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.
''Knight Rider'' had a two-hour premiere on NBC, airing at 8PM on Sunday night. The show was put up against ''Dallas'', and would eventually move NBC out of third place in the network race. No other show had ever survived that time slot. The show eventually aired on Friday nights, and in December 1982 became the second-highest-rated show of its day; ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
The ...
'' was number 1.
The show was renewed for a second season during the filming of "Short Notice".
Season 1
The pilot episode featured
Larry Anderson as Michael Long. Anderson is replaced by Hasselhoff after Michael Long was shot in the Nevada desert. Hasselhoff's voice is dubbed over Anderson's for all of his lines. Anderson elected to remain uncredited in the episode.
[''Knight Rider Legacy'']
At the end of Season 1, lead actress
Patricia McPherson
Patricia McPherson is a former American actress and activist best known for her role in the 1980s TV series ''Knight Rider'' as Bonnie Barstow.
Early life
McPherson was born in Oak Harbor, Washington. She is the daughter of a naval officer. She ...
was fired from the show due to a falling out with producer Robert Foster, and her character was written out of the show. McPherson was replaced by
Rebecca Holden
Rebecca Holden is an American actress and singer.
Career
While continuing voice studies in New York City, Holden became a model best known as "the Breck Girl". She went on to model on magazine covers and to film national commercials such as ...
in the second season. Hasselhoff was reportedly angry about McPherson's firing, but was in no position to fight the network or the show's producers. Holden left the show at the end of season two, and McPherson returned for season 3.
David Hasselhoff's then-girlfriend,
Catherine Hickland, appeared in episode 19, "White Bird," as Michael Long's ex-fiancée Stevie Mason. Hickland also helped to write the episode.
At the end of season 1 during the studio wrap party, Hasselhoff celebrated Hickland's birthday. A cake was presented with a replica of K.I.T.T. sitting on top. Written in icing were the words "Look Under the Hood." An engagement ring had been placed under the hood, and Hasselhoff proposed.
Hickland later returned to the show twice, on season two's "Let it Be Me", and season four's "The Scent of Roses."
Cast
*
David Hasselhoff as
Michael Knight
*
William Daniels as the voice of
KITT
KITT or K.I.T.T. is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure franchise ''Knight Rider''. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared i ...
(Knight Industries Two Thousand) (uncredited)
*
Edward Mulhare as Devon Miles
*
Patricia McPherson
Patricia McPherson is a former American actress and activist best known for her role in the 1980s TV series ''Knight Rider'' as Bonnie Barstow.
Early life
McPherson was born in Oak Harbor, Washington. She is the daughter of a naval officer. She ...
as Dr. Bonnie Barstow
*
Richard Basehart as Wilton Knight, and the voiceover of Wilton Knight
Episodes
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight Rider episodes (season 1)
1982 American television seasons
1983 American television seasons
Knight Rider (1982 TV series) seasons