Kolchak: The Night Stalker origin

I wanted to post this first before I start posting the movies and television shows starting on Thursday, September 4. This is to provide a little history to the two movies and the twenty episodes of the television series. The reviews for the movies are going to be a little longer than the TV episode reviews. I’ll try to keep those brief. 

It all started with a writer named Jeff Rice, who in 1970 finished a novel called The Kolchak Papers.  It told the story of a wisecracking reporter investigating a string of murders in Las Vegas, murders that turned out to be the work of a real vampire. Networks weren’t sure what to do with it; horror on TV wasn’t exactly safe material at the time. But producer Dan Curtis (of Dark Shadows) saw the potential, and ABC bit and ran with it.

Richard Matheson, the legendary writer behind I Am Legend and many Twilight Zone episodes, was brought in to adapt Rice’s manuscript into a teleplay. He smoothed over some of Rice’s rough edges and made some tight structure and sharp dialogue changes. And Darren McGavin, already a seasoned character actor, was cast as Carl Kolchak.

The result was The Night Stalker, a TV movie that aired in January 1972. It pulled in a staggering 33.2 rating and a 48 share, at the time, the highest-rated TV movie ever, beating out 1971’s Brian’s Song. Viewers were glued to the sight of a driven reporter chasing a vampire through neon-lit Vegas while the cops were pummeled by this thing. It was funny, scary, and unique.

With ratings like that, ABC wanted more. In 1973 came The Night Strangler, also penned by Matheson and directed by Curtis. This time, Kolchak was in Seattle chasing an immortal doctor who needed to kill every 21 years to survive. It wasn’t as tight as the first, but it gave McGavin more space to talk and cemented Kolchak’s character. Once again, the audience tuned in big numbers. A third TV movie was planned, The Night Killers, involving androids in Hawaii, but ABC passed. They wanted a full series.

In 1974, Kolchak: The Night Stalker hit ABC’s Friday night lineup. Each week, Kolchak stumbled into another supernatural situation: werewolves on a cruise ship, a lizard monster in the sewers, a headless motorcyclist, an Aztec mummy, aliens, you name it. It was part horror, part comedy, part newsroom. The production values weren’t up to movie standards, but McGavin’s energy sold it. He made Kolchak more than just a reporter; he was a lovable pest who wouldn’t stop until he uncovered the truth.

It has since developed a huge cult following. Without this show, we may not get the X-Files and many shows to follow. 

Next week I’ll feature The Night Stalker TV movie in 1972. 

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

37 thoughts on “Kolchak: The Night Stalker origin”

  3. an interesting premise. Back when I was into stephen King (late 80s mainly) I think ‘Salems Lot’ – his vampire one – was my favorite of his scary books, so I might like it. Was also a huge X-files fan for its first two, maybe three seasons so kudos to this one if it inspired the basic idea

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  5. Because I knew you were going to be doing these, I watched The Night Stalker last night. I made a list of things I noticed and will bring them up next week when you cover it. It’s just as I remember it. Very scary in parts. Kokchak is a memorable character and makes a good role model for quality journalism.

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    1. Thank you Lisa…yea I think all of them are on youtube and dailymotion….I linked the first TV Episode on Dailymotion…so no one will have to buy these to watch them.
      Thanks so much following this with me and bringing it up.

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    1. Thank you so much Randy. I know this won’t draw a lot but I do appreciate the show…I was pleasantly surprised when I rewatched them. I went on a binge around a decade or so ago and watched it. I never saw the 2nd movie before…I liked it. So happy to have you aboard and you have watched them before.

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    1. Oh man…remember…I take time off now! There is no way I could do this anymore and post everyday…no way…and there is only 22 posts to this…not some long drawn out year deal…

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  11. I remember when the Brazilian TV aired this show in the late 1970s. The military government at the time was pretty strict with censorship, and the show was rated R for late night hours. I wanted to watch it so bad, but my parents never allowed me, saying it was not the kind of stuff for kids.

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    1. Wow…they were pretty strict then. Of course looking at it today it’s not as wild as it was back then….but the stories and the acting I like a lot. It does have that seventies tint to it which to me works well.

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  13. Pingback: Kolchak: The Night Stalker origin – MobsterTiger

    1. Well it’s a cult thing now I think…but a big one. It only played one season and they had two made for tv movies…and the first one was the highest rated tv movie up to that time…I think I read 75 million watched it.

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  16. I am going to try to keep up with watching these episodes. I’m going back to my second job on Wednesday when school starts, so we’ll see how much time I have.

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