Samantha Mathis

Knightwatch is a television drama aired by ABC as part of its fall 1988 lineup. It had been promoted as an original series in light of summer reruns continuing into the fall due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America Strike.

Knightwatch centers around the activities of the “Knights of the City”, a volunteer group set up to assist law enforcement. It was largely made up of ex-gang members; the program focused on its charismatic leader, Tony Maldonado. Operating out of donated space in the basement of a church, the group practiced martial arts and other unarmed techniques since they were not commissioned police officers and did not use firearms. Keeping young people with violent pasts from reverting to this pattern in their new-found calling was a constant challenge to Tony, as were the interpersonal relationships constantly developing among his young colleagues.

Knightwatch was a Nielsen ratings failure, undoubtedly due to being forced to compete with NBC’s The Cosby Show and A Different World and CBS’s 48 Hours. It was cancelled after only 3 months on the air.