Knight Rider season 4

Last updated

Contents

Knight Rider
Season 4
Knight Rider season 4 DVD.png
DVD cover
No. of episodes22
Release
Original network NBC
Original releaseSeptember 20, 1985 (1985-09-20) 
April 4, 1986 (1986-04-04)
Season chronology
 Previous
Season 3
List of episodes

The fourth and final season of Knight Rider , an American television series that ran from Sept 26, 1982 to Apr 4, 1986, began September 20, 1985, and ended on April 4, 1986. It aired on NBC. The region 1 DVD was released on April 4, 2006. [1]

Interest in the show declined, leading to its cancellation by the end of the season. Hasselhoff, knowing that the show was coming to an end, attempted to make a "series finale" and helped conceive the story "The Scent of Roses" with his wife at the time, Catherine Hickland, who played Michael's love interest Stephanie Mason in past episodes. The network instead aired "Voodoo Knight" as the final episode.

A new street-smart mechanic, played by Peter Parros, was added to the cast in addition to Bonnie. Of all KITT's features added in the fourth season, the most important of them is "Super Pursuit Mode". KITT could also convert into an open convertible. Both cars were designed and built by customizer George Barris.

This season also marks the final appearance of Bonnie Barstow, RC3, and the Knight Industries Two Thousand in its original form. KITT's final appearance in the Knight Rider franchise was in the 1991 made-for-TV movie Knight Rider 2000.

Cast

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
691"Knight of the Juggernaut"Georg FenadyRobert Foster & Burton Armus September 20, 1985 (1985-09-20)60275
70260276

Michael goes to Chicago on an assignment to guard a valuable isotope. Elsewhere, Wilton Knight's daughter unexpectedly suspends FLAG's operations and Michael and KITT find themselves out of a job. Meanwhile, an international terrorist kidnaps Devon Miles and replaces him with a surgically altered impostor as a plot to get his hands on the isotope. Devon's changed behavior alerts Michael's suspicions and he disobeys orders to "take a vacation" until he finds out what is going on. Clues lead to a warehouse, where KITT's molecular bonded armor is unknowingly neutralized by a chemical sprayer on a nearby street, and he and Michael are attacked by an armored vehicle KITT cannot defend against. Devon strangely writes-off KITT as a total loss, and when he answers a question Michael asks about Moby Dick wrong, Michael is even more doubtful that it is truly Devon. Seeing as KITT was nearly destroyed in the armored car attack, Bonnie cannot repair him without Devon Miles' assistance or FLAG's facilities. She and Michael enlist the help of "The Street Avenger" a friendly street vigilante named Reginald Cornelius the 3rd, or RC3, whose gang of friends take KITT to their garage to rebuild him. KITT is reborn with some new gadgets, including a rocket-fast "super pursuit" mode. Michael must now race to save the real Devon and prevent the theft of the isotope.

  • Note: Originally shown as a feature-length episode, which was later cut into two separate episodes for syndication.
713"K.I.T.T. Nap" Bernard McEveety Skip WebsterSeptember 27, 1985 (1985-09-27)60216
Michael hunts down a criminal who has escaped capture for years, but the criminal decides to take out Michael once and for all. He first kidnaps an innocent college student that is interviewing Michael, then traps and steals KITT, supposedly with Michael in it. Fortunately Michael and KITT separate beforehand so only KITT was stolen. Michael manages to find and free KITT. In the end, they stop the criminals, and once again save the day.
724"Sky Knight" Jeffrey Hayden Carlton Hollander & Dennis RodriguezOctober 18, 1985 (1985-10-18)60219

A plane that Bonnie is traveling on is hijacked by a group of men led by an ex-intelligence agent (Ron O'Neal) who demands money and the release of "political" prisoners. Michael and KITT manage to track them to a military bunker that was designed to keep high-ranking officials safe in the event of terror attacks, and is surrounded by mines and other automated security systems and assumed to be impossible to break into. The hijackers also activate a "doomsday device" time bomb within the bunker. KITT gets Michael past the site's defenses, and Michael gets the key to stop the bomb, with just seconds to spare.

Guest stars: Brian Thompson (Night Slasher in Cobra ) as Kurt
735"Burial Ground"Chuck BailMichael Eric SteinOctober 25, 1985 (1985-10-25)60204
Michael must locate a missing archeologist and his assistant, who has been kidnapped by an oil baron (Robert Pine), who is set to gain possession of Indian land if no artifacts are found. He finds and rescues them both, just in time to save the Indian burial grounds.
746"The Wrong Crowd"Chuck BailGeorge S. DinalloNovember 1, 1985 (1985-11-01)60221
Michael must stop a gang of thieves, who hijack FLAG's mobile base truck, thinking it to be hauling liquor. When they discover all the high-tech computer gear inside, one of the gang turns out to be a wiz with computers. He leads them to use the equipment for a crime spree, including the hacking of a robotic military vehicle armed with a missile that his parents built. When the young man unknowingly misdirects the vehicle to destroy the base truck by mistake, the thieves decide to leave, leaving the people trapped inside. Seeing them as not his true friends, he stays behind to help Michael get the vehicle to chase him and KITT instead; they manage to destroy the vehicle by making it hit a vacant shack.
757"Knight Sting" Sidney Hayers Herman Miller November 8, 1985 (1985-11-08)60224
Bonnie poses as jetsetter, Devon as a newscaster, and Michael as a hitman in order to infiltrate a foreign embassy where an official plans to smuggle a canister of deadly bacteria out of the country. RC3 poses as a butler as well. KITT even goes undercover as a rare foreign car. Michael manages to switch the canister just before their cover is blown. Michael tricks the enemy into thinking that he would shoot the canister unless he lets go of Bonnie and another hostage, which he does, not knowing that he has a fake canister.
768"Many Happy Returns"Georg FenadyMichael HalperinNovember 15, 1985 (1985-11-15)60203
Michael investigates the theft of a high-tech hovercraft and tries to intercept it, before a black market arms dealer can smuggle it out of the country. Michael finds out that it was aided by a mole, a disgruntled employee, within the company. He felt that if he wasn't going to get the recognition he deserved from the company, then he would get it from someone else. In the end, Michael manages to stop them and save the company.
779"Knight Racer"Charles Watson SanfordPaul DiamondNovember 22, 1985 (1985-11-22)60222
Michael investigates an open wheel race team plagued by mysterious accidents. Michael also takes the team's opening as a substitute race car driver at Riverside and finds out that the owner of another racing team is the biological father of the woman on the team he is trying to help; the father claims that he wanted to keep the other team from taking his entire life away, including his daughter, if they win the race. In the end, they win the race thanks to Michael.
7810"Knight Behind Bars"Bernard McEveetyRichard OkieDecember 6, 1985 (1985-12-06)60202
Michael investigates a women's prison where inmates are stealing the plans of a hotel being used as a meeting place for a defense conference. Bonnie goes undercover as an inmate. The masterminds, the ruthless warden and the prison fitness instructor, were after a pure crystal, that could be used to power a powerful laser. At the last minute, an inmate in the scheme changes sides and helps them capture the rest of the group.
7911"Knight Song"Georg FenadyBurton ArmusDecember 13, 1985 (1985-12-13)60230
RC3 helps a friend, who is involved in a real-estate plan that could help revitalize RC3's old neighborhood. A rival developer, also a past friend of RC3, however, has other plans to keep the area a drug-infested slum. With help from the neighborhood, Michael and RC3 are able to stop the destruction of their neighborhood.
8012"The Scent of Roses"Sidney HayersE. Nick AlexanderJanuary 3, 1986 (1986-01-03)60212
A near-fatal encounter with a criminal mastermind has Michael thinking about early retirement and he considers quitting the Foundation. Devon reunites Michael with Stephanie "Stevie" Mason, and Michael quits the Foundation. After Michael and Stevie are married, the mastermind returns and Stevie takes a bullet for Michael, which kills her. Michael seeks vengeance against the mastermind. Once he captures the man responsible, he decides to head home with KITT to friends and family. (Originally intended as the show's final episode.)
8113"Killer K.I.T.T."Chuck BailSimon RoseJanuary 10, 1986 (1986-01-10)60226
A vengeful computer expert who helped design KITT's software reprograms KITT to turn against Michael and subsequently ruin FLAG's reputation by having KITT kill everyone at the FLAG's national convention. Michael thinks they may have to destroy KITT to stop him, but Michael is able to replace the tampered circuit on him before he hurts anyone. Afterward, Bonnie and the foundation technicians decide to develop safe-guards, so KITT will never be hacked ever again.
8214"Out of the Woods"Harvey LaidmanGregory S. DinalloJanuary 17, 1986 (1986-01-17)60211
Michael works to expose a sawmill operation that has been cutting timber from a protected national forest. Michael first believes that founder of the sawmill is in kahutz with woodcutters, but he soon finds out that his daughter is the one at fault
8315"Deadly Knightshade"Sidney HayersPhilip John TaylorJanuary 24, 1986 (1986-01-24)60229
Michael tries to prove a master magician has committed a murder, and used his stage illusions to appear to be on stage during the crime as the perfect alibi. It is soon realized that the murder and the attempted murder on Devon was an effort by one chairman of the board to get full control of FLAG's distribution of money to its many resources. Michael is able to catch the magician and save Devon.
8416"Redemption of a Champion"Chuck BailE. Nick AlexanderJanuary 31, 1986 (1986-01-31)60227
Michael investigates an upcoming rematch between two boxers. After the murder of a sports reporter, who may have had incriminating evidence about the legendary fighting match. Michael races against the clock to save one of the fighters who may die if he fights in the ring again. Special appearances by Don King, Ken Foree, and Carlos Palomino.
8517"Knight of a Thousand Devils"Gino GrimaldiPeter Allan FieldsFebruary 7, 1986 (1986-02-07)60228
An FBI agent and close friend to Michael, is killed by a mobster who escapes during a botched raid. Michael and RC3 trail him to a dune buggy race, where the criminal is posing as a driver and planning an escape across the Mexican border. With the help of another undercover agent, Michael is able to catch the mobster.
8618"Hills of Fire"Robert Bralver Jackson Gillis February 14, 1986 (1986-02-14)60220
Michael and KITT investigate a string of arson fires in a national park, but the arsonist evades capture with an off-road vehicle to flee over terrain KITT cannot drive over. Bonnie also creates a special Satellite Infiltration Drone, also known as SID, that can become any object when spying on the enemy. The fires are a cover for a big drug smuggling operation and most of the townspeople are involved, a crooked police chief included. Special appearance by Vernon Wells.
8719"Knight Flight to Freedom" Winrich Kolbe George S. DinalloFebruary 21, 1986 (1986-02-21)60232
Michael goes to South America and tries to help an American political figure escape a country in the middle of a coup d'état. Michael gets caught and is to be executed by a firing squad. With the help of RC3, he is able to fake his death and rescue the other prisoners. With help from the country's resistance movement, they are able to defeat the military and win back their freedom in the country.
8820"Fright Knight"Gilbert ShiltonStory by: James Byrnes & Samm Smith
Teleplay by: James Byrnes & Samm Smith & Leonard Kaufman
March 7, 1986 (1986-03-07)60223

Michael and KITT investigate the grounds of a movie studio where unexplained accidents on the sets are thought to be the work of a legendary stage phantom. The special effects person is fired after a special effect puts an actor in the hospital. When he is investigated by Michael, he finds evidence that someone is sabotaging the stunts for the movie. After another accident nearly costs an actor's life, Michael tells everyone that he will check everything before any scene is done. He talks to the director and volunteers to be a stunt double in hopes to catch the legendary stage phantom. He also calls in RC3 to help him out; Michael also finds out that a man named Galvin gains more money if the picture is not finished; because he borrows money from unfriendly men, he is now in serious debt to them. The saboteur kills Galvin because Michael is getting too close. The saboteur turns out to be the director's assistant.

Guest stars: Robert Englund as Edward Kent
8921"Knight of the Rising Sun"Winrich KolbeStory by: Burton Armus & Bruce Lansbury
Teleplay by: E. Nick Alexander
March 14, 1986 (1986-03-14)60233
Michael must protect the son of Devon's friend from a Japanese businessman who is determined to kidnap him, believing he is the descendant of the founder of a terrorist cult.
9022"Voo Doo Knight"Georg FenadyStory by: R. Timothy Kring
Teleplay by: R. Timothy Kring & Deborah Dean Davis
April 4, 1986 (1986-04-04)60225
Michael tries to stop a voodoo woman, who is using mind control on innocent people and forcing them to commit crimes for her.

Related Research Articles

Knight Rider is an American action crime drama television series created and produced by Glen A. Larson. The series was originally broadcast on NBC from September 26, 1982, to April 4, 1986. The show stars David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a sleek and modern crime fighter assisted by KITT, an advanced, artificially intelligent, self-aware, and nearly indestructible car. This was the last series Larson devised at Universal Television before he moved to 20th Century Fox Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Hasselhoff</span> American actor, singer, and television personality (born 1952)

David Michael Hasselhoff, nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on The Young and the Restless (1975–1982), playing the role of Dr. Snapper Foster. His career continued with his leading role as Michael Knight on Knight Rider (1982–1986) and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch (1989–2000). He also produced Baywatch from the 1990s until 2001 when the series ended with Baywatch Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Mulhare</span> Irish American actor (1923–1997)

Edward Mulhare was an Irish actor whose career spanned five decades. He is best known for his starring roles in two television series, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir and Knight Rider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Daniels</span> American actor (born 1927)

William David Daniels is an American actor who is known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig on the drama series St. Elsewhere, for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT on the television series Knight Rider; and George Feeny on the sitcom Boy Meets World, which earned him four People's Choice Award nominations. He reprised his Knight Rider role in the sequel TV movie Knight Rider 2000 and his Boy Meets World role in the sequel series Girl Meets World. He also portrayed Carter Nash in Captain Nice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace</span> 2nd episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons

"The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" is the second episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 20, 1998, and was seen in around 7.95 million households during the broadcast. In the episode, Homer, realizing his life is half over and has not accomplished anything, begins to admire Thomas Edison and decides to create inventions to follow in Edison's footsteps and make his life worthwhile.

KITT or K.I.T.T. is the common name of two fictional characters from the action franchise Knight Rider. In both instances, KITT is an artificially intelligent electronic computer module in the body of a highly advanced, very mobile, robotic automobile. The original KITT is known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider as a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The second KITT is known as the Knight Industries Three Thousand, which appeared first in the two-hour 2008 pilot film for a new Knight Rider TV series and then the new series itself, and appeared as a 2008–2009 Ford Shelby GT500KR.

<i>Knight Rider 2000</i> 1991 television film directed by Alan J. Levi

Knight Rider 2000 is a 1991 American made-for-television science fiction action film based on the 1982–1986 television series Knight Rider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia McPherson</span> American actress

Patricia McPherson is a former American actress and activist best known for her role in the 1980s TV series Knight Rider as Bonnie Barstow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Parros</span> American actor

Peter Parros is an American actor and screenwriter. His acting credits include stage, screen and television. Parros portrays Judge David Harrington on Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network, but he may be most recognized for his nearly decade-long portrayal of Dr. Ben Harris on the CBS soap As the World Turns.

Justin Bruening is an American actor and former fashion model. He was discovered at a McDonald's in Escondido, California, and within a week, he was shooting photos with Bruce Weber. In 2003, his acting career began when he was cast in the role of Jamie Martin on the daytime drama All My Children, earning him a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2005 for the portrayal. In 2007, Bruening was cast as Mike Traceur, the son of character Michael Knight, a new take on the original Knight Rider series. In 2011, he was cast as Tyler Berrett, a recurring role on the series Ringer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and in 2013, he joined Ravenswood. He also played paramedic Matthew Taylor on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy in 2013 and 2018. Since 2020, he has been a part of the main cast of the series Sweet Magnolias.

<i>Team Knight Rider</i> American television series

Team Knight Rider (TKR) is an American action science fiction crime drama television series that was adapted from the Knight Rider franchise and ran in syndication between 1997 and 1998. TKR was created by writer/producers Rick Copp and David A. Goodman, based on the original series created by Glen A. Larson, who was an executive producer. TKR was produced by Gil Wadsworth and Scott McAboy and was distributed by Universal Domestic Television and ran a single season of 22 one-hour episodes. The original series had a strong fan base and was beloved by many viewers. Comparisons between the two shows may have worked against "Team Knight Rider," as it failed to capture the same magic and nostalgia as the original.

<i>Knight Rider</i> (2008 film) 2008 television film directed by Steve Shill

Knight Rider is a 2008 American made-for-television action film and the third installment of the Knight Rider film series, which was created to serve as a backdoor pilot for the new Knight Rider television series, a revival of the 1982–1986 series of the same name. This film makes no references to either the Knight Rider 2000 film or the Team Knight Rider television series, instead as a reboot.

<i>Knight Rider</i> (2008 TV series) 2008 TV series

Knight Rider is an American action television series that follows the 1982 television series of the same title created by Glen A. Larson and the 2008 television movie. The series aired on NBC from September 24, 2008 to March 4, 2009. The series stars Justin Bruening as Michael Traceur, the estranged son of Michael Knight; at the end of the pilot episode, Traceur renames himself Michael Knight II. The series also stars Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman, Traceur's former girlfriend and love interest. Sarah is the daughter of Charles Graiman, played by Bruce Davison, is the creator of a new generation of KITT, which is voiced by Val Kilmer and based on a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR. The series was in production for just one season.

Michael Knight (<i>Knight Rider</i>) Protagonist of the 1980s television series Knight Rider

Michael Knight is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1980s television series Knight Rider, played by David Hasselhoff. The character first appeared in the opening scenes as Michael Long, played by Larry Anderson in the beginning of the pilot. His last appearance was in the 2008 film Knight Rider.

<i>Diffrent Strokes</i> American television sitcom (1978–1986)

Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, respectively, who are two boys from Harlem taken in by a wealthy Park Avenue businessman and his daughter. Phillip Drummond is a widower for whom their deceased mother previously worked; his daughter, Kimberly, is played by Dana Plato. During the first season and the first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred, as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the Drummonds' first housekeeper, who ultimately spun off into her own sitcom, The Facts of Life, as a housemother at the fictional Eastland School. The second housekeeper, Adelaide Brubaker, was played by Nedra Volz. The third housekeeper, Pearl Gallagher, was played by Mary Jo Catlett, first appearing as a recurring character, later becoming a main cast member.

<i>Knight Rider</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of Knight Rider, an American television series, debuted on September 26, 1982, and ended on May 6, 1983. It aired on NBC. The region 1 DVD was released on August 3, 2004.

<i>Knight Rider</i> season 2 Season of the 1980s television series Knight Rider

The second season of Knight Rider, an American television series, began October 2, 1983, and ended on May 27, 1984. It aired on NBC. The region 1 DVD was released on April 12, 2005.

<i>Knight Rider</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of Knight Rider, an American television series that ran from Sept 26, 1982 to Apr 4, 1986, began September 30, 1984, and ended on May 5, 1985. It aired on NBC. The region 1 DVD was released on January 31, 2006.

Knight Rider is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of Knight Rider is its three television series: the original Knight Rider (1982–1986) and sequel series Team Knight Rider (1997–1998) and Knight Rider (2008–2009). The franchise also includes three television films, a short-lived spinoff series, computer and video games, and novels, as well as KnightCon, a Knight Rider convention. Beginning with the original television series and continuing with the subsequent films and series, the franchise has developed a cult following and spawned many pop culture references.

References

  1. "Knight Rider - Season Four (1982)". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.