Kolchak: The Night Stalker experienced some bumps when it took the intrepid reporter with a knack for encountering the supernatural to an ongoing series, but it was the scariest show on television at the time and had an influence on some notable genre entries that followed it.
What Is It?
This series follows investigative reporter Carl Kolchak, a rumpled, wisecracking journalist who stumbles upon supernatural and paranormal cases while covering crime stories in Chicago. Armed with only a camera, a tape recorder, and relentless curiosity, Kolchak faces off against vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other creatures—often without support from skeptical authorities.
Aired: ABC, 1974-75, 1 Season Totaling 20 Episodes (Plus 2 TV Movies)
Starring: Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Jack Grinnage, Ruth McDevitt
Developed By: Dan Curtis, Richard Matheson
Why Was It Cancelled?
In 1972, ABC aired a TV movie titled The Night Stalker that followed investigative reporter Carl Kolchak (played by Darren McGavin in one of his signature roles) tracking down a serial killer that turns out to be a vampire. The film was produced by Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis and written by frequent Twilight Zone contributor Richard Matheson based on the then-unpublished novel by Jeff Rice titled The Kolchak Papers (more on that at Cult-SciFi.com). It turned out to be a surprise hit and became the highest-rated television movie up to that time. ABC quickly got a sequel in the works with Curtis and Matheson both returning for the 1973 followup The Night Strangler. That proved popular as well, and the logical next step was to continue Carl Kolchak’s investigations into the paranormal as an ongoing series.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker debuted in the Fall on 1974, but neither executive producer Dan Curtis nor scriptwriter Richard Matheson returned for the ongoing series and it seemed to suffer from their absence. Series star Darren McGavin complained that he often had to rewrite scripts and also that he did not care for the show’s monster-of-the-week formula. And the series never recaptured the ratings glory of the initial two TV movies, pulling at best mediocre numbers. ABC ended up axing the show after only 20 of the 26 episodes ordered for the first season had been filmed, leaving three scripts that had been commissioned and completed unproduced. According to an interview McGavin later gave on the show:
I’d have to give a symposium to explain what happened. I called up the network and said, “Let’s cancel this god-damn thing. You’re losing money, we’re losing money, and I’m tired and I don’t want to do anymore. Why don’t we just stop?” Three hours later, they canceled the show.
The series may have not quite lived up to the movies that inspired it, and it definitely has a high cheese factor when you go back and watch it today. But it still had its moments, and it was the scariest thing on television at the time. Plus, McGavin is always a ton of fun to watch in any role. Perhaps another season (and bringing back Curtis and Matheson) could have given the show time to work out some of the rough spots, but the network was not willing to stick with it. Still, this one had a lasting influence with many remembering the show for years after it aired and Chris Carter citing it as a strong influence on The X-Files.
Should It Be Rebooted?
There was a reboot that aired briefly on ABC during the 2005-06 season that had very little connection to the original series other than the lead character was named Carl Kolchak and that he investigated supernatural happenings. That one disappeared after ten episodes and is best forgotten. But the basic concept is still quite solid and deserves another chance. The 2012 novel Kolchak and the Lost World by C.J. Henderson actually sets up a potential reboot that retro-fits Kolchak into the 21st century while still acknowledging his previous investigations (more on that at this link). That could be one way to go, or they could do a ground-up reboot that starts back at the original Night Stalker story and moves forward from there. His adventures have continued in print form, and if they got the right actor and creative team in place, perhaps a new television version could do right by Carl Kolchak.
Where Can You Watch It?
The first two movies were released on DVD, but sadly those have gone out of print and are fetching high prices from third-party sellers. The series was also released on DVD, and that is still available, also on VOD. The series is available for streaming on Peacock, but not the movies. You can also find all twenty episodes available online for free at the Internet Archive.
Were you a fan of Kolchak: The Night Stalker and would you support efforts to bring the show back? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
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