For whatever reason NBC decided to greenlight the series despite our objections here at Pop Critics. Perhaps they listened to some of our ideas after all, however, and decided that they could still make a decent show because they went out and hired Gary Scott Thompson as the Executive Producer and showrunner.

Gary Scott Thompson is a self proclaimed motorhead who brought us Vegas on NBC as well as the movie The Fast and the Furious. Thompson, it seems, actually has some professional ethics. When NBC asked him what he thought of the pilot he questioned their sanity in asking if they really wanted to know that or not. He basically said that the movie did not advance anything about the mythos of the show and the series would need to be reinvented.

The only thing he really did like about the pilot was the fact that it ended in a way that will allow him to take the series in a new direction. He actually told the studio that he will take the show in the direction he feels necessary to maintain his credibility. How often do you hear something like that? It sounds like maybe he’s really going to try to do something with the thing.

To help him out he’s bringing in 7 to 8 writers, some of whom he’s worked with before. The writers he’s bringing in have worked on shows ranging from Crossing Jordan and Charmed to Lost, Prison Break, and the first couple seasons of Smallville (which are supposedly the best).

Thompson will be writing the first episode himself. He plans to make the story such that you won’t have had to seen the two hour pilot in order to get involved in the series itself. He wants to grab the audience’s attention, get old fans back on board, and get the new fans to stick around.

They start shooting in June.

However, if you are looking for when your favorite NBC shows will be on, and what new shows are coming down the pike, check out the schedule below, thanks to the Ausiello Report.

The most baffling part of all of it is that Saturday Night Live is showing on Thursday nights in the fall???

NBC Primetime Schedule for 2008, 2009

*New programs in UPPERCASE (with the exception of ER)

MONDAY
8-9 pm: Chuck
9-10 pm: Heroes
10-11 pm: MY OWN WORST ENEMY

TUESDAY
8-9:30 pm: The Biggest Loser: Families
9:30-10 pm: KATH & KIM
10-11 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: KNIGHT RIDER
9-10 pm: Deal or No Deal
10-11 pm: Lipstick Jungle

THURSDAY
8-8:30 pm: My Name Is Earl
8:30-9 pm: 30 Rock
9-9:30 pm: The Office
9:30-10 pm: The Office/SNL THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE*
10-11 pm: ER

* THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE will air for three weeks leading up to the presidental race.

FRIDAY
8-9 pm: CRUSOE
9-10 pm: Deal or No Deal
10-11 pm: Life

SATURDAY
8-9 pm: Dateline NBC
9-10 pm: KNIGHT RIDER (Encores)
10-11 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Encores)

SUNDAY
7-8:20 pm: Football Night in America
8:20-11 pm: NBC Sunday Night Football

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR WINTER 2009

*New programs in UPPERCASE (with the exception of ER)

MONDAY
8-9 pm: Chuck
9-10 pm: Heroes
10-11 pm: THE PHILANTHROPIST

TUESDAY
8-9:30 pm: The Biggest Loser: Couples
9:30-10 pm: KATH & KIM
10-11 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: KNIGHT RIDER
9-10 pm: Deal or No Deal
10-11 pm: Law & Order

THURSDAY
8-8:30 pm: My Name Is Earl
8:30-9 pm: 30 Rock
9-9:30 pm: The Office
9:30-10 pm: THE OFFICE SPIN-OFF
10-11 pm: ER/Celebrity Apprentice

FRIDAY
8-9 pm: Deal or No Deal
9-10 pm: Friday Night Lights
10-11 pm: Life

SATURDAY
8-9 pm: Dateline NBC
9-10 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Encores)
10-11 pm: Law & Order (Encores)

SUNDAY
7-8 pm: Specials/Dateline NBC
8-9 pm: Specials/MERLIN
9-10 pm: Specials/Medium
10-11 pm: Specials/KINGS

NBC PRIMETIME SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2009

*New programs in UPPERCASE

MONDAY
8-9 pm: American Gladiators
9-10 pm: AMERICA’S TOUGHEST JOBS
10-11 pm: Dateline NBC

TUESDAY
8-9 pm: Most Outrageous Moments
9-10 pm: America’s Got Talent
10-11 pm: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Encores)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: SHARK TAGGERS
9-10 pm: America’s Got Talent (Results Show)
10-11 pm: Law & Order (Encores)

THURSDAY
8-8:30 pm: The Office
8:30-9 pm: THE OFFICE SPIN-OFF
9-10 pm: Last Comic Standing
10-11 pm: THE LISTENER

FRIDAY
8-9 pm: CHOPPING BLOCK
9-11 pm: Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8-9 pm: Drama Encores
9-10 pm: Drama Encores
10-11 pm: Drama Encores

SUNDAY
7-8 pm: Dateline NBC
8-9 pm: Monk
9-10 pm: Nashville Star
10-11 pm: KINGS (Encores)

Especially when the head of programming for NBC would rather you watch mindless drivel than good, quality entertainment.

In February we got the awful Knight Rider movie premiere (at least, I thought it sucked) and now word reaches our computer screens that NBC has given it a full-series run this fall season.

The show will likely air on Friday nights, but even if it sucks (and it will), NBC doesn’t care. As long as they have SOME sort of action show in that timeslot, they are fine. NBC co-chairman, Marc Graboff says it all:

“Advertisers don’t care as much about a specific show as opposed to ‘Am I getting the kinds of eyeballs I paid for?’ ” Graboff added.

If we say we have a one-hour drama going into a timeslot, and it turns out it’s not up to snuff, we’ll put on another one-hour drama we have in the pipeline,” he said. “What we won’t do is put on a reality show.”

Wow, at least no reality shows, but the next line is the worst. Because of the economy, the head of programming for NBC, Ben Silverman, feels like it’s best to give the people nothing to think about.

“People need to escape. Ben’s programming strategy is to find some shows where people can tune in and then mentally tune out. That’s his directive, and I think you’ll see that reflected in the programs.”

I don’t know about you, but if I’m watching something, that’s not mentally tuning out. If I want to do that, I guess music videos would do the trick, or Sunrise Earth on HDNet.

The rest of the article on Variety states that NBC wants to have more original programming and less repeats for people.

So why, if they need original programming, do they not renew shows like Journeyman? Obviously you have to think a bit, so I guess that’s ONE reason, but at least it’s SOMETHING to put on instead of repeats, right?

“Repeats don’t work anymore, but we have a finite amount of money to spend,” he said. “We’re trying to do some things that are cheaper so that we can have more original programming.”

Things that are cheaper. I like the sound of that. Ugh.

So while crap like Knight Rider will make it to our televisions next year, the struggle to save shows like Journeyman fall on deaf ears. You have to “use your brain” in order to watch it, and it must cost a bit more than sucky shows.

I’m glad NBC has The Office, 30 Rock and Scrubs, because otherwise it’s going to be a useless station to watch anymore.

And heck, Scrubs may be going to ABC!

It’s just sad in a time when people love good, quality stuff, that thoughtless entertainment is somehow deemed warranted and NEEDED. I thought reality TV already supplied that.

Thanks to io9 for the heads up on this story.

But truthfully, that was about all I could handle.

The opening scene was actually decent, with these men breaking into an old scientist/inventor’s house, killing him and then watching a black Mustang wake up and zoom out of the garage. I had hope for a brief second.

Then the commercial break was over and the movie went into full-throttle suckage.

It was shown at 7pm on a Sunday night, everyone knows that those of who were kids for the original series LOVED a talking car with Turbo Boost, so there is no doubt that kids today might be intrigued.

So naturally the movie opens with a guy in bed with two other girls, and then a female police officer leaving for work after a one-night stand with another woman.

Trying too hard to be edgy? Why?

From there I had a hard time taking it seriously. The acting was so bad it felt like one of those American Idol contestant commercials for the Ford Focus.

Not to mention Val Kilmer’s last minute work as the voice of KITT left a lot to be desired. I never heard Will Arnett, but I have to believe he was the better choice.

Also, as the Cap’n pointed out to me earlier today, that Mustang couldn’t outrace a Ford Minivan/SUV whatever it was?

I had no hopes of it getting better, and my DVR had a choice between the rest of the NBA All-Star Game and the 4th new episode of Breaking Bad, so Knight Rider got turbo-boosted right out of this house.

And from what I heard, it didn’t improve much.

The most amazing thing is that my NBC friend told me it got an 8.4/13 share last night in the Phoenix market and killed FOX.

Well, Doug Liman is behind this thing, the guy who brought us the Bourne Identity movies, so that’s a bonus. The second thing I like is that Will Arnett will be the voice of KITT, which I think is an absolutely perfect choice. You can here his voice in the video above, if only briefly.

“Hello Mike.”

(Man, sounds like he’s talking to Michael Bluth there for a moment. Dang, now I need to go bust out my Arrested Development DVDs.)

But surprising, even to me, the best part may be that David Hasselhoff will be reprising his role as Michael Knight. I know, this is “The Hoff” we’re talking about, but come on, who else can play Michael Knight? If they put some newbie in there, it just wouldn’t feel right. With Hasselhoff in there, it might actually be fun again!

And what about the new car? It’s no longer a Pontiac Trans Am, now this time KITT returns as a pretty frakking bad ass looking Shelby GT500KR Mustang. You can check out the photos of the car below which I’ve included for your enjoyment.

The movie premieres on February 17th on NBC. Will you watch? Did you get into this show ever? I used to love it! Turbo BOOOOOSST!!!!

You can see more photos of KITT over here and also a new 30 second as for the movie, which really seems like a Mustang commercial.

The interior of the new KITT

Mmmm, the red beam across the front…Hello KITT.