New Knight Rider TV Show To Be Transformers-Inspired?

We've already talked a bit about the new "Knight Rider" TV show, but we've got a new detail from Variety magazine. According to the magazine all about having a great plethora of stuff, NBC's tapped Doug Liman to produce the new "Knight Rider" TV show. Liman's recent executive production exploits have included "The Bourne Ultimatum" as well as Fox's "Arrested Development." But what's reall interesting is Liman's being tapped to

"produce a "Transformers"-inspired reworking of the 1980s hit action-drama series."

What the heck does that mean — will K.I.T.T. transform? Oh wait, there's more:

Success of "Transformers" had a role in inspiring NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman's decision to revive "Knight." The thinking is that smallscreen f/x have advanced to the point where it'd be feasible to have a weekly series in which cars shift shapes.

It's also likely the new show will explore the idea of "evil" cars to offset the heroic talking K.I.T.T. car of the original skein, which starred David Hasselhoff. That said, skein is expected to essentially remain focused on the story of a single man fighting for justice with the help of his superadvanced car.

There's also huge potential for advertiser integration. General Motors was all over "Transformers," and it's easy to see NBC striking a rich deal with a single automaker to serve as the exclusive auto brand for the new "Knight." It's understood preliminary talks have already begun.

We should've known — by calling it "Transformers"-like, they mean it's merchandisable. Wonderful. Why do we fear that K.I.T.T. will end up being a Dodge Challenger or a new Hyundai Tiburon. Oy. [via Variety]