KNIGHT RIDER: KNIGHT OF THE PHOENIX (TV)
Summary
The pilot film for this dramatic fantasy/science-fiction series about Michael Knight, a man who fights crime alongside KITT, a hi-tech artificially intelligent talking car.
In Las Vegas, a cop named Michael Long and his partner are shot down by criminals while pursuing them. One of them, Tanya, betrayed Michael and shot him in the face, leaving him for dead. However, Michael is saved and brought to the manor of Wilton Knight, a rich, dying CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation. Michael survived the gunshot due to a metal plate in his head, but Wilton’s surgeon is forced to construct a new face for Michael. Michael awakens and is not pleased to find he has a new face.
As Michael recuperates, Wilton discusses his plans with his friend Devon Miles, who is working on a top-secret project at Wilton’s behest. Wilton talks of his need to leave something that has meaning behind after he is dead. Michael wants revenge on the people who murdered him and his partner, but says he must work alone, fearing that he might inadvertently hurt someone else. Wilton, on the other hand, wants to give Michael a second chance. Curious, Michael investigates Devon’s secret project and finds what appears to be his car, but with a strange light on the hood. Devon explains that the car, the “Knight Two Thousand,” is unique in several ways: he demonstrates that it is nearly impervious to harm thanks to a substance molecularly bonded to the car’s surface, and it possesses microprocessors that automatically avoid accidents and can have the car act on its own.
Devon and Michael visit Wilton on his deathbed. With his dying words, he tells Michael that “one man can make a difference” and that Michael can be a great force for good. Michael finds out that Tanya is in a town in Silicon Valley and wants to after her. Devon reveals that since Michael Long is now legally dead, he has taken the liberty of changing Michael’s identity; he is now named “Michael Knight.” Michael begins the long drive to Silicon Valley and on the way is shocked to hear the car speak to him; the car introduces itself as the “Knight Industries Two Thousand microprocessor,” or “KITT.” Michael is not pleased with the prospect of a car that can talk back to him. KITT soon demonstrates his usefulness by helping Michael avoid getting a ticket from the police when he falls asleep at the wheel.
Michael and KITT pull into the small Silicon Valley town of Millston, where Michael notices one of Tanya’s henchmen heading into a bar. While he’s inside, a pair of carjackers plans to steal KITT, but decide to try again at a less conspicuous time. Inside the bar, Michael inquires about Tanya to one of the waitresses at the bar, but at the mention of her name she becomes enraged and douses Michael with a drink before storming out. Soon Michael makes his presence in town known to Tanya, who grows suspicious of Michael’s interest in her.
That night Michael locates the waitress who yelled at him, named Maggie, and apologizes to her. She explains to Michael that Millston is an electronics “boom town” and that her husband worked as the security chief at Comtron, a powerful local electronics company. However, Tanya was hired as an executive at the company and started making crooked business deals. When her husband tried to investigate, he was murdered and his death made to look like an accident. She brings Michael back to her apartment and he meets Buddy, her young son. She tells Michael that the next day Comtron will be sponsoring a demolition derby for charity and Michael hits upon the idea of entering himself and KITT into the competition.
The next day, Michael reports his progress to Devon while the carjackers make another attempt to steal KITT. KITT’s molecular shell easily repels their attempts, but they vow to steal KITT. Devon is not pleased at the prospect of Michael entering KITT into the demolition derby, but Michael is confident in KITT’s abilities. Michael brings Maggie and Buddy to the derby and enters KITT, encountering Tanya in the process and piquing her interest. The derby begins and Michael soon finds that Buddy has stowed away in KITT’s back seat. Despite this, Michael and KITT easily outperform the other cars and emerge victorious and unscathed. Afterwards, Michael sets up a meeting with Tanya at the local bar. She discovers that Michael’s records have been falsified and orders that he be captured.
While calling Devon, the carjackers make off with KITT. KITT is not pleased at being stolen and drives the thieves to the police station, launching them straight into a police cruiser with his ejector seats. KITT returns and chastises Michael for leaving his door open; Michael apologizes and they move on. Several of the drivers from the demolition derby are waiting for Michael in the bar with orders to rough him up. Michael dispatches them with martial arts, but is captured and thrown in jail. KITT is towed to Comtron headquarters so Tanya and her people can disassemble him. Michael calls Devon to try and get him out of jail while Tanya’s people find they cannot penetrate KITT’s outer shell at all. Tanya conspires to steal Comtron’s design for a powerful microchip that could be worth millions, but Michael has her nervous and she wants him eliminated.
Once he’s alone, KITT activates and breaks himself out of Comtron headquarters. He breaks Michael out of jail and they head to Comtron headquarters. KITT helps Michael sneak in, but KITT is spotted in the parking lot, alerting Tanya to their presence. Michael corners Tanya in her office just as she steals the microchip designs and she realizes Michael Knight is actually Michael Long. Before he can shoot her, a guard enters and shoots Michael, allowing Tanya to get away. Despite bleeding from his chest, Michael manages to escape the compound and reach KITT.
Michael and KITT race to the airport to cut off Tanya’s escape. When confronted with a truck put in the way as an obstacle, KITT demonstrates his “turbo boost” function, allowing him and Michael to plow through the truck at high velocity. Michael uses the turbo boost again to leap over an oncoming truck sent after him. Tanya and company attempt to escape on a private jet, but Michael uses KITT to damage one of the wings and blow up the jet. Tanya attempts to shoot Michael through KITT’s window, but the bullet bounces back and kills her.
Eventually Michael takes KITT back to Devon for repairs and they discuss their future. Devon’s organization usually takes legal means to solve social injustice, but proposes that Michael could be called upon for more “direct action.” Michael is intrigued by the possibility of proving that one man can make a difference, the same dream as Wilton Knight. Michael agrees to Devon’s proposal and they make a toast to it. The film ends as Michael and KITT drive off into the desert. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: September 26, 1982 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:35:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:11213
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1982-1986
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Glen A. Larson … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer, Theme Music by
- Harker Wade … Producer
- Daniel Haller … Director
- Stu Phillips … Music by, Theme Music by
- David Hasselhoff … Cast, Michael Knight
- Edward Mulhare … Cast, Devon Miles
- Phyllis Davis … Cast, Tanya Walker
- Pamela Susan Shoop … Cast, Maggie
- Lance LeGault … Cast, Vernon Gray
- Noel Conlon … Cast, William Benjamin
- Michael D. Roberts … Cast, Jackson
- Bert Rosario … Cast, Brown
- Richard Anderson … Cast, Dr. Ralph Wesley
- Vince Edwards … Cast, Fred Wilson
- Richard Basehart … Cast, Wilton Knight
- Edmund Gilbert … Cast, Charles Acton
- Shawn Southwick … Cast, Lonnie
- Brian Cutler … Cast, Bar Manager
- Barret Oliver … Cast, Buddy
- Robert Phillips … Cast, Symes
- Alma L. Beltran … Cast, Luce
- Ed Hooks … Cast, Guard
- Tyler Murray … Cast, Sally
- Victoria Harned … Cast, Doris
- William Daniels … Voice, KITT