KnightRider-related stories
Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:04PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Daytime, Reality-Free, TV Squad Ten

Did you know that double Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro acted in soap operas? It's true. Many of today's biggest stars honed their craft by doing New York soaps like
As the World Turns and
Another World. Before she was
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,
Sarah Michelle Gellar was Susan Lucci's daughter on
All My Children.
Hollywood soaps like
Days of Our Lives,
General Hospital, and
The Young and the Restless also produced stars.
Tom Selleck, for instance, was a
Y&R hunk before becoming
Magnum, P.I. There are a lot of current stars right now on hit shows who were daytime characters just a few years ago. After the jump, we count down the top ten primetime stars who started in soaps.
Continue reading TV Squad Ten: Primetime stars who started in soaps
Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:28AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Programming, The Office, Pickups and Renewals, 30 Rock, Reality-Free

Good news for fans of Thursday night comedy: NBC has renewed
both 30 Rock and The Office.
The Biggest Loser has also been renewed (and
Heroes is noted as 'very secure'), but the final verdict has not been reached for the low-rated
Lipstick Jungle,
Kath & Kim and
Knight Rider. In other news, the sky is blue.
Seriously, this should come as no surprise to anybody who watches either show, as they are both brilliant. NBC seems to be trying to make Thursday nights into "Must See TV" again. As someone who enjoys
The Office and is pretty much addicted to
30 Rock, I think they're succeeding.
At this stage, it is only known that the series is renewed, and not whether or not the shows will stay in their current time slots. I cover
Smallville on Thursday nights. If they move either series to the 8 PM hour on Thursday, then I have to make sure my video recorders are properly working.
Posted Jan 6th 2009 5:01PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Pickups and Renewals, Ratings, Reality-Free

It looks like NBC's new
Knight Rider is on its last turbo boost, and the show's executive producer claims NBC has no one to blame but themselves.
Mediaweek's Alan Frutkin
sat down with the show's executive producer Gary Scott Thompson to talk about the show's already troubled times before it hits the air again on Wednesday.
Thompson said the show has undergone some usual first season changes like differences in creative direction and story outlines, but the changes the network handed down cut far deeper to the bone.
Continue reading NBC tinkered too much with new Knight Rider - VIDEO
Posted Dec 20th 2008 3:11PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Cancellations, Reality-Free

NBC had planned to bring the popular BBC and BBC America car show
Top Gear to us yanks. Instead, NBC has decided to cut its brake cables in the middle of a brilliant power slide.
The official Top Gear blog announced that
NBC won't air their US version of the show as a mid-season replacement in 2009.
This means the show and their hosts, Adam Carolla, Eric Stromer and Tanner Foust, are up to grabs for the highest bidder like a drug dealer's impounded Cadillac Escalade at a municipal car auction.
Continue reading NBC kills Top Gear USA
Posted Dec 13th 2008 6:30PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Festivus, Heroes, Chuck, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Reality-Free, The Big Bang Theory
... Eleven babes worth watchin'
Oh sure, there may be
12 shows a stinkin', but there's still reason to tune in. See just like advertisers, show-runners and TV executives know that sex sells. And hot chicks sell. And hot chicks selling their sexuality sell like hotcakes ... or chicks ... I never can get that right. But just being hot and sexy isn't enough. To really sell it, they need to be as close to naked as legally allowed on the airwaves. We're talking "Oops, sorry to barge in on you standing there in your underwear bending over the bed pulling on your fishnet stockings. Nice rack."
Sometimes near-nudity, and even nudity, legitimately serves the plot. Let's face it, Anna Paquin had to bang that vampire on
True Blood so she was going to have to get naked. It's a necessity. But Yvonne Strahovski on
Chuck? Does she have to be in her underwear that often to protect the Intersect? Was it required by Simon Elder that Karen Darling be in her underwear in order to talk to him? Of course not. But it's hot and that's the way we like it. Hell, they made Catalina a stripper on
My Name is Earl.
Continue reading On the 11th day of Festivus, TV gave to me...
Posted Dec 12th 2008 11:25AM by Richard Keller
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Other Reality Shows, OpEd, American Idol, Music and Variety, Festivus, Reality-Free, Celebreality, America's Got Talent
... Twelve shows a stinkin'
That aroma tickling your nose is not one from an oven full of fresh gingerbread cookies. No, it's from a television full of burned-out ideas and gutted hulks of viewers who can't take the crap that is heaped upon them. That's because, more than ever, there is a lot of stink on the television landscape. Most of it is due to inordinate amounts of reality programming which has flooded the market. The rest is due to the lack of new ideas for an industry that is rapidly changing.
In order to start our annual Festivus countdown we have compiled a scientifically proven list of 12 shows just stinking up the flat screen. And, when I say 'scientifically proven' I mean I just asked a bunch of people off the street about shows they disliked. So, it's as accurate as it possibly can be. Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll have opinions, one way or another, on these shows and others not on the list. So, if you have your nose plugs, let's begin.
Continue reading On the 12th day of Festivus, TV gave to me... - VIDEOS
Posted Dec 4th 2008 10:27AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, Cancellations, Reality-Free

It's looking like yet another new series is going to quietly fade away. The new
Knight Rider show
has halted production in what is likely the beginning of the end for the sequel of the 80's series of the same name.
The number of shows ordered by NBC has been ordered has been lowered from 21 to 17. The creators probably won't even have time to change the scripts, so I predict the season (and likely series) finale will end on an awkward note.
Continue reading Knight Rider to ride into the night?
Posted Nov 25th 2008 1:59PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free

I'm sure at one point or another in every little kid's life, he or she has wanted to have a robot BFF. All the potential for wacky fun and scientific misadventures would make up for the inevitable human/binary language barrier, and, when I think about it, I still totally want a robot buddy. I mean, from my time on this Earth, of two things I am sure: Lists are fun and robots are awesome. So, despite the fact that my age numerically suggests I shouldn't be thinking about this sort of stuff, I am all over this list.
I should also note that, upon completion of this depressingly nerdy post, I am legally obligated to punch myself in the face for a solid fifteen minutes and then steal my own lunch money. Let's just get this over with, shall we? Here are the top eleven robot buddies from TV, in no particular order, because each robot is special in its own way. Also, I don't want any readers to kill me for not ranking to their liking.
Continue reading Top eleven robot buddies from TV - VIDEOS
Posted Oct 23rd 2008 8:28PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Industry, OpEd, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

Has anyone else noticed the lack of hair trigger cancellations thus far this season? We're a good month or more in now and only
Opportunity Knocks and
Do Not Disturb have had the plug pulled. And believe me those needed to happen. By now, though, your high quality shows that have underperformed like
Pushing Daisies usually would be doing just that ... pushing up daisies. But, for some reason, not this year. At least not yet.
Hell, ratings-challenged shows like
Knight Rider and
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are even getting full season pick-ups. And that's FOX giving
Sarah Connor a chance to find an audience! FOX!! I think what we're seeing is the continuing fallout from the Writer's Strike last year. Remember when the execs were talking about how they were going to rethink their approach to television, ordering fewer pilots and possibly even altering the landscape of television in regards to seasons and sweeps? Well, the fall season started up pretty much like it always has, but I do believe there are far fewer shows waiting in the wings to replace this season's failures.
Continue reading Did TV execs get kinder and gentler this year?
Posted Oct 21st 2008 12:01PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Pickups and Renewals, Reality-Free

Okay, the other day
I applauded Fox for giving
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles a pick up for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season. Even though the critics have been expecting more from the sci-fi series, Fox chose to stick with the show and give it a chance to evolve. Good for them!
That said, the news today that
NBC has given Knight Rider a full season order leaves me cold. That's an order for nine more episodes, and it strikes me as throwing good money after bad.
Knight Rider has been struggling in the ratings and generally
dissed by the critics. It hasn't earned a pick up to be perfectly frank.
So why would NBC give this remake of the 1980's action drama a vote of confidence? Well, it could be that it's considered one of NBC programming chief Ben Silverman's pet projects.
Continue reading NBC gives Knight Rider a full order
Posted Aug 25th 2008 12:22PM by Brett Love
Filed under: Sports, Programming, Commercials, Chuck, Life, Reality-Free

If you've been watching NBC's Olympic coverage, you must have seen all of the promotion they have been doing for their fall season. New shows
My Own Worst Enemy, Crusoe, Knight Rider, Kath & Kim, and
America's Toughest Jobs have all had plenty of play. As have the returning
Chuck and
Life. Given that the latest Olympiad is closing in on becoming
the most watched television event of all time, you might think those promo spots were pretty valuable.
Apparently, not so much. The Hollywood Reporter runs down the
record for the network promoting new shows during past games. In 2004, the Athens games led to one show,
Joey, making it beyond its first season. Likewise for the Sydney games in 2000, which brought us
Ed, and nothing else. Things were a little better in 1996 from Atlanta.
Profiler, The Pretender, and
Suddenly Susan all lasted another four years. Not a stellar track record and it leaves you thinking that those precious spots might have served the network better pitching more beer. It has the makings of a good poll though. After the jump, place your vote for the one new show that will make it out of season one.
Continue reading What are all those Olympic promos worth?
Posted Aug 5th 2008 1:20PM by Richard Keller
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Other Reality Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, Industry, Programming, Boston Legal, CSI, Desperate Housewives, ER, House, Law and Order, Rescue Me, The Shield, The Simpsons, Smallville, Grey's Anatomy, Family Guy, Entourage, Prison Break, My Name Is Earl, Bones, Supernatural, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, King of the Hill, The Office, Dancing With The Stars, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters, NCIS, Damages, Pushing Daisies, Chuck, Private Practice, Life, Dirty Sexy Money, Samantha Who?, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Lipstick Jungle, Eli Stone, Reality-Free, Gossip Girl
It's coming. The table is set, the players are on the field, the sails are raised, and the pretty maids are all in a row. Of course, I speak of the 2008-09 television schedule. In just a few short weeks viewers will be able to dine on a number of favorite and new dishes that are being served by the networks as well as the increasing number of cable channels who are delving into original programming.
While other fall seasons have come and gone with nary a whimper, this season may be different. Due to the prolonged Writers Strike many shows ended their seasons quite early. Programs like Life, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, and Heroes haven't aired original episodes since the end of 2007. Heck, there hasn't been a new episode of The Shield since June of last year! So, the beginning of the 2008-09 season will be a second chance for some of these shows, particularly the ones that premiered last season, to show their worth to fans and the networks.
Continue reading TV Squad presents the 2008-09 fall schedule
Posted Jul 22nd 2008 12:01PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Industry, TCA Press Tour, Life, Reality-Free

Just to be complete, I wanted to go over a few more tidbits from the NBC executive session with entertainment co-chiefs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff. We already know about
Leno copying Kimmel, and the late night news that came out of it, and we already know about
the non-spin-off and the actual spin-off for The Office. But what else did they talk about?
- Life will get two Monday night showings, starting on September 29 at 10 PM ET, which will allow them to premiere Christian Slater's My Own Worst Enemy on October 13, and run it straight through December. Silverman called having that show after Chuck and Heroes a kind of a "male Heroes sandwich."
Continue reading NBC executive session: Leno, Office spin-off, and infronts - TCA Report
Posted Jul 22nd 2008 11:26AM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, TCA Press Tour, Reality-Free

Imagine for a second that Comic Book Guy from
The Simpsons was hired to run a television show. Now imagine that the television show was a remake of an old favorite. Sounds like it would make for a pretty impatient press tour panelist, right? Well, that's what we got with Gary Scott Thompson, the new show-runner for
Knight Rider.
Thompson answered most of the questions on the panel, and his message to everyone was: remember that two-hour
KR movie that aired last year? Forget all about it. The characters may be the same but the story is completely different. What went on before probably won't matter for much. Even KITT is a little different.
Continue reading Forget the Knight Rider movie, say the series creators - TCA Report
Posted Jun 23rd 2008 5:28PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Reality-Free

Got $299 burning a hole in your pocket? Well you can use that cash to
buy yourself a Knight Rider GPS from Mio that uses the actual voice of the original KITT, William Daniels.
The unit also has oscillating red LEDs on either side that mimic the pattern of KITT's speaker-unit from the original series. I think David Hasselhoff is going to get a lot of these around Christmastime.
Continue reading Knight Rider GPS available with the original KITT's voice
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