In September 2007, NBC announced that it was producing a two-hour backdoor pilot for a new Knight Rider series.
The show would star Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, and feature Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT. Reports later revealed that the car itself would be a Ford Shelby GT500KR Mustang.
During Monday Night Football on December 24, 2007, a 15-second trailer premiered, which revealed the car's outer shell covered by a white sheet. Fast cuts of the interior followed, and the new Knight Rider logo was shown over a clip of the car speeding away from camera.
The pilot aired on February 17, 2008.