Knight Rider: The Complete First Season

Universal | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Matt Brighton

"Knight Rider" is so full of camp that it's funny just to think about it. Naturally we didn't when the show first aired in the early 80's (September 1982 to be exact). I don't seem to remember being a huge fan of the show, and I only recall a handful of images from it. K.I.T.T., the talking car, Hasselhoff's hair and the button marked "C" that Michael wasn't supposed to push. Quite simply, "Knight Rider" embodies the term "guilty pleasure". As time has gone by, and judging by the outfits worn in the show, it has; the show hasn't aged well. The once "futuristic" car taht was K.I.T.T. is now most likely rotting in a junkyard somewhere. Voiced by William Daniels, then a star of "St. Elsewhere" or perhaps better-known as Ben's dad on "The Graduate", the car had all sorts of quips for Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff in his pre-"Baywatch" days) as they took on everything from street thugs to corporate criminals. Yes, it's truly amazing how much a man, millions of dollars in backing and a badass car can do.

The plot, if we want to call it that, is fairly simple and doesn't really matter because his car talks. It talks, man! Michael Long (later Michael Knight) has been shot in the face. He's resurrected and paired with his talking car, K.I.T.T., they trek across the country solving crimes. There's really no rhyme or reason why they do this, but suffice it say they get shot at each and every episode and must make occasional pit stops into the 18-wheeler that constantly follows them around. Naturally, that truck is occupied by the scientist who is beautiful and we get the suspicion that there's something going on between Knight's hair, er, him and her (Patricia McPherson). Then there's the British executive who is always trying to save a buck or two, Devon Myles. Knight, his hair, K.I.T.T. and the rest of the cast have their share of adventures and this was only the beginning of what has become one of the campiest shows on air. This is exactly the reason why we have to love it.

For a television show that’s some twenty years old, I was expecting what I might see on cable. But I have to say that I was fairly impressed with "Knight Rider". Most of the scenes are during the day (as if they were at night, we couldn't see K.I.T.T. only that moving eye thing in front of the car). Every episode is presented in a full-frame aspect ratio, but they all appear to share one common trait: they all appear much better than you might expect. Whatever Universal did, I encourage them to keep it up. Excellent!

The audio is a basic Dolby 2.0 mono, but like the video presentation, I was very surprised at how rich and full it sounded. The episodes are mainly dialogue-driven, but there are some occasional gunshots, endless tires squealing and they sound very strong coming out of the center channel. Ambient effects, though few and far between, add to the depth of the soundtrack. I can't really say as I remember the audio being that great during the televised run, but audio isn't what "Knight Rider" is all about.

Perhaps the Producers knew that the show might not stand on it's own, so some extra supplements might tempt the consumer to purchase this set. First off, we get a commentary track by Hasselhoff (and his hair) and Gary Larson on the pilot episode. It's a bit phony, but nice to hear the two involved after such a long time. Hasselhoff seems grateful as this was his big "break" and provided him with some opportunities as an actor afterwards. It's not the most intriguing track out there, but most people who buy this set aren't looking for intrigue. Also included is the TV movie from 1991 entitled "Knight Rider 2000" in a desperate attempt to resurrect the show. It failed, obviously, so Hasselhoff went to hang out with Pamela Anderson and Yasemine Bleeth instead. Good choice. There is a rather in-depth Owner's manual to K.I.T.T. and some various galleries (blueprints and stills) that add to the value. A couple of brief featurettes are also included. Fans will no doubt be in a hurry to pick up this set and it's a veritable given that more seasons will be on the way.