The Lost Presentation Reel

[GuestGuest]

Many years ago, The Knight Rider Archive, Knight Rider Legacy and a few other places discussed this lost gem...The Presentation Reel.

It consisted of key scenes that eventually ended up in the Pilot episode that we know and love today.

These 'key scenes' made up the backbone of Glen Larsons vision for the series, if it were to be commissioned.

If it was picked up by a network and a full pilot subsequently ordered, the intention was to re-film these scenes, but in the end they were simply added to the new footage that was shot later (the last draft of the script identifies which scenes were already filmed)...which then led to some noticeable continuity errors such as David Hasselhoff's physical appearance and the issue of the 'original' car with the original front end.

The scenes were notably:-

The Nevada Desert 'Baptism'.
The Knight Mansion
Test Drive
Wiltons Death
Playing Deaf
I'm in Jail/Jailbreak
Jump through the Comtron Truck
"Only you could have dented this car..."

Plus at least one other unreleased scene and some additional/substituted dialogue in scenes we know.

The presentaton reel was apparently 30-40 minutes long (which ties in with the length of the scenes listed above) and according to interviews and features it did not feature the music that we know today. Driving scenes featured German Synth music (according to an interview by Glen Larson on the DVD Season One box), and how early on Stu Phillips was involved in the project is hard to say, but I would guess that he was on-board pretty early on as he had a close relationship with GL on other projects.

When you actually compare the script and think about it in relation to the footage and the sequence of the scenes, it also changes the thread of the story somewhat.

So, the burning question is...does this reel still exist?, will it see the light of day?

But most importantly, what other secrets could it's unearthing reveal about the origin, development and evolution of the story?

[warlord]

if it does still exist, wouldn't it be stored in a studio archive? well, unless its covered in dust in someones loft/basement.
would be cool for it to surface one day

[GuestGuest]

if it does still exist, wouldn't it be stored in a studio archive? well, unless its covered in dust in someones loft/basement.
would be cool for it to surface one day

Well, for achival purposes I would assume that there must be a copy of it in Universals Archive, and I would hope that maybe Glen has a copy and possibly even one in the estate of Brandon Tartikoff, who as you know was the Chief Exec. of NBC when Knight Rider was commissioned.

It would be amazing to see the screen tests too that must be stored in Universals Archive.

I have a 'cut' of it for my own viewing that I assembled myself, and it does throw the story in a different direction. Especially when you consider that simple plot lines are affected...when Michael gets shot for example.

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