TRIVIA:

David Hasselhoff on White Bird: "I wanted [Knight Rider] to have a lot of heart, I said we've got to do shows that touch peoples' heart. And so we sat down with an idea that Michael had been engaged to be married and he sees this girl, and his mind just kind of flashes back into 'Oh my gosh, this is the woman,' but he can't tell her." Hasselhoff wanted his then-fiancee, actress Catherine Hickland (who was also involved in writing the story) to play Stevie. "It took me a long time to sell everybody on it, but I said, '[Catherine]'s an actress, and she's beautiful, let's do it.' It made for a really, really good episode at the time."

Guest star Catherine Hickland remembers White Bird, and how David Hasselhoff proposed to her: "I was playing a character named Stevie that I had written and created especially for this show. The last day of shooting also happened to be my birthday, February 11^th. And David [Hasselhoff] had a birthday party arranged for me at dinner break. There was a huge cake personalized, plus all the trimmings. He proposed to me in front of 125 people, crew, cast members, producer, director. The ring was hidden underneath the hood of a replica of the Kitt car on top of the cake. On the cake there was an engraving that said, 'open the hood.' So I opened the hood and underneath was this engagement ring. I was in complete shock. It took me about five minutes to reply to his question. Finally I blurted out, 'Absolutely!'" (From Soap Opera Digest, February 26, 1985).

White Bird is a strong episode that makes good use of Michael's secret identity. Elements of this episode turn up again in the third season's Knights of the Fast Lane; in that episode, Michael finds himself at odds with one of his former partners, who gradually recognises him as his alter ego.

Stevie returns in the second season episode Let It Be Me, and makes a final appearance in season four's The Scent of Roses.

This episode was rebroadcast during the show's second season on NBC.

SCRIPT TO SCREEN:

A lot of material from the shooting script never made it to air. Michael is unable to reach Devon upon learning of Stevie's arrest -- he's on a business trip to Quebec. Michael has to impress upon Bonnie to make it a Foundation project in Devon's absence.

A scene in which Michael and K.I.T.T. return to the Foundation retreat was also cut. K.I.T.T. wonders about love, and why the emotion that is normally associated with happiness is making Michael so sad.

Stevie's bail was set at $500,000.

SCRIPT - 4TH DRAFT - REV. 2/14/83

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FILMING LOCATIONS:

Law Offices:
4111 W Alameda Ave, Burbank, CA 91505

Stevie's Apartment:
4428 Moorpark Way, Los Angeles, CA 91602

F.L.A.G. Headquarters:
Arden Villa, 1145 Arden Road, Pasadena, CA 91125