KITT, I Need Turbo Boost Now!

The high-profile failure of Bionic Woman hasn’t stopped NBC from rolling the dice on another revamp. After a February backdoor pilot for Knight Rider was a surprise ratings hit, there was widespread speculation that the show had earned a spot on NBC’s fall slate.

The network has confirmed its Knight Rider episodic order for the 2008-09 season. Though critically panned, viewers tuned in to see former soap star Justin Breuning and a cast of other Hollywood hot bodies burn up the road. They’re talking about a Friday night time slot, which would be a return to Rider’s 1980′s stomping grounds. With the economy in a slowdown and bad news coming in on the international front, NBC is trying to offer the escapism it thinks viewers will crave. The plot has changed precious little from the old days, even down to the family in question. Breuning plays the son of David Hasselhoff’s Michael Knight character. For a man who according to the show’s intro “does not exist,” Knight really got around.

NBC Photo: Virginia Sherwood