Forever Knight

I could start by saying that this is by no means the rum of the mill vampire show. It predates "Buffy" and shows a different side of the vampire, one we are more accustomed to from Anne Rice's novels.



Nick Knight, homicide detective. A repenting vampire, seeking to repay society for his previous sins, a quest that gets him into trouble time and time again.



Trouble arises not only from his vampiric sire, Lacroix, who would do anything to keep him in the fold, from his fellow vampire companion, Janette, but also from Dr. Natalie Lambert, department coroner, who is determined to help Nick become mortal again. In the process, feelings that amount to more than friendship arise between Nick and Natalie, but the vampire cop hesitates to act upon his love for fear of destroying that which he finds to be the most precious thing that she possess. Her mortality.



The intricate relationships woven between the characters give the show its unique flavour. The dangers of exposure as a vampire through the work at the precinct next to his quirky, garlic eating human partner Don Schanke, a manipulative Lacroix and the beautiful Janette all serve to provide the show not only with a tension that brings you to the edge of your seat but also with a depth rarely found on TV nowadays.



Expect to be lured into this exquisitely built world of action, forensics and crime solving, all with a vampiric touch, and hit with questions of morality, of right and wrong, but also with a special brand of humour and romantic moments to fuel your fantasy.

Ah, Forever Knight. There are so many things I like about this show that I find it hard to begin.



1) Vampires. Always liked them but I usually (about 90%of the time)find vampire movies or TV shows unwatchable. And yes, throw stones if you, like I'll stand by what I say, that includes Buffy and Angel. The mere concept of vampires lends itself easily to ridicule (the bats, capes, ridiculous accents etc). It needs sensible writing and extremely good acting to make it work for me. That is where shows like Angel had their greatest handicap - good acting. Forever Knight had brilliant actors for the leading parts (some not so good ones for the guest or minor parts, I admit)and it mostly dealt not with supernatural topics aside from the premise of the show, but with core values of human life: love, death, guilt, acceptance. The question of what it means to be human. And it showed vampires as conflicted characters whereas in other shows/films they are rather flat caricatures.



2) Low key. That was probably unintentional since the show was shot on an extremely tight budget. That's why I suspect we would have gotten all those spiffy special effects had there been more money. But I am glad that the show concentrated on other things and got rid of the cheesy flight scenes early on. I'm not a fan of FX because they easily take something away from the telling of the story.

So the main focus in FK was on the characters and the acting and I think this is what makes it attractive even ten years after it was cancelled. 3) Acting, good acting, brilliant acting! 4)Audience. At least at the beginning FK seemed to have been taylored for a more mature audience. This changed with season 3 as the execs tried to gain the attention of young males (hence the neck of the week, the cute blonde sidekick etc)and this destroyed the show. It was still better than most other stuff I've seen. And this is also another reason why I don't like Angel/Buffy - they were written for teenagers.

...then they could bring back these wonderful series that were canceled well before their time.

Forever Knight hooked me on the genre. This was a really well done story, again with a cast that gelled and played off each other with exciting and suspenseful performances.

I like that is survived for three years against the odds too, because its three seasons were not back-to-back: there were breaks in between but it just would not die, and for good reason.

I loved Geraint Wyn Davies as "Nick Knight" and he does still does guest appearances on TV here in Canada (latest, "Murdoch Mysteries") as well as stage in Stratford Ont. Nigel Bennett was deliciously chilling as "Lacroix", and its nice to see him in a steady role on Canada's "Border". Deborah Duchene was the perfect "middle vamp" between the two main characters; "Janette" was just cool as ice as a character.

Must pull out these DVD's this weekend and have myself a marathon, and wish on a star for some other network(s) with vision!

I very much enjoy "Forever Knight" and all the characters have a good grasp on the series. My favorite character in the series is "Lucien La Croix" played by "Nigel Bennett". The thing that is very annoying to me is that when there is a serious vampire series that is brought to television the broadcasting companies axes it. But when a silly or unrealistic series like "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" "Angel" or such they keep going on and on and on. But shows like "Forever Knight" "Moonlight" and "Kindred: The Embraced" that portray vampires in a serious role they get terminated. I hate that.

This show that came out in the early 90's was brilliant in the way it dealt with what had been a very poorly handle subject on TV in the past. This is a show that was before Buffy and before many of the more modern vampire tales like Moonlight that was clever, well written, and well acted. In a way Moonlight was sort of a offshoot of this show in a lot of ways with a lot more production value and money thrown at it. The makeup and effects were good for their time and the overall feel of the show was solid.



If I had any criticism it would be that the lighting was a little dark, but considering the subject matter I won't hold that against them.



This series is a classic and can be watched over and over again. I think I have gone back and seen it on VHS (need to buy the DVD's) a few times since it was first on. The cast was great especially Detective Donald Schanke played by character actor John Kapelos, Dr, Natalie Lambert Nick's human love interest played by Catherine Disher, and of course Detective Nick Knight played by Geraint Wyn Davies. Of special note was Lucien LaCroix played by Nigel Bennett who played both Nick's friend and his nemesis depending on the circumstance. I always loved his voice over and the music at the beginning of the episodes.



From a budgetary standpoint you got the feeling they cut costs here and there at times, but the acting was excellent and the scripts pretty good in general. The show dealt with a vampire and humans in a world where vampires didn't exist from the humans standpoint, but the main female character and later Nick's 3rd season partner Tracy Vetter played by Lisa Ryder were aware of vampires existence. Sort of similar to Moonlight in that sense, but Nick's a Police Detective with an "aversion to sunlight illness" and Mick was a Private Investigator so he didn't have to explain himself.



Overall I would recommend this show as one to pick up and view from the very start. I think you will be pleased and surprised by the show in general and enjoy it.



Thanks for reading...

I was disappointed almost every week because the situations and the plot itself could have carried so much more in the writing. It was as if they were simply always missing the boat by the last second and it didn't get carried far enough. The set up was there. The emotions could have been there but instead of a complex show that it could have been it was rather like a comic book based for 5 year olds when it should have been playing to teens. The changes to the original movie reminded me of the Star Trek commentary by Roddenberry when he said they told him to Get rid of the woman, no one would believe she was in charge of anything and while he was at it, get rid of the guy with the ears. They took a complex plot and instead of playing it so it could be read complex or simple, they turned it into a bad comic book. I have to keep remembering exactly how smart Networks think the viewer really is.

This was a great show still blows my mind that this was on CBS this was back when CBS was still willing to take changes on a new different series especially with the supernatural. Nowadays, their lineup consists of the routine comedy sitcom and of crime drama like NCIS and CSI.



First got to disagree with the last review, the special effects weren't awful they were what they had at the time. Actually I think the effects were good given the budget. There are not that many differences here. You can still see Knight hover the sky and locate his victims or villains accomplished by slick movie editing. You also see him crashing through windows and other obstacles. In light of this you have to give credit for them doing the best they had with what they had..



The flashbacks were good too before there was LOST, shows like Highlander The Series and Forever Knight did many flashbacks. These flashbacks weren't cheap and I'am venturing to guess this is what ate up a lot of the budget: Lavish sets, expensive costumes and props. In fact this show reminds me of Highlander Series more than Buffy and Angel many years ahead so Forever Knight did a lot of things that does didn't do with the big difference being that it was directed from my view at a more adult audience. Buffy was definitely aimed at a younger audience while Angel having the success of Buffy could do a much more Adult show although both did have their fair share of adult episode. We see Nick adapting to the way of being a mortal and him fighting of the temptation to revert back to his old ways.



There was no failure as far as the storyline goes as the story itself was enough to get you and those great flashback. Nick is faced with many dilemnas: Should he kill those that deserved to be killed or should he having vampire powers exact his own vengeance?



The guy is madly in love with Natalie the medical examiner but since she is a mortal that poses a big problem. Natalie tries her best to find a scientific cure for Nick (while Angel tried more of a supernatural force). Also the changes in captain didn't hurt the show, the captains were at best, secondary captains with limited influence. One or times the cases got personal but mainly this was Nick Knight's show.



The vampire change was good, again remember that this was 1992, so I don't know what other who criticize the show were expecting. The guy showed his fangs and his face changed, that's all it takes for a transformation and they did that right.



Of course, you'd wish they had a bigger budget so Nick's full power could be shown more but you learn to accept it.

However, the stories are always entertaining and intense: My favorites have to be "Be My Valentine", "Blind Faith",

"False Witness", "The Fix", and "Unreality Tv" to name a few.



We also got great stars like Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), and David Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis) way before they became famous here in the states.



It does have the reputation for having one of the worst endings for a good series in history but once you read the story behind the scenes it's not surprising that the ending they eventually went is what we got.



Still "Forever Knight" will remain a cult classic.

The special effects were awful, but the premise was great. The episode by episode flashback that tied the current experience to the past experience was a wonderful idea. This is what all our lives are about. We are not a moment in time--we are all a product of our experience. If a being were to live 800 years, 1000 years, 2000 years, we would approach each instant in time with the entire knowledge of our past. The fact that Forever Knight acknowledged that and used that was wonderful.



Their failure was in the development of the modern day storyline (family line-make us care) by having 3 years, and 3 different captains and 2 different partners. Having the sire come in and leave his life so she isn't a constant presence.



And of course, the vampire "change" was atrocious. I don't believe anyone has done that correctly, but this one was the worst I have seen to date.



I would highly recommend Forever Knight, just be prepared to laugh at the feeding and "bringing over" scenes. They just look demented.

I felt the first season started out very slow. It actually took me awhile to get into it and it wasn't until about half-way through. At that point I had discovered episodes like "Only the Lonely", "I Will Repay", and "Unreality TV." The first two add some much needed drama to the Nick and Natalie love story by involving her brother along with showing some back story into how they met. "Unreality TV" brought the humor, with Schanke hamming it up for the tv cameras. Another aspect that drew me into the series was how well the flashbacks were incorporated into each episode. That is my favorite part of each episode because I get to see Lacroix, who oozes with villainy and coolness at the same time.



Season Two was a huge step up from the first. The first seemed to have a gap between good episodes, while the second have very few poor episodes. I read that the show had been gone for a year, which actually may have helped the series. The writing was fresh and you could tell that they really knew the characters. Some of my favorites are: "The Fix", "Be My Valentine", "Curiouser and Curiouser", and "Near Death."



I still have yet to see the third (and final) season. I've heard some bad things about it. However I'm sure I will enjoy it anyways. As long as it contains the usual, awesome Lacroix monologues.

Forever Knight is a compelling story about vampire Nick Knight, or so he is called now, and his search for a cure to be human once again. Ger (Davies' nickname) does a incredibly fantastic job as the lead, but the co-stars are as equally impressive and unforgettable. Whether it be Schanke, Jeanette, Natalie or Lacroix (of course), I just fall in love with these characters. The actors are amazing in each role and are so totally different, it just makes the series seem that more real. Still, after watching this series, he never convices me on why he would want to be human. Lacroix and Jeanette make more convincing arguments about why he should remain a vampire. You don't die, and humans are weaker. Dr. Bruce Banner had more of a reason to find a cure for the Incredible Hulk, but that doesn't stop me for having sympathy for Nick. He may not be a human, but he sure has the spirit of one, and they may be more important than a physical body of one.

I find every writers ideas about vampires, evil or ‘good’ fasinating. From the old silent movie about Dracula to our modern day Underworld. While the vampire theme remains it is told from various perspectives creating a wide based open to interpretation cult.



This TV series did the same. I found I loved to ‘hate’ some of the vampires while empathizing with Knight, who wished to be human again. He wasn’t a ‘good’ guy as a vampire, early in his walk killing to survive, evil driven by his ‘nature’ fighting to find away back to humanity.



The writers developed a 'world' via the club for the vampire, where you learned of thier own 'rules' and way of approaching issues. This genre has so much potential and it was fun to watch while it lasted. I hope someday in the future we once again get something ‘supernatural’ with a new perspective and look into vampiric life as unique as Forever Knight was.

Wow! I hadn't thought about this show in years. Loved it when it was on. Used to get into trouble for staying up to watch it. Loved Nick and Lacoix relationship. Wish for reruns. Or maybe a remake...Do you think they could pull it off now? Who would reprise the role of Nick and Lacoix?

This show predates the shows Angel or Buffy. It has the same premise as Angel or Buffy, but it's a better show than both of them. Nicolas Knight is a vampire finding redemption for the souls that he took by saving people in the present day. This is a very enticing premise. I saw this show each week, it's a very watchable show, it's really entertaining. The show doesn't look silly like Buffy or Angel. It's like a superhero caper, but it's more of a detective drama than it is a supernatural show. It's a very nice mix of genres, one that looks good and entertaining.

My parents did not approve of vampies so this truly was a "guilty pleasure" when I was younger, watching this show late at night. Truly entertaining...I don't remember ever being bored with it at all, always kept my interest. Wish they still showed this late at night - I think this has to be one of the best shows to watch when you just can't sleep.

I loved this show. In my market though it was on sunday nights at 1 am so no one got to watch it. I would sneak and watch it and be so tired at school the next day. BUt it was worth it to watch this show. It was great. I loved how it was modern day vampire as a police officer helping others to redeam his soul. Plus i loved the flash back s to what he went through to make him who he is now. The only thing i hated was the way they killed everyone off. No one was safe. That really bummed me out when they killed off sckankie than tracy and vician and Natiallie waws okay ( I never liked her) but then they killed off nick. Why or Why do that. Thety should make a spin off with Lacroix. He was perfect in that part. He was so evil but you just fell in love with him anyways. The casting was perfect on the show. They really made it fun to watch. Some plots were great while others only okay. but the cast made it super no matter what. I wish it would run in reruns again. I miss it so much but to cheap to buy it.

this show was way ahead of it's time. you had a super natural thiller and a crime drama all in one. i have to say this is one of the best sci fi dramas of all time. it paved the way for shows like buffy and angel. i wish they would bring it back as a tv movie or something.

Forever Knight was and is the best show I’ve ever seen. It was well acted and there has been nothing since that has measured up to it. Geraint Wyn Davies did an excellent job as the tormented Nick Knight. Nigel Bennett was Lucien LaCroix. No one can match his performance as the man who brought Nick across and tormented him through centuries. Deborah Duchene as the lovely female vampire that seduced Nick to accept LaCroix offer. Catherine Disher as Natalie Lambert, coroner in Toronto who agrees to help Nick in his search for mortality and ultimately falls in love with him. John Kapelos as Schanke was the best partner. Lisa Ryder didn’t have a chance to become good in role she was thrown into.

Ben Bass as Vachon turned in an excellent performance. Greg Kramer as Screed was perfect. All three Captains were good. The others who rounded out the cast gave great performances.



This was one of the first to have a Coroner investigate, Quincy not with standing. Forever Knight was before Buffy and Angel. It had the unfortunate fate of being on CBS late night then syndicated. The ultimate fate was USA and the SciFi Channel, who didn’t appreciate what a gem they had. Neither did the Sony Corporation who still doesn’t.

It was filmed in Canada. Canada has very good shows and I can’t understand why TPTB refuse to look North for good shows instead of the dribble they offer now.

Once you watch this show, you’re hooked. The first two seasons are out on DVD. I suggest you get them and settle down for a marathon of entertainment.

A great show about a vampire with a conscience. You have the main character, a vampire who is also a homicide detective, his human police partner(s), the police chief(s), medical examiner/love interest, his mentor/father figure (the vampire that brought him over), and various human and vampire characters. Nigel & Geraint had a great chemistry. Nigel’s voice alone was worth watching/listening to. Was not to crazy about his second partner but that is just be cause his first partner was so endearing.

I use to watch Forever Knight when I was younger and it was an absolute favorite of mine. I was absolutely thrilled when they brought it back on the Sci-Fi channel and even happier when they finally released it to DVD. Once you actually start watching, it's just one of those that you get caught up in and can't wait to see the next episode.

THis show just struck a chord in me that had a great plot line where vampires wanted to do good and wanted to be human again. I really enjoyed Nick Knight and his cohorts Janette and LaCroix. The show did a great tellingof history as seen through the eyes of the vampire nation. This show is good for one hour of fantasy escape when a stressful day has chained you down.

Forever Knight, this show has got to be one of the best shows to come out of Canada ever, The acting, the writing, everything about this show is what good TV shows are all about. Nothing to this date comes close to this show. The actors relationships are pristine and the whole premise of the show is excellent, to all of you who have seen it, you know what I am talking about. If you all like vampire and cop shows, watch this show, you will not be dissapointed.

I originally stumbled over this series by accident, but once I'd watched the first episode, I got caught.



When Forever Knight came out, there weren't too many of those 'good' vampires around. So the idea of a vampire regretting his ways and trying to make up for it was quite unimaginative.

Admitteldy, today we have guys like Angel, but Nick was first.

What made the series so great in my eyes, was the mixture between humor (especially when Nick's mortal partner was concerned) and serious issues. The rather complicated relationship between Nick, Lacroix and Jeannette was very interesting as well.

I've never seen a 'classic', 'bad' vampire played as well as Nigel Bennett did. Lacroix was both a 'real' vampire who wouldn't loose a day's sleep over killing someone and human enough to still be entertaining while dealing with his 'child' Nick.



I'd like to have the series back on tv some time soon.

Forever Knight was stylish, clever and had characters with real depth. You could understand the actions of both vampires and mortals. For the most part, it was very well written (personally, I ignore the final episode which I've never seen on the advice of friends). My favorite character was LaCroix, but Nick was just as interesting. I miss Crime Time After Prime Time!