outside of the casino in the parking lot, to kill the electrician.
Lonnie now gets into her car, and Muntzy now follows her outside. Long is concerned about his undercover partner, and both Long and Tanya run after Muntzy. Unfortunately, Muntzy is now shot in the chest by Gray, and both him and Wilson get into a Matador security car, and take off. Muntzy soon dies in Longs hands, and is left on the ground. With Long not able to help his partner, he decides to gets inside his car (a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, black with gold trim and bowling ball hubcaps) with Tanya, and follow the others out on the desert highway.
Just as Wilson, Gray, and Lonnie meet up to transfer the film, Long gets out of the car, and makes a Security Guard named Symes drop his gun. Long is betrayed by Tanya when she decides to pull out her gun, and forces him to drop his gun. She then decides to shoot him in the head and leaves him to die on a desert highway. Long then collapses on the hood of his Trans Am, and falls on the ground, the headlights of the Trans Am bathing the gruesome scene in bright light. The bad guy gang then takes off. Luckily, he is soon rescued by helicopter
with the help of Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare
), and eccentric billionaire philanthropist
Wilton Knight (Richard Basehart
), who take him to Wilton's private estate.
There, Long undergoes emergency medical attention, and later plastic surgery
to reconstruct his face which was disfigured when the bullet shattered against a steel plate in his head he received during the Vietnam War
. Four days later, Long is still in a coma having flashbacks of Muntzy and Tanya. When the bandages are removed an unspecified time later (presumed to be several months later), Long has a different face and a new identity as Michael Knight, (now played by Hasselhoff). Devon tells Michael that Long has been declared dead in the eyes of the law. He is then offered a job to work for "The Foundation for Law and Government", (aka FLAG), a division of the Knight Foundation. Since the killers believe Long is dead, this will give him a better chance of infiltrating their organization and bringing them to justice.
At first, Michael refuses the offer, but during his recovery he becomes curious as to what technicians are working on in a nearby garage. Wandering inside, he finds the engineers have completely modified his Trans Am and Devon offers him a test drive of the vehicle which is called the "Knight Industries Two Thousand" (KITT
). Michael is overwhelmed by the car's capabilities, one of which is an advanced AI
computer that talks to him. Devon tells him KITT will protect him and assist him on his missions if he takes the job with FLAG.
Later, Michael meets with Wilton Knight who is dying from illness. On his death bed, Wilton tells him that "one man can make a difference" and encourages him to become a modern-day knight who will protect the innocent and bring criminals to justice. After Wilton dies, Devon informs Michael that his shooter, Tanya Walker and her associate Fred Wilson have achieved top positions within a Silicon Valley
computer company called COMTRON. Devon suspects the criminals will embezzle millions form the company and steal their technology (only to sell it to others for large profit.)
Michael begins his investigation by spying on COMTRON employees who frequent a nearby bar called the House of the Rising Sun. There, he meets a sexy waitress named Maggie, (Pamela Susan Shoop
), who becomes angry when Michael asks her about Tanya Walker. Maggie is fired from the bar for her outburst, but Michael finds her later to apologize. He learns she is the recent widow of a COMTRON executive who she believes was murdered by Walker when he began asking "too many questions." When asked by Michael how they could cover up such an act, she said that any witnesses to his murder where COMTRON employees who were paid off to keep quiet. Arriving at Maggie's apartment, Michael meets her young son Buddy, (Barret Oliver
). Maggie informs Michael that COMTRON is sponsoring a demolition derby
the next day. Michael thinks it's a good idea to attend and offers to take Maggie and Buddy with him.
The next day Michael informs Devon about the derby and to Devon's surprise says he will enter KITT hoping the car will attract Walker's interest and allow him to get close to her. Meanwhile, as a comic relief, two bumbling car thieves try every means available to break into KITT's interior but to no avail. They are dumbfounded when Michael simply walks up and KITT lets him open the door without so much as a key. Michael takes Maggie and Buddy to the derby and enters KITT as planned. Meanwhile, Buddy slips away and gets inside KITT just as Michael starts the competition. Unable to turn back now, Michael enters the contest and gives Buddy a joy ride. KITT manages to take out every opponent on the track without so much as a scratch. This of course perks Tanya's interest who soon begins plotting to get her hands on the amazing car. Michael drops off Maggie and an excited Buddy, then heads to a petrol station to call Devon for an update.
With KITT as bait, Michael sets an appointment to meet Tanya at the House of the Rising Sun, but upon his arrival Michael confronts a group of thugs and a bar-room brawl ensues. Michael is arrested and is taken to jail. KITT gets into his own predicament as he gets impounded and taken to a COMTRON garage. There, technicians try to reverse engineer him, but KITT's impenetrable body armor makes getting inside impossible (Gray notes that they tried to use three diamond-bit drills to open KITT, but it did not work.) From jail, Michael calls Devon to tell him to help him out (Devon says that it will take him a while to get there, so they may have to rely on "other means" temporarily.) Later, KITT starts up by himself, manages to escape the garage, and busts through the jail cell wall to rescue Michael.
Michael then races back to COMTRON where he enters the building via KITT's Ejection seat. There, he catches Walker in the act of stealing chip schematics as she prepares their getaway. Michael steals her gun and forces a confrontation. During the scuffle with a security guard (he fires a gun at the guard, something he doesn't normally do in later episodes), Michael is shot in the shoulder and begins to lose blood. Michael flees (it is unknown if Michael shot the guard or not, as the guard "vanishes" without explanation) and makes it back to KITT who suggests he go to the hospital. Michael refuses and orders KITT to chase after Tanya and Wilson. Meanwhile Wilson calls for road blocks and orders a helicopter pilot to destroy the car. KITT however, easily avoids the barricades with his armor, speed, and Turbo Boost.
Tanya and Wilson head to an airport where a private jet awaits them. Michael intercepts the jet and smashes the wing off the plane causing it to explode. Tanya, who now recognizes Michael Knight as Michael Long, steps from her car and in rage and tries to kill him point blank by shooting at the driver-side window of KITT. Unaware that the glass is bulletproof, although Michael tries to warn her, the bullet bounces off and strikes Tanya in the chest, killing her.
As police arrive, Michael takes off with KITT driving him to the hospital, burning plane and villain dismay left behind on the runway. After his recovery, Michael visits Maggie and promises her son one last ride inside KITT. Later, Michael meets Devon aboard his private jet where Michael agrees to stay on with FLAG and carry out Wilton Knight's dream. They celebrate the partnership with a drink.
, Nevada
on the night of August 8, 1982; the recovery scenes were filmed in Los Angeles
, California
through the days and nights of July 26 - August 18, 1982; and the detective scenes were filmed in Silicon Valley
, California
through the days and night August 19–26, 1982.
The pilot's soundtrack includes covers songs of Quarterflash
's "Harden My Heart
", the The Eagles' "Take It Easy
" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling
"; Fleetwood Mac
's "Don't Stop
"; James Taylor
's "Carolina In My Mind
"; Pat Benatar
's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot
", and also features Deborah Ludwig Davis who performed "Proud Mary" in a cameo for the casino scene. There is also an extra scene featuring Willie Nelson's rendition of Elvis Presley's "Always On My Mind" featured in Television screenings, but not on the DVD version.
During the first day of filming Hasselhoff mentions that he had a stomach ache in the plastic surgery/recovery scenes which caused him to convincingly moan and groan with pain.
Michael Long is played by Larry Anderson although his voice is overdubbed by David Hasselhoff
, and his name didn't appear in the screen credits. Anderson actually had chosen to be uncredited because of the overdubbing. The location was a mocked up casino in the lobby of a hotel near the Los Angeles International Airport
. The make-up department had put curls in Anderson's straight hair to match Hasselhoff's, and everything had happened so fast that he went onto the set with the script "warm" in his hands.
Larry Anderson gets inside the car at the beginning leaving the hotel. Then there is a shadowy appearance of David Hasselhoff
who gets out of the car, and assumes the acting role of Michael Long, and who eventually gets shot in face by Phyllis Davis's character Tanya Walker in the desert.
The running gags of the two car thieves trying to steal K.I.T.T. were written very quickly. The Las Vegas strip opening was now the new hotel and casino opening, which were the new inserts that were shot, after the first cut of the pilot was seven minutes too short.
KITT's nose and dashboard configuration change slightly throughout the pilot. As Larson explained on the First Season DVD, a forty minute "presentation" was created to sell the show. NBC and Universal initially liked the concept, but later hesitated about picking up the show. By the time they green lit the pilot and series, Larson was unable to reshoot the presentation scenes, so they were simply edited in the movie and the slight continuity problems this caused were ignored.
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
, Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.Born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers, Mulhare intended to study medicine, but was sidetracked by a growing interest in acting...
, Richard Basehart
Richard Basehart
John Richard Basehart was an American actor. He starred in the 1960s television science fiction drama Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, in the role of Admiral Harriman Nelson.-Career:...
, and William Daniels
William Daniels
William David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
(who was uncredited as the voice of KITT
KITT
KITT is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure TV series Knight Rider. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider, and the other as the Knight...
). It first aired September 26, 1982, and was written by Glen A. Larson
Glen A. Larson
Glen Albert Larson is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.-Career:...
and directed by Daniel Haller
Daniel Haller
Daniel Haller is an American film and television director, production designer, and art director. Haller studied at the renowned Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles....
. The pilot was rebroadcast as a two-part episode during further broadcast syndication.
The only regular cast member that didn't appear in the pilot is Patricia McPherson
Patricia McPherson
Patricia McPherson is an American actress. She is most well known for her role in the 1980s hit TV series Knight Rider as Bonnie Barstow, KITT's mechanic...
. Many celebrity guest stars were featured including Vega$'s
Vega$
Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
Phyllis Davis
Phyllis Davis
Phyllis Davis is an American actress who appeared primarily on television. She was most notably a part of the cast of Aaron Spelling's dramatic series Vega$, playing the character Beatrice Travis....
and her sister Deborah Ludwig Davis, Baretta's
Baretta
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
Michael D. Roberts
Michael D. Roberts
Michael D. Roberts is an American actor.-Career:Roberts played the role of "Roosters" in the 1970s television series Baretta. Roberts starred in the short-lived 1980s television series Manimal, appearing in five of the eight episodes which aired, as Tyrone C. Earl...
, actress Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop is an American character actress in film and on television. She often appeared in shows created by Glen A. Larson.Shoop's best known film role was in the 1981 horror film Halloween II, as Karen, a nurse...
and former child star Barret Oliver
Barret Oliver
Barret Spencer Oliver is an American actor and photographer. He is best known for his role as Bastian Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The NeverEnding Story.-Career:...
. The pilot also features Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's two best friends, Lance LeGault
Lance LeGault
Lance LeGault , sometimes credited as W. L. LeGault, is an American film and television actor, best known as Colonel Roderick Decker in the 1980s American television series The A-Team.-Personal life:...
and Red West
Red West
Red West is an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter.West was born Robert Gene West in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Lois and Newton Thomas West. He was a close high school friend of rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. An excellent athlete and former U.S...
.
Plot
The episode begins during an evening at the Circus CircusCircus Circus Las Vegas
Circus Circus Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International. Circus Circus features circus acts and carnival type games daily on the Midway...
casino in the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
where Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
police detective Michael Arthur Long, (Larry Anderson) who is on a six-month long special assignment to protect Tanya Walker (Phyllis Davis
Phyllis Davis
Phyllis Davis is an American actress who appeared primarily on television. She was most notably a part of the cast of Aaron Spelling's dramatic series Vega$, playing the character Beatrice Travis....
) and Charles Acton (Ed Gilbert), who are playing a game of craps. The two are technology executives of Consolidated Chemical Corporation, who have become the recent victims of apparent industrial espionage
Industrial espionage
Industrial espionage, economic espionage or corporate espionage is a form of espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of purely national security purposes...
.
Long spies Fred Wilson (Vince Edwards
Vince Edwards
Vince Edwards was an American actor, director, and singer, best known for the roles of TV doctor "Ben Casey", and Maj. Cliff Bricker in the 1968 war film The Devil's Brigade.-Early life:...
) and is aware that he is giving orders to Lonnie (Shawn Southwick) to go into the elevator up to Acton's hotel suite, and take pictures of the computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
micro chip
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
. Long now tells his partner Muntzy (Herb Jefferson, Jr.
Herb Jefferson, Jr.
Herbert Jefferson Jr. is an African-American actor. He graduated with honors from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1969. He is probably best known for his role as Lieutenant Boomer on the original Battlestar Galactica television series...
) to keep an eye on Lonnie going into the hotel suite 214. Lonnie takes pictures of the micro chip via microfilm.
Acton then decides to call it a night. Wilson gives orders to Long to take care of Acton. Wilson asks Lonnie if she was followed or was witnessed entering the suite; she confirms that an electrician (Muntzy in reality) may have made her. Wilson then tells Lonnie to get out of the room (that he will take care of the electrician in the hallway), and tells her to get east of out town where he will meet with her later. Long then tells Muntzy to follow Lonnie. Tanya and Long both convince Charles to go the cashier to cash his stack of gambling chips he won at the craps table. Muntzy now decides to follow Lonnie. Wilson then gives an order to Security Guard Vernon Gray (Lance LeGault
Lance LeGault
Lance LeGault , sometimes credited as W. L. LeGault, is an American film and television actor, best known as Colonel Roderick Decker in the 1980s American television series The A-Team.-Personal life:...
), lurking in the shadows outside of the casino in the parking lot, to kill the electrician.
Lonnie now gets into her car, and Muntzy now follows her outside. Long is concerned about his undercover partner, and both Long and Tanya run after Muntzy. Unfortunately, Muntzy is now shot in the chest by Gray, and both him and Wilson get into a Matador security car, and take off. Muntzy soon dies in Longs hands, and is left on the ground. With Long not able to help his partner, he decides to gets inside his car (a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, black with gold trim and bowling ball hubcaps) with Tanya, and follow the others out on the desert highway.
Just as Wilson, Gray, and Lonnie meet up to transfer the film, Long gets out of the car, and makes a Security Guard named Symes drop his gun. Long is betrayed by Tanya when she decides to pull out her gun, and forces him to drop his gun. She then decides to shoot him in the head and leaves him to die on a desert highway. Long then collapses on the hood of his Trans Am, and falls on the ground, the headlights of the Trans Am bathing the gruesome scene in bright light. The bad guy gang then takes off. Luckily, he is soon rescued by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
with the help of Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.Born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers, Mulhare intended to study medicine, but was sidetracked by a growing interest in acting...
), and eccentric billionaire philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Wilton Knight (Richard Basehart
Richard Basehart
John Richard Basehart was an American actor. He starred in the 1960s television science fiction drama Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, in the role of Admiral Harriman Nelson.-Career:...
), who take him to Wilton's private estate.
There, Long undergoes emergency medical attention, and later plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
to reconstruct his face which was disfigured when the bullet shattered against a steel plate in his head he received during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Four days later, Long is still in a coma having flashbacks of Muntzy and Tanya. When the bandages are removed an unspecified time later (presumed to be several months later), Long has a different face and a new identity as Michael Knight, (now played by Hasselhoff). Devon tells Michael that Long has been declared dead in the eyes of the law. He is then offered a job to work for "The Foundation for Law and Government", (aka FLAG), a division of the Knight Foundation. Since the killers believe Long is dead, this will give him a better chance of infiltrating their organization and bringing them to justice.
At first, Michael refuses the offer, but during his recovery he becomes curious as to what technicians are working on in a nearby garage. Wandering inside, he finds the engineers have completely modified his Trans Am and Devon offers him a test drive of the vehicle which is called the "Knight Industries Two Thousand" (KITT
KITT
KITT is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure TV series Knight Rider. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider, and the other as the Knight...
). Michael is overwhelmed by the car's capabilities, one of which is an advanced AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
computer that talks to him. Devon tells him KITT will protect him and assist him on his missions if he takes the job with FLAG.
Later, Michael meets with Wilton Knight who is dying from illness. On his death bed, Wilton tells him that "one man can make a difference" and encourages him to become a modern-day knight who will protect the innocent and bring criminals to justice. After Wilton dies, Devon informs Michael that his shooter, Tanya Walker and her associate Fred Wilson have achieved top positions within a Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
computer company called COMTRON. Devon suspects the criminals will embezzle millions form the company and steal their technology (only to sell it to others for large profit.)
Michael begins his investigation by spying on COMTRON employees who frequent a nearby bar called the House of the Rising Sun. There, he meets a sexy waitress named Maggie, (Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop
Pamela Susan Shoop is an American character actress in film and on television. She often appeared in shows created by Glen A. Larson.Shoop's best known film role was in the 1981 horror film Halloween II, as Karen, a nurse...
), who becomes angry when Michael asks her about Tanya Walker. Maggie is fired from the bar for her outburst, but Michael finds her later to apologize. He learns she is the recent widow of a COMTRON executive who she believes was murdered by Walker when he began asking "too many questions." When asked by Michael how they could cover up such an act, she said that any witnesses to his murder where COMTRON employees who were paid off to keep quiet. Arriving at Maggie's apartment, Michael meets her young son Buddy, (Barret Oliver
Barret Oliver
Barret Spencer Oliver is an American actor and photographer. He is best known for his role as Bastian Bux in the film adaptation of Michael Ende's novel The NeverEnding Story.-Career:...
). Maggie informs Michael that COMTRON is sponsoring a demolition derby
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
the next day. Michael thinks it's a good idea to attend and offers to take Maggie and Buddy with him.
The next day Michael informs Devon about the derby and to Devon's surprise says he will enter KITT hoping the car will attract Walker's interest and allow him to get close to her. Meanwhile, as a comic relief, two bumbling car thieves try every means available to break into KITT's interior but to no avail. They are dumbfounded when Michael simply walks up and KITT lets him open the door without so much as a key. Michael takes Maggie and Buddy to the derby and enters KITT as planned. Meanwhile, Buddy slips away and gets inside KITT just as Michael starts the competition. Unable to turn back now, Michael enters the contest and gives Buddy a joy ride. KITT manages to take out every opponent on the track without so much as a scratch. This of course perks Tanya's interest who soon begins plotting to get her hands on the amazing car. Michael drops off Maggie and an excited Buddy, then heads to a petrol station to call Devon for an update.
With KITT as bait, Michael sets an appointment to meet Tanya at the House of the Rising Sun, but upon his arrival Michael confronts a group of thugs and a bar-room brawl ensues. Michael is arrested and is taken to jail. KITT gets into his own predicament as he gets impounded and taken to a COMTRON garage. There, technicians try to reverse engineer him, but KITT's impenetrable body armor makes getting inside impossible (Gray notes that they tried to use three diamond-bit drills to open KITT, but it did not work.) From jail, Michael calls Devon to tell him to help him out (Devon says that it will take him a while to get there, so they may have to rely on "other means" temporarily.) Later, KITT starts up by himself, manages to escape the garage, and busts through the jail cell wall to rescue Michael.
Michael then races back to COMTRON where he enters the building via KITT's Ejection seat. There, he catches Walker in the act of stealing chip schematics as she prepares their getaway. Michael steals her gun and forces a confrontation. During the scuffle with a security guard (he fires a gun at the guard, something he doesn't normally do in later episodes), Michael is shot in the shoulder and begins to lose blood. Michael flees (it is unknown if Michael shot the guard or not, as the guard "vanishes" without explanation) and makes it back to KITT who suggests he go to the hospital. Michael refuses and orders KITT to chase after Tanya and Wilson. Meanwhile Wilson calls for road blocks and orders a helicopter pilot to destroy the car. KITT however, easily avoids the barricades with his armor, speed, and Turbo Boost.
Tanya and Wilson head to an airport where a private jet awaits them. Michael intercepts the jet and smashes the wing off the plane causing it to explode. Tanya, who now recognizes Michael Knight as Michael Long, steps from her car and in rage and tries to kill him point blank by shooting at the driver-side window of KITT. Unaware that the glass is bulletproof, although Michael tries to warn her, the bullet bounces off and strikes Tanya in the chest, killing her.
As police arrive, Michael takes off with KITT driving him to the hospital, burning plane and villain dismay left behind on the runway. After his recovery, Michael visits Maggie and promises her son one last ride inside KITT. Later, Michael meets Devon aboard his private jet where Michael agrees to stay on with FLAG and carry out Wilton Knight's dream. They celebrate the partnership with a drink.
Production
The pilot episode opening scenes were filmed in Las VegasLas Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
on the night of August 8, 1982; the recovery scenes were filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
through the days and nights of July 26 - August 18, 1982; and the detective scenes were filmed in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
through the days and night August 19–26, 1982.
The pilot's soundtrack includes covers songs of Quarterflash
Quarterflash
Quarterflash was an American rock group formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The band was made up of Rindy Ross , her husband Marv Ross , Jack Charles , Rick DiGiallonardo , Rich Gooch , and Brian David Willis...
's "Harden My Heart
Harden My Heart
"Harden My Heart" is the most popular single by the rock group Quarterflash, off their Quarterflash album, released in 1981.The song was originally released as a single in early 1980 by Seafood Mama, Quarterflash's predecessor band...
", the The Eagles' "Take It Easy
Take It Easy
"Take It Easy" is the title of a song written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey, and most famously recorded by the Eagles . It was the band's first single, released on May 1, 1972. It also was the opening track on the band's debut album Eagles and it has become one of their signature songs, included...
" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling
Peaceful Easy Feeling
"Peaceful Easy Feeling" is a song written by Jack Tempchin and recorded by the American rock band Eagles. It was the third single from the band's 1972 debut album Eagles. The single reached #22 on the charts and is one of the band's most popular songs...
"; Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's "Don't Stop
Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Don't Stop" is a song by the rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie. Sung by Christine McVie and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was a single taken from the band's 1977 hit album, Rumours. It is one of the band's most enduring hits, peaking at number...
"; James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
's "Carolina In My Mind
Carolina in My Mind
"Carolina in My Mind" is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter James Taylor, which first appeared on his 1968 debut album, James Taylor. Taylor wrote it while overseas recording for The Beatles' label Apple Records, and the song's themes reflect his homesickness at the time. Released as...
"; Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Hit Me with Your Best Shot
"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" is a song written by Canadian singer/songwriter Eddie Schwartz and recorded by American singer Pat Benatar in 1979. It was released as the second single from her second album Crimes of Passion, and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first top 10 hit...
", and also features Deborah Ludwig Davis who performed "Proud Mary" in a cameo for the casino scene. There is also an extra scene featuring Willie Nelson's rendition of Elvis Presley's "Always On My Mind" featured in Television screenings, but not on the DVD version.
During the first day of filming Hasselhoff mentions that he had a stomach ache in the plastic surgery/recovery scenes which caused him to convincingly moan and groan with pain.
Michael Long is played by Larry Anderson although his voice is overdubbed by David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
, and his name didn't appear in the screen credits. Anderson actually had chosen to be uncredited because of the overdubbing. The location was a mocked up casino in the lobby of a hotel near the Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
. The make-up department had put curls in Anderson's straight hair to match Hasselhoff's, and everything had happened so fast that he went onto the set with the script "warm" in his hands.
Larry Anderson gets inside the car at the beginning leaving the hotel. Then there is a shadowy appearance of David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
who gets out of the car, and assumes the acting role of Michael Long, and who eventually gets shot in face by Phyllis Davis's character Tanya Walker in the desert.
The running gags of the two car thieves trying to steal K.I.T.T. were written very quickly. The Las Vegas strip opening was now the new hotel and casino opening, which were the new inserts that were shot, after the first cut of the pilot was seven minutes too short.
KITT's nose and dashboard configuration change slightly throughout the pilot. As Larson explained on the First Season DVD, a forty minute "presentation" was created to sell the show. NBC and Universal initially liked the concept, but later hesitated about picking up the show. By the time they green lit the pilot and series, Larson was unable to reshoot the presentation scenes, so they were simply edited in the movie and the slight continuity problems this caused were ignored.