Kolchak: The Night Stalker

1974
Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 The Ripper Sep 13, 1974

A serial killer who preys on women haunts Chicago, and Kolchak comes to believe that the killer is in fact the original Jack the Ripper, a seemingly immortal killer who has killed women in many cities over the last century. The reporter must track the killer to the old house where he has taken up residence and put an end to his existence once and for all.

EP2 The Zombie Sep 20, 1974

A voodoo priestess animates her dead son to take revenge on the gangsters that killed him.

EP3 They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be... Sep 27, 1974

A bizarre alien presence invisibly sweeps through Chicago, killing a petty thief and a UFO nut. The alien or aliens have the strength of a hurricane, generate a massive electromagnetic field, steal lead and electronic equipment, and suck the bone marrow out of humans and animals alike. Kolchak must track the alien(s) from an electronics warehouse to an observatory to Lincoln Park and drive them off before they kill again. His camera seems to hold the key to the creatures' weakness, although initially Carl is wrong in guessing what the weakness is. Carl follows the aliens and manages to keep them from feeding on him before they depart once and for all.

EP4 The Vampire Oct 04, 1974

Catherine Rawlins, a female victim of Janos Skorzeny (the vampire from the original Night Stalker TV movie) is accidentally resurrected outside Las Vegas, and makes her way to Los Angeles. She takes up her old profession of call girl and Carl wrangles an assignment there to investigate.

EP5 The Werewolf Nov 01, 1974

Bernhardt Stieglitz, a NATO soldier bitten by a wolf, leaves a string of murder victims behind him. When Vincenzo is forced to abort his long-awaited vacation and report on the last cruise of an ocean liner, the USS Hanover, Carl takes his place, only to find that Stieglitz is one of the passengers on board...and the full moon is rising. Trapped aboard the liner, Kolchak must use a shotgun and silver buckshot to kill the creature once and for all.

EP6 Firefall Nov 08, 1974

A series of mysterious deaths plague the life of conductor Ryder Bond. In each case, the victim is incinerated by supernaturally hot flames. As Kolchak investigates, he finds out that an arsonist, Frankie Markoff, was a fan of Bond's, and was killed in a penny arcade. His funeral procession crossed Bond's car, allowing the spirit to become a ""doppelganger"" and try to take over Bond's life. Each victim was burned to death when they fell asleep, and if Bond goes to sleep the doppelganger will take him over for good. Fighting sleep himself, Kolchak must exhume Markoff's body and reunite it with his restless spirit before he too bursts into flame.

EP7 The Devil's Platform Nov 15, 1974

Kolchak discovers a young rising politician, has made a deal with the Devil to murder off his competition through incidents made to look like accidents.

EP8 Bad Medicine Nov 29, 1974

A series of suicides among high-society matrons coincides with a bizarre jewel theft by a towering Indian who mysteriously disappears when cornered. Kolchak investigates and finds that the Indian is a ""diablero,"" a cursed cliff-dwelling Indian medicine man condemned to walk the earth gathering an eternal horde of jewels. The diablero can change shape into the form of a coyote or crow, and hypnotize anyone with its eyes. Carl must seek the diablero in the highest place he can find, and turn the power of its eyes against it.

EP9 The Spanish Moss Murders Dec 06, 1974

A series of apparently unrelated deaths involve each victim being crushed to death, and covered in wet, slimy Spanish Moss. Upon investigation, Kolchak discovers that each victim was related to Paul Langois, a hot-tempered Cajun. However, Langois has an iron-clad alibi: he's been the subject of a sleep experiment and been kept asleep for several weeks. Eventual, Carl realizes that somehow Langois' sleep state has caused him to manifest a subconscious ""boogey-man"" from the Cajun bayou: Peremalfait, a huge creature covered in Spanish Moss that crushes the life right out of you. Peremalfait ""kills"" Langois to prevent him from being woken up, and Kolchak must travel into the sewers of Chicago to kill Peremalfait with the only thing that can destroy it: a spear made out of bayou gum wood.

EP10 The Energy Eater Dec 13, 1974

Several Indian construction workers are killed during high-rise work on a new hospital. They leave the job, and the hospital is completed. However, a series of strange electrocutions continue to plague the hospital after its grand opening. Kolchak investigates and finds that a ""bear-god"" spirit, Matchemonedo, was resurrected from its burial spot beneath Lake Michigan by the hospital construction. Now the creature, which feeds on energy, is beginning to awaken. Kolchak must convince the hospital officials to re-refrigerate the ""bear-god"" and drive it back into hibernation before it awakens once and for all.

EP11 Horror in the Heights Dec 20, 1974

Kolchak’s investigation of a series of grisly deaths in a once-plush neighborhood, leads him to a creature who lures its victims by making itself appear to them as someone they know and trust.

EP12 Mr. R.I.N.G. Jan 10, 1975

Kolchak writes an obituary for a deceased scientist, but soon becomes involved in further investigation when no one can give him a straight answer on how the scientist died. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure goes on a rampage throughout Chicago, stealing morticians' wax and Halloween masks. Kolchak eventually finds out that the scientist was working on Project R.I.N.G.: the development of an artificially intelligent robot. R.I.N.G. killed his creator rather than be shut down, and now the government is hunting it. Kolchak must find where the robot is hiding and reveal the story before the government catch up to R.I.N.G.

EP13 Primal Scream Jan 17, 1975

In a oil company's laboratory, the air conditioning fails, and a primate creature attacks a scientist. The creature, and others like it, begin going on a rampage throughout Chicago. The oil company was experimenting with cell samples brought back from the Antarctic, which began growing when exposed to heat. Now these bizarre missing links are wrecking havoc. Despite the government cover-up, Kolchak investigates, and must track the creatures down to their lair beneath the old nuclear-research labs of the 50's.

EP14 The Trevi Collection Jan 24, 1975

A fashion industry spy is thrown to his death from a room filled with nothing but mannequins as Carl looks on from the street below. This is but the first in a series of strange murders that point to a supernatural origin: apparently Madame Trevi, a leading designer in the fashion industry, is using witchcraft to stop those who oppose her. With the aid of a witches' coven, Carl is pointed to the source of Trevi's power and destroys it, only to find who the witch truly is. Armed with a mojo bag, Carl must confront the witch and publicly accuse her to strip her of her powers.

EP15 Chopper Jan 31, 1975

The strange disappearance of an antique motorcycle is the first indication of trouble. What follows are a rash of murders where each victim is decapitated with superhuman force by what witnesses report is a headless motorcyclist. As Kolchak investigates, he discovers that the victims were all members of a cycle gang back in the 50's. A prank they played on a rival gang member, Harold ""Swordsman"" Baker, resulted in his unintentional decapitation. Baker's ghost killed several of their gang back in the 50's until his head was reunited with the rest of his corpse. However, the cemetary where Baker was interred was dug up and his head and body separated once more. Now, Kolchak must reunite the head and body once more before the headless cyclist finishes off the gang.

EP16 Demon in Lace Feb 07, 1975

On a college campus, young men are dying of heart attacks. According to witnesses, they are last seen with young women who apparently died shortly before meeting the men. When Kolchak investigates, he finds that the men were associated with Professor Spate, who is researching an ancient Middle East tablet, and that a series of similar deaths plagued his expedition to recover the tablet. The tablet is tied to a supernatural creature known as a succubus, who possesses young women at the moment of their death and then reveals her true visage to men, frightening them to death and feeding upon their energies. Kolchak must destroy the tablet to destroy the succubus once and for all.

EP17 Legacy of Terror Feb 14, 1975

Physically fit specimens (an Air Force pilot, a football player, a cop) are all being targeted for a grisly death: their hearts are being cut from their chests while they're still alive, with a dull blade, on higher and higher flights of steps. Kolchak investigates and spots a strange feathered creature near the scene of one of the murders. He finds out that an ancient Aztec cult is trying to resurrect their ancient god, Nanautzin, the Lord of the Smoking Mirror. Since his destruction at the hands of the Conquistadores 520 years ago (the Aztec millennia), his worshippers must sacrifice the hearts of five worthy victims every 52 years. Upon the completion of the final cycle, Nanautzin will be restored to life. However, the final death must be a ""perfect sacrifice"": a willing victim who is given his every wish for a year before his final death. Pepe, a box boy, is the ""perfect sacrifice"" and Carl must track him to the highest staircase in Chicago and convince him to back out of the sacrifice.

EP18 The Knightly Murders Mar 07, 1975

Various Chicago citizenry are being killed with medieval weaponry. Upon investigating, Kolchak finds that they were all tied to the conversion of a small museum into a disco. It turns out that the museum houses the armor of Guy de Metancourt, a misanthrope who swore upon his death that his final resting place would never know gaiety and laughter. Now, his ghostly armor animates and kills those who would disrupt his resting place. The only way for Kolchak to stop the unchivalrous knight is to destroy it with a holy axe blessed by the pope.

EP19 The Youth Killer Mar 14, 1975

Young swinging patrons of an exclusive dating service are turning up, dead of old age. The police don't believe they are the same persons, but Kolchak investigates and discovers that the head of the dating service is actually Helen of Troy, who sacrifices perfect young victims to Hecate, her patron goddess, in return for eternal youth and beauty. The fact that Helen is unaware one of the victims had a glass eye and lied about it on their form proves vital to Kolchak when he accidentally dons one of the rings that lets Helen sacrifice her victims in the appropriate manner.

EP20 The Sentry Mar 28, 1975

The government is keen to hush up a series of mysterious deaths at the Merrymount Institute, an underground archival facility. When Carl investigates, he determines that the victims were ripped apart as if attacked by a crocodile or other large lizard. He eventually discovers that the workers excavated a series of strange egg-like objects, and that the eggs' mother, a large prehistoric lizard, is attempting to retrieve them. Fleeing for his life, Carl must return the eggs to the mother and fend her off.
8.4| 0h30m| TV-PG| en| More Info
Released: 13 September 1974 Ended
Producted By: ABC Circle Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974–1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter who investigated mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly those that law enforcement authorities would not follow up. These often involved the supernatural or even science fiction, including fantastic creatures.

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Reviews

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.

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