I actually liked KR2000: A comparison with two episodes

[FuzzieDice]

I just saw Deadly Maneuvers and the Knight Rider 2000 movie. By comparison, I don't think KITT's personality and tonal inflections were really all that different, just that he was more "human" and less "computer" but he still had some human traits even early on. I also got to like the red car a little. I guess as a kid, I didn't like it because it wasn't the black Trans-Am. But since I have a Pontiac 6000 named "Kitt", and soon we might have (hopefully) a new KR movie with hints of a "new car", I think I viewed KR2000 in a different way than when I did as a kid.

And I'm pretty sure, new car or not, that the new KR movie will rock, especially with David Hasselhoff and Glen Larson at the helm.

Only thing I don't like about it during this viewing was Devon's death and KITT not ending up with Michael for a partner.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the DVD set. I also wrote to Universal and told them this and that I hope for the other seasons to be released. I'm hoping they do because I'd love to have the whole set. I told them I'd buy them all so it'd give them insentive to make them all.

I also asked they consider putting the TKR on DVD (since I never really saw much of the series that I can remember, in fact, now that I think of it, I don't think I saw it, because it wasn't with KITT/Michael but my Dad saw it and didn't care for it).

[Lost Knight]

Well the thing with K.I.T.T. is, which some people seem to not have understood with their comments about him sounding too human, is that he grows mentally from season one to season four. He develops a personality by season four rather than sounding more like a by-the-book computer in season one. Michael and Devon's relationship also grows closer throughout the seasons, remember Devon used to treat Michael like a juvenile son? Michael and Bonnie's relationship grew closer as well. Everything throughout the course of the seasons ended up almost opposite the way it was in season one. As for K.I.T.T.'s voice not sounding tinny, yes I think this was something that was overlooked. He should have still sounded tinny. If he sounds tinny in the Knight 2000, he should definately sound tinny in that '57 Chevy. The Knight 4000 is a different story though.

I always wondered why K.I.T.T.'s name didn't change to K.I.F.T. when he was integrated into the Knight 4000. I've since realized that K.I.F.T. was the computer that had Maddock's voice, and is only the onboard computer for the Knight 4000, while K.I.T.T. is still himself after being integrated into the Knight 4000. The Knight 4000 with K.I.T.T.'s "series 2000 circuitry."

[CB2001]

Well, there is a reason why KITT was called KITT, though he was in KIFT's body. Remember what Devon called the car when he first introduced Michael to it? "Welcome aboard the Knight 2000". Technically, the car is the "Knight 2000", while the mircoprocessor is givin the designation "Knight Industries Two Thousand", which may refer to the hardware and processor style to go with the car. Seeing that Michael took KIFT out and place KITT in there, KITT was still KITT, but the car was the "Knight 4000". So, it's a two thousand hardware integration into a four thousand series body.

[FuzzieDice]

I agree there. KITT was actually what was in his memory and the program used for his AI. You could have even updated his actual microprocessor and have it run KITT's AI program and use the same old database and still have KITT. A microprocessor or "CPU" (Central Processing Unit) is merely a chip that processes instructions from a program and processes program code. (Yes, I'm rather geeky. ) But the AI program (ie. instructions sent to the processor on HOW to make the decisions) and the database (ie. his memory, as it were, and the sum of all his experiences and knowledge stored there) is the actual "KITT" AI personality. So technically, it won't matter what CPU or microprosessor is processing the instructions. Of course it would mater what OS he was running unless someone ported his program to another OS. But even at that, he'd still be KITT becuase the instruction s (if/then/else/decision instructions) and database would be the same. Hardware would only have some effect in processing speed, how fast he can "think" (ie. process the instructions from the AI program), and the type of random number generator (well, timer since in programming, most random number generators are seeded from the system timer or clock) but those are minute changes which would only improve performance and ability to "think" faster and come to more conclusions in a shorter period of time if it's an upgrade to a faster system. Heck, I could put KITT in any PC and still have KITT. Case in point: KITT in a TV set in Soul Survivor, KITT in that circuitry mess in the KR2000 Movie, KITT in KIFT's body. Hardware alone can't change an AI's programming and/or database and thus the AI's personality. At least not in a significant way that wouldn't be changed ordinarily over a different course of time.

So KITT could live on forever, if the program and database are kept backed up, and he could live in anything - car, PC, etc. That's all you'd need. If something happened to him in the field, you could just use his most recent backup to get him "back" again. He'd just have a bit of amnesia and have to adjust to the time lapse from when he was last backed up.

[Lost Knight]

Ironically, with the millions of dollars Maddock had the Knight Foundation invest into the Knight 4000, K.I.F.T. had no personality. I know K.I.T.T. had less of a personality in season one than he does in season four and KR2000, but even still he had a sense of humor and other human characteristics when he was first built. The old saying "they don't make 'em like they used to" really applies here. The series 2000 circuitry actually has advantages over the series 4000 circuitry. It's kind of like how most movies are today, better special effects, but lacking in overall quality compared to older movies, where just a few years ago it was vice-versa.

[March2875]

Watch 3rd season episode Knight in Disgrace and you will hear Willian Daniels voice 100% identical to his voice in KR2000

[FuzzieDice]

Lost Knight - I think you hit the nail on the head 100%.

March2875 - I'll just have to take your word for it as I don't have that episode. I only have the 1st season DVD. But from what I remember, KITT did have some of those "qualities" in the episode as I mentioned. He went through a few other changes too. That's why I didn't think he was too different in KR2000.

[Karl Siniak]

We know that KITT's voice sounded more tinny in Season 4 of Knight Rider, which was around 1986 I dont know exactly. But Michael left the foundation in 1990, therefore another 4 years approximately working with KITT, and judging by the amount of times he was upgraded from Season One to Four, I can safely say he would've been upgraded a few times after aswell, although we never know wot happened.

Any changes, like the more human sound of his voice, could've been the result of an upgrade on the original Knight 2000.

[FuzzieDice]

In KR2000, KITT loses his temper and in the movie he also mentioned an "emotion chip".

As for the "tinny" sound, at least in season 1, he sounded more like he was talking via a radio than through a tin can. It sounded to me more of a muffled hiss than a tinny sound.

[finalfadeout]

In the pilot, even in the same scenes, KITT's voice changes. In the part where Michael first meets him, among other scenes, his voice is quite raspy and distorted, and has a "warbling" effect that sounds similar to a rotating speaker (or Univibe). In fact, in the scene immediately after Michael escapes Comtron and he has a moment to talk candidly ("KITT...KITT you there?" "Where would I go"), his voice has that effect...but near the end of that same scene when KITT says "You can reach him on the microwave mobile line" (interesting, thats the exact description of a cell phone...in 1982!), his voice is clear again. Also, in the scenes where his voice is distorted, the voice modulator has a dim, backlit look to it, and you can basically see the concentration of light in the center from the light bulb behind it. In the scenes where his voice sounds clear like the rest of the series, the voice box has a flatter, more uniform look to it. These changes make me assume the difference has to do with the scenes filmed for the original plug to NBC.

[FuzzieDice]

Could be. I've noticed the voice changes in the pilot too. Also makes me wonder if they just used different microphones or were experimenting with different ways to portray KITT as a computer.

[Lost Knight]

If K.I.T.T.'s voice or personality in Knight Rider 2000 doesn't seem like he is quite the same as he was at the end of season four, we can just argue that his personality grew further from '86-'90. Possibly got more upgrades to sound less tinny during that time as well (though I think his sound should depend on the car's speakers).

K.I.T.T.'s voice modulator does change throughout scenes, the one you're talking about with the backlit bulb is the one that also says "Knight 2000" on it. The "Auto Cruise, Normal Cruise, and Pursuit" lights are also very slightly different too. Then there's another version that is more clean looking and sounds different. These are 2 reasons, I don't know which is which but the producers had a separate dashboard built on a sound stage for close-ups, as well as having one in the "hero car" (term the cast used for the show car). Or, they had 2 dashboards in 2 different cars and filmes some scenes in one and others in the other.

Have you also noticed that after the pilot I think in some season one episodes but definately some season 2, the Pursuit button is sometimes lavender and is other times red? It's the same reasons for those changes in that case too I think.