From Paper to Television
A full script to screen analysis



As with all films produced, there are always a vast amount of differences between what is read in the script, and what is seen on the screen.

In this section, you will find a documentation of differences in the draft of the KR2K script hosted on this website.

Our story is set in Seattle, Washington, and our freezer-prison is named Ancortes Prison, which would later be called Quayton State Prison. Our villian- originally named Johnny Watts is quickly unfrozen.

The next big change is the make of the police units. Our heroes in blue originally rode around the city in Mazda Miatas.

Next we go to the mayor's tragic fundraiser in the Space Needle which would later simply be called The Tower.

After Watts runs off and Shawn finds the gun, Kurt, Hedges, and Strand run out of the Needle, where Kurt checks Shawn's welfare, while Hedges and Strand run after Watts.

While Maddock is trying to woo the city with his new supercar, we get to see more things that it can do, including simulations of terrorists firing upon the Knight 4000, and the car disabling four fleeing terrorists. This scene would later be retooled into the chase scene during the movie's climax.

We find that our crooked deputy, now current, mayor, Harold Abbey was originally named Joe Abbey.

While Maddock is giving his diatribe on how the city's crime prevention system sucks, he looks down upon Seattle's monorail system, and indicates how the city was called "The City of the Future" back in 1962 during the World's Fair, and calles the monorail an antique. This would later be slimmed down and changed to where Maddock indicates the city's nickname was given in the 1990's and the tower is the antique.

Shortly after that, there is a little bit more dialogue in the argument with Maddock and Commissioner Daniels where the two argue over city politics.

Originally, Michael Knight retired to a sandy beach to operate a salmon charter and rides in with seagulls bothering him overhead. His classic 57 Chevy was originally a boring beige Volvo. We later find out this location is Orcas Island.

During their conversation in his house, Devon declines a local micro-brew beverage, which would later be changed to him accepting an iced tea.

KITT's parts were originally stored in a number of crates, instead of localized to a single dumpster as seen in the movie.

After Michael storms out of the garage, there is additional dialogue between Maddock and Devon, with Devon angry about Maddock alienating the police commissioner, and Maddock being less than impressed with Michael's hangover.

The guns, featured in the movie as 9mm Weber handguns have been changed to 9mm Sig Sauer's.

There is some added drama with Shawn approaching her apartment, including a shadow of a hand moving a curtain back to view her. Also, instead of her light switch not working, her colleagues beat her to turning on the light.

In the movie, during Shawn's memory recall in KITT, we see extra dialogue in her speech with her saying "I'm going to repay you all by being the very best, and that's all there is to it." In the script, these words are included with her original speech.

The triglyceride free soda that Devon brings Michael was originally intended to be Pepsi brand.

An ongoing joke about cops and donuts is inserted before Kurt and Shawn head to the robbery call. We see the two sitting inside a donut shop and Shawn asks about the ballistics for the gun. When the call comes in, the dispatcher sends them to Pike Place, 2nd level, and does not give the exact store name or location. We then get a quick view inside the jewlery store as it is being robbed.

In the script, we a see a short view of Shawn's head being shaved before the RNA transfer. During the transfer, Shawn's dream of swinging with a man was originally a memory of her senior prom.

While Watts is talking to the man of crooked cops, Kurt and him argue about how guns have already fallen into the wrong hands and how criminals will just go somewhere else.

There was an intended scene entailing the Knight 4000 going erratic on the streets just before Devon speaks to Maddock. In the same scene where we see a bit of the news on TV, a female technician identified as Sandy gives Devon files and has some dialogue.

A small little bit in Maddock's office shows us Maddock yelling into a videophone instead of a normal phone.

The original scene with the erratic Knight 4000 concludes in the garage. In the movie, we see Michael and KITT bickering about KITT's new body. In the script, the Knight 4000 parks itself next to KITT and Michael, angry, approaches the 4000 to see no driver. When Maddock and Devon come in, Maddock toots his own horn for the 4000, as well as some argument from KITT and Michael. The looking good at the drive in line was originally uttered in the garage instead of on the road as depicted in the movie.

On the road, Maddock shows his lack of enthusiasm while KITT demonstrates his auto-cruise mode. Also, Todd Mullen's name was originally Tod Moore. His blue coupe was originally green. James Doohan being the mistaken criminal was originally intended to be Seahawks player Brian Bozworth.

Before Shawn barges in to bitch out Commissioner Daniels, there was a quick scene of life at the police station, and small dialouge between the changed Shawn and Kurt, with Hedges expressing her concern to Kurt.

In the script, Daniels' weird tag-a-long boy went un-named, and her secretary was originally named Andrew. The name was then re-assigned to the assistant.

A scene in the script included before Shawn's interview with the Knight Foundation depicted a robbery in a drug store, and Shawn interfereing with strength she never had before. This entire scene is not included at all in the movie.

Originally, it was Michael who challenged the removal of the memory chip instead of KITT.

Would anyone hang fuzzy dice in a beige Volvo? Of course not... Shawn originally suggests that Michael puts some baby seats in his car.

In the script, we find out that KITT's garbled language during the speed through the city was intended to be "Sgge kcus uoy t’nod yhw, ydal" which is backwards for "Lady, why don't you go suck eggs." (Editor's note: I got a good laugh from that one)

Continuing in the chase scene, Brian Bozworth almost gets killed in a crosswalk by KITT- who later screeches to a halt in front of a Marshall Fields. Michael then confronts KITT about his behavior, and KITT offers some extra dialogue before his "feelings chip" comment: "First you take my body away, then my memory...and to top if off you park me next to an unquestionably superior vehicle every night. You may think I’m just a machine, but I do have a feelings chip." Also, it was Shawn who originally suggested she get a feelings chip.

The Big Ben Cafe was originally the Athen's Cafe on one of Seattle's harbors and is set at night. While Michael and KITT are monitoring thecoversation between Shawn and Kurt- Kurt asks how Shawn likes working for FLAG. KITT also indicates that Kurt's anxiety levels just shot up when Watts appeared.

Rather than noticing her memory retention is progressing, Dr. Glassman originally asked if her muscular coordination had developed synonomously with her mental abilities.

The scene in the park during sun-down was originally set on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound at sun-up.

Back to more fun ragging on Michael's Volvo: do you think a cop will swoon over a beige family car before he jump starts it? No.

The scene in Maddock's office where they put together the list of cops was originally split up with the cop on the highway telling his friends about the Volvo.

In the movie, there was a bit of confusion whether or not Daniels was involved with the gun-running. It seemed to be implied that she was during the aforementioned scene in the movie, and later refuted in the end. In this scene in the script, Michael tells us that Watts was in charge of delivering the handguns for destruction, thus eliminating the confusion.

Also, I may as well mention that many of the scenes shown in daytime in the movie were originally set at night time.

While Watts is having his hissy fit tension session, he originally backhanded a sculpture and broke it, rather than sliding a phone off his desk across the floor.

The following scene was originally meant to be Michael and Shawn at the prison, investigating info on Watts. It was split just before the two enter the parking lot and the Knight 4000 demonstration on the roads was inserted.

Virtual Reality Mode was originally called Auto Infared Mode. In the script when Maddock takes over to avoid the deer, we see eerie similarities to KARR when KIFT indicates he has been programmed to avoid human beings and objects which would not damage his chassis.

More Volvo fun, in the script, we note the absence of Michael yelling at KITT to watch out for the original paint. Who would care about banging up a 91 Volvo, right?

Rather than KITT voluntarily sailing off the dock, he stopped three feet short of the end, and the police crusiers pushed the Volvo in at Hedges request.

When Devon is brought in, Dr. Glassman confronts Watts and his cops. Watts produces a handgun and orders the transfer.

It was originally intended for us to be inside the church for Devon's funeral where we see people from the Foundation in attendance, but note the absence of Shawn and Michael. Outside, Daniels approaches Maddock before the mayor does.

Shawn originally confronted Michael on a ferry, instead of at his cabin.

The night guard Charlie originally had no lines. (So they wouldnt have to pay the extra more money). Michael's car was banged up, and sunlight was coming through the windows instead of his car being in pristine condition.

During the sequence with Hedges and Kurt in the warehouse- it is split up with cuts of Michael, Shawn, and KITT monitoring in VR mode.

While Shawn and Kurt are at the Athens Cafe, Kurt tells her he suspects that Watts killed most of the cops to create panic.

More confusion with the commissioner's involvement: in the movie when she reports to the mayor how Kurt was killed, it seems she is lying to him on purpose. In the script we find out that the info she was given was contained in a report.

Watts and Abbey's mobile meeting was originally set in a subway car, with KITT tracking on the streets ahead.

When Maddock shows Daniels the tape, there was some extra dialogue between the two of them entailing Daniels surprised of the corrupt mayor, and Maddock telling her that it bigger problems will always be present. The extra dialogue ends with Daniels reiterating her faith in the handgun ban, and picks up with Maddock's line on how they loathe working with each other.

While the cops are loading the guns for shipment, Watts complains about the city's weather.

There is a bit more action with the chase scene as a second police car is blown away.

The location of Watts changed from the mall to a ferry in the ocean. When they find out Watts is on the seas, Michael, Shawn and KITT blast off the dock to show us KITT's new aquatic mode.

The dialogue on the ferry was adjusted to fit the environment, including Hedges voicing her concern about being unable to reach their van. Also, extra dialogue is included on the docks with Daniels mobilizing backup support.

Michael and Shawn appear in the car deck of the ferry where Hedges and Strand open fire. KITT locks the doors of the cop cars.

Strand is still buzzed by Michael's ultrasound, and is tied up with deck rope. Hedges still fires at him like in the movie, but instead of being scared off by a dish-turned-Frisbee, she is stunned by Shawn who is carrying an ultrasound and runs away.

Shawn chases Hedges into the engine room with some help by KITT, and they two get into a big fight and Hedges ultimately meets her demise when Shawn knocks her into the engine gears below.

The action returns to the car deck where Watts grabs a teen from a car and holds her hostage. There is more dialogue between the two before KITT helps Michael shoot. Watts runs up the stairs onto the upper deck.

At the end, there is no fight between Michael and Watts (which was originally a fight between Hedges and Shawn- as seen above) and Watts still falls over a railing, but into the sea and drowns.

Originally, KITT ditches Maddock and Shawn at the end instead of challenging them to see who really drives.

Well that was fun, wasn't it? Hope you enjoyed this analysis of the script and the film, because it was sure fun making it! And don't forget, who wants to put fuzzy dice on a Volvo anyway?


Back To Knight Rider 2000 Online