A Misfit of Science thinks Nathan Fillion should be the new Knight Rider - Cast&Crew

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April 06 2008

A Misfit of Science thinks Nathan Fillion should be the new Knight Rider. Andy Grieser, a columnist for Zap2It.com, thinks a revival of "Knight Rider" could work if Nathan was behind the wheel instead of likely lead Justin Bruening. That may work if the producers decided the new driver should be Michael Knight's cousin, not his son.

Other ideas, however, may be interesting: Lisa Weil, ex-Paris on Gilmore Girls could be a better Sarah than Deanna Russo, Michael Clarke Duncan could be KITT's voice (anything's better than Val Kilmer), and Eliza Dushku could be their FBI agent ally. Thing is, Eliza may be too busy with another show for that to happen.

impalergeneral | Cast&Crew | 21:42 CET | 39 comments total | tags: nathan, fillion, knight, rider, firefly, serenity

"Let's face it, Dollhouse will be lucky to last an entire season"

Yeah they lost me after I read that. How can you take anything else in there serious after that comment? *sigh*

SenseiJJ | April 06, 21:51 CET

"Let's face it, Dollhouse will be lucky to last an entire season"

Yeah they lost me after I read that. How can you take anything else in there serious after that comment? *sigh*

Well, it's not exactly unprecedented... *also sigh*

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner | April 06, 22:05 CET

Sensei, I would take it seriously because it's, sadly, true. This is FOX we're dealing with...

MikeJer | April 06, 22:09 CET

I really don't think so.

Madhatter | April 06, 23:11 CET

I'd amend that to say "This is network TV we're dealing with." As others have said repeatedly, this is not the same FOX that may have done bad things to people's favorites in the past - new staff members, new deal. However, it will be the same network TV pressures for audiences etc. which is what really drives cancellations.

SoddingNancyTribe | April 06, 23:12 CET

Grieser apparently doesn't want the new Knight Rider to fail because of bad casting...which some people say sank the Bionic Woman revival. Aside from him suggesting Nathan and Eliza should be in it, he's got some good ideas. But I'm guessing the TV show will be just like the backdoor pilot. Still, anyone got Lisa or Michael's number?

impalergeneral | April 06, 23:13 CET

I wouldn't wish Knight Rider on anyone.

Simon | April 07, 00:00 CET

They lost me even earlier -- with this gem:

"Exotic lipstick lesbian FBI agent. It's like the character was written for us!"

Aside--wouldn't everything be better with Nathan Fillion?

Swiftly | April 07, 00:19 CET

Aside--wouldn't everything be better with Nathan Fillion?

Nathan Fillion is... Queen Victoria!

Nathan Fillion is... Malcolm X!

Yeah, not everything would be better, I don't think.

The One True b!X | April 07, 00:23 CET

I think last official word put it at "Nathan Fillion improves everything he is in by 27%" although that number may be approximate :)

Furball | April 07, 00:26 CET

Hey, if Cate Blanchett can play Bob Dylan, I'm willing to give Nathan as Queen Victoria a shot.

Swiftly | April 07, 00:32 CET

Funnily enough, couple of years back I was playing a fantasy-pitch game on another forum, and who should I cast as the lead for my Knight Rider pitch? Sir Nathan Fillion.

'Course, I'd pictured my version as a Battlestar Galactica-esque dark sci-fi drama with a proper criminal underworld, moral implications, and artificial intelligence that could learn and develop to kill us all. Cheery!

VaughnOfTheDead | April 07, 00:57 CET

I'd pictured Knight Rider with, like, a plot.

I'm with Simon. I wouldn't wish this version on anybody. I mean, it opens with a hinted at threesome. Because, well... Actually, there's no reason at all. We just wanted to get the 13 year olds watching.

gossi | April 07, 01:24 CET

Yeah, not overly fond of Knight Rider, though I would love to have one of those cars.

Then again, I'm bitter over many remake-type things, including Wonder Woman (for obvious reasons), and Daredevil--because it sucked.
I'm still grumpy they didn't cast Willem Defoe as Rorschach in the Watchmen movie.
Don't even get me started on the Dukes of Hazzard remake.

...Nathan Fillion as Oddball in another M*A*S*H!
...Nathan Fillion as the Fiddler on the Roof
...Nathan Fillion as Cesar Chavez.

ETA: Honestly, I think Nathan could pull off Queen Victoria: he does, after all, move very gracefully when he wants to.
Did she ever wear pretty floral bonnets? That could be the deal maker.

[ edited by BandofBuggered on 2008-04-06 23:13 ]

BandofBuggered | April 07, 01:52 CET

"Nathan as Queen Victoria" ...might have been my best laugh today. Thanks.

sporter | April 07, 01:56 CET

BandofBuggered wrote:

Honestly, I think Nathan could pull off Queen Victoria: he does, after all, move very gracefully when he wants to.
Did she ever wear pretty floral bonnets? That could be the deal maker.

And don't forget that a guy who looks like Nathan would like to be king of all Londinium and wear a shiny hat. Plus, Nathan's from Edmonton, capital of Alberta. That's right next door to Saskatchewan, capital: Regina (queen). He was born for the part (or at least born within 750 km).

Ying | April 07, 02:35 CET

I watched the pilot for Knight Rider and (BUY A FORD!) thought it was okay apart from (BUY A FORD!) a few lame plot points that (WELL? BOUGHT A FORD YET?) really let it down.

zz9 | April 07, 02:45 CET

a few lame plot points

Like the plot point that started at the beginning and ended two hours later.

The One True b!X | April 07, 02:47 CET

*rimshot, b!x
Did Knight Rider ever have a discernible plot? Wasn't it just the 'Hoff and his car that was way cooler than him?

Now, whenever I think Knight Rider, I think of the Robot Chicken sketch that made fun of it. Or the MythBusters episode where they tested the whole driving-the-car-into-the-truck thing.

zz9, I'm waiting for the Camaro to make its comeback in '09. It's going to be a college grad present: to me, from me. 'Twill be sparkly yellow.

BandofBuggered | April 07, 02:53 CET

I can't wait for the excuses when this show fails horribly. I refuse to underestimate the viewing public when it comes to this show. I have (however misguided and stupid) faith that the American viewing public really isn't this stupid.

Please prove me right, America. Don't let me down again.

IrrationaliTV | April 07, 03:15 CET

I stand corrected Bix. Like the scientist chased by baddies in his old house in the middle of the woods decides to just run wildly into the night instead of getting into the bullet proof car he has in the garage, for example.

BandOf Buggered, but will it talk?

zz9 | April 07, 03:22 CET

I'll probably be giving Knight Rider a chance, actually, unless it's on opposite a more important show. For instance, I will probably be offering cash incentives in my law school for people to watch "Dollhouse" :)

But I thought the car alone was cool enough to sustain the otherwise plotless TV movie.

The idea of Nathan in "Knight Rider" reminds me -- wasn't that sequence of him tailwhipping the Dodge Charger out onto the road in "Drive", him looking all badass, his partner lookin' all impressed, and then the thing just clunking out about the most wonderful thing ever on TV? I love that moment. "Drive" ruled. I liked the new model better than the classic, actually (for the story, not in general -- less conspicuous?).

Sigh... that's all the idea of Nathan in "Knight Rider" does, is make me miss "Drive".

KingofCretins | April 07, 03:49 CET

Oy. Lost *me* at "wooden dialogue." Why wish that on Nathan? In my personal experience it's as painful to deliver the stuff as it is to listen to it. You just want to go home and open a few veins. Or not even waste the time to go home. Spare him, ye dear and fluffy lords of television!
As for playing the ladies, Nathan would IMHO make a fine Victoria Regina. Or perhaps Miss Kitty in "Gunsmoke." And others in that line but not so much the Buffy or River or Cameron kind of role, no matter how fine he thinks his legs may be.
Peace, pie and kittens to you all.

FloralBonnet | April 07, 04:40 CET

The Knight Rider pilot is one of the worst things I've seen in recent memory. I will not try to describe the badness as it still haunts me in my dreams.

That said, it would have been a perfect concept for Nathan, because he's a charismatic, funny, good-looking leading man. He could really lead a show like that (or a movie!).

But not the new Knight Rider, please.

dispatch | April 07, 05:04 CET

Ugh. I wasn't that big a fan of the original KR but I watched it most weeks, and I couldn't even finish the movie -- after 10 minutes I just fast-forwarded to the end, checked to see if it was still lame, and forgot it. The lead needs to be a heck of a lot more confident in his hotness to pull this role off and Bruening isn't even good-looking IMO. Nathan would rock that role, especially if they dug up an actual writer somewhere. And they definitely need a new voice for KITT.

cabri | April 07, 05:33 CET

You could synthesize two questionable casts to make one solid one, and cast post-Bionic Woman Miguel Ferrer as KITT.

KingofCretins | April 07, 06:39 CET

I agree with Simon - wouldn't wish a show like that on anyone. Well, maybe Perry King (you can thank me later, Jimmy).

Drive(ing) has not turned out well for Nathan in the past.

I always loved Tales of the Gold Monkey and there's an actor who'd be great reprising the Stephen Collins role, you get Ian McShane for the Roddy McDowall role and you've GOT something ...

Tonya J | April 07, 06:54 CET

Joining the "I wouldn't wish this show on anyone" chorus. Not even Nathan could save this disaster.

Shey | April 07, 08:16 CET

I need to make a more thoughtful comment.

[ edited by dreamlogic on 2008-04-07 10:01 ]

dreamlogic | April 07, 12:32 CET

What I always remember about the original Knight Rider was the fact that, every time he pressed the "Turbo Boost" button, you know the one which fired the rockets underneath the car and caused it to do spectacular jumps, well, every single time he pressed that button a mysterious bush or shrub would appear right in front of the car. Disguise ramp much? Every single time...

Come on, how stupid did they think we were.

Furball | April 07, 14:33 CET

Err, yeah, but the thing is, how else were they going to hide the ramp (before digitally painting stuff out was possible) ? I doubt they really thought they were fooling anyone, any more than the creators thought we couldn't tell the General Lee was basically wrecked every time the Duke boys did a jump, it's just one of those "suspension of disbelief" things.

Back then, no-matter how good your effects-fu, the real world would impinge (especially on a TV budget).

I'm in the "wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy" camp since the pilot was pretty dire IMO but Nathan would definitely make it less unwatchable (not actually watchable - even the Cap has his limits - just closer to being so).

Saje | April 07, 15:08 CET

Yeah, I know, I suspended my disbelief as much as I could, but the bush/ramp thing always broke the deal for me. I guess I was hard to please back then. Or maybe I didn't like the show enough to see past it. I never had any problems with the A Team. Every time the villains locked theose guys in an abandoned factory/warehouse/store cupboard with a big heap of tools and a welding torch, I cheered, knowing a homemade tank was a mere montage away.

Furball | April 07, 15:17 CET

But a tank that fired melons or something. Happy days ;).

Yeah, it's a fair point, everyone has their line. I could live with 'Knightrider' (it wasn't always a "bush" BTW, sometimes there'd be a road-repair crew that left a convenient pile of "dirt" ;) but a lot of the stuff from 'Streethawk' for instance had even kid me thinking it was pretty silly (and 'Airwolf' with Vincent/Borgnine was mostly OK, after they left it got pretty daft though).

Saje | April 07, 15:36 CET

Saje said

But a tank that fired melons or something. Happy days.

Just got a scary visual of a homemade A Team tank firing the Fonz at the bad guys.

Furball | April 07, 15:58 CET

Whoa there, that seems a bit like going nuclear.

He could use his cool to freeze the baddies though and if BA's van ever broke down he'd just give it a "cool thump" and hey presto and I bet some Fonz Wisdom (TM) would show Murdock just how silly he's being with the whole "horrific post traumatic stress" thing, so in many ways he'd be the perfect addition to the team.

In fact, i'll be amazed if the next season of '24' doesn't revolve around an Al Quaeda plot to clone The Fonz and use him for evil.

Saje | April 07, 16:30 CET

Nathan Fillion is... Queen Victoria!

Another dream crushed.

My favorite Knight Rider tribute.

Sunfire | April 07, 18:02 CET

An easy way to date any episode of Knight Rider:

Kitt crashes through a brick wall, it's season 1.
Kitt crashes through some cardboard boxes or maybe a fence, season 2.
Kitt swerves to avoid a dropped candybar wrapper, season 3.

You could see the budget falling week by week.

zz9 | April 07, 19:54 CET

Oh I hope Nathan doesn't go near this with a 10 foot poll. The same writers/producing team as the movie will spell disaster with this show. The writing was terrible. The acting was terrible.

This show will be a sure fire bomb.

DarenG | April 07, 21:06 CET

Kitt swerves to avoid a dropped candybar wrapper, season 3.

That was my best laugh today! Thank you, zz9!

JohannaHunnie | April 07, 22:45 CET

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