Jeffrey Young
Kolchak: The Night Stalker retains the dubious honor of being one of those Hollywood television shows where the public loved it but the Hollywood studio top brass didn't, leading to the show's premature demise. Anyone remember, 'Moonlight', and, 'Enterprise'? The show's main plot device, 'monster-of-the-week', was its best interest. But reputedly the main actor, Darren McGavin, who took a hand in writing and rewriting episodes, did not like it. So there was a huge disconnect between the large fan base and the squabbling, fragmented Hollywood studio team. Had the movie studio harbored more faith in Kolchak, the TV series could have gone on for years. There exists a plethora of myths, legends, superstitions, that the TV show could have plumbed. That is why the show could have gone on much longer and it wasn't necessary to rely on silly science fiction themes. Years ago, I suggested that Kolchak would have been better had it been set not in Chicago but in southern California. More, I suggested a TV reboot should be set in S. California, which offers locations from Santa Barbara going south through Ventura through the San Fernando Valley into Los Angeles thru Orange County and finally into San Diego. All that region is chock-full with its own myths and legends. Surprise, surprise. All these years I didn't know that the late, writer Jeff Rice, originator of Kolchak, had approved his friend, Mark Dawidziak, ghost-writing a follow-on book of Carl Kolchak. In the book, Carl Kolchak relocates to Los Angeles and takes a job with the fiction, Los Angeles Dispatch newspaper. There Carl takes up his occupation of investigating the supernatural. Keep in mind that Kolchak never sets out to be a supernatural investigative journalist. These stories happen to him by chance. In the book, Kolchak finds himself investigating a series of killings committed possibly by an angry ghost. Now wouldn't this make for a one-off, TV movie or a chance to reboot the TV series, either with a new (different) Carl Kolchak, or one of his descendant relatives. I am one of many who dreams of the return of the Kolchak: Night Stalker franchise but I think that's all it's going to remain, a dream. There is no interest whatsoever in Hollywood.
Woodyanders
It's a genuine shame that this spin-off TV series inspired by the superior made-for-TV pictures "The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler" only lasted a single season and twenty episodes, because at its best this program offered an often winning and highly entertaining blend of sharp cynical humor (Carl Kolchak's spirited verbal sparring matches with perpetually irascible and long-suffering editor Tony Vincenzo were always a treat to watch and hear), clever writing, nifty supernatural menaces (gotta love the offbeat and original creatures in "The Spanish Moss Murders," "The Sentry," and "Horror in the Heights," plus you can't go wrong with such tried'n'true fright favorites as zombies, vampires, werewolves, and witches), colorful characters, lively acting from a raft of cool guest stars (legendary biker flick icon William Smith got a rare chance to tackle a heroic lead in "The Energy Eater" while other episodes featured great veteran character actors like Keenan Wynn, John Fiedler, John Dehner, Severn Darden, and William Daniels in juicy roles), effective moments of genuine suspense (the sewer-set climax of "The Spanish Moss Murders" in particular was truly harrowing), and, best of all, the one and only Darren McGavin in peak zesty form as the brash, aggressive, and excitable, but basically decent, brave, and honest small-time Chicago, Illinois newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak.Kolchak was the quintessential 70's everyman protagonist, a wily and quick-witted fellow with a strong nose for a tasty scoop and an unfortunate knack for getting into all kinds of trouble. Moreover, the occasionally bumbling Kolchak was anything but superhuman; he usually either tripped or stumbled while running away from a deadly threat, yet possessed a certain inner strength and courage that enabled him to save the human race time and time again from all kinds of lethal otherworldly foes. Kolchak was surrounded by a handful of enjoyable secondary characters: Simon Oakland was perfect as Carl's chronically ill-tempered boss Tony Vincenzo, Jack Grinnage as the prissy Ron Updyke made for an ideal comic foil, Ruth McDevitt was simply delightful as the sweet Miss Emily Cowles, and Carol Ann Susi was likewise a lot of fun as eager beaver rookie Monique Marmelstein (who alas disappeared after popping up in only three episodes). Granted, the show did suffer from lackluster make-up and special effects (the titular lycanthrope in "The Werewolf" unfortunately resembles a Yorkshire terrier!) and the latter episodes boasted a few laughably silly monsters (the headless motorcyclist in "Chopper," Cathy Lee Crosby as Helen of Troy in "The Youth Killer'), but even the second-rate shows are redeemed by the program's trademark wickedly sly sardonic wit and McGavin's boundless vitality and engagingly scrappy presence.
beachaml19
I'd love to give Kolchak a higher rating but the show quickly went from scary/suspenseful to silly. ABC's fault. They moved the show to Friday nights at 8:00 p.m., then known as the "family hour". Never should have been on Fridays in the first place. I was a sophomore in high school and loved the early episodes! It was first up against Police Woman on NBC. ABC had huge problems with Friday nights. Bad season for them overall until Barney Miller, Baretta, and SWAT debuted in January of '75. Kolchak should have been a hit. Darren McGavin begged to get out of his contract to end the show. Too bad the writing wasn't up to Richard Matheson's in the original TV movies. Still, McGavin made Kolchak his own, as actors can do. Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden and Caroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker come to mind. That INS set with the manual typewriters and clacking teletypes seems quaint and ancient today, yet that was part of the appeal. They were very lucky to have Simon Oakland reprise "Vincenzo" from the TV films.
jc1305us
"Kolchak" was a TV series that really didn't fit into any category. Part horror, part comedy, some social awareness thrown in, and what we have is something that I think people weren't ready for. It's a shame really, as I've started to watch these shows on the Chiller network, (I never saw the originals), I realized how different and interesting it really was. Starring Darren Mcgavin as Kolchak a reporter for the International News Service, and Simon Oakland as his always angry boss, Tony Vincenzo, the show followed the exploits of a Chicago news reporter who more often than not, became a part of the story himself, as he searched the windy city for modern day creepies that go bump in the night. The underlying charm of Macgavin really sets the show apart. A somewhat goofy guy, who always wears the same suit, you cannot help but love him. His jokes are great, and the back and forth between him and the skeptical editor, Oakland, are downright hilarious. The stories are for the most part pretty good, and the acting is very good. The 70's were not a *great* period for special effects, and the show suffers for it, but if you suspend disbelief, what you have is a fun series that was ahead of it's time.