Get ready this Sunday with an 10-episode shadowy flight of the phoenix known as “Knight Rider” with a marathon airing on cable network El Rey in honor of the Hoff’s birthday.
Born on July 17, 1952, David Hasselhoff was king of the road as Michael Knight, a former police officer who was presumed dead in the line of the duty. Brought back to life by billionaire Wilton Knight, he was reborn as the one man who can make a difference with the help of KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand), the world’s most fantastic talking car. Together, Michael and KITT became a hi-tech Lone Ranger and Tonto/Silver for a private organization called the Foundation for Law & Government (FLAG). Living in a dangerous world of criminals operating above and beyond the law, Michael Knight is a lone crusader for justice: a knight in shining armor – in black leather jacket – who champions the cause of the innocent, the helpless, and the powerless against the likes of those such as Garthe Knight (also played by the Hoff) and his 18-wheeler juggernaut known as Goliath.
The success of “Knight Rider” led the Hoff to become king of the beach as lifeguard Mitch Buchanan on “Baywatch,” where it lasted one season on NBC but was revived a year later thanks to syndication. With an estimate of over one billion viewers, “Baywatch” went on to become the world’s most-watched show, and now it’s set to make a splash on the big screen next summer with the Hoff appearing alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“Knight Rider” aired on NBC from 1982 to 1986: spawning 1991’s “Knight Rider 2000″ with the Hoff driving the Knight 4000 (KIFT). He reprise the role of Michael Knight for a cameo in the 2008 “Knight Rider” television movie that led to a short-lived series with Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur, who took on his father’s namesake and belief: that one man can make a difference.
That is what “Knight Rider” will always be about: one man can make a difference.