"Knight Rider," "Private Practice" get renewed

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC has picked up its modestly rated "Knight Rider" remake for a full season, sources said Tuesday.

ABC has done the same for "Private Practice," the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff starring Kate Walsh. In the early stages of the 2008/09 TV season, the only other shows to get similar votes of confidence are NBC's "Chuck," CBS' "The Mentalist," Fox's "Fringe" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," and CW's "90210."

NBC's "Knight Rider" move was foreshadowed earlier this month when the network ordered four additional scripts of the Wednesday night action-drama.

The most recent "Rider" episode was seen by 6.9 million viewers, down from its disappointing premiere haul of 7.3 million last month. The two-hour movie that served as a "backdoor pilot" for the series averaged 12.7 million viewers in February.

"Private Practice" is ABC's tentpole show on Wednesdays, the ringleader of a trio of sophomore shows interrupted by the writers strike. All have returned down significantly this year, but "Practice" has maintained the highest rating of the bunch. It averaged 7.4 million viewers during its last airing. It kicked off its second season on October 1 with 8.2 million viewers.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter