Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: Crooked valet attendants caught in Los Angeles]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/02/video-crooked-valet-attendants-caught-in-los-angeles/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/02/video-crooked-valet-attendants-caught-in-los-angeles/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/02/video-crooked-valet-attendants-caught-in-los-angeles/#commentsFiled under: ,

Click above to watch the video after the jump

It's tough to find a parking spot in Los Angeles, but luckily there are plenty of valets to park your ride for you. The cost ranges from just a few bucks to $20 or more, but when there are places to go, people to see and deadlines to meet, the cost of parking is often better than spending the better part of your afternoon looking for a spot yourself. The problem is, more and more locations have been designated as loading zones and the public parking spaces have been shrinking. The interesting part about this is that the city of Los Angeles itself hasn't been adding the zones - but a bunch of unscrupulous valets have been.

NBC Los Angeles spent a year digging up dirt, and the investigative reporting of the network's Ana Garcia found valets who got into accidents with cars, shuttled co-workers to other spots in customer cars and put up cones and signs illegally. The local NBC affiliate also had cameras rolling as valets parked in front of expired meters, received tickets and didn't tell the car owners. In all, NBC LA and the city's Department of Transportation found over 80 fraudulent loading zone signs, and even after some of the signs were removed, they were back up the next night.

Hit the jump to watch the seven minute video. The investigative journalism is excellent, and the expressions on the faces of the valet workers as they are caught up in lie after lie are priceless. The only bummer is that NBC LA didn't put some cameras in the cars to see if the valets swiped things from people's cars.

[Source: NBC Los Angeles via Consumerist]

Continue reading VIDEO: Crooked valet attendants caught in Los Angeles

VIDEO: Crooked valet attendants caught in Los Angeles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>conciergecrooked valetCrookedValetLA ParkingLaParkinglos angelesLosAngelesnbcnbc laNbcLaparking serviceparking servicesParkingServiceParkingServicesvaletvalet parkingvalet standValetParkingValetStandFri, 02 Oct 2009 14:27:00 EST<![CDATA[NBC passes on Top Gear USA, show going to cable]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/11/nbc-passes-on-top-gear-usa-show-going-to-cable/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/11/nbc-passes-on-top-gear-usa-show-going-to-cable/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/11/nbc-passes-on-top-gear-usa-show-going-to-cable/#commentsFiled under:



According to the Colonial arm of Top Gear's website, the U.S. version of everyone's favorite motoring show has been passed up by NBC. The report doesn't go into any detail about why the Peacock people said, "Thanks. But no thanks" to the show, but the BBC is supposedly actively pursuing a cable network to air the series. We're tapping our sources inside Top Gear, NBC and the assorted media to get the full story, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: According to an entertainment industry source, NBC didn't "pass" on the program so much as it decided to sit on Top Gear as it hashed out the network's future. The BBC was able to get the program "back" so it could bring it to another channel. We'll see...

[Source: Top Gear]

NBC passes on Top Gear USA, show going to cable originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcablecancelscancels top gearCancelsTopGearnbcnbc cancels top gearNbcCancelsTopGearpassestop gearTopGearThu, 11 Dec 2008 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Knight Rider: The Liveblog -- Season 1, Episode 6]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/05/knight-rider-the-liveblog-season-1-episode-6/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/05/knight-rider-the-liveblog-season-1-episode-6/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/05/knight-rider-the-liveblog-season-1-episode-6/#commentsFiled under:



Oh, you thought it was over, didn't you? Well, you (and I) should be so lucky. Last week, Knight Rider was pre-empted by the Obamercial, so your humble blog host got a much-appreciated bye. Tonight, however, the 8:00 hour on Wednesday is once again hijacked by the KITT crew.

The official NBC.com episode synopsis:
"Knight of the Living Dead" Halloween turns deadly when a tech is murdered inside Knight Industries headquarters.

And the expanded version, according to my Tivo:
"Knight of the Living Dead" A tech is murdered at Knight Industries headquarters; while they are stuck on a flight during a storm, Sarah and Mike must try to stop KITT before it self-destructs.

Oh, goody -- a week-too-late Halloween episode featuring problematic air travel. On the upside, maybe Billy is the tech who gets murdered. Keep hope alive.

Continue reading Knight Rider: The Liveblog -- Season 1, Episode 6

Knight Rider: The Liveblog -- Season 1, Episode 6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>episode 6Episode6featuredkittknight riderknight rider liveblogKnightRiderKnightRiderLiveblogliveblognbcseason 1Season1Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Knight Rider gets picked up for full season]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/21/knight-rider-gets-picked-up-for-full-season/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/21/knight-rider-gets-picked-up-for-full-season/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/21/knight-rider-gets-picked-up-for-full-season/#commentsFiled under:



Oh dear. E! is reporting that the Peacock has ordered up nine more episodes of Knight Rider, meaning that NBC has locked in the show for a full season, and thanks to our inexplicably popular Knight Rider Liveblog, my Wednesday nights are effectively booked between 8 and 9 PM Eastern for the foreseeable future. The show's viewership grew last week by 900,000 and it's doing well with crap-tolerant males in the 18-34 and 18-49 demos, so this isn't all that surprising. Imagine what the numbers would be like if the show were actually any good...

Anyway, see you during Wednesday night's liveblog (and, it seems, a bunch more after that).

[Sources: E! Online via TV By the Numbers]

Knight Rider gets picked up for full season originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>full seasonfull season pickupFullSeasonFullSeasonPickupknight riderKnightRidernbcTue, 21 Oct 2008 10:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Top Gear pilot: That's a wrap!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/27/top-gear-pilot-thats-a-wrap/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/27/top-gear-pilot-thats-a-wrap/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/27/top-gear-pilot-thats-a-wrap/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Filming for the NBC pilot for Top Gear has wrapped. Speculation about the show's format and hosting choices has left Top Gear fans hoping for at least a decent representation of the popular British show. Some of those prayers may be answered , as NBC brought in a number of BBC folks, along with the original Top Gear producer, the assist in the pilot's taping. The show follows the BBC version's format, right down to the set details. Also, as noted earlier, the "star in a reasonably priced car" segment gets carried over. However, the driver might come as a bit of a surprise (a really awesome surprise, at that). The signature top-notch video production viewers expect is there, though it must be said that the geography of the United States offers a richer variety of visual possibilities than you might be accustomed to seeing on Jeremy & Co.'s show.

One key to the BBC Top Gear's is the camraderie between the presenters. As such, it's probably a little unfair to compare the Top Gear of today, 11 seasons in, to a crew just coming together for the first time. Still, Carolla, Foust and Stromer are off to a good start. Their interactions during taped segments were wildly entertaining, enough to distract the show's own crew members from their tasks. Each host fits into his own role, but not the exact molds laid out by Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow. Carolla's razor-sharp wit is on full display. Causing at least one member of the audience to say, "That is the most funny Adam Carolla has ever been." Foust is also not made out to be anything more than a total car geek -- his true personality. His enthusiasm may be too technical for general consumption on its own, but it's perfectly complimented by Carolla's blunt comedy. Stromer doesn't fare nearly as well. Before the live audience, he comes across as if he were presenting a sales pitch to a room full of prospective timeshare buyers. Hopefully, he'll adapt his field mannerisms, which are far more easygoing, into his studio presence in the future. That is, if the show has a future on American television.

Top Gear pilot: That's a wrap! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Adam CorollaAdamCorollaEric StromerEricStromerNBCTanner FoustTannerFoustTop GearTop Gear USATopGearTopGearUsaSun, 27 Jul 2008 09:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Knight Rider promotion shifts into high gear]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/15/knight-rider-promotion-shifts-into-high-gear/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/15/knight-rider-promotion-shifts-into-high-gear/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/15/knight-rider-promotion-shifts-into-high-gear/#commentsFiled under: ,


click above for more new high-res images of KITT

As we all know, Knight Rider will be returning to television this Sunday at 9PM EST on NBC. The new Michael Knight played by Justin Bruening and his car companion KITT, voiced by Val Kilmer, made an appearance on the Today Show this morning (disclaimer: the Today Show is also an NBC program) to promote the mini-movie that will eventually become a full series next fall. Bruening reveals a bit more about the story we'll be watching this Sunday, some of which we already knew and a few new bits. His character is playing the estranged son of the original Michael Knight, a role that will be reprised by David Hasselhoff himself in the movie, though the new Mike Knight is unaware the guy standing next to him with the same name is his dad. Bruening also reveals the loophole that supposedly fills in the 25-year gap between the original series and the new one, which is that the original writers never identified KITT's inventor. OK, well we'll have to see how that one plays out. Ford, meanwhile, which paid a pretty penny to have the GT500KR Mustang play the part of nuevo KITT, has released three more photos of the Knight Industries car, which make lovely desktop wallpaper backgrounds if you're a true fan. We'll decide our degree of fanboyosity after we watch the movie this weekend.

Gallery: The new KITT - OFFICIAL PHOTOS


[Source: Jalopnik, Ford]

Knight Rider promotion shifts into high gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david hasselhoffDavidHasselhofffordgt500krjustin brueningJustinBrueningkittknight riderKnightRidermichael knightMichaelKnightnbcFri, 15 Feb 2008 11:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumormill: Leno or Seinfeld could host NBC <i>Top Gear</i>]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/31/rumormill-leno-or-seinfeld-could-host-nbc-i-top-gear-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/31/rumormill-leno-or-seinfeld-could-host-nbc-i-top-gear-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/31/rumormill-leno-or-seinfeld-could-host-nbc-i-top-gear-i/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you found the news that NBC had struck a deal for an American version of Top Gear promising, the latest speculation on candidates for hosting the show should have you salivating. The original British program on the BBC uses a mix of automotive journalists and television personalities to make the dynamic and beloved team of hosts. Since Clarkson, May and Hammond nixed the idea of hosting the American show as well, BBC producers then began interviewing American automotive journalists - um, I'm still waiting for my call - in an effort to imbue the new show with some "journalistic credibility", but Inside Line reports that the BBC called several of the candidates this week and told them they were taking a "celebrity direction".

The development has inevitably led to speculation over who NBC could sign to host the show, and like a racing team looking for a new driver, it all comes down to availability. Jay Leno's contract to host the Tonight Show, it has been pointed out, is set to expire next year, and his credentials as a certified car nut are unimpeachable. Another candidate is Jerry Seinfed, an avid Porsche enthusiast who's got a lot of time on his hands since his sitcom went off the air. Both are huge celebrities and genuine gear-heads with long-standing relationships with NBC. We also hear Scott Speed is available if they're looking for The Stig's American cousin... or a new Captain Slow.

[Source: Inside Line, Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty]

Rumormill: Leno or Seinfeld could host NBC Top Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american top gearAmericanTopGearbbccelebrity hosts top gearCelebrityHostsTopGearjay leno top gearJayLenoTopGearjerry seinfeld top gearJerrySeinfeldTopGearnbctop gearTopGearUS Top GearUsTopGearThu, 31 Jan 2008 08:33:00 EST<![CDATA[NBC officially announces Knight Rider, new KITT unveiled!]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/12/nbc-officially-announces-knight-rider-new-k-i-t-t-unveiled/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/12/nbc-officially-announces-knight-rider-new-k-i-t-t-unveiled/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/12/nbc-officially-announces-knight-rider-new-k-i-t-t-unveiled/#commentsFiled under: ,

UPDATE: TV Squad has live coverage of the unveiling.

click either image for high-res gallery of the new KITT on Knight Rider

NBC held a press conference today officially announcing the return of Knight Rider to network TV. The new show will debut as a two-hour movie on February 17th with a cast that includes Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison. Also confirmed is the return of David Hasselhoff in the role of an elder Michael Knight. Finally, the character we care about most, KITT, has been officially confirmed as a Ford GT500KR. The voice of KITT will also be none other than Will Arnett, husband of Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler and ex-alum of the TV show Arrested Development.

There will actually be three versions of KITT in the show: a 540-hp standard version of the character named KITT Hero, a super high-speed version that's heavily modified for combat called KITT Attack (click here to view his body changes), and a driverless version called KITT Remote. According to NBC, KITT in the modern era is a supercomputer capable of hacking anything that plugs into a wall, and thanks to progress made in the area of nanotechnology, its body can shift both its shape and color.

Follow the jump for the official press release from NBC, including a brief rundown of the premier's storyline.

[Source: NBC]

Gallery: The new KITT - OFFICIAL PHOTOS

Continue reading NBC officially announces Knight Rider, new KITT unveiled!

NBC officially announces Knight Rider, new KITT unveiled! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdavid hasselhoffDavidHasselhoffKITTKITT GT500KRKITT MustangKittGt500krKittMustangknight riderKnightRiderNBCWed, 12 Dec 2007 14:56:00 EST<![CDATA[What's old is new: Knight Rider returning to TV]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/28/knight-rider-returning-to-tv-sans-the-wendys/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/28/knight-rider-returning-to-tv-sans-the-wendys/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/28/knight-rider-returning-to-tv-sans-the-wendys/#commentsFiled under: ,

The original Knight Rider only lasted four seasons, but after seeing the monumental success of Transformers, executives at NBC think a new KITT would make a big splash on the small screen. Veteran producer/director (and David Hasselhoff sorta-lookalike) Doug Liman, has already been tapped to produce the series, and execs from the Peacock are working with automakers to line up a product-placement deal.

If all goes well, we could see Knight Rider part deux next fall, but at this time there's no director attached (though Liman, who has directed hits like Swingers and The Bourne Identity, is reportedly open to the idea of helming the 2-hour pilot himself). Casting the Michael Knight character will surely generate much interest and speculation, and we're curious to see who Liman ultimately taps for the role. As for the Hoff himself, there's no indication he'll be a part of the series, but we think it wouldn't be the same without him. Wait... it might actually be better. We imagine that with this TV revival moving forward, the rumored big-screen adaptation is dead.

Thanks for the tip, Alex!

[Source: Variety]

What's old is new: Knight Rider returning to TV originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BaywatchDavid HasselhoffDavidHasselhoffdoug limandoug liman knight riderDougLimanDougLimanKnightRiderKnight Riderknight rider fall 2008knight rider remakeknight rider revivalknight rider tvKnightRiderKnightRiderFall2008KnightRiderRemakeKnightRiderRevivalKnightRiderTvNBCFri, 28 Sep 2007 09:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: 'Bugatti' badly bungled by blatantly bird-brained broadcaster]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/25/video-bugatti-badly-bungled-by-blatantly-bird-brained-broadca/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/25/video-bugatti-badly-bungled-by-blatantly-bird-brained-broadca/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/25/video-bugatti-badly-bungled-by-blatantly-bird-brained-broadca/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Alright, so "Bugatti Veyron" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue for those not automotively inclined, but c'mon... "Beuagatty Vuyrohn?" In addition to being laughably old news, journalist Gina Redmond goes one better by butchering the supercar's model and manufacturer name in the course of her NBC-13 Birmingham broadcast. In the words of tipster Speed42, "...sounds like they're now producing the cars in a small Louisiana town by a bunch of highly-skilled Cajun mechanics." 

We shudder to think what Redmond would've uttered when faced with the likes of a Lamborghini Murcielago.

[Source: WVTM NBC 13 via YouTube]

Video: 'Bugatti' badly bungled by blatantly bird-brained broadcaster originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BugattiCajunLamborghiniMurcielagoNBCNews BroadcastNewsBroadcastVeyronWVTMTue, 25 Apr 2006 17:03:00 EST<![CDATA[NBC's Dateline trolling for racism and religious intolerance in NASCAR?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/11/nbcs-dateline-trolling-for-racism-and-religious-intolerance-in/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/11/nbcs-dateline-trolling-for-racism-and-religious-intolerance-in/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/11/nbcs-dateline-trolling-for-racism-and-religious-intolerance-in/#commentsFiled under: , ,

NBC's Dateline has been looking to compile an episode on anti-Muslim attitudes here in the United States, and to kick things off, the news program decided to take "Muslim-looking men" and a camera crew into the Martinsville NASCAR event. We're not quite sure what the goal of this was, but you'll have to excuse us if we don't believe that they were simply expecting a friendly and accommodating environment. Fortunately for NASCAR, motorsports, and tolerant people everwhere, no incidents were reported.

NASCAR has since fired back at the network, stating that the actions of the Dateline crew were "outrageous" and that the network should be "ashamed." NBC is in the final year of an agreement to air a portion of NASCAR's events, and presumably this incident could be brought up during contract negotiations.

While Dateline has done many fine reports in the past, the program is arguably best known to auto enthusiasts as the organization that used pyrotechnics in 1993 to stage fires in an effort to demonstrate safety problems with side-saddle fuel tanks used on GM full-size trucks.

[Source: The Associated Press via AOL News]

NBC's Dateline trolling for racism and religious intolerance in NASCAR? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Apr 2006 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DatelineFull-size truckFull-sizeTruckGeneral MotorsGeneralMotorsGMintoleranceMartinsvilleMotorsportsMuslimNASCARNBCNextel CupNextelCupraceracingracismReligiousToleranceWinston CupWinstonCupTue, 11 Apr 2006 11:56:00 EST