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EUROPE'S MOST VISITED SF/F WEB SITE |
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A little Huth and Puff
Interview with the author Joe Huth - co-editor of the non-fiction
work the 'Knight Rider Legacy'. Joe talks about why, with society's
ongoing love affair with the automobile, you can make that car indestructible,
sentient and able to perform incredible feats and you've got every
young boy's (and many man's) dream.
Having looked over your website, www.knightriderlegacy.4t.com, apart from plugging the book, it's pretty obvious that you both are fans of the 'Knight Rider' TV series. How did you & your co-author get together & convince your publisher that you could write this book?? Have either of you written books before??
We sent out numerous book proposals to numerous publishers but in the end, decided that iUniverse was the best route. Years before starting this book, I had toyed around with the idea of writing a 'Knight Rider' book and even starting outlining what it would look like. It wasn't until my co-author expressed interest in working on the book that we became serious about it. SFC: What do you think is the lasting appeal of the 'Knight Rider' series?? Joe: Glen A. Larson, the series' creator, said it best in the book's introduction - society has had an ongoing love affair with the automobile. Make that car indestructible, sentient and able to perform incredible feats and you've got every young boy's (and many men's) dream. K.I.T.T. can't take all the credit for its appeal, though. At the time the series was beginning, many women tuned in to see the ex-soap star David Hasselhoff, who recently left 'The Young And The Restless' for a chance to move into prime-time. Credit also has to be given to the talented writers, directors, producers and supporting cast. SFC: Which episode do you think epitomises the ideal 'Knight Rider' episode?? Joe: This is a tough one, as I can list many episodes here. Naturally, the pilot episode captures the feel of the series but that is mainly due to the fact that Glen Larson wrote it. After that episode, I'd have to say season two's ‘Goliath Returns’ for the following’ reasons - the villain is an equal match for Michael Knight, the action is almost non-stop and, of course, plenty of turbo boosts! SFC: One of the things that did puzzle me about the book is the lack of episode synopsises with 'Team Knight Rider'. Was this because of space or less interest in the show?? Joe: For all those 'Team Knight Rider' lovers, take note - there is a few hundred versions of the book out there that do have TKR episode synopsis in them. After the initial book was printed, we were granted two new interviews that simply had to be included in the book - one was Rebecca Holden (who played April Curtis in season two) and Michael Scheffe, the man who designed and fabricated the very first K.I.T.T. car. We went back and revised the book to include this new information. Unfortunately, the book was becoming quite large and certain things had to be trimmed. The general consensus was that the fans were more interested in the original 'Knight Rider', so we tried to cut other things besides that. SFC: With so many cars & cast in each 'Team Knight Rider' episode, I felt that it was a bit of an overkill. Do you think this had any bearing on the show's lack of success?? Joe: Absolutely. With five cars and five drivers, it became very difficult for the viewers to connect with any one character. I also think they tried too hard to add humour in to the series. It was cheesy humour and I felt they could have come up with better gags. Also, the cars lacked many of the gadgets that made the original series so memorable (In fact, the only 'cool' functions used on 'TKR' were the ejection seats and Ski Mode - both only one time). SFC: You both had an opportunity to interview both the cast & key crew members. Who surprised you the most?? Do any of the cast compare to the parts they played?? Joe: While it was an honour to talk to all of them, I must say that the interview that fascinated me the most was Jack Gill, the stunt driver for the entire series' run. We talked for over an hour and he had nothing but good things to say about his time on the set. He gave away behind the scenes secrets and memorable moments, all of which made it into the book. He was also very generous and donated quite a few pictures for the book, including that wonderful turbo boost seen on the front cover. No single person surprised me except in the things they revealed about the series. All of the cast that we talked with were extremely polite and friendly. I was quite honoured to talk with Glen Larson as well. Imagine growing up and idoling a television series, and then being able to thank the person responsible for bringing such a joy into your life! It was truly a time I'll never forget. SFC: How many times did you have to re-watch the series to compile your notes?? Joe: Thanks to the magic of VCRs, I have never gone a long period of time without seeing an episode or two. So, by the time the book came around, I nearly had every episode memorised. Most of what I wrote was from memory. I had to review some episodes for details, but since I knew exactly what pieces of information I was looking for and exactly where they were in the episode, it didn't take long to find them! SFC: Did you feel burnt out after so much research or does 'Knight Rider' still hold a sparkle when you see it?? Joe: 'Knight Rider' will always hold a sparkle for me. I am quite busy with other things these days, but I do manage to catch the re-runs on television here from time to time. I have copies of the original airings of all 84 episodes and am planning to convert them to DVD very soon. Many people don't know this, but the episodes shown today have about 4-8 minutes cut out of them compared to the original airings on NBC. This is due to the increased need for commercial air-time. SFC: I presume you have some of the Knight Rider merchandise listed in the book. Is there anything you're still after?? What is supposed to be the rarest of them?? [I saw the watch com-link years ago and cursed myself for not buying it.] Joe: Actually, I have quite an assortment of 'Knight Rider' merchandise. Some of the pieces I am beginning to sell though, as I have decided that my full-size K.I.T.T. replica is all I need! The rarest piece in the 1983 Kenner Voice Car. It's about a foot long and plays six different phrases when the license plate is pressed down. These generally sell anywhere from $100 to $150 on eBay. I got lucky - I found one in mint condition, in the box, for only $20 at a garage sale! SFC: Do you know why AMT resurrected their model kit of 'KITT'? Joe: My guess is the fact that the 80's are back in fashion. You've probably noticed all the 1980's television series revivals that either have been aired or will be aired soon. People love nostalgia. That's part of the reason why 'Knight Rider: The Motion Picture' is being prepped for a 2004 release. Let’s just hope the clothes don't come back, too! SFC: I was amazed at how many Trans-Ams have been converted to look like KITT. Have any taken the plunge in trying to make it do more than look-like. Obviously, they can't do a turbo-boost but what about the other facilities? Joe: Oh yes, many are working to add functionality to their replicas, myself included. While some functions just aren't realistic (such as turbo boost and Super-Pursuit Mode), many of them are. I have personally seen replicas that have oil slicks, smoke screens, video surveillance, voice record and playback, automatic door openers. It's amazing all the technology that can fit into that car. SFC: Have many took the option to make the KARR version?? Joe: Actually, I have only heard of a handful that have chosen that route. The nicest K.A.R.R. replica belongs to a wonderful guy named Chris Brielmaier, who is on staff over at KnightRegistries.com SFC: I've heard that the 1982 Trans-Am engine is more problematic than the TV version. Does this cause any problems maintaining the custom T-top these days?? Joe: I think any engine in the world is more problematic than K.I.T.T.'s! I can't speak for the '82 Trans Ams, but my 84 Trans-Am has run nothing but perfect in the five years I've owned it. The engine has over 132,000 miles on it, and it still runs and looks like it came right off the showroom floor! SFC: Do you plan to write any more books or is this just a one-off?? Joe: I do have another book in the works, but I don't want to announce what it is just yet. I will just say this - it's another companion book to an 80s series! SFC: Thank you very much for your time, Joe. Interviewer: GF Willmetts (c) all rights reserved between SFCrowsnest & Joe Huth.
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OTHER CONTENT - June 2003
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SFC:
Just for the uninitiated, you're the co-author, along with Richie
F. Levine, of the 'Knight Rider Legacy' book that I reviewed last
month. 
Joe
Huth: Believe it or not, this was our first attempt at writing
a book. We've both been long-time fans of the series (I remember
watching it as a little kid when it first aired) and decided to
turn our passion into a viewer's companion book to the series. 
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