New Knight Rider TV Series Given Go-Ahead

American network NBC have confirmed that their refreshed Knight Rider franchise will be returning to screens following the success of a two-hour pilot movie. For fans of the original or aguably watchable television in general, the news that this is no April's Fool will inevitably cause discomfort.

But strong premiere ratings and Silverman's demand for shows that allow viewers to 'mentally tune out' ultimately won out to the inevitable heckling online. "That's his directive, and I think you'll see that reflected in the programs," says NBC's Marc Graboff.

Beginning this fall, the series will showcase Ford's Shelby GT500KR as the Knight Industries Three Thousand (KITT), voiced by Val Kilmer, and see the return of pilot actor Justin Bruening as Michael Knight, incidentally the Hoff's illegitimate spouse. Whether there will be any future guest appearances by David Hasselhoff is as yet unknown but expect a suitable serving of cheese nonetheless.

The series is expected to make its debut Friday evenings in the Fall schedule but may be subject to change following the announcement of its rivals' network schedules in May. Knight Rider will support recent renewals such as ER, Chuck, Heroes, Life, The Office and My Name is Earl.