That’s right - I said it. The new ‘Knight Rider’ tv movie/pilot is going to be AWESOME. As a long-time ‘Knight Rider’ fanboy, I initially reacted as most fanboys do to change. It frightened and bewildered me…but, I have taken a step back from my fanboy ways and looked at the project with the most fresh and objective eyes that I can….

…and I have determined this thing will kick ass. Here’s why -

1) The Script - I’ve read my share of reviews of the script for the pilot, and from what I can gather it sounds dead-on for ‘Knight Rider’ in 2008. KITT is the hero through most of the story, and the plot, while slightly cheesy and predicable (this IS ‘Knight Rider’ after all) sounds intriguing enough for a 2-hour pilot. The main thing here is that it seems like ‘Knight Rider’…but updated enough to fit the current tastes of today’s audiences.

2) The Car - I know, I know. “It’s too bulky to be KITT. The scanner is too high up on the vehicle. It’s a Mustang and Mustangs are for hillbillies.” Come OFF IT. The updated car looks slick as hell when its in “attack” mode, and it looking like a standard car when it’s sitting parked makes perfect sense. It’s not exactly easy for a guy in a tricked out car with a big red cylon scanner in the front bumper to hide from the bad guys now is it? This is a very thought out, very cool update for the show.

Another thing that’s pretty bad ass is that you’ll be able to buy your own replica of KITT if you really want one. When the first series came out, people constantly hounded Pontiac for their own KITT, so much so that Pontiac would not agree to let the producers of ‘Knight Rider 2000′ use their updated Trans-Am design in the early 90s for the new KITT. Ford, on the other hand, is ready to go, and the reason commercially available parts have been used for the accents on the “Attack” car is because it’s going to be available for sale.

That’s AWESOME! If you’re into that sort of thing…

3) Will Arnet - Will’s voice in that teaser just oozes bad ass - and he only says two words. That’s what great about him as the voice for the Knight Industries Three Thousand. He has the voice over chops to deliver a great performance, and he can be deadly serious and have that ‘bad ass’ quality in his voice - but he’s also a fantastic comedian. If you think back, oh ‘Knight Rider’ fans, you’ll remember that KITT was one sarcastic bastard, and that kind of whit is necessary to pull this thing off.

Plus, since the car is new, that still leaves plenty of chance for the Knight Industries Two Thousand to still be out there and do a guest spot! There are rumors that he’s in the pilot!

4) It’s A Sequel - At first I wondered why they chose this route too - why not just start over? It’s simple! By making it a continuation of the original series you can have guest stars including KITT and Michael Knight! You can throw in things for the hard-core fans, while still making it accessible to the new fans. This is Knight Rider: The Next Generation! That brings me to the last reason, of course…

5) The Hoff - Hasselhoff. He’s in. ‘Nuff Said.

Of course, it’s really stupid of me to get my hopes up about this thing - but DANG IT - I can’t help it. I want this show to be off the charts awesome - and while I can’t guarantee it, I really think they’ve done a lot to gear themselves in the right direction, and I can’t wait to see it.