Why KNIGHT RIDER Was Canceled - The Shocking Truth Behind It 

God this was my childhood I’m an 80s baby . I was obsessed with Knight Rider .

They butted heads a few times. Usually ending with this dialog "KITT..." "Yes Michael, I know..." "Shut up."

This show was epic , so was Airwolf , A Team , and MacGyver , it's it surprising the 80's show are never ever forgotten and talked about until today , while new stuff don't last

Season 4 is what killed Knight Rider.

4 seasons seems to be the shelf life of a TV show. Its a shame the creators don't look far enough ahead to give our heroes a good send off.

100% right. The Scent of Roses would have been a perfect season finale. It was definitely written as one.

I live in Brazil and the last season aired in ‘87. And The Scent of Roses was actually shown as the series finale. Later on, the series was shown on the late USA cable channel, and, again TSoR was exhibited as the last episode. This makes me believe that for distribution abroad, the episode was actually numbered as the final one. Maybe someone from other countries can verify that too.

Strange how they had a great partnership when Hasslehoff never actually Spoke to William Daniels at all in the first season heh heh.

I was born in '76 I'm 48 and remember knight Rider even the A Team, Hunter, Benson, Bosum Buddies.

Omg i remember seeing this tv show alot back then so many good memories as a kid also the Spanish name of Knight Rider was El Auto Fantástico

I watched this video for “the shocking truth,” but got to the end without feeling the slightest bit shocked. Did I sleep through “the shocking truth” bit?

bro, i grew up watching this show, along with a team and dukes of hazard. because of this show, and those like it, i grew up loving cars. dropped a sub just because

I always watch the episode "The Scent of Roses" as the series finale. Honestly, its not just ratings that killed the show, it was also the young target audience getting older and growing out of the basic premise of a talking supercar.

Pontiac probably missed this series more than anyone, I bet it was single handedly the reason a majority of Firebirds were bought during that time. Funny thing is, that version of the Trans-Am was a horrible car. The real car was seriously underpowered.

One of the 2 actors who voiced K.A.R.R (and yes i do mean K.A R.R.,not K.I.T.T.) is none other than Peter Optimus prime Cullen and he would later reprise the role in 1 of the later remakes

Joe of Knight Rider Historians, said It was cancelled because of high production cost . Every episode Had a 1.3-1.5 million dollar budget

Given a new identity... because he got shot in the face.

The main reason the last season failed was the technical improvement of KITT. There was the season change two-parter that introduced Peter Parros, who rebuilt KITT and outfitted him with some transformer like spoilers and shit for a "super-speed mode" (although KITT was super-speed before already). The transformation sequence and the new car bodies were, I guess, so expensive that they HAD to be used. At least every other episode. Which meant that every other episode had to have a climax where Michael and KITT had to be on the other side of the city and rush over to help. The already slim selection of possible plots was reduced massively by that. The show could have run easily two or three seasons longer, I felt, if they hadn't pushed themselves into this one-trick-pony-story corner. So instead of six or seven plots done in cycles the show reduced itself to just two possible plots, and THAT's what tired even fans out who stopped watching. In German, we have the word "verschlimmbessern" -- meaning trying to improve, but doing it wrong and making it worse instead. The same thing happened to "Wild Wild West" or "The A-Team": They tried to refreshen the concept without knowing what the concept was, and killing the show within one season or less, while just plodding on would have kept the show running for additional two or three years.

I hate it whenever my car talk to me, I also think it is ridiculous to talk into a watch...but I always wanted a K.I.T.T.

I loved knight rider. I lived in the city at the time where they shot the reboot. I just laughed at the buildings they used. The one thing I couldn't figure out is how they made kitt drive on the Riverwalk.

Nice video and great delivery. You remind me a bit of the Professor of Rock - which is a good thing. I also like that you didn't draw out the video too much and got straight to the point! I hate to nitpick but just one thing: Devon's name was pronounced Devuhn, not De-vonn. I remember because he was one of my favourite characters!

It was absolutely brilliant!! Nothing nothing beats the original series!! 😉👍

I remember seeing one of the Trans Ams that they used in the show. It was totaled, but it only had 59 miles on it. I'm sure that the budget of the show was one big reason why it was canceled.

The show was great for a few episodes,but than you realize the car could basically run the entire thing by it self.And didn't really need the Hoff. Than you just watch it out of boredom. But the car was cool though

Edward Mulhare not Edwin

Please tell the narrator that he pronounced Devon Miles first name incorrectly - it is pronounced with less emphasis on the "on" part of Devon.

The reboot series was on the right track but it was too predictable and dull. I would not mind seeing it again in a made for TV movie though. 😅😅

You forgot about Rebecca Holden who replaced Patricia McPherson as April in season 2. Patricia McPherson came back in season 3 and 4.

I heard KITT was having an affair with a commodore Amiga from the editing suite.

I liked that show

I actually liked the 2008 Reboot, wasn't so keen on the new Knight industries 3000 but if that show had some better script writers and a more capable actress in the role of Sarah then who knows how much better it would have done?

There was spinoff in 1998 called Team Knight Rider....

I got the full box set dvd of Knight Rider and I always when re-warching the series have The Scent Of Roses as the series finalle.

Don't forget team knight rider circa 96/97

Eh You Forgot To Mention April From Season 2.

Loved this show!!! Named my 1st son Kitt.. Hes 24 now :-)

There must have been audience fatigue. I'm only guessing but at the time you had Knight Rider, Street Hawk and Airwolf.

And Rebecca Holden don't forget April

I always watch Sent of Roses as the last episode

Kitt was the best.

I've got the complete boxset of knightrider! Unfortunately though the episodes are all jumbled up! 🤣 U have to figure out all the episodes from 1 2 3 etc...🤣

To me, the point when Knight Rider went down the pan was when they introduced that dumb, stupid, idiotic, Super Pursuit mode. From that point, as a kid, it totally lost me.

Devon, Not "d'von"

1:24 De-von Miles?😂 Its pronounced Dev-un And dont get me started on 'Edwin' Mulhare 😂😂😂

Knight Rider show is dead. They won’t ever remake Knight Rider ever again

You have a graphic of the wrong year trans am to start the video and then you badly mis pronounced Edward Mulhare's character name ,why did you even bother

I never watched a single episode. Thank God!

or maybe it was f--king awful

Season 4 was DIABOLICAL!

What the shocking truth behind it? Doesn't sound very shocking at all.