''Forever Knight'' is a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

working as a police detective in modern-day

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a homicide detective on the night shift while struggling to find a way to become human again. The series premiered on May 5, 1992, and concluded with the third-season finale on May 17, 1996.

Plot

Nick Knight is a Toronto police detective who works the

graveyard shift The shift plan, rota or roster (esp. British) is the central component of a shift schedule in shift work. The schedule includes considerations of shift overlap, shift change times and alignment with the clock, vacation, training, shift differenti ...

with his partner. Unbeknownst to most of his colleagues, Nick is actually Nicholas, an 800-year-old vampire (his human

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

was reference to his status as a literal knight in medieval

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

). Remorseful over centuries spent as a vampiric cold-hearted killer, Nicholas serves the public good as a police officer. He often uses his special abilities to bring criminals to justice. Whenever he works on his cases, Nicholas remembers similar situations from previous lifetimes which appear as flashbacks in the episodes. Nick explains his need to work on the night shift by claiming to have a skin disorder,

photodermatitis Photodermatitis, sometimes referred to as sun poisoning or photoallergy, is a form of allergic contact dermatitis in which the allergen must be activated by light to sensitize the allergic response, and to cause a rash or other systemic effects ...

, which requires him to stay out of sunlight. Refusing to feed from humans, he survives by drinking bottled animal blood, something that most vampires find repulsive. The only human who knows his true nature is his friend Natalie Lambert, a

medical examiner The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology and investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdicti ...

who does not like when he uses his special powers as she believes it increases his need for blood. Nick's ultimate dream is to find a way to become human once again, but his quest for redemption is complicated by the arrival of fellow vampires Lucien LaCroix and Janette DuCharme. Lucien was a general in the early

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

who was turned into a vampire by his daughter Divia as

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

erupted in AD 79. Lucien made Nick a vampire in 1228. Lucien had already made Janette a vampire. They were Nick's companions for many centuries until he left them, seeking redemption and a way to reclaim his lost humanity. Janette runs a

night club A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

, while LaCroix works as a late-night

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

host. Although Janette is scornful yet tolerant of Nicholas's new lifestyle, LaCroix actively attempts to seduce his protégé back to a more violent life. During the series, Nick had two partners. For the first two seasons, it is Don Schanke. At the beginning of the third season, Detective Schanke dies in an airplane explosion caused by a bomber, and Nick is assigned a new partner, Tracy Vetter, a

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...

detective who receives the assignment due to her father's high-ranking position in the police force. Tracy finds herself increasingly attracted to Javier Vachon, another vampire who had been a

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

centuries earlier. Nick and Vachon know about each other, and Tracy knows about Vachon being a vampire, but she does not know Nick is also a vampire. Although Nick continues to protect the "innocent" civilians, he faces circumstances that risk the exposure of the vampire community who, up until this time, were unknown to other humans. He is faced with the choice to either relocate or attempt to recapture his humanity through a method that puts Natalie's life in the balance. At that point, LaCroix appears and indicates the time to leave is near and he must either bring Natalie over or leave her to die. Nicholas decides that neither option is acceptable and hands LaCroix a wooden stake. We do not see what LaCroix does, but we hear him say, "Damn you, Nicholas," in stress and frustration, and the scene cuts out to the building where Nick lives and a shot of the sun rising. The ending is left to the viewers' interpretation, but the implication is that Nick dies with LaCroix's help, hoping to join Natalie in an afterlife.

Cast

Geraint Wyn Davies Geraint Wyn Davies ( , ; born 20 April 1957) is a British-American stage, film and television actor. Born in Wales and educated in Canada, he became a citizen of the United States on 13 June 2006, having been sworn in by then Associate Suprem ...

as Detective Nick Knight *

Nigel Bennett Nigel Bennett (born 19 November 1949) is an English-born Canadian actor, director and writer. He is best known for playing the vampire patriarch Lucien LaCroix in the TV series ''Forever Knight'', for which he won the Canadian Gemini Award for b ...

as Lucien LaCroix *

Deborah Duchêne Deborah Duchene (born July 3, 1962, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a former film, television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical tele ...

as Janette DuCharme *

Catherine Disher Catherine Disher is a British-born Canadian actress. She has won two Gemini Awards: in 2005 for Best Actress for her role in the Canadian mini-series ''Snakes and Ladders'', and in 2010 for her role in '' The Border''. She was also nominated for ...

as Natalie Lambert *

John Kapelos John Kapelos (born March 8, 1956) is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in ''The Breakfast Club''Gary Farmer Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian First Nations ( Cayuga) actor and musician. He is best known for his Independent Spirit Award-nominated roles in '' Powwow Highway'' (1989), ''Dead Man'' (1995) and '' Smoke Signals'' (1998). ...

as Captain Joe Stonetree (season 1) *

Natsuko Ohama Natsuko Ohama is a Canadian vocal coach, actress, and director. She is a founding member of Shakespeare & Company, Company of Women, and Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company (LAWSC). Early life and education Ohama studied acting at University ...

as Captain Amanda Cohen (season 2) * Ben Bass as Javier Vachon (season 3) * Lisa Ryder as Detective Tracy Vetter (season 3) * Blu Mankuma as Captain Joe Reese (season 3) *

Greg Kramer Greg Kramer (11 March 1961 – 8 April 2013)Richard Burnett"Remembering Greg Kramer". ''Xtra!'', 10 April 2013. was a British-Canadian author, actor, director, and magician. Born and raised in Hertfordshire, England, he emigrated to Canada in 198 ...

as Screed (season 3)

Production

Development

The series originated as a 1989

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television movie, '' Nick Knight'', with

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

playing the title character. In 1992, CBS began broadcasting the series as part of its ''

Crimetime After Primetime ''Crimetime After Primetime'' is the umbrella title for a group of late-night crime-investigation shows that debuted at various times on CBS in 1991 and 1992, running through late summer of 1993. History Prior to 1989, CBS aired the similarly f ...

'' lineup, with a new name and with

now playing Nick Knight (using a pilot that had been re-shot with Davies).

Vampires in the ''Forever Knight'' universe

Vampires in society

Though not the first sympathetic vampire detective in fiction (

Hannibal King Hannibal King is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the title ''The Tomb of Dracula'', issue #25 (Oct. 1974). King was played by Ryan Reynolds in the 2004 film ...

, a vampire

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigat ...

who similarly refused to indulge his blood lust, preceded him in the pages of

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

' ''

Tomb of Dracula ''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American Horror comics, horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Dracula (Marvel Comics), Count Dracula a ...

'' by some years), ''Forever Knight'' helped popularize the concept. As such, it is seen as a direct precursor to other vampire detective/investigator shows such as ''

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

'' and '' Blood Ties''. In common with other vampire literature of the 1990s, when

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

was a common societal anxiety, vampirism in ''Forever Knight'' is partly approached as a disease to be overcome. The

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing pediatric HIV infection and eliminating pediatric AIDS through research, advocacy, and prevention and treatment programs. Founded in 198 ...

is series star Geraint Wyn Davies' favoured charity; the "Bridging the Knight" fan event raised money for Casey House, an AIDS hospice in

, helped in part by donations from ''Forever Knight'' producer Nicolas Gray, as well as the series' actors and crew.

Vampire powers

Nick Knight, as well as several other vampire characters, demonstrates a number of superhuman abilities. As a vampire, Nick has not aged throughout nearly 800 years of existence. In most cases, he is invulnerable to harm from gunshot, blunt force trauma, or blade. Vampires in the ''Forever Knight'' universe display the powers of super strength and speed, enhanced senses, flight and a degree of

hypnotism Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychological ...

mind control Mind control may refer to: Psychology and neurology * Brainwashing, the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques * Brain–computer interface * Hypnosis * Neuroprosthetics, the technology of cont ...

. However, Nick's hypnotism does not always work, especially if the victim has physical evidence that proves opposite to what Nick would have him or her believe. Vampires in the ''Forever Knight'' universe are not reanimated corpses; their hearts beat a few times every ten minutes, as is stated in one episode. None of the vampires turn into such things as bats, wolves, mist or fog. Two episodes reveal that vampirism in the ''Forever Knight'' universe is to some degree a psychosomatic condition. Although vampires suffer the standard aversion to garlic and combust in the presence of holy objects or sunlight, vampires that have forgotten what they are, due to suffering a physical or mental trauma, are completely unaffected by these things.

Episodes

The series aired on

from May 5, 1992, to March 2, 1993, in

first-run syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of content owners leasing the right to broadcast their content to other television stations or radio stations, without having an official broadcast network to air it on. It is common in the United States whe ...

from September 12, 1994, to July 24, 1995, and on

USA Network USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...

from September 11, 1995, to May 13, 1996, running for three seasons and a total of 70 episodes. Reruns were also seen in syndication during the mid-to-late 90s.

Sky UK Sky UK Limited (formerly British Sky Broadcasting Limited (BSkyB)), Trade name, trading as Sky, is a British broadcasting, broadcaster and telecommunications company that provides television, broadband internet, fixed line and mobile telephone ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

broadcast it during 1995 on

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

at 11pm, marking the only time it was shown in the UK, as it has never been rerun.

Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home entertainment distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures libra ...

has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 (US only) in 3 volume sets. Madman Entertainment released the entire series in Region 4 (Australia), in the same format.

In other media

Novels

There have been three novels written based on the series: * * *

Soundtracks

There have been two soundtrack CDs released that contain selections from the score. The first was released on 25 July 1996 and the second was released on 11 May 1999

Reception

Awards

''Forever Knight'' was nominated for 13

Gemini Awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in th ...

, and won once in 1996. It was also nominated for a Golden Reel Award in 1992, but did not win. It was ranked #23 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever in 2004,May 30 – June 5, 2004 issue of ''TV Guide''. but was taken off the list in 2007.

References

External links

''Forever Knight''
official site ( Sci Fi Channel). Archived fro
the original
on April 5, 2004. * {{Crimetime After Primetime Canadian horror fiction television series 1992 Canadian television series debuts 1996 Canadian television series endings CBS original programming Canadian English-language television shows Speculative crime and thriller fiction television series Television series by Glen-Warren Productions Television series by Universal Television Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows filmed in Toronto Television shows set in Toronto Vampire detective shows Vampires in television Romantic fantasy television series Television shows about reincarnation Works about atonement 1990s Canadian crime drama television series