Kolchak: The Night Stalker

[Rik]

I'm rather surprised there isn't already a thread dedicated to this. Share your thoughts and memories of what I consider one of the greatest US TV shows and a clear inspiration for the X Files.

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 — Carl Kolchak, played by Darren McGavin — who investigates mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly ones law enforcement authorities won't pursue. Often these crimes involve some element of the supernatural or science fiction, such as fantastical creatures.
The series was preceded by two television movies, The Night Stalker (1972) and The Night Strangler (1973). While the series only lasted for one season, it remained popular in syndication, and is often credited as the inspiration for the popular television series The X-Files. Following The X-Files' success, the franchise was resurrected in 2005 in the form of a second television series with a new cast and characters, as well as subsequent novels and comic books.
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[VicDakin]

Kolchak.
Yeah luv this series,Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland had such a chemistry together,and the stories were always top notch.

[Rik]

Great stills Vic
I've only recently rediscovered this, I used to love it when the BBC showed the series in the early 90's then forgot all about it. I'm going to have a Kolchak marathon when my dvd set turns up

[VicDakin]

Hardest part is choosing a fav episode,there all good,even the ones that have a scooby doo type story
Kolchak: The Night Stalker" The Zombie (1974)
Carl follows up on a series of murders where key figures in the Chicago numbers racket are turning up dead, their spines snapped by someone with incredible strength. The body of a murdered numbers runner keeps turning up at the scene of each crime, and Kolchak soon learns that someone is using voodoo to gain revenge on the criminals in the form of a murderous zombie

[Hawkmonger]

Soun'd like an interesting series. Almost like Marple or Poirot with Voodoo and Zombies. May well look into this.

[Rik]

Originally Posted by Hawkmonger

Soun'd like an interesting series. Almost like Marple or Poirot with Voodoo and Zombies. May well look into this.

The second film, The Night Strangler is available in full on youtube, its definitely worth checking out as a preview to the series

[Hawkmonger]

Originally Posted by Rik

The second film, The Night Strangler is available in full on youtube, its definitely worth checking out as a preview to the series

Thanks, will give this a viewing on friday after I have completed my exams.

[Scyther]

Discovered this series in 2011 and fell in love! A definite inspiration for The X Files, and I recently found the double TV movie feature for under $10 bucks at a record store!

[Rik]

Originally Posted by Scyther

Discovered this series in 2011 and fell in love! A definite inspiration for The X Files, and I recently found the double TV movie feature for under $10 bucks at a record store!

Jammy sod, its £30 here for a used copy

[the blob]

I do like a bit of Kolchak. It's been a while since I saw the series repeated on TV and one day I'll have to pick it up but I have the R1 of the two features.

Has anyone seen the modern one? Never had a chance to see it myself.