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Knight Rider

(Rated TV-PG, Drama, Starring David Hasselhoff, William Daniels, Edward Mulhare, Where to watch: Syfy, Syndicated, DVD, Online)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Cliched '80s action show hasn't traveled well.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Michael and KITT are dedicated to fighting crime and injustice, and every episode centers on their ongoing crusade to uphold law and order.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Frequent chase scenes, but they aren't very scary. The occasional fist fights and shootouts aren't especially graphic, either.

  • Sex:

    Many episodes include a romantic subplot, but the main character's love life remains offscreen.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    In the '80s, tie-in toys were very popular.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some characters smoke and drink, but rarely to excess.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Knight Rider

Parents need to know that one of the main characters of this show is a car that can -- and often does -- zip along at 300 mph, jump over ditches, shoot flames, and many other daredevil exploits. Kids, who are probably the most likely to enjoy the show these days (although even they may be turned off by the now-dated effects and production values), may plead with their parents to emulate the show's questionable traffic habits ... or at least to buy them toys that will let them pretend to do it themselves.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about vigilante justice. Michael Knight was once a cop, but he now works for the Foundation for Law and Government, a mysterious private organization that seems to operate outside the law. Though he's clearly the good guy, Michael follows the standard protocol for TV agents, which generally includes sneaking into suspects' homes and offices, lying about his own identity, pummeling the bad guys into submission, and of course driving really, really fast. Is it OK to take the law into your own hands? What about breaking the law to capture criminals -- do the ends ever justify the means?
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