I recall watching this a couple of times when it was new. My impression at the time was that they did a pretty good job on a fundamentally bad idea.
The original show focused on the relationship between one man and one artificially intelligent car. The show was cheesy, but the two characters were sufficiently well developed and portrayed that audiences cared enough to tune in. The original kept it simple and concentrated on making the car seem human and the overblown Hollywood star (Hasselhof) seem like a real person, albeit with unrealistic hair. The idea that one man can make a difference is enigmatic and inspiring.
The idea that a flock of five people and five vehicles working with a seemingly unlimited budget and with constant governmental oversight can make a difference is just oppressive and obvious. How do you keep the stories coherent and how do you keep the audience caring about ten characters, all of whom only get very limited screen time? You don't! You need a scorecard just to keep track of what car has what personality. I kinda felt pity for the poor criminals. It's hardly fair, in a story context, that they should have to try to stand up to this virtual army of foes, blasted about the world in a cargo jet, armed with superweapons and hyperintelligent computers. Give the poor crooks a break! With all that in mind, the production company did a pretty good job. The show looked great, the cars were jazzy and the voice acting was adequate. The effects were as good as should be expected and there was lots of mindless action. The vehicles had a mass produced feel, compared to the original KITT. KITT had a "one-off" feel to his design, apart from his evil twin, KARR. The five new cars had a consistency of design that made them feel less personal. It kind of contributed to the show's downfall, which was that it failed to focus on key characters that the audience could identify with and care about.
TV producers forget, in their rush to display fancy machinery, and car crashes, that the long-term success of a TV series is almost entirely based on it's portrayal of compelling characters. Design your characters first, flesh them out, make them human, make the audience care about them, and what happens to them. Put actors in the roles that match the personalities being portrayed and let them do their jobs. Create screenplays and stories that challenge your well-developed characters. Put them in situations that test their limits. After you've done all that, worry about special effects and stunts. It helps if you don't try to have ten central characters.
The original show focused on the relationship between one man and one artificially intelligent car. The show was cheesy, but the two characters were sufficiently well developed and portrayed that audiences cared enough to tune in. The original kept it simple and concentrated on making the car seem human and the overblown Hollywood star (Hasselhof) seem like a real person, albeit with unrealistic hair. The idea that one man can make a difference is enigmatic and inspiring.
The idea that a flock of five people and five vehicles working with a seemingly unlimited budget and with constant governmental oversight can make a difference is just oppressive and obvious. How do you keep the stories coherent and how do you keep the audience caring about ten characters, all of whom only get very limited screen time? You don't! You need a scorecard just to keep track of what car has what personality. I kinda felt pity for the poor criminals. It's hardly fair, in a story context, that they should have to try to stand up to this virtual army of foes, blasted about the world in a cargo jet, armed with superweapons and hyperintelligent computers. Give the poor crooks a break! With all that in mind, the production company did a pretty good job. The show looked great, the cars were jazzy and the voice acting was adequate. The effects were as good as should be expected and there was lots of mindless action. The vehicles had a mass produced feel, compared to the original KITT. KITT had a "one-off" feel to his design, apart from his evil twin, KARR. The five new cars had a consistency of design that made them feel less personal. It kind of contributed to the show's downfall, which was that it failed to focus on key characters that the audience could identify with and care about.
TV producers forget, in their rush to display fancy machinery, and car crashes, that the long-term success of a TV series is almost entirely based on it's portrayal of compelling characters. Design your characters first, flesh them out, make them human, make the audience care about them, and what happens to them. Put actors in the roles that match the personalities being portrayed and let them do their jobs. Create screenplays and stories that challenge your well-developed characters. Put them in situations that test their limits. After you've done all that, worry about special effects and stunts. It helps if you don't try to have ten central characters.
