Knightwatch (1988): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1988, Knightwatch is a drama series.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Knightwatch stars Benjamin Bratt as Tony Maldonado, Don Franklin as Calvin Garvey, Harley Jane Kozak as Barbara 'Babs' Shepard and Calvin Levels as Mark 'Burn' Johnson, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Knightwatch has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Knightwatch page.

If you liked it. Fans of Knightwatch tend to enjoy Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Attack on Titan.