andPOP » KITT

KITT ‘Theft’ Turns Out To Be Promotional Stunt

Eva Lam — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:19:42 +0000

KITT is safe and sound, after all.

As previously reported, a promotional event for the new “Knight Rider” series took an odd turn Friday when a man ran out of the crowd at Toronto’s Union Station, where the Mustang GT500KR was on display, jumped into the idling vehicle and roared off.

Now, the network behind the new show has revealed that the “theft” was actually part of a “unique viewer engagement promotion” giving fans a chance to win a new Ford Mustang.

“Last Friday, the final day of KITT’s celebrity tour, crowds of Knight Rider enthusiasts were left stunned when a man ran out of the crowd, dove into KITT and screeched off,” E! said in a statement Tuesday.

“Intense speculation spread across news outlets and viral communities promoted by links to YouTube with audience cell phone footage of the ‘KITTnapping’ action. And now E! is looking for help to find KITT.”

The contest calls for participants to post where KITT has been spotted at eonline.com and watch E! for updated daily KITT sightings.

Fans have the chance to win a Mustang GT Coupe or a number of limited edition Mio Knight Rider GPS units.

“Knight Rider,” a revival of the ’80s series starring David Hasselhoff, premieres Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. on NBC and E!

‘Knight Rider’ Car Stolen In Toronto

Eva Lam — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:08:32 +0000

A KITT car was apparently stolen during a free public event in Toronto Friday.

The vehicle, which had been on display around Toronto this week to promote the launch of the new “Knight Rider” series, was nabbed in front of Union Station.

A member of local electro/hip-hop group The Royal Society was at the event and saw the whole thing go down.

“My bandmate was in line to take a picture with Kit from Knight Rider that was coming off a flatbed truck,” says band member Nikki Awesome. “And the girl driving it onto a platform got out of the car, left the keys in it, engine running… all of a sudden this tall white dude in a leather jacket (NOT David hasselhoff!!) drops his coffee and BOLTS into the car and takes off! This just happened like ten minutes ago!!! KIT WAS JACKED!!!”

Check out the entire account of the theft and photos on The Royal Society’s blog here.

A YouTube video of the theft can also be found here.

There is still speculation whether the “car-jacking” was actually a publicity stunt. According to bizbash.com, a Canwest employee confirmed the auto theft in an email, but a Toronto police officer could not confirm the car had been stolen.

Will Arnett Is New Voice Of KITT

Eva Lam — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:20:20 +0000

Canadian comic actor Will Arnett will be the voice of KITT, a smooth-talking, artificially intelligent sports car, in the upcoming TV movie remake of “Knight Rider.”

Arnett, best known for his role as goofy big brother G.O.B. in “Arrested Development,” will take over the role originally voiced in the 1980s cult TV series by William Daniels.

It is the latest role for the Toronto-born actor, who recently appeared in “Blades of Glory” and TV’s “30 Rock” but has also developed a second career as a voice actor for animated shows, network promotions, movie trailers and advertisements.

The producers behind the “Knight Rider” remake also announced they have changed KITT from a souped-up Pontiac Trans Am to a high-tech Ford Mustang Shelby.

Besides Arnett, the two-hour TV movie will star Justin Bruening (”All My Children”) as the son of Michael Knight. The elder Knight was played in the original series by David Hasselhoff, who is slated to make a cameo in the TV movie.

The “Knight Rider” remake is set to air on NBC in mid-February, with the possibility of a series spin-off if successful.

The original “Knight Rider” ran from 1982 to 1986 and was conceived as “The Lone Ranger with a car,” according to creator Glen A. Larson. It starred Hasselhoff as Knight, a crime-fighter who finds a unique sidekick in KITT, an acronym for Knight Industries Two Thousand.

Besides dispensing sarcastic one-liners, KITT’s many abilities included jumping across rivers, reaching speeds of 300 mph and driving through fire. The high-tech car also possessed a flame-thrower, tear gas launcher and a front-mounted scar bar which allowed it to “see.”