Why wasn't Bonnie in season 2?
But then back again for seasons 3 and 4? Was that ever explained?
sharePatricia McPherson was fired after the first season and replaced with Rebecca Holden to add more sex appeal to the show. David Hasselhoff was unhappy with the change and lobbied the producers to hire McPherson back. McPherson returned in the third season.
shareFired because your bosses didn't think you were hot enough. Ouch.
http://www.freewebs.com/demonictoys/
i'm sure that still happens today, but they just don't SAY that's the real reason.
I'm sure weather-presenters go through this.
"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"
I think to simply hurl out a "sexist" accusation because one prefers Holden to McPherson is as bad as liking Holden only because she was more beautiful. To me, Holden is a better presence and a better actress based on seeing her in more outside KR roles whereas I've never seen McPherson in anything outside KR. The one time Bonnie got a much bigger front and center role in the Theodore Bikel episode I think it was, she just didn't demonstrate that she could handle that big a load, whereas Holden I felt was more capable.
I have seen other instances where replacing an actress with someone more beautiful can backfire (heck, I never liked Julia Duffy on "Newhart!") but IMO this wasn't one of those cases. If you'd rather believe that's just knee-jerk sexism in action go right ahead but not every one who prefers April to Bonnie starts from that premise.
David Hasselhoff was unhappy with the change
I don't think that statement is entirely accurate.
I also heard the Edward Mulhare was part of the fight too...
However, it was all about Patricia McPherson being fired, not so much about the "Change" itself, since I have never heard that ANY of the Season 2 cast had troubles with working with each other.
Negative Fan mail may have had something to do with it too, since so many refer to April today, as "Fake" Bonnie... Which is really not fair and not nice to say. Both Rebecca Holden and April Curtis, are nice people that are just different.
When Season 3 Came along, it was one or the other...
It's a shame that Rebecca/April could not have stayed on as part of the show every so often.
April seemed to be more like Devon's "Secretary" at times, then Bonnie ever was. And I have heard others refer to Season Two as the "April Factor". April seemed to have a major tie with research and development, than Bonnie ever did, except when it came to "Super Pursuit Mode". Think about how many things were being tested on KITT in Season Two, that never lasted past that episode, and April was always pushing Michael to risk his and KITT life to test out those prototypes, before their assignment needed the actual use of it... There was not so much of this in other seasons. Bonnie usually came in to the Semi with the gadget mostly finished already, she just needed to install it, or simply fine tune it. Bonnie seemed to be more of a Mechanic.
Plenty of room for both, at least occasionally...
Given all the new gadgets that April had each new episode, I think she was the "Un-Seen" head of research and development in "Season One" and took over for Bonnie in "Season Two". Who knows where she went after that.
At least a Half Season with both should have happened. I am ticked, that April never had exit from the show. Just forgotten.
Would have been nice if KITT had be severely damaged. April Needed Help. Bonnie came back to assist. KITT was rebuilt. Bonnie Stays. April goes back to Research and Development, but Rebecca Holden could have provided here singing talents to April in an episode or two there after, where they need April to go undercover as a female singer and April eventually leaves to have a music career... But NO...
Some shows like to occasionally forget about those that kept the show going in times of crisis.
If you are familiar with The Dukes Of Hazzard, at least the unfavorable fill-in Duke Boys: Coy & Vance, shared about a genuine 15 minute farewell and screen time with Bo & Luke, when they came back from their year of sudden "hiatus"., but when Bo & Luke "left" that year earlier, there were noted as having left... share
I liked April better than Bonnie, not that Bonnie was bad, I just prefer April, she was so beautiful, my goodness.
shareI preferred April too. Rebecca Holden had far more going for her in terms of beauty, presence and yes, talent as well because to be honest Patricia McPherson was just not a good actress and didn't really add much to the episodes.
shareAw, poor Patricia! I think both actresses brought different qualities to the role, but Bonnie actually seemed to care about the other characters - she was part of the Foundation 'family'. April was smart and glamorous, but never really 'belonged', imo - she experimented on Kitt, competed with Michael, and was far better suited to dressing in a pussy bow blouse and pencil skirt for the office rather than practical clothes for the garage/R+D lab. I love season two, but I always imagine how certain key episodes - Goliath, Soul Survivor - would have played out with Bonnie over April.
"Tony, if you talk that rubbish, I shall be forced to punch your head" - Lord Tony's Wife, Orczy
Yeah.. me thinks people liking 'R&D Bonnie 2.0' aren't being sincere that she is their 'bedroom fantasy choice' and hardly wired to get their hands dirty for a show like Knight Rider. Beauty doesn't mean someone fits the role, *rolls eyes*... that is just so sexist.
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