Back in 1982, NBC and series creator Glen A. Larson brought us the classic action series Knight Rider, which starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a crime fighter assisted by KITT, “an advanced, artificially intelligent, self-aware, and nearly indestructible car.” The show ran for four seasons and 90 episodes, and made such an impact on pop culture that it spawned multiple TV movies and attempts at revival series. Now, a five-part, five-hour documentary called Knight Rider: Declassified is heading our way! The opening and epilogue of the original show was recreated for the documentary, and today we’ve gotten our hands on a video that goes behind the scenes of that recreation. You can check it out in the embed above.
What is Knight Rider: Declassified?
This five-hour documentary features new, never-before-seen interviews with the cast, creators, and crew who brought the iconic series to life. From the creation of KITT to the untold realities behind the scenes and the legacy that followed, this is the most comprehensive look ever produced at one of television’s most enduring legends.
Copies are available exclusively through the official website, and are available for order right now. The team behind the documentary is aiming for a Christmas release.
The limited-edition set includes a 4K HDR disc, standard Blu-ray, and digital streaming access. Pre-orders for the limited edition with perks close August 2nd and there are a couple of pre-order tiers close to selling out.
The list of Knight Rider cast and crew interviewed for Knight Rider: Declassified includes David Hasselhoff, William Daniels, Steven E. de Souza, Don Peake, Gil Bettman, Bob Bralver, and many more. We’re told that the project is still continuing to grow, as they’ve recently secured additional interviews with cast and crew members who have never participated in a Knight Rider interview before.
Series opening recreated
The team behind Knight Rider: Declassified told us, “We’ve been working on this documentary for three years, and one of the highlights of the production was returning to El Mirage Dry Lakebed to recreate the iconic opening of Knight Rider. We recreated the opening sequence shot for shot in 8K using Sony Venice II cameras, later mastered for IMAX. Everything was shot entirely in camera, without the use of AI, as a practical exploration of how it was done back in August 1982. Lining up mountain ranges and iconic geography was a real challenge with both a car and camera on the move.
For the Season One epilogue of the show, we returned to Bob’s Gap and were amazed that it hadn’t changed a bit after more than 40 years. The same Joshua trees and fence posts were still there. We matched the original camera angles, direction, and even coordinates. A.J. Palmgren and Joe Huth, known as the Knight Rider Historians, were instrumental in that process. They are also caretakers of two of the five surviving screen-used cars. The car used to recreate the opening was a replica built by Joe and A.J. and is owned by Peri Fractic, who performed the driving.“
Rocco DeVilliers (Producer) said, “Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit Director Jack Gill was never happy with the wig he wore when driving the car during the production of the original opening. This time around, we were able to fix that. Some of this footage is shown in the trailer, and the full sequences will be featured in the documentary.“
Richard Grant Bennett (Producer) said, “Our goal with this deep dive was to peel back the curtain on the unsung heroes of Knight Rider – the crew who lived in the trenches to make the impossible happen on a weekly basis. Their dedication to the show that blew us away as kids was incredible.“
DeVilliers added, “Some of the stories are absolutely unbelievable, especially from the stunt team. We dive deep into what it took to create all the in-camera stunts for the show. As a fan myself, this project has been a total blast. I hope that spirit shines through for other fans when they go on this journey with us.“
DeVilliers also notes that, “Because we chose to present the recreated opening in a wider cinematic aspect ratio, we ultimately finished it with a warmer color palette than the original series. As one of the many bonus features included with the limited-edition set, fans will also have the opportunity to watch the recreated opening presented in the original purple toned color style from the classic series.“
Peri Fractic of Retro Recipes generously provided one of the most accurate KITT replicas ever built for the shoot.
Are you a fan of Knight Rider, and are you looking forward to Knight Rider: Declassified? Take a look at the behind the scenes video above, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
The team behind this documentary is also working on five-part deep dive documentaries on The Dukes of Hazzard and Back to the Future. Those feature interviews from cast and crew who have never spoken on camera about their experiences on these productions before – and we’ll have more information on them soon.
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