by Unknown
Producer: Gino Grimaldi
Executive Producer: Robert Foster
Supervising Producers: Burton Armus, Bruce Lansbury Created By: Glen A. Larson
Co-Producers: Gregory S. Dinallo, Mark Jones
Coordinating Producer: Robert Ewing
Story Editor: Michael Eric Stein
Associate Producers: Ron Martinez, Bruce Golin
Theme: Glen A. Larson, Stu Phillips
Music: Don Peake
Director of Photography: H. John Penner
Art Directors: Lou Montejano, Russell Smith
Edited By: Edward Nassour, Lawrence J. Gleason, Lawrence J. Vallario, Domenic G. DiMascio, Grant Hoag, Dayle Mustain
Unit Production Manager: Ron Martinez
First Assistant Directors: Louis Race, Roberto Villar Second Assistant Directors: Bruce A. Humphrey, Richard Coad Casting By: Donna Dockstader, C.S.A.
Set Decorators: R. Lynn Smartt, Rochelle Moser
Color By: Technicolor
Titles & Optical Effects: Universal Title
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Sound Editor: John Shouse
Music Editor: Richard Lapham
Costume Supervisors: Barry Downing, Karen J. Braverman 2nd Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator: Jack Gill
Sound: Pat Somerset
Some automobiles furnished by Pontiac Motor Division Fourth Season Regular Cast
David Hasselhoff (Michael Knight)
Edward Mulhare (Devon Miles)
Patricia McPherson (Bonnie Barstow)
Peter Parros (Reginald Cornelius III)
William Daniels (Voice of K.I.T.T.)
Fourth Season Episode Descriptions
Knight of the Juggernaut (Two Hour Season Premiere) Working Title: “The Juggernaut”
Episode: 64
PROD. #60214
Original Airdate: September 20, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun: February 28, 1986 (Friday)
Writers: Robert Foster and Burton Armus
Director: Georg Fenady
Guest Cast: John Considine (Philip Nordstrom), Nicholas Worth (Jim Hower), Pamela Susan Shoop (Marta Simmons), Mary Kate McGeehan (Jennifer Knight), Richard Fullerton (Frank), Blair Underwood (Potts), Joe Shea (Cabbie), Michael Dickson (Ardell), Robert Kim (Technician), Tom Noga (Messenger), Sandy Maschmeyer (Receptionist), R. Chandler
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Garrison (Head Butler), Luis Contreras (Voice #2), RCB (Voice #1), V.C. Dupree (Gang Member), Wren Brown (Gang Member), Marco Hernandez (Gang Member), Rick Plastina (Guard), Mary Woronov (Dr. Von Furst), Laurence Haddon (John Lloyd)
While Michael protects a mysterious new isotope during a layover in Chicago, Devon must contend with Wilton Knight’s daughter, Jennifer, and her decision to cut funding for the Foundation. Meanwhile, Philip Nordstrom, an international terrorist, has plans to steal the isotope and sell it overseas to the highest bidder.
Construction of the SPM car [Courtesy of George Barris] Commentary:
Wow! What a season premiere! As expected, K.I.T.T. is demolished yet again, however in this installment he receives his most severe beating to date due to his Molecular Bonded Shell being neutralized. Peter Parros also signs on for the fourth season to play RC III, a streetwise mechanic responsible for overseeing K.I.T.T.’s reconstruction. The subplot dealing with the Knight Foundation’s decision to shut down F.L.A.G. adds quite a bit of tension to an already tense situation and leaves the viewer wondering if Michael and K.I.T.T.’s adventures will continue. It’s a shame that the fourth season was not able to maintain the level of excitement found in this episode. Knight Rider Season Four •
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Notes:
A promotional commercial for the fourth season has Michael walking through some deserted smoky streets, and they show very quick flashes of K.I.T.T. in Super Pursuit Mode. Michael’s voiceover says,
“When you live in a world of evil and danger like I do, you need all the help you can get. This new K.I.T.T. may be a whole lot more than I bargained for, but it’s what I need. And everybody needs a friend when you’re running in the night.”
The episode never reveals whether the Molecular Bonded Shell was put back on K.I.T.T.; we assume that it was until the episode “Knight Flight to Freedom,” where K.I.T.T. directly states that he has it. The teaser has a voiceover from Edward Mulhare that goes, “This is Edward Mulhare. Tonight, a special two-hour Knight Rider from Chicago.”
Jennifer Knight makes a comment to Michael that he reminds her of Garthe, a reference to “Goliath” and “Goliath Returns.” She believes that Michael, like Garthe, is “hooked on action to the point of inventing it if it doesn’t exist.”
Pamela Susan Shoop on the boat jump: “For the long shot, it was a stunt double. However, I had to jump it about five times from different angles. I don’t know why they needed a stunt double! The same is true for David.”
Michael talks more about Wilton’s dream than what makes it into the final script: “He chose to save the basis of charity and caring—
the law. Without it there’s nothing. No ‘cusps’ or ‘quantum leaps’. With it, there’s a chance. That’s all we want—to guarantee that chance. If it takes going through a wall, we go through a wall. Walls can be fixed.”
Also in the script, K.I.T.T. describes himself to the car thieves as “the most advanced automobile known to mankind. I have capabilities beyond your wildest dreams.”
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Highlights:
K.I.T.T. constantly asks about his appearance and complains that he never changes. This side story foreshadows K.I.T.T.’s destruction and the addition of Super Pursuit Mode.
Featured Songs:
“We Don’t Need Another Hero” by Tina Turner
Quotes:
(K.I.T.T.) “I’m the Knight Industries Two-Thousand, sure enough. Ready to ramble, ready to roll, ready to strut my stuff!”
Trivia:
Jennifer Knight’s board meeting videotape combines scenes from several episodes, including “Knightmares,” “A Good Knight’s Work,” “Lost Knight,” and unused footage of K.I.T.T.’s jump through a train from “A Knight In Shining Armor.”
KITTnap
Episode: 65
PROD. #60216
Original Airdate: September 27, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: March 21, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Skip Webster
Director: Bernard McEveety
Guest Cast: Daniel Faraldo (Julian Martin), Janine Turner (Karen Forester), Robert O’Reilly (Snyder), Denise Galik (Jodi Hopkins), Robert F. Lyons (Jeffery Cavanaugh), Nick Angotti (Councilman), Nick Savage (Lukas Hall), Jim Bullock (Dog Catcher)
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During a relaxing afternoon with Karen Forester, Michael is informed by Devon that Jeffery Cavanaugh, an old foe, has escaped from prison. While Michael tries to find him, Cavanaugh’s associate, Julian Martin, must find a file that holds incriminating evidence which would put him in prison. Commentary:
We begin to see Michael being pulled away from vacations by Devon quite often—his anger and frustration begins to show here and climaxes in
“The Scent of Roses.” He tutors Karen in the finer points of K.I.T.T.’s functions and she is given full permission by Devon to learn all she can about the car. It is quite different to see K.I.T.T. be outsmarted by Julian Martin and we finally learn that K.I.T.T.’s seats are not bulletproof (the script states that “the rounds puncture the upholstery of Michael’s seat”). A fun scene in Devon’s office has RC III wanting to help Michael with the case, but he says no. Devon then scolds RC III for leaving his pop can on his desk.
Notes:
Michael comments that he put Cavanaugh in prison last year, although viewers never saw it. The only other time that this is the case is with J. Gordon Baxter in “Knight of the Chameleon.”
RC II
I casually mentions that he misses the Street Avenger action—
a passing reference to “Knight of the Juggernaut.”
Trivia:
This would be the only episode to have the Super Pursuit Mode function in the teaser.
One of the models at the club is said to be wearing a “Grimaldi original” design swimsuit, a reference to co-producer Gino Grimaldi. The dog that hides in K.I.T.T. is named Scruffy, according to the script.
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Sky Knight
Working Title: “Doomsday”
Episode: 66
PROD. #60219
Original Airdate: October 18, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: June 6, 1986 (Friday)
Writers: Carlton Hollander and Dennis Rodriguez
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Guest Cast: Ron O’Neal (Charles Zurich), Robbie Rist (Nick), Dennis Pratt (Steven), Macon McCalman (Calvin Holmes), Barbara Townsend (Mrs. Swanson), Jeffrey Alan Chandler (Lloyd Swanson), Susan Blu (Mary), Will Gill Jr. (Security Officer), Brian Thompson (Kurt), Bob Coker (Ticket Agent), Pope Freeman (Captain Bill Rogers), Jack Starrett (Sheriff Amos)
Michael and Devon begin a frantic search for a hijacked plane containing many passengers—including Bonnie. The main hijacker, Charles Zurich, broadcasts his demands while Michael traces the signal to “Deep Sleep,” a military installation that contains a Doomsday device that can completely destroy the entire compound when activated.
Commentary:
A highlight from the fourth season, “Sky Knight” places one of the Foundation’s own in jeopardy and really shows how much Devon and Michael care about Bonnie. At this early point in the season, the series still appeared to have not lost much of its charm. Beginning with the next episode “Burial Ground,” the series starts to take a dive in terms of quality (with the exception of a few stand-out episodes such as “The Scent of Roses” and “Killer K.I.T.T.”). Patricia McPherson commented, “Robbie
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Rist was a great guy. Actually, he was just a few years younger than us but he looked more like a little kid. He was quite fun to work with.”
Notes:
The “missile-dodging” scene near the end is reused footage from
“Deadly Maneuvers” and “Knight Strike.”
Patricia McPherson on location shooting: “We filmed all over the Los Angeles area. We would drive hours sometimes to get to a location and sometimes spend the night if the drive was longer than two hours away.”
Trivia:
Listen to the announcements in the airport terminal at the beginning of the episode—one of the names mentioned is Robert Ewing, the fourth season producer. He’s also paged in the hotel lobby in the earlier episode “Knight Strike.”
The name of the pilot in this episode is Captain Bill Rogers—the same name used in another of Glen Larson’s series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
The plane originally disappears from radar after Zurich attaches a futuristic jamming device to the controls.
The “secrets” of the T-top convertible [Courtesy of George Barris] 260
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Burial Ground
Episode: 67
PROD. #60204
Original Airdate: October 25, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: June 13, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Michael Eric Stein
Director: Chuck Bail
Guest Cast: Robert Pine (Cyrus Oakes), Gina Gallego (Susan Christopher), Ron Soble (Dr. Thorne), George O. Petrie (Dr. Quentin Tanner), Michael Horse (Jonathan Eagle), Ivan Naranjo (Simpson), Ron Joseph (Thomas), Greg Finley (Chauffeur/Henchman), Signy Coleman (Barbara Ralston), Joshua Gallegos (Lucas), Frank Roach (Jim), Jerado Decordovier (Blue Feather), Lesa Weis (Lisa)
Michael’s vacation is once again interrupted by Devon, who informs him that Susan Christopher needs the Foundation’s help in order to stop Cyrus Oakes from gaining control of sacred Indian territory. Michael arrives at the reservation to investigate Oakes and protect the Indian territory from him.
Commentary:
Not a very exciting episode—the high point is the turbo boost after Thorne’s car and the cliff are blown apart. The long driving sequences become quite drawn out and the writers do not hit a high point until Michael brings K.I.T.T. to the semi for repair. So many other fourth season episodes utilize their guest stars better and the entire story of K.I.T.T. being an Indian God is another subplot that allows K.I.T.T. to explore his limited humanity.
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Highlights:
Michael jokes that in the Foundation manual, page 47, section C, it states that the semi driver should be behind the wheel in transit. Devon quickly advises RC III to return to his post.
Featured Songs:
“Country Road” by James Taylor
Quotes:
(Guard at Salon) “You can’t come in here. It’s private.”
(Michael) “Well, I’m already in. Throwing me out could prove hazardous to your health.”
Trivia:
Actor Robert Pine is best known for his work on the television series CHiPS.
The Wrong Crowd
Episode: 68
PROD. #60221
Original Airdate: November 1, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: May 9, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Gregory S. Dinallo
Director: Chuck Bail
Guest Cast: Mark Schneider (Scott Hollander), Gary Hershberger (Nicholas Arkett), Scott Valentine (Colton), Charles Fleischer (Hitchhiker), Julie Ronnie (Erika), William Joyce (Glen Arkett), Suzanne Rogers (Lydia Arkett), Kandace Kuehl (Ann Galloway), Ted Petersen (Pop Galloway), Nancy Omi (Ferret Technician)
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While searching the road for a shipment of vodka, Scott Hollander and his cohorts unknowingly hijack the Foundation semi. Unaware of its complete array of capabilities, young Nicholas Arkett tries to gain their acceptance by using the semi’s computer to reprogram a multi-million dollar prototype and sell it on the black market.
Commentary:
Here we see the one and only time that the F.L.A.G. Mobile Unit operates on autopilot after being mentioned in the previous episode “Burial Ground.” Patricia McPherson rides in K.I.T.T. with Michael—the last time they teamed up was to stop K.A.R.R. in season one’s “Trust Doesn’t Rust.” Both breathe a sigh of relief once the Ferret is destroyed. Notes:
As a welcome back gift, Michael, Devon, and Bonnie give RC III a Chicago Cubs jacket.
When RC III is pushed out of the cab of the semi, the back brace on the stuntman can be seen.
Quotes:
(Bonnie) “Now I know how Michael felt when K.I.T.T. was destroyed. It’s like part of me is missing.”
Trivia:
The Ferret vehicle was initially built for the television series Logan’s Run.
Knight Sting
Episode: 69
PROD. #60224
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Original Airdate: November 8, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: May 2, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Herman Miller
Director: Sidney Hayers
Guest Cast: Walter Gotell (Simon Carascas), Kabir Bedi (Vascone), Pepe Serna (Lupo), Beth Miller (Gaye Hollenbeck), Larry Storch (Pascal), Tom Rosqui (August Hollenbeck), Marc Tubert (Antoun), Anthony Peck (Jorge), Frank Ronzio (Franco), James Ingersoll (Dr. Gottlieb), Richard Epcar (Guard), Branscombe Richmond (Hitman)
Michael goes undercover as hit man Johnny Hajeck in order to stop a diplomatically immune man from leaving the country with a canister of deadly poison. To infiltrate the compound, the entire F.L.A.G. team goes undercover—Bonnie as the high class Alicia Craven-Hall, Devon as a newscaster and RC III as a car salesman. Using a super-cooled plastic, Bonnie disguises K.I.T.T. as a classic car in order to infiltrate Carascas’
e
state and find the canister.
Commentary:
A rather ordinary episode, however it is the only time where we see the entire F.L.A.G. family team up to stop a criminal. K.I.T.T. is disguised as a 1955 Lynx Imperial sports car, of which only two exist. Bonnie’s attention to detail is so good that she even includes a scratch the real car obtained while setting a land speed record.
Notes:
William Daniels on a unique overseas experience: “My wife and I were in Greece and we were staying at a small hotel. I went into the bar and was talking to the bartender, who happened to speak English. 264
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All of the sudden, someone entered the bar and started saying,
‘K.I.T.T.! It’s K.I.T.T.! You come north, K.I.T.T., everything is free for you!’ I couldn’t believe it.”
Highlights:
The scene where K.I.T.T. melts his plastic Lynx shell to the amazement of Vascone is a classic. After the changeover is finished, Michael startles Vascone in the garage, commenting, “What a mess.”
Trivia:
Kabir Bedi returns in the Team Knight Rider episode “The Blonde Woman.”
Carascas’ embassy can also be seen as the Helios estate in “Chariot of Gold” and as the home of Tanika in “Knight of the Rising Sun.”
In the movie Mr. Baseball, Tom Selleck can be seen watching the turbo boost scene from this episode in Japanese.
Many Happy Returns
Episode: 70
PROD. #60203
Original Airdate: November 15, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: June 20, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Michael Halperin
Director: Georg Fenady
Guest Cast: D.D. Howard (Amy Lowell), Nicholas Pryor (Vince), Arthur Batanides (Henry Quincy), Paul Brinegar (Chuck), Peter Mark Richman (Kleist), David Wells (Phil Miller)
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Michael is enjoying a well-deserved vacation to celebrate his birthday when he meets a young woman named Amy Lowell. She confesses that Devon had arranged their meeting and asks for his help to recover a stolen prototype hovercraft. Using a radio frequency to block transmissions to the hovercraft, Michael plans to catch the thieves when they return to Lowell Industries to steal the part needed to allow the hovercraft to work correctly.
Commentary:
This is the third time in season four that Michael’s vacation is cut short due to a Foundation case—it is apparent that each time this happens, Michael becomes more and more frustrated. Peter Mark Richman returns to the Knight Rider set after his stint in season two’s “Goliath Returns.”
