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‘truck driver-type’ of person, but we specifically rewrote the role for Duane. You can clearly see his range during the jail scenes in ‘The Magnificent T.K.R.’.”
The first member of the group, Kyle Stewart, was a former deep cover CIA operative whose field experience and know-how made him the perfect leader of TKR. Kyle was thrown out of the CIA when a Russian informant had a list that fingered him as a spy. With his cover blown, Kyle was approached for the team to pass on his vast expertise to the less experienced operatives. Kyle had an incredible sense of responsibility. His childhood affected his relationship with females, so he tries to keep his emotional distance as a commander by not getting into personal relationships. Consequently, Brixton Karnes, who played Kyle, had no preconceptions when he went in to audition for Team Knight Rider. “I went in and read some scenes. They liked what I was doing so they brought me back. GET READY TO RIDE •
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All of us went through five to six auditions for our roles through the ranks of Universal.”
Karnes offers that researching Team Knight Rider was pretty much limited to what was in the script. “You really can’t research a show like this one. My character’s back-story is that he’s a former member of the CIA and leader of the team. They’ve given me a little bit more meat on the back-story by giving me a father who was also in the CIA and was a turncoat, so Kyle feels a great responsibility for making up for what his father did. That’s it in a nutshell.”
Karnes also had the right background for the part. “I actually studied the CIA when I was in college, so that helped. I’m an athletic guy and I’ve always kept in shape and that really comes in handy on something like this. Knowing how to drive probably helped too.”
Karnes says that, “Rick and David were the creative genius’ behind the show and both have a love for what they do and it translated over to the set. They both brought a lot of joy and humor to the set and they cared about the show. They are both great to work for and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity.” Karnes offered some thoughts about the original series as well by saying that, “I have the impression that Michael Knight was much more easygoing than Kyle Stewart. They’re both serious about their missions, but I think Michael Knight would be more likely to be the life of the party.”
In TKR, Kyle drives a modified Ford Expedition named Dante. The name of the sport utility vehicle was originally Brutus and it was intended to reflect Kyle’s darker side. Dante observes the growing relationship between Kyle and fellow operative Jenny Andrews, and goes out of his way to make them both feel uncomfortable. “There’s a definite chemistry between Jenny and Kyle,” Karnes admits. “They both know there’s a job to do, but at times, they both notice each other in a non-professional way. Nothing had been established on the show in terms of that or any other relationship.”
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Jenny Andrews, played by Christine Steel, is a disciplined gymnast and martial arts expert as well as a tough ex-marine. Her character was originally supposed to be blonde and her family all enlisted to serve their country, including her father who was a General. Jenny keeps to herself instead of flaunting her beauty and her looks. Kyle sees through her tough act whenever she puts on her military marine personality. However, Jenny has a hidden agenda for joining the Foundation for Law and Government. Knowing she was adopted at an early age, she set out to finally answer the questions about her real family roots.
Her searches into the past continuously turned up one dead end after another. As the season progresses, it becomes clear that her father could have been a Knight Rider operative named Michael Knight.
Christine Steel talks about how she was hired by saying that, “I knew Rick [Copp] and he came in to train at the gym. He mentioned that I would be great for this role of Jenny Andrews on a show he was putting together. Personal training was great, but it was my side job. I auditioned five different times. He had a vision of seeing a tough little chick and that this could work on the series.”
Jenny’s car is named Domino, a sleek red Ford Mustang that loves to flirt and take risks. Steel jokes, “Of course, since I was the second in charge, I got the sexy, daring, Mustang convertible.” Domino is a gossip, which leads to conflicts with the other cars. Jenny and Domino bond as girl friends even though they have completely opposite personalities. Steel recalls, “The cars were so much fun. The Beast had a crush on me and was my big protector. Domino understood me and I understood her and we argued but we had a deep affection for one another.” It is a bit strange to see a car tell a woman she should act more feminine and to be open to a man’s interest. Jenny and Kyle try to hide their feelings for each other, but everyone (including the cars) can see they are passionately attracted to one another. Steel adds that, “The best times we had were when all five of us were together in the command room. That was the most fun and we could GET READY TO RIDE •
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crack on each other.” Karnes adds that, “When I watch the show, I like that there is humor involved and a friendly banter between myself and the team. We were superheroes that did not carry any guns.”
Duke Kelly (later to be renamed Duke DePalma), played by Duane Davis, is an ex-cop and a former small-time boxer as well as a heavy metal warrior with an unmatched expertise in weapons and surveillance. Duke could have made it as a boxer but did not want the links to organized crime. Not willing to take a dive in a match, he joined the Chicago police to clean up the mob. He went all out to set up the man who brought him down, however it cost him his job as a beat cop. F.L.A.G. noticed how unique Duke was, and gave him a second chance to make a difference. He is very reserved and likes to get right to the point.
Duke’s car is Attack Beast, a black Ford F-150 all-terrain vehicle. The Beast is stubborn and has a mind of its own. The car does not take orders from Duke and talks back to him with a humorous disrespect. Beast has a crush on Jenny and is always asking why he can’t be assigned to be her car. Beast is the only one who gets on Duke’s nerves but is loyal to him and would do anything to protect him.
The other female team member is Erica Starr (played by Kathy Trageser). Her last name was changed to West, and Starr became one of TKR’s main foes in the season. She is a beautiful, deceptive con woman with a mysterious past. Erica manipulates people into giving her what she wants and she loves the art of the game as well as the challenge of winning. The team is not even sure that Erica is her real name. She was originally part of the most successful husband and wife con teams of the day, stealing from corporations and wealthy individuals they found on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
After one of their cons went wrong and her husband was supposedly killed, the FBI managed to track Erica down as she made mistakes covering her tracks. F.L.A.G. stepped in and she agreed to work for the agency if all the charges against her disappeared. Copp and Goodman were willing to leave the door open for a possible return of her partner-in-crime 320
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who may not have died after all, but sold her out in exchange for his own freedom.
Erica is unpredictable but always comes through for the team in the end. Erica has no idea how she ended up with Kat as her vehicle. Kat and Plato can join together to form a hybrid vehicle. She is overly concerned with rules and regulations and has strong morals that often get in the way of what Erica wants to do. So how can Kat even be a small part of Erica’s character? It implies that Erica’s amoral traits are nothing but a cover, something that Copp and Goodman wanted to explore had season two been a reality. Erica and Kyle have trust issues and Erica knows that Kyle is uneasy about her role, fearing she will bolt or comprise the team or a mission.
Kevin “Trek” Sanders, played by Nick Wechsler, is the least ambitious of the group (who was conceived at a Star Trek convention in 1973). He is a child genius, and could easily not be on the team and invent something to make a fortune elsewhere. He works at his own pace, which often hinders a fast paced
mission. However, Trek will never admit that TKR actually poses a challenge to his incredibly resourceful mind. Copp recalls casting the role of Trek: “We must’ve seen every 18 and 19 year old in town. Nick walked in and he was all scraggily and he had nearly no experience. He tested for the part and we were amazed at how well he spoke the technical jargon required for the part. I brought the audition tapes home and my sister, who was visiting at the time, popped the tape in my bedroom VCR. When Nick came on the screen, she immediately jumped up and said ‘Him!’ I told the studio this story and they said to hire him. To this day, my sister takes credit for Nick’s career!”
Trek’s vehicle is Plato (originally named Newton), a high powered motorcycle that can be joined with Kat to form the combo car. Plato complements Trek perfectly and is consumed with facts, figures, data, and pop culture references.
Plato is the only one who can understand Trek and vice versa. Plato talks in phrases leaving Trek the task of translating his ramblings to the GET READY TO RIDE •
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rest of the team. Plato does not like talking to anyone else and the other cars rarely even attempt a conversation with him. Problems frequently arise when Trek is not around, leaving the other team members to decipher his code. The bikes, according to Goodman, were supposed to separate mechanically so that viewers could actually see the process. Goodman adds, “We were told that it would be too expensive, and Sterling Pacific came up with the ‘flash of light’ changeover.” Copp continues, “We knew we wanted a sports car, a monster truck, and an SUV. I personally thought that the first version of the combo car was horrendous.” Fortunately for Copp, the car was redesigned near season’s end.
Trek and Kyle get along great even though Kyle wishes he were more motivated. Trek does not project a great image to Jenny, who senses Trek’s trepidation around women. Trek and Erica are referred to as “the twins.”
They share the same vehicle but it is far from an accurate description. Although they openly question Kyle as to why they were put together, both learn something from each other in the end.
Ford and Mercedes both wanted their cars to be used in the new series, but Ford’s bid won out and Universal struck a deal with them. Copp and Goodman were given five of each car—the Expedition, the F-150, and the Mustang. Dante’s personality was very British so he could play off Kyle’s down-to-earth persona. Attack Beast was initially named simply Beast, but that name was already copyrighted to a Marvel Comics character, so they changed it (although the team calls him “Beast” as a nickname). Beast’s crush on Jenny was Rick Copp’s idea. The Mustang, Domino, was named after a James Bond girl in the movie Thunderball.
So why didn’t any of the cars turbo boost? Goodman explains, “It was part cost, part inexperience on our parts. Near the end of the season, we had started to add more elements of the original series. Looking back, we probably should have had the cars jump on occasion.” Marcus Miller, writer of “Et Tu Dante,” added that, “I wanted to jump the cars, and made myself very vocal about it. I asked them how much could it possibly cost 322
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to build a fiberglass shell and place it on some old car and jump it? I had actually written a scene in ‘Et Tu Dante’ where Domino was supposed to jump. I also wanted Domino to sprout wings from her undercarriage to achieve sustained flight.”
However, with a limited budget, Copp and Goodman spent the money on special effects with Sterling Pacific instead. Karnes adds that, “We have a great stunt team, but it’s pretty flexible when it comes to us doing our own stunts. There have been times when I’ve had to talk myself into doing certain stunts because I wanted to do them so badly. And there have been other times where I just looked at what the script was saying and I told the stunt people ‘You can do it.’” So was SkyOne real? Copp answers that,
“The plane was all computer graphics. There were no models built.”
Many fans also wondered why they did not use acronyms for the car names as in the original series. Copp answers by saying, “Since we were dealing with five cars, we didn’t want to confuse the viewers by making each car’s name stand for something else.”
Copp and Goodman also admit to attempting to bring back William Daniels to voice K.I.T.T., but his schedule and cost were prohibitive on the budget they were given. In the original TKR Bible, they had every intention of including Daniels. “The team member (Jenny) won’t recognize the voice, but the audience will: it’s K.I.T.T.” With Copp and Goodman at the helm, Team Knight Rider aired and urged us to take a ride. Both the season, and the ride, were just beginning.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS.
“This is not your father’s Knight Rider,” said Ned Nalle, Executive Vice President of Universal Television. “It will be smarter, hipper, with more complex story lines and more characters. Adults will find it smart and funny and kids will just find it plenty of fun.”
Team Knight Rider premiered the week of October 6, 1997 with the episode “Fallen Nation.” Right from the start, it was clear to see that TKR
was designed to take on the larger-than-life villains that threatened to destroy the world. Many viewers expected a two-hour series premiere that would also introduce the characters and each vehicle. Co-creator David Goodman explains: “Since we were in syndication, we weren’t sure what episode would air first. That’s why ‘Fallen Nation’ didn’t show the characters initial meeting—there would have been continuity problems if it aired later in the season.” The studio actually wanted “K.R.O.” to air first as a way of bridging the gap between the original series and Team Knight Rider.
Copp and Goodman also had to make a decision whether or not to include the 1991 reunion movie Knight Rider 2000 in Team Knight Rider. Goodman comments, “Universal said they wanted the new series to be set in the present day, not in the future like Knight Rider 2000 was. We decided to base the entire series on the events in the original series. Viewers saw that F.L.A.G. grew much bigger and more well known over the last ten years, and we felt that was the natural progression of things.”
The fourth episode to air was highly anticipated by fans of the original series. In “K.R.O.,” the team is called in to stop a renegade sports car from 323
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killing its creator. Writer Steven Kriozere recalls, “That was the first story I pitched to Copp and Goodman. Many of the characters in the episode were named after people in my real life. My family’s nickname is KRO, the character of James Marland was named after a man I used to caddy for (and if you’re reading this, Mr. Marland, you probably think I’m insane), and Martin Jantzen was an old high school friend of mine.” Steve wrote
“K.R.O.” to bridge the gap between Knight Rider and TKR. He also wrote the opening scenes (where the two pilots discuss the various actors who played James Bond) specifically for Copp and Goodman because he knew that they were avid James Bond fans and that opening hooked them immediately. K.R.O. was intended to be more like Goliath than K.A.R.R.—using brute force to achieve his goals. That’s why he did not turbo boost at all. They spent more money on ‘K.R.O.’ than any other episode.
That episode was originally planned to be quite different than what made it to air. K.R.O. was initially envisioned as a black Hummer. The shell was later changed to a Ferrari when the stunt coordinators revealed that the Hummer’s axle couldn’t withstand the abuse of the stunts required in the episode. Steven Kriozere adds, “During the opening scenes, when viewers see a blinking red light coming from inside the crate, I wanted that blinking red light to be a scanner just like K.I.T.T.’s.”
There’s a large division between the script writers and the production crew, so many things got changed during that time. Kyle and Jantzen were supposed to fight on top of K.R.O. in the liquid metal pit, but that was later changed to Kyle giving Jantzen a hand from outside the pit. “I liked that change,” recalls Steve, “it was very emotional. But sometimes things didn�
��t work out that well. I was very disappointed when the episode showed K.R.O. being damaged once he was pushed by Dante into the pit. K.R.O. was supposed to be indestructible. When he dented, it took you out of the moment.”
“SkyOne,” the eighth episode of the series to be aired, introduced a character named Clayton, the SkyOne chef, played by Rick Copp. He tells ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS •
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of the character’s conception: “The studio wanted some fun secondary characters to show that SkyOne housed more people than just the five team members. They saw me play a sidekick named Happy in The Adventures of Captain Zoom and told me to appear in the series! David wrote all my scenes, since I would probably make them very long!” Chef Clayton became the comic relief for most of the series, appearing in seven episodes.
The season brought us a traitor among the team, who turned out to be Dennis, the mechanic (played by Jim Fyfe). Copp and Goodman knew that they wanted a traitor aboard SkyOne, and Jim became the unlucky choice. Rick Copp describes his exit as “a victim of storytelling.” They featured two other mechanics after Dennis, but Copp thought he was the best one of them. One of those replacements was Gil, played by Vince Waldron. He is David Goodman’s good friend and was also the best man at David’s wedding.
