Dreamcast18
11-11-2008, 12:05 AM
Knight Rider" changes gears, ejects stars
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – KITT is getting a tune-up. NBC's struggling freshman drama "Knight Rider" is undergoing a major retooling, bringing it closer to the original 1980s series. Among the changes, the options of three regulars on the show -- Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison -- were not picked up beyond the initial 13-episode order.
"It's a reboot," "Knight" executive producer/showrunner Gary Scott Thompson said. "We're moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen."
Such a change would make "Knight" a better fit into NBC's newly rebranded crime drama Wednesday lineup alongside "Life" and "Law & Order."
The revamped "Knight" will kick off with the two-part Episodes 10-11. NBC is planning a major push, including possibly airing Episode 10 on Sunday after an NFL football game in January, with the conclusion airing the following Wednesday.
The series has been struggling in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot, dropping last week to a season-low 5.1 million viewers.
The retooling had been put in motion long before the full-season order for "Knight" three weeks ago. The series is now filming Episode 15.
There are no immediate plans to add new regulars to the show, which will focus on the five remaining characters: Mike (Justin Bruening), Sarah (Deanna Russo), Billy (Paul Campbell), Zoe (Smith Cho) and KITT. The producers also are looking to do stunt guest castings.
http://dube.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/new-kitt-knight-rider.jpg
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081110/tv_nm/us_knight_1
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – KITT is getting a tune-up. NBC's struggling freshman drama "Knight Rider" is undergoing a major retooling, bringing it closer to the original 1980s series. Among the changes, the options of three regulars on the show -- Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison -- were not picked up beyond the initial 13-episode order.
"It's a reboot," "Knight" executive producer/showrunner Gary Scott Thompson said. "We're moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen."
Such a change would make "Knight" a better fit into NBC's newly rebranded crime drama Wednesday lineup alongside "Life" and "Law & Order."
The revamped "Knight" will kick off with the two-part Episodes 10-11. NBC is planning a major push, including possibly airing Episode 10 on Sunday after an NFL football game in January, with the conclusion airing the following Wednesday.
The series has been struggling in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot, dropping last week to a season-low 5.1 million viewers.
The retooling had been put in motion long before the full-season order for "Knight" three weeks ago. The series is now filming Episode 15.
There are no immediate plans to add new regulars to the show, which will focus on the five remaining characters: Mike (Justin Bruening), Sarah (Deanna Russo), Billy (Paul Campbell), Zoe (Smith Cho) and KITT. The producers also are looking to do stunt guest castings.
http://dube.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/new-kitt-knight-rider.jpg
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081110/tv_nm/us_knight_1