Forever Knight

Forever Knight was a Canadian-American television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a detective in modern day Toronto. Nicholas is an unlikely vampire and an even unlikelier civil servant, seeking to repay society for his sins.

Related Topics:
Canadian - American - Television - Vampire - Toronto

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The series originated as a 1989 CBS television movie, Nick Knight, with Rick Springfield playing the title character. In 1992, CBS began broadcasting the series as part of its “Crimetime After Primetime” lineup, with a new name and with Geraint Wyn Davies now playing Nick Knight. This casting change would prove integral to the success of the show and of the chemistry shared among an impressive pool of acting talent.

Related Topics:
CBS - Rick Springfield - Geraint Wyn Davies

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Nicholas De Brabant’s life is one of profound struggle. He is at constant odds with the nature of who he is (a monster, a natural predator), and his unending quest to be human again. His desires (both carnal and humanitarian) seem to equally get the best of him. Helping him achieve his mortality is Dr. Natalie Lambert (Catherine Disher), a medical examiner who accidentally discovers the truth about Nick and vows to help him. Through the series there evolves a budding (albeit forbidden for obvious reasons) romance between Nick and Natalie, constantly complicated by the presence of Nick’s vampire family who are never far from him.

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The beautiful vampire Janette du Charme (Deborah Duchene) is a very powerful influence over Nick, for they are not only bound by their very natures but by their master and their quite literal eternal love for one another. While Nick might love Natalie for her mortality and her tireless devotion to his cause, Nick loves Janette for their deep abiding history and almost preternatural bond. Janette is also a “safe” way for Nick to indulge his vampire urges.

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The most powerful force in Nick’s life, however, is Lucien LaCroix (Nigel Bennett), the vampire master who brought both Nicholas and Janette across. Nick both hates and loves LaCroix, despising him for bringing him into a life of darkness but also bound by an unshakable loyalty to him. While Janette might be mildly amused by Nick’s desire to be human, LaCroix fosters no such tolerance. LaCroix not only thwarts every attempt Nick makes to achieve his goal, he mocks his quest with cold derision. LaCroix wants nothing more than for Nick to leave the world of the living and unite with his “family” once more.

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Adding delightful comic relief and a refreshing counterpoint to Wyn Davies’ Knight, Nick’s season one and two partner Don Schanke (John Kapelos) is an outrageous, crude, yet charming character. Much of the success of Nick’s “mortal” development can be attributed to his annoying yet beloved “Schank,” as Schanke’s happy-go-lucky, no-nonsense approach to life often shadows Nick’s permanent melancholy. It is important to note that Kapelos was the only actor from the pilot to carry over into the series.

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In the third and final season, the character of Schanke was written off and replaced with a female partner by the name of Tracy Vetter (Lisa Ryder). Ryder’s character was suprisingly multifaceted, for during the course of the season she herself discovers the truth about vampires and falls in love with a young vampire (Javier Vachon) played by Ben Bass.

Related Topics:
Lisa Ryder - Ben Bass

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While Forever Knight always had a devoted fanbase, it was more of a cult phenomenon and not a commercial success. On several occasions its cancellation was announced only to be rescinded by protest campaigns from its fans. In another example of fan effort, Forever Knight is currently being released on DVD, with seasons one and two already in stores. While season one is a “no frills” release, season two boasts many extras in the form of commentaries, interview and featurette, much to the delight of FK’s fans.

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One unusual aspect of this show was that it was syndicated in several countries and many episodes were filmed with different length versions to accommodate local broadcasting schedules. In addition, some scenes featuring nudity were shown overseas but cut from the American and Canadian broadcasts.

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After a summer run on CBS, the show lasted for three seasons in first-run syndication and was later re-run on the SciFi Channel.

Related Topics:
Syndication - SciFi Channel

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There have been three novels written based on the series: A Stirring of Dust by Susan Sizemore, Intimations of Mortality by Susan Garrett, and These Our Revels by Anne Hathaway Nayne. Because of their scarcity, all three books are considered collector’s items.

Related Topics:
Susan Sizemore - Susan Garrett - Anne Hathaway Nayne

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Forever Knight was voted number 23 in TV Guide’s Top 25 Cult TV Shows of All Time special issue, May 2004.

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