Knight Rider DVD review
by Juha Terho
Note: This review is based on the North American (i.e., Region 1) release of the Season 1 DVD. Other versions, such as the European (Region 2) release, have slight differences. Most notably, the R1 release uses dual-sided discs, while the R2 version uses single-sided ones.
Moreover, this review only covers the DVD release of Season 1. Releases of subsequent seasons do not include any extra features that would merit detailed analysis. The views presented herewith with regard to the video and audio quality of the Season 1 DVD are fully applicable to later seasons.
Introduction
As I have explained on my KITT dashboard project page, Knight Rider was my favorite TV show when I was a child. Whenever I pursue an interest in something, I set clear goals for myself with the hope of fulfilling them within a given timeframe. Following my infatuation with the Knight Rider series in my childhood, I had two such goals: to collect all Knight Rider episodes in whichever format the entire series becomes available in, and to draw the ultimate rendition of KITT’s dashboard. The dashboard goal was completed in 2002, and it appears that the other goal is also coming to fruition with the release of the first season of Knight Rider on DVD.
It is assumed that the reader of this review does not need an introduction to the series. Thus, I will only concentrate on those aspects of the DVD set that I feel warrant comments.
Technical notes
The video quality of this release is of a high standard. However, contrary to some reports, it is apparent that the original material has not been re-telecined – in other words, the film-to-video transfer used on the discs is the same which was used for the original broadcasts in the early 1980’s. Financial considerations and the relatively high quality of the old transfers have obviously been the main factors behind this decision. On the whole, the only real problem with the original transfers is the overly dark quality of some night scenes, making them hard to follow at certain points.
Apparently, some touch-up work in the form of color correction has been done to the original telecine. One can also spot some digital edge enhancement here and there which does become somewhat distracting in some scenes. Nevertheless, I must reiterate that the video quality is top-notch for the most part, making this release quality-wise by far the best version of Knight Rider episodes ever released, as the episodes surpass the quality that the average viewer is able to experience in a typical TV broadcast. This is especially true when one considers that virtually no MPEG2 compression artifacts are visible.
Another decision dictated by budgetary constraints must be the choice of releasing the episodes on double-sided dual-layer (DSDL) DVDs to cut down on the number of discs in the set. The negative aspects of this are the fact that there is no artwork on the three discs that hold the original episodes and the fact that DSDL discs are more susceptible to flaws and glitches caused by scratches and dirt on the disc.
Bonus materials
The most extensive extra feature on the set is the commentary for the pilot episode, featuring David Hasselhoff and series creator Glen A. Larson. Even though there is a tad bit too much dead air in the commentary, there is a lot of good-natured ribbing and tongue-in-cheek sarcastic banter that is going back and forth between the two (with ironic self-deprecation thrown in for good measure). They enthustiastically share numerous interesting anecdotes with the viewer and their reactions to the scenes they have not seen for over twenty years are at times fascinating to follow, though sadly they provide little insight into the background of the pilot episode or the philosophy behind the series. I did enjoy the attribution of the famous “moving bullet wound” blooper to Hasselhoff’s purported ambidexterity.
To put it kindly, the included Knight Rider 2000 movie from 1991 is not something that could be called a cinematic masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. Despite its low quality (and its out-of-sequence placement in the timeline with regard to the other episodes in the set), I was happy to see it included – for the sake of completeness. However, the discriminating Knight Rider aficionado cannot help but notice certain video-related issues. Some of the post-production has obviously been performed on video, which – in concert with subsequent video processing – has resulted in some unnecessary artifacts that can appear jarring, though only intermittently.
The featurettes, containing recent interviews with Hasselhoff, Larson and other Knight Rider notables, are standard DVD fare and quite enjoyable regardless of their short duration. Jack Gill’s explanation of switching into neutral (or using the clutch, I would guess) during the stunts where KITT drives out of the semi or into the semi should put any debate regarding the authenticity of said stunts to rest. I was left wondering whether it makes sense to compare KITT and KARR to Jekyll and Hyde, as Hasselhoff did.
The rest of the extra features include typical still photograph montages and the KITT Owner’s Manual based on my dashboard drawing. I was quite happy with the way the dashboard feature turned out, and the final result very much resembles what I had expected in advance. However, the dashboard is only available at a low resolution on the DVD, so anyone interested in the exact labels and readouts on the dash should view the original drawing.
As for the promotional clips preceding the episodes, I would wager that they were included for the reason that they were apparently edited on film and thus included in the beginning of the original telecine transfers.
Packaging and menus
In my view, the DVD packaging is a very professional example of high-quality graphic design. Alas, in comparison to the packaging, the DVD menus are decidedly pedestrian in appearance. It must be noted that they are easily navigable and follow the style established by the original Knight Rider quite well, even though the design of the packaging eclipses them in quality.
The scarcity of chapter stops in the episodes is regrettable. Adding chapter stops after the initial promotional clips and after the titles of each episode would have facilitated easy skipping of those segments.
Conclusion
Summa summarum: despite some flaws, the episodes in this DVD set are presented in unmatched video quality and accompanied by numerous interesting extra features. In my opinion, the DVD releases will make up the ultimate Knight Rider collection when later seasons become available. This set is highly recommended for anyone with more than a casual interest in the series.
Kikkarapää, käkkäräpää, naisia metsästää!
Sketch by J.T. – August 9, 2004