The comments of Gary Scott Thompson, the new Executive Producer of Knight Rider, have impressed me. We’ve heard a lot of talk before about new producers inheriting classic properties with the intention of updating them, of reinventing them for the modern audience, and claiming that they’re fans of the original. I’m keeping an open mind, but I’m really hoping that Thompson wasn’t coached about his references to the original series.

He seemed to have a real understanding of what the original Knight Rider was. He referred to it as a modern Lone Ranger (instead of the more popular “American James Bond”). He recalled the Michael Long backstory. He teased us with plans to bring back the Turbo Boost, and to make this Knight Rider fast again.

One of the more interesting tidbits of info are the plans to introduce a “K.I.T.T.-Cave” — a top secret lab where K.I.T.T. is upgraded, repaired, and — ahem — kitted-out for his missions. This brings back memories of Airwolf (the 1980s Knight Rider clone), but its roots go back to Batman, Zorro and… The Lone Ranger, which all share the same literary heritage. So, new Knight Rider sounds like it’s going back to its roots, perhaps more so than any incarnation since the original show’s third season, after which it lost its way.

It sounds like it’s heading in the right direction.

Thompson has a proven history with action-adventure and cars (see The Fast & The Furious) which makes him a good fit for this show, and he certainly talks a good game. I really hope he delivers when Knight Rider returns in September!