Cancelled: Knight Rider TV Show Done

05-08-09: Did anyone even notice that the weekly thriller featuring a Shelby GT-500KR that can morph into an F-150, Fusion or an aquarium was missing from the nightly schedule? NBC has indeed killed the show after only 17 heart stopping episodes, in the middle of the production season.

Yes, we will have to do without one more brain cell-depleting display of bad acting, vacant writing and B-Grade computer generated graphics.

The show’s only positive contribution was the great car. It looked good, sounded good and made the show borderline acceptable to leave on while you were sitting by on your laptop scrutinizing your E-Trade account. There were just enough exhaust notes dubbed in and just enough driving sequences to keep the channel from being turned to CSPAN or re-runs of Frasier.

The show’s cancellation means that we wont likely be seeing Michael Tracuer driving a new 2010 Shelby GT-500 this summer. That was something I was looking forward to. Ok, not really. But I will say that this show was an opportunity lost.

Imagine what could have been if this show was constructed around a more mature audience, a more realistic set of plot lines, and a writing staff that was older than 13. Imagine if it had been a show like 24 which grabs you by the aorta and keeps you planted for an hour each week.

Take the style and gravity of Jack Bauer, add in some relevant and believable plot lines and this could have been a winner. The car itself could have even lost some of its goofy features, fakery and downright lame morphs. Val Kilmer and his Nancy-Boy voice could have been left in the dust bin of washed up actors. Imagine sort of a modern day Rockford Files with a killer car, some awesome driving, and a modern set of bad guys (but without the orange contact lenses).

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda. NBC surely already has another hour of crap to replace it in the can and ready to go.

No surprise here....