Knight of the Phoenix

KNIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

"THE PILOT"

Written By: Glen A Larson

Contributing Writer: R.A. Cinader

Directed By: Daniel Haller

First Airing: September 26, 1982

Detective Michael Long along with his partner, Muntzy, were sent undercover to expose a crime ring whose main focus was to steal industrial and high class secrets and sell them to the highest bidder. Michael went undercover as a bodyguard for Charles Acton, while Muntzy went under as a hotel electrician, so he could witness when the criminals stole the information. Unfortunately, their investigation went sour, and they didn't know all the players in the deadly game. Muntzy was shot and killed after the information had been stolen, and Michael, along with Acton's girlfriend, and observer, Tanya Walker, chased after the criminals, and caught up with them, only to find that Tanya Walker was part of the group. She turned on Michael, and shot him point blank in the face. The group them left him beside his car in the desert, to die.

Unbenownst to Michael, he had been observed by a dying genius multimillionaire by the name of Wilton Knight, who immediately rushed out to find Michael's body in the desert, still alive. When Michael was in Vietnam, he had an incident that caused him to have a metal plate placed in his head, and it was this metal plate that the bullet bounced off of, and refracted through his face, saving his life, but destroying his face in the process. Wilton ordered his finest surgeon to replace Michael's face, in an image similar to that of his as a young man. Along with this new face, Michael was given a new identity, a new life, and a new mission.

All through Michael's recovery, he was fuelled by revenge. Wilton Knight was dying, but was struggling through life to see his dream come through, and to send that dream out to exact a little revenge for him as well. Michael was given the new identity of Michael Knight, and given access to the crowning achivement of Knight Industries technology: the Knight Industries Two Thousand, or K.I.T.T., a vehicle with an Artificial Intelligence, and the abilities to jump over things, dodge things, reach speeds in excess of 250 mph, etc., all housed in a 1982 Black Pontiac Trans-Am (later called a T-top). Once Wilton Knight had died, Michael set out to find Tanya and her friends, and exact revenge on them for what they had done to not only him, but Wilton Knight. He took K.I.T.T., against Devon Shire's (later Miles--The executive director of the Foundation For Law And Government, the law enforcement division that Michael would later be the investigative operative of) advice, choosing to go the journey alone, without even knowing all that the car would do. He eventually found out on the road, starting with being surprised by the fact that K.I.T.

T. could talk. From that point on, it was a bit of a love-hate relationship, as Michael set out to Millston, California, where Tanya had been tracked to, working for a place called Comtron--her next target.

While in Millston, Michael met up with a disgruntled waitress named Maggie, whose husband had been killed recently by Tanya and her goons, and she was left to support her and her son, Buddy, with a limited budget. She gives Michael information about Comtron and Tanya's role, which eventually leads to Michael entering a Demolition Derby sponsored by Comtron, to get in, and under Tanya's skin. The plan works, but slightly backfires as Tanya sends the other Derbiers to beat Michael up, and they end up in jail, with KITT stuck at Comtron, as they tried to break into the indestructible car. Eventually, KITT breaks out, and retrieves Michael, allowing him to go on in his investigation to find the information and evidence to prove that Tanya was back to her old tricks, and was about to strike.

After breaking into Comtron, he finds the evidence...and Tanya. She shoots him in the shoulder, but he gets away with the evidence, then goes after Tanya and her cronies, who have headed to the airport for a getaway. After going through truckers who set up blockades to stop him and K.I.T.T., Michael eventually gets to the airport, disables their jet, corners them, only to have Tanya go after him, and try to shoot him through K.I.T.T.'s Molecular Bonded Shell protected window. The bullet richochets, and hits her, instead. Once the mission was over, KITT was towed back to the Foundation, and Michael and Devon are flying back to the Foundation, they come to the agreement that Michael will continue working with the Foundation.

Cast:

Michael Long.......... Larry Anderson
Wilton Knight: ........... Richard Basehart
Tanya Walker: .......... Phyllis Davis Muntzy: .................... Herb Jefferson, Jr. Maggie: .................... Pamela Susan Shoop Buddy: .......................Barret Oliver
Grey: .........................Lance LeGault William Benjamin: ..... Noel Conlon Lonnie: ..................... Shawn Southwick Jackson: ....................Michael D. Roberts Browne: .................... Bert Rosario Dr. Ralph Wesley: ......Richard Anderson Fred Wilson: ............. Vince Edwards Carney: .................... Charles Napier Dolan: ........................John Quade Charles Acton: .......... Edmund Gilbert Bar Manager: .............Brian Cutler Symes: .......................Robert Phillips Luce: .........................Alma L. Beltran Guard: .......................Ed Hooks Sally: .........................Tyler Murray Doris: ........................Victoria Harned

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Featured Songs:

"Proud Mary" by CCR

"Take It Easy" by The Eagles

"Carolina On My Mind by James Taylor

"Peaceful, Easy Feeling" by The Eagles

"Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac

"Third Rate Romance"

by Amazing Rhythm Aces

"Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash

"Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

by Pat Benatar

Memories Are Made of These:

Michael and KITT grousing:

Michael: "You're about as much fun as a divorce, which isn't a bad idea."

KITT: "I want custody of me."

News and Notes:

-This episode was not known as Knight of the Phoenix until it was aired in syndication.

-Episode is only one of two that does not feature the voice over at the beginning of the opening titles.

-Episode establishes Michael's middle name: 'Arthur'.

-This was the first of the two hour episodes that were split into two different episodes in syndication. This, and all two hour episodes were originally aired as two hour movies.

-Larry Anderson was not initally credited with the part of Michael Long, because he only did the visual part of Michael Long. David Hasselhoff did the voiceover for him.

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