"Kolchak: The Night Stalker" (1974) TV series 1974-1975

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Creator:

Jeffrey Grant Rice

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A newspaper reporter investigates strange supernatural occurrences in Chicago.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Supernatural | Newspaper | Cover Up | Cult Favorite

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Darren McGavin	...	Carl Kolchak (20 episodes, 1974-1975)
Simon Oakland	...	Tony Vincenzo (20 episodes, 1974-1975)
Jack Grinnage	...	Ron Updyke (18 episodes, 1974-1975)
Ruth McDevitt	...	Emily Cowles / ... (12 episodes, 1974-1975)

Also Known As:

"The Night Stalker"

Runtime:

60 min (20 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Francy Productions

Trivia:

Actor Richard Kiel, before he became best known as the killer "Jaws" in the James Bond movies, was cast in two episodes as the monster. He first appeared as the "Diablero" in episode 8, "Bad Medicine" and later as "Peremalfait", the swamp monster, in episode 9 "The Spanish Moss Murders and as the robot in "R.I.N.G"."

Goofs:

Factual errors: Many of the stories take place in the winter months, but there is never any snow, and even if there was no snow, it is highly unlikely one would be driving a convertible with the top down during the winter months in Chicago.

Quotes:

Carl Kolchak: F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, "The rich are different than you and me." They sure are. They got more money.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Sopranos: Meadowlands (#1.4)" (1999)

New ABC TV Series

I just checked out the new ABC series clips. Not impressed, looks more like Fox's Millennium. I wish that a remake would be closer to the original. I think the shows success was due to Kolchaks "weakness" and his non-conformist ways. He wasn't good looking(couldn't sweet talk the ladies), no money(wore the same suit, drove the same crappy car), not athletic(I cant recall the number of times hes stumbled or tripped while being pursued) and he wasn't a young buck who could resort to a punch or a kick, no he was just a stumbling sometimes bumbling middle aged guy who thought outside of the box. My favorite episode was the one where the monster appeared as the person you trusted the most and Carl had to shot "Miss Emily" with the cross-bow. Oh well, there's always the Sci-Fi channel.