Patricia McPherson Breaks Her Silence About ‘Knight Rider’ in New Five-Part Documentary
What To Know
- Patricia McPherson, who played Bonnie Barstow on Knight Rider, discusses her departure and return to the series.
- A new documentary features over three hours of new interviews with McPherson, as well as appearances from other cast and crew.
For Knight Rider fans, Patricia McPherson‘s Bonnie Barstow was an important part of Michael Knight’s (David Hasselhoff) team. The gifted technician kept K.I.T.T. running and frequently worried about the way Michael treated the high-tech Trans Am. But when the series returned for its second season, Bonnie was gone, and Rebecca Holden‘s April Curtis had taken her place.
McPherson returned as Bonnie for Seasons 3 and 4, but questions about her absence have continued for more than four decades. Now, she is discussing the experience in Knight Rider: Declassified, an upcoming five-part, five-hour documentary about the making and lasting popularity of the original series.
According to the filmmakers, McPherson spent more than three hours in front of the camera discussing her time on Knight Rider. The interview covers her departure after the first season, the circumstances surrounding her return, and her experience playing a character who remains beloved by fans.
“Patricia gave us more than three hours in front of the camera and shared stories I had never heard before,” producer Rocco DeVilliers said in a press release. “Patricia has an intelligence, authenticity, and wonderful sense of humor that comes through in such a refreshingly honest way. Fans are going to immediately recognize so much of what they loved about Bonnie Barstow.”
The documentary, which has been in production for three years, also includes newly filmed interviews with Hasselhoff, William Daniels, Rebecca Holden, Peter Parros, Catherine Hickland, writer and producer Steven E. de Souza, composer Don Peake, K.I.T.T. designer Michael Scheffe and members of the show’s stunt and production teams. It will explore everything from the creation of K.I.T.T. and the show’s stunt work to the behind-the-scenes challenges faced during its four-season run.
McPherson largely left acting behind in the early 1990s and turned her attention to environmental advocacy. As early as 1992, the Los Angeles Times reported on her work to protect Southern California’s Ballona Wetlands. She later founded the Grassroots Coalition and has continued working on conservation and environmental issues.
Knight Rider: Declassified is currently targeting a Christmas 2026 release. Limited-edition preorder benefits, including collector packages and a limited number of prints signed by McPherson, are available through Aug. 2, 2026, or while supplies last.
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