Knight Rider

Name: Knight Rider
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Crime
Released: 1982-09-26
Cast: David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, William Daniels, Patricia McPherson, Peter Parros

1982 | 4 seasons | 48 min | Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Crime

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It held a wide audience for several seasons and it's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had just 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for crime fans, sci-fi fans and action fans. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
The mood: Gritty.
The pace: 4 seasons: a few months of evenings, episodes of about 48 minutes, about 67 hours in all.
What might put you off: Critics were cooler on it than audiences.

Michael Long, an undercover police officer, is shot while investigating a case and left for dead by his assailants. He is rescued by Wilton Knight, a wealthy, dying millionaire and inventor who arranges life-saving surgery, including a new face and a new identity--that of Michael Knight. Michael is then given a special computerized and indestructible car called the Knight Industries Two Thousand (nicknamed KITT), and a mission: apprehend criminals who are beyond the reach of the law. The series depicts Michael's exploits as he and KITT battle the forces of evil on behalf of the Foundation for Law and Government.

How it earned its rating

CriticsWeak
33% on Rotten Tomatoes
AudiencesSolid
7.5 out of 10
AwardsNot counted
Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted
Reach & staying powerStrong
Ran for 4 seasons and reached a solid audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 319K people sought it out in the past year