Geez-I was devastated as a kid when Darren McGavin's show was canceled...Couldn't believe it, as a lot of people loved the show, as well as the scary characters that were always chasing the "Carl Kolchak" character he portrayed...There was a public outcry to save the show at the time, but unfortunately it never happened....I always make it a point to visit Darren McGavin's crypt whenever I'm in the immediate vicinity of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery where it's located-a truly great actor!!!
Zombie, sewer creature, headless (horseman) motorcycle rider, ahh...the good ol days. I have the dvd set n movies and watch them year round. D McG rocked the role.
McGavin wasn’t what most people would call a quintessential hero. He certainly lacked the biceps and firepower employed by Arnie. However, he was a misunderstood loner who had the ability and courage to seek the truth when those around him failed to do so. In this respect only he was a typical hero. The special effects were sometimes ordinary by today’s standards, but McGavin’s personality, energy and acting made the show a classic. I'm glad this series has remained alive in people's memories.
@MrTsingo My mom and I LOVE this show, and the effects...I think they stand the test of time, episodes like the voodoo zombie episode, still today, scary as hell to watch! And yeah we love Kolchak, HE made a great protagonist, a great hero, etc.
This is my favorite TV show of all time. The 2005 update was a crime against television. I would have preferred a movie version that was once rumored to have Bruce Willis as Kolchak and Danny Aiello as Vincenzo.
One crucial element that makes this show live on is simply Darren McGavin himself, which is why the remake failed so abysmally.
He was not a superman of John Wayne-Clint Eastwood-Arnold Schwartzenegger proportions, but rather an everyman that only Darren himself could portray. The aforementioned were armed with firearms, bravado and one liners. Carl Kolchak on the other hand had only a nose for news, a camera and a Mark Twain-like narrative to entice the audience.
Gil Melle originally composed this theme as a cue for "The Questor Tapes" TV movie pilot the year before. Only 20 episodes of this series were produced.
@Great8Earthquake Yes, written by Robert Zemeckis who later directed Back to the Future and Forrest Gump. I loved the one where it had the beast I think called a Succubus who took the form of someone the victim trusted until it was too late to tell otherwise, and when it went after Kolchak it became the elderly advice columnist Miss Emily and he had to shoot her/it with a crossbow.
i loved this show, watched it as a young kid. scared me bad but still loved it. i used to watch those old vampire movies too and had to go to bed with a cross under my pillow lol. i was lucky i only had 3 stations so i was glad this show made it on one of them :)
I remember watching this as a kid, it used the frighten me to death some episodes. It was so good for the seventies. The X-Files was good for the first and second season, then it just went totally weird and unwatchable. Go the Night Stalker...
For a show that only lasted one season, Kolchak, is an icon. He was the hero, that had no of the traditional heroic qualities. He screamed. He ran away. But in the end, he did what had to be done. I, too, remember the original airings. What an awesome show.
What an amazing show. I used to watch this when I was really young all the time with my dad. He grew up watching it as it was broadcast on TV and I remember he bought the videos via mail in the mid/late '90s. I began watching them then and I quickly became a fan by the time I was just 4 or 5 years old! We now have the DVD box set and I know Netflix also streams the series. And does anyone else get the chills just from the intro?
@MissCodswallop When I was a kid back when this series first aired I use to curl up on the couch with a blanket and loved being scared by it. And yes, the intro always sent chills up and down my spine. The happy go lucky theme music in the beginning that suddenly becomes ominous, the background fading to black and that sudden realization on his face that something is amiss always played on my own fears. Great fun!
A great episode was The Zombie- the scene where Kolchak spies on the voodoo priestess and sees her sprinkling dust on a small handcarved coffin that has his name on it, chanting his name all the while- scary as hell! Kolchak the Night Stalker combined comedy and horror, making it one of a kind.
The great thing about the original Kolchak character is that he was no hero... Just nosey!
He would be constantly in over his head. When faced with a marauding vampire, zombie or hellbeast, he wouldn't come out with a zippy one-liner and dispatch it with some karate... He would scream like a girl and try to run!
That's what made him a great character... And that's what makes modern interpretations so dull.
@fodsaks -- I couldn't have said it any better myself. Kolchak did exactly what most viewers would do in any scary situation -- he ran for his life! The chase, and not knowing if the creature was around the corner, is what made it work. Today's (so-called) horror movies/TV leave nothing to the imagination. It's torture/porn mixed in with some cheesy CGI and talentless acting.
I used to get to "stay up late" just to watch this show when it was on. At the time it used to scare me, but in a good way. I bought all of the VHS episodes when I found out you could. i still love the opening theme. Still gives me a chill when the cello kicks in.
The theme song puts me in a good mood. hehehe I loved this show!! I remember my mother nicknaming Kolchak - Sneakerfoot. Great series and a classic!!!
This was Massive hit in Australia , the ratings never reflect reality . I think those in power are way out of touch with what people are realy watching . And how did theese same dumb dumbs manage to destroy the new night stalker . The formula was there , but no the execs had to re make the classic . They took out all the charm , fun , character interaction that made the original such a classic .
@gooboo1000 HERE! HERE! I agree. A bloke can't even enjoy watching the actors b/c the camera is being shaken so much that you are too busy chasing the actors to enjoy either them or the plot! Such crap. It used to be the scene changed every 3-6 (max) seconds. Now, it changes every 2.5 -4 seconds with 1.9 seconds max during fight/war/action scenes. A bloke just can't get into the action being remided that you are experiencing it through a camera *sigh*
LOVED this show as a kid. It never gave me nightmares, but even at that age I could appreciate the acting of McGavin and Simon Oakland- great repatee!- and the wide range of exotic monsters. Never saw the 'reimagined' Night Stalker, but can't imagine how it could have been better. P.S.- One of the best themes ever!
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALL TIME SHOWS. HAVE THE SERIES AND BOTH MOVIES ON DVD. I ONLY WISH THAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE MORE EPISODES. THE SHOW WAS GREAT, AND HAD A LOT OF CREEPY MOMENTS. DARRIN MCGAVIN AND SIMON OAKLAND WERE AWESOME IN THERE ROLES!
I grew up watching this back in the 70's. Spent many evenings curled up on the couch peeking out from under a blanket. Loved the theme song. All so pleasant at the beginning with the whistling but when those heavy strings kick in the hair on the back of my neck would always stand up. Also loved the part at the 0:50 mark when he gets that sudden wide eyed look of realization. Great show, great memories!
Coolest show ever. Sure it was uneven. To me the character really made this show work. Kolchack as played by Darren McGavin was such a great character. I really wish this show had gone on just a bit longer. Oh well at least there are two films and one series. I really need to get these on DVD sometime.
I see the music as being happy go lucky until he begins to type. At this point he begins putting onto paper, and reliving, the horrors he's experienced from the previous evening and the music follows accordingly. Then at the very end we can only guess that the previous evenings horror, has followed him back to his office!
Killer intro: Comes in whistling the theme to the show.. Starts typing..The Chello starts. Something's wrong, ,feels like someone is watching...would that be the viewer ...fantastic
This theme started playing on a writeable cd I found and my friend didn't recognize it right away like I had I almost shit a solid brick but then again I grew up with the Kolchak series lol
the show was cancelled because MCgavin and others got to burned because it was almost entirley shot at night,this comming from darren himself. remember this is when a new TV season ran from September to may so they had to produce a new episode for every friday night-i love this as a kid.
i remember when i was five, my dad telling me about a show where there was a werewolf on an oceanliner. and now i have the entire series on dvd and both movies
I have every episode on VHS, including the 2 tv movies that came before it. I watched it when I was a child when it first came on. I always loved that show and always will.
I agree with you 74kennymac! I was 11 years old in 1974 when this show aired. My older Brother and I would watch it every Friday night. Used to scare the shit out me back then!! Then in the 80's I think CBS used to show re-runs of this at 1am. Sci-Fi channel was showing all the episodes about 2 years ago, but since then I haven't seen it on TV............... great show. It should have ran another 2-3 years.
Watch these episodes today and they lose none of their appeal. Interestingly enough, one of the writers was a young David Chase of future Sopranos fame. But it was McGavin who made this show special. Noone else could have pulled that off.
I remember being about 11 when The Night Stalker aired on ABC. Hot summer nights with the lights out, the fan on, the doors open . If these aren't some of my favorite memories, I can't think of the ones that were! Thank You So Much!!!
I was 7 years old back when the The Night Stalker made it's run during the 1974-75 TV season. I remember watching it religiously every Friday night at 9pm ready to see what creatures Carl Kolchak had to fend off, while scared out of my mind. I don't know why people still try and compare it to the X-Files. They are two entirely different shows. The Night Stalker dealt mostly with legendary monsters we all grew up fearing as children. The X-Files dealt more with the oddball supernatural.
That's not entiely true. The X-Files did do episodes dealing with similar creatures and themes featured in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, such as vampires, werewolves, witchcraft, swamp monsters, satanism, demons, native american folklore, zombies, voodoo, immortal serial killers, aliens, ghosts, etc. X-Files creator Chris Carter even stated that The Night Stalker was his main inspiration, which is why so many people compare the two shows. Without Carl Kolchak, there would have been no Fox Mulder.
I'm right with you. I was about 9 when this series started. My 2 older brothers loved to watch it, so I did too to be cool. Scared the crap out of me, which my brothers enjoyed thoroughly and encouraged.
When i was a kid, I always wondered why Kolchak took the risks? Not for money-- he lived like a bum. Bravest character on TV.
X Files is a better show buts thats just me. But Kolchak will always hold a special place in my heart. TWO FUCKING A SHOWS THAT DESERVE A PLACE IN HISTORY.
Indeed, watched the Night satalker when I was like 6, I remember the various monsters or aliens or whatever, very cool, the recent remake wasnt bad either, didnt last long tho..
You know what hurt the remake? There was a team involved. What was intense about Kolchak is that he was almost always facing monsters alone, and he wasn't exactly intimidating.
That, and everybody having to be so dang unnecessarily attractive. Look at all these shows these days, cop dramas, etc. Where's the ordinary looking people? Everyone has to be so young and hot. It really gets annoying and distracting and unreal. And, none of those shallow people can act worth a dang, and they know they dont' have to because studio execs are predictably dumb.
@testodude -- you're absolutely right! The new show also lacked intensity and took itself too seriously. What made the original so much fun was that it was simple, scary and easy to follow... not to mention, very witty! More importantly, the original had this incredible theme song to start us off with. TV shows these days have pretty much written off the TV theme show song freeing up more time for advertisers. They simply don't make 'em like they used to.
The ratings weren't great, there were production headaches and McGavin was kind of bored with the formulaic nature of the show. There are two compete unproduced scripts. A great book about the show is written by Mark Dawidziak, The Night Stalker Companion.
God rest Darren McGavin's soul... I love this show very much, and it always makes me think of one of my brothers and my Mother because they're both such big Kolchak and Darren fans. :)
@deckard97 I agree could run at least two more seasons....I heard one reason it ended after one season was they were running out of good storylines. They could have rehashed a few of them and been just as good.
My mom and I used to watch this on Friday nights. I'll never forget that one where the knight was coming after him swinging that spiked ball on a chain! I dont think i slept that night. scary stuff!!
Another brilliant.. But cancelled TV classic. Kolchak; The Night stalker ran on ABC-TV from Oct, 1974 to April 1975. That classic scary series is now on DVD for you to enjoy. and did'nt you know the show has lots of well known guest stars includes. Larry Linville, Jamie Farr, Hans Conried, John Dehner, Keenan Wynn .. twice.Tom Bosley, & Future Y & the R star Eric Braeden. Oh i forgot in the last episode Darren McGavin's wife Kathie Browne also guested as well. Love that show.
travesty how this show only ran for one series :( but it was fantastic and remains a cult classic to this day , darren mcgavin was amazing in this role and the 2 tv movies that came before are just the best !!
I loved this show, I like the remake with Stuart Townsend too though I am angry they made it so short. They should have made it as along as this show.
@VampireLord66 I didn't like it. It was the one of the most pretentious, pseudo-creative shows I've ever seen. It was an insult to The X-Files: a show that earned & carried Kolchak's Torch.
I remember this show. One time he was hunting down a mummy or something and he had to put a tube in it's mouth and blow something in it, well while he was doing that, the mummy's eyes opened and man did that scare the mess outta me LOL! And Kolchek, too lol! The 70's had the best TV in NYC.
What you are referring to is the episode called "The Zombie."
Carl, having tracked own the Zombie to his lair (ie; a junkyard), has to pour salt into the creature's mouth, then stitch the lips together. As he is doing this, the Zombie's eyes open suddenly, and...well, I won't spoil the rest of it for you!
A brilliant series, played to perfection by my favourite American actor, Mr. Darren McGavin.
Such a good show. Thankfully there are legions of fans, enough of us, that there are marathon episode days now and then. Love the "Demon In Lace" and the "vampire" episodes.
Me, 7-8 years old, Friday night, allowed to stay up late and watch this show. I could never get to bed after this show because I was so scared!
The best/ most scary episode was the monster that looked like a pile of dead grass... it would fool it's victim by turning into someone you knew. It would get close, then whamo!... you were dead.
Yep, beautiful memories. Those seventies with Kung Fu, Maverick, Kojak, Starsky & Hutch and, among them, Kolchak of course, without computers, just a classical tipewritter and a tipical reporter in search of the monsters that lured in our worst nightmares when we were kids.
I loved this show. It had just the right amount of humor to go along with the story lines and a cast that worked well together. Unlike most of today's shows which rely so much on spx the story and characters are almost a second thought.
Ya Phil Silvers was in the Rakshasa episode. I wish the NightStalker would have had today's visual affects. The series fell short because the villain was usually a tall guy in a bad montser suit. Even so so Darren Magavin, and Simon Oakland created two classic characters.
The X-files got cancelled because the chemistry of the show was ruined after David Duchovney split the scene. No more subliminal Scully and Molder sexual tension. No more of "Molder's self destructive obsession".
The reboot was produced by Frank Spotnitz. Of X-Files fame.
So Kolchak is young & a hunk, he knows thet "the truth is out there!" and his partner is a cute, spunky skeptical babe.
Frank, it's been done! It was called "The X-Files"! It Was Canceled!
Kolchak is a middle-aged newspaperman. Not a "journalist". He's dedicated to the proposition that "The People have the Right to Know!" regardless of whose toes got stepped on. Which is why Carl was fired from every paper he ever worked for.
Darren MaGaven made the show. His quirky, funny, and obnoxious Kolchak was one of the best TV characters ever created. The supporting actors were good to. Simon Oakland's Tony Vinchenzo was a perfect foil for Kolchak. Where the show suffered was in it's lack of money to hire decent guest stars, and the special effects. The monster was always some guy in a bad monster suit. I just wish the creature affects had been better. The Creature was always some guy in a really bad monster suit.
"Barney Miller" was so underappreciated that whenever I heard this theme and watched the show, it was almost like being part of a conspiracy! Still one of the most unappreciated great TV comedies ever.
This intro... is one of the most obtuse and silly openers ever made. The show is one of the best ever made. However, this uninspired tune with the whistling is bizarre. How old was the producer? Over 70?
Everything after each opening was unforgettable. I loved this show so much when it was on. No one's come even CLOSE to matching how awesome this was with modern supernatural-monster stuff.
What's obtuse and silly? It's a CONCISE scene, and the bass strings make it fairly gripping. Kolchak's alone, first at work in the early morning , coming back from a night out chasing monsters (think about it). Calmly whistling to keep the monsters away, like a little kid might. He's starting to write his story and uhoh, we got some kind of mysterious power outage trouble!
went to a Mustang car show and they had a man with a 1965 primrose yellow 1965 Ford Mustang Covertible and was wearing a seer sucker suit. he said "This is my Carl Kolcahk disguise"
I clearly remember Erik Estrada in one Nightstalker episode. This was before CHIPS fame. As a kid in the 70s I was into bodybuilding. Erik Estrada got my attention in that episode as he looked good from weighttraining. Back then I rode a motorbike to school and he continued to inspire my training as I watched the CHIPs series later on. Those were great memories! Anyways, thanks Darren Mcgavin....God bless you wherever you are .
The theme to Night Stalker is cleverly arranged to take a happy whistle of a tune and sink it into darker shades with cellos and double-bass strings. I guess that was what the show was in a way. There was good comic chemistry between Kolchak and his boss which I
The Night Stalker was the best.
dzjonesiap 1 month ago
One of the best series EVER!!
Marc329 1 month ago
You can't fuck with Karl Kolchack.
PrinceOfCicero 1 month ago
this guy was my fav ,he was not afraid of no ghost or goul, take the back seat xfile
duker740 1 month ago
I sometimes go there after a Hollywood acting audition.... :^) I remember his performance in "Gunsmoke" as well...
ktypestar 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Geez-I was devastated as a kid when Darren McGavin's show was canceled...Couldn't believe it, as a lot of people loved the show, as well as the scary characters that were always chasing the "Carl Kolchak" character he portrayed...There was a public outcry to save the show at the time, but unfortunately it never happened....I always make it a point to visit Darren McGavin's crypt whenever I'm in the immediate vicinity of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery where it's located-a truly great actor!!!
ktypestar 1 month ago
Zombie, sewer creature, headless (horseman) motorcycle rider, ahh...the good ol days. I have the dvd set n movies and watch them year round. D McG rocked the role.
nunnyadamnbusiness 1 month ago
McGavin wasn’t what most people would call a quintessential hero. He certainly lacked the biceps and firepower employed by Arnie. However, he was a misunderstood loner who had the ability and courage to seek the truth when those around him failed to do so. In this respect only he was a typical hero. The special effects were sometimes ordinary by today’s standards, but McGavin’s personality, energy and acting made the show a classic. I'm glad this series has remained alive in people's memories.
MrTsingo 2 months ago
@MrTsingo My mom and I LOVE this show, and the effects...I think they stand the test of time, episodes like the voodoo zombie episode, still today, scary as hell to watch! And yeah we love Kolchak, HE made a great protagonist, a great hero, etc.
TheBookWorm1718 1 month ago
This is my favorite TV show of all time. The 2005 update was a crime against television. I would have preferred a movie version that was once rumored to have Bruce Willis as Kolchak and Danny Aiello as Vincenzo.
majortenn 2 months ago
One crucial element that makes this show live on is simply Darren McGavin himself, which is why the remake failed so abysmally.
He was not a superman of John Wayne-Clint Eastwood-Arnold Schwartzenegger proportions, but rather an everyman that only Darren himself could portray. The aforementioned were armed with firearms, bravado and one liners. Carl Kolchak on the other hand had only a nose for news, a camera and a Mark Twain-like narrative to entice the audience.
Yes a very rare talent
MaidenUtah1 2 months ago
Warning to all monsters: Never mess with Carl, Kolchak, Ever!
enterprise160 2 months ago
RiP Darren McGavin
warriorvet 2 months ago
loved this show
dembela 2 months ago
Gil Melle originally composed this theme as a cue for "The Questor Tapes" TV movie pilot the year before. Only 20 episodes of this series were produced.
fromthesidelines 4 months ago
@Great8Earthquake Yes, written by Robert Zemeckis who later directed Back to the Future and Forrest Gump. I loved the one where it had the beast I think called a Succubus who took the form of someone the victim trusted until it was too late to tell otherwise, and when it went after Kolchak it became the elderly advice columnist Miss Emily and he had to shoot her/it with a crossbow.
jennifersman 4 months ago
i could juggle to this all day...
mountainman15 4 months ago in playlist mountainman15's Favorited Videos
i loved this show, watched it as a young kid. scared me bad but still loved it. i used to watch those old vampire movies too and had to go to bed with a cross under my pillow lol. i was lucky i only had 3 stations so i was glad this show made it on one of them :)
tvampyer 5 months ago
thumbs up if you just realized he's the guy in the christmas story
VanHalenFreak99 6 months ago
I loved the old show .DiD not really care for the short lived new one .I still have the original TV movie.My grand kids love it.
scottrgib 6 months ago
i miss this so much, this was such an intense amazing show.
nicolebriii 6 months ago
Johnny Depp & Disney team up on a feature version of THE NIGHT STALKER. Check out Deadline dot com
LANCE70X 6 months ago
I remember watching this as a kid, it used the frighten me to death some episodes. It was so good for the seventies. The X-Files was good for the first and second season, then it just went totally weird and unwatchable. Go the Night Stalker...
83226505 7 months ago
I use to watch this all the time, what a great show.
GuyinCa 7 months ago
I managed to bag the complete series on DVD. It's a shame that it didn't include the pilot feature length episodes though. :(
LaughingPsycho 7 months ago
For a show that only lasted one season, Kolchak, is an icon. He was the hero, that had no of the traditional heroic qualities. He screamed. He ran away. But in the end, he did what had to be done. I, too, remember the original airings. What an awesome show.
Runner2000 8 months ago 2
Thumbs up if the X Files made u look this up , I've only been watching the x files since Febuary 2011, this was it's infuence so I'm lookin it up
MrVercettti 8 months ago
Man I miss this show I'm 45 now but when I was 8 I remembered this show scaring the living crap out of me!
biggdaddy965 8 months ago
@biggdaddy965 Absolutely! I'm 46 and the episode with the female vampire freaked me way out when I was a kid. I couldn't sleep some nights!
Spud13ify 8 months ago
@biggdaddy965 lol im 52 and I can still remmeber when these episodes aired. Wow the years burn don't they?
Gideon6640man 8 months ago
@biggdaddy965 Im 52 and I can still remember when these episodes aired loves them so cheesy but great. Wow the years burn don't they?
Gideon6640man 8 months ago
What an amazing show. I used to watch this when I was really young all the time with my dad. He grew up watching it as it was broadcast on TV and I remember he bought the videos via mail in the mid/late '90s. I began watching them then and I quickly became a fan by the time I was just 4 or 5 years old! We now have the DVD box set and I know Netflix also streams the series. And does anyone else get the chills just from the intro?
MissCodswallop 9 months ago
@MissCodswallop When I was a kid back when this series first aired I use to curl up on the couch with a blanket and loved being scared by it. And yes, the intro always sent chills up and down my spine. The happy go lucky theme music in the beginning that suddenly becomes ominous, the background fading to black and that sudden realization on his face that something is amiss always played on my own fears. Great fun!
ole9421 7 months ago 16
@ole9421 You described exactly how I felt as a kid watching the show and dead on abouth the opening theme music.
It sure brings back great memories of my childhood, scared to watch the show, but I could not turn away at the same time.
lazarus611 3 months ago
Hey look its Billy Madisons Dad!!!!
stucat06 9 months ago 2
Love this.....it's very much like a documentary at times!
BansheeMovie 9 months ago
A great episode was The Zombie- the scene where Kolchak spies on the voodoo priestess and sees her sprinkling dust on a small handcarved coffin that has his name on it, chanting his name all the while- scary as hell! Kolchak the Night Stalker combined comedy and horror, making it one of a kind.
mistomen 9 months ago 2
what was the name of the lone ranger's cousin's horse?
illuminatioracle 9 months ago
ah man i used to love watching this show here in Chicago on CBS Channel 2 back in the 80's. they dont make shows like this anymore.
26Deacon 9 months ago
this show is awesome! but arent there pretty much two intros?
this one and the overhead view of the city
salsa2good 9 months ago
The great thing about the original Kolchak character is that he was no hero... Just nosey!
He would be constantly in over his head. When faced with a marauding vampire, zombie or hellbeast, he wouldn't come out with a zippy one-liner and dispatch it with some karate... He would scream like a girl and try to run!
That's what made him a great character... And that's what makes modern interpretations so dull.
fodsaks 9 months ago
@fodsaks I laughed and snorted at the same time while reading your comment, resulting in my almost choking to death.
I could sue. ;)
WolfQueene 9 months ago
@WolfQueene
No, please don't choke to death!
I couldn't bear to have that on my conscience :o)
fodsaks 9 months ago
@fodsaks Hehe, don't worry, I think I'll survive. xD
WolfQueene 9 months ago
@fodsaks -- I couldn't have said it any better myself. Kolchak did exactly what most viewers would do in any scary situation -- he ran for his life! The chase, and not knowing if the creature was around the corner, is what made it work. Today's (so-called) horror movies/TV leave nothing to the imagination. It's torture/porn mixed in with some cheesy CGI and talentless acting.
WildBill6942 9 months ago 2
The Diablero sp? was my fav episode....he could turn into a hawk, a crow or a coyote.
reeeee6 9 months ago
I used to get to "stay up late" just to watch this show when it was on. At the time it used to scare me, but in a good way. I bought all of the VHS episodes when I found out you could. i still love the opening theme. Still gives me a chill when the cello kicks in.
reeeee6 9 months ago
This theme rocks.
DavePerry2012 9 months ago
This makes me wish I could whistle!!!!
SafieLiverpool 10 months ago
The theme song puts me in a good mood. hehehe I loved this show!! I remember my mother nicknaming Kolchak - Sneakerfoot. Great series and a classic!!!
RachelRage13 10 months ago
I love it when the cello comes in...
coffinshaker 10 months ago
Horror novel see video book trailer
dltanner99 10 months ago
Thats the ringtone i assigned to my wife when ever she calls my cell.....!!!!!
v49624430 10 months ago
Great spot when the Kolchak looks up, the lighting changes, the clock stops and the fan stops along with the music. Eerie!
kperk014 10 months ago
loved this show brilliant way ahead of it's time.
manweller1 11 months ago
Ahh, I miss The Graveyard Shift.
definitely pick up the DVD set if you get the chance
VirtualAd3pt 11 months ago
This was Massive hit in Australia , the ratings never reflect reality . I think those in power are way out of touch with what people are realy watching . And how did theese same dumb dumbs manage to destroy the new night stalker . The formula was there , but no the execs had to re make the classic . They took out all the charm , fun , character interaction that made the original such a classic .
ozzycriss 11 months ago 2
I love how the theme song begins so innocuously, only to transition to something more sinister. This was a flawed, yet well-acted series.
Archangel101576 11 months ago
this was my fav show of the 70s.They shouldnt have cancelled it
ranchai100 1 year ago
Darren McGavin was a very good actor!
msljyoung 1 year ago
Remember the one with the female dummy mannequins. This show was GREAT. THEY SURE DO MAKE CRAP NOWADAYS!
gooboo1000 1 year ago
@gooboo1000 HERE! HERE! I agree. A bloke can't even enjoy watching the actors b/c the camera is being shaken so much that you are too busy chasing the actors to enjoy either them or the plot! Such crap. It used to be the scene changed every 3-6 (max) seconds. Now, it changes every 2.5 -4 seconds with 1.9 seconds max during fight/war/action scenes. A bloke just can't get into the action being remided that you are experiencing it through a camera *sigh*
capie44 1 year ago
My favorite was the headless motorcycle guy with the sword
BubbaModee 1 year ago
Yeah, watched NIGHT STALKER til 1am back then with my mom. Was just raving about this show last week. Awesome stuff, ill remember it forever!!!
jaycrust 1 year ago
LOVED this show as a kid. It never gave me nightmares, but even at that age I could appreciate the acting of McGavin and Simon Oakland- great repatee!- and the wide range of exotic monsters. Never saw the 'reimagined' Night Stalker, but can't imagine how it could have been better. P.S.- One of the best themes ever!
BlueHoursProductions 1 year ago 10
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALL TIME SHOWS. HAVE THE SERIES AND BOTH MOVIES ON DVD. I ONLY WISH THAT THEY WOULD HAVE DONE MORE EPISODES. THE SHOW WAS GREAT, AND HAD A LOT OF CREEPY MOMENTS. DARRIN MCGAVIN AND SIMON OAKLAND WERE AWESOME IN THERE ROLES!
MultiJman69 2 months ago
Would watch this with my Grandmother on Friday nights. Ahhhhh memories.
EyeLuvGamez 1 year ago 2
I grew up watching this back in the 70's. Spent many evenings curled up on the couch peeking out from under a blanket. Loved the theme song. All so pleasant at the beginning with the whistling but when those heavy strings kick in the hair on the back of my neck would always stand up. Also loved the part at the 0:50 mark when he gets that sudden wide eyed look of realization. Great show, great memories!
ole9421 1 year ago
Coolest show ever. Sure it was uneven. To me the character really made this show work. Kolchack as played by Darren McGavin was such a great character. I really wish this show had gone on just a bit longer. Oh well at least there are two films and one series. I really need to get these on DVD sometime.
slagit 1 year ago
Loved this show growing up. Remains a favorite to this day.
sgw0624 1 year ago
I see the music as being happy go lucky until he begins to type. At this point he begins putting onto paper, and reliving, the horrors he's experienced from the previous evening and the music follows accordingly. Then at the very end we can only guess that the previous evenings horror, has followed him back to his office!
Yapostadodat 1 year ago
Killer intro: Comes in whistling the theme to the show.. Starts typing..The Chello starts. Something's wrong, ,feels like someone is watching...would that be the viewer ...fantastic
HUTINAK 1 year ago
This theme started playing on a writeable cd I found and my friend didn't recognize it right away like I had I almost shit a solid brick but then again I grew up with the Kolchak series lol
miconumba1 1 year ago
this show was brilliant and a wonderful acting job by Darren McGavin
Annie1962 1 year ago
the show was cancelled because MCgavin and others got to burned because it was almost entirley shot at night,this comming from darren himself. remember this is when a new TV season ran from September to may so they had to produce a new episode for every friday night-i love this as a kid.
sobuliak 1 year ago
One of the best shows of the 70's. friday nights were eagerly anticipated!
zombiemedic1 1 year ago
i remember when i was five, my dad telling me about a show where there was a werewolf on an oceanliner. and now i have the entire series on dvd and both movies
classicrockNo1 1 year ago
The headless motorcycle rider was terrifying when I was a kid - still is!
xr6lad 1 year ago
That bayou monster scared the *$!#@ out of me when I was 5!
RomneyGack 1 year ago
This was a great series with great actors and stories; which proves you do not need good spx to tell a story.
May Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland two very fine actors REST IN PEACE!
tobit100 1 year ago
I have every episode on VHS, including the 2 tv movies that came before it. I watched it when I was a child when it first came on. I always loved that show and always will.
chipps1963 1 year ago
Does anyone remember this show? I used to love it!
dinkumdave11 1 year ago
I love this show...was one of my favs when I was growing up and still is
GRAPHICgrafix 1 year ago
This was my favorite tv show as a kid in the 70's. They don't make them like this anymore. :)
lordspider666 1 year ago
One of the spookiest opening themes for a tv show. Always gave me goosebumps!
kevkraft 1 year ago
Favorite show of the 70s
FcMovies 1 year ago
omg love Kolchak--and he was damn fine with his shirt off too. Amazing show! my favorite was "they have been, they are, they will be."
extractdigit 1 year ago
I agree with you 74kennymac! I was 11 years old in 1974 when this show aired. My older Brother and I would watch it every Friday night. Used to scare the shit out me back then!! Then in the 80's I think CBS used to show re-runs of this at 1am. Sci-Fi channel was showing all the episodes about 2 years ago, but since then I haven't seen it on TV............... great show. It should have ran another 2-3 years.
NS9144 1 year ago
the best show ever!!!!
azzleeka 1 year ago
dfagdfg
runescapeking76 1 year ago
Such a great show, wonderful memories watching it thanks for posting.
GuyinCa 1 year ago 2
Watch these episodes today and they lose none of their appeal. Interestingly enough, one of the writers was a young David Chase of future Sopranos fame. But it was McGavin who made this show special. Noone else could have pulled that off.
31Uwe 1 year ago
I remember being about 11 when The Night Stalker aired on ABC. Hot summer nights with the lights out, the fan on, the doors open . If these aren't some of my favorite memories, I can't think of the ones that were! Thank You So Much!!!
JAMESD5573 1 year ago
I was 7 years old back when the The Night Stalker made it's run during the 1974-75 TV season. I remember watching it religiously every Friday night at 9pm ready to see what creatures Carl Kolchak had to fend off, while scared out of my mind. I don't know why people still try and compare it to the X-Files. They are two entirely different shows. The Night Stalker dealt mostly with legendary monsters we all grew up fearing as children. The X-Files dealt more with the oddball supernatural.
WildBill6942 1 year ago 3
That's not entiely true. The X-Files did do episodes dealing with similar creatures and themes featured in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, such as vampires, werewolves, witchcraft, swamp monsters, satanism, demons, native american folklore, zombies, voodoo, immortal serial killers, aliens, ghosts, etc. X-Files creator Chris Carter even stated that The Night Stalker was his main inspiration, which is why so many people compare the two shows. Without Carl Kolchak, there would have been no Fox Mulder.
44excalibur 1 year ago 3
I'm glad to hear that. I love Kolchak and The Night Stalker. I have always believed that this show was the forerunner of the X-Files...
CSavageSr 1 year ago
I'm right with you. I was about 9 when this series started. My 2 older brothers loved to watch it, so I did too to be cool. Scared the crap out of me, which my brothers enjoyed thoroughly and encouraged.
When i was a kid, I always wondered why Kolchak took the risks? Not for money-- he lived like a bum. Bravest character on TV.
testodude 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
WildBill6942 1 year ago
X Files is a better show buts thats just me. But Kolchak will always hold a special place in my heart. TWO FUCKING A SHOWS THAT DESERVE A PLACE IN HISTORY.
DrPepperAndSteak 1 year ago
Sons of bitches! Bumpuses!
JixMa 1 year ago
McGavin is an excellente actor, is really good in Kolchak
68edmundo 1 year ago
Comment removed
68edmundo 1 year ago
This is the dogs bollocks!!! The X Files was a lame attempt at supernatural entertainment.....NIGHTSTALKER RULES!!!
NightStalker1958 1 year ago 9
That old typewriter was almost as scary as the monsters on this show. How could anyone type on one of those things?
denzelsnipes69 1 year ago
@crittertv ,
The only ONE who is mad and frustrated is you,
dump CRITTER, LITTER - SHITTER.:)
spirittruth76 1 year ago
Indeed, watched the Night satalker when I was like 6, I remember the various monsters or aliens or whatever, very cool, the recent remake wasnt bad either, didnt last long tho..
crittertv 1 year ago
You know what hurt the remake? There was a team involved. What was intense about Kolchak is that he was almost always facing monsters alone, and he wasn't exactly intimidating.
testodude 1 year ago 21
@testodude That's true. If he'd been on his own it would have been a lot better.
LaughingPsycho 7 months ago
@testodude
That, and everybody having to be so dang unnecessarily attractive. Look at all these shows these days, cop dramas, etc. Where's the ordinary looking people? Everyone has to be so young and hot. It really gets annoying and distracting and unreal. And, none of those shallow people can act worth a dang, and they know they dont' have to because studio execs are predictably dumb.
TheJediCharles 4 months ago
@testodude Youtube -
They Sold Their Souls For Rock And Roll
HumilityInfinity 4 months ago
@testodude -- you're absolutely right! The new show also lacked intensity and took itself too seriously. What made the original so much fun was that it was simple, scary and easy to follow... not to mention, very witty! More importantly, the original had this incredible theme song to start us off with. TV shows these days have pretty much written off the TV theme show song freeing up more time for advertisers. They simply don't make 'em like they used to.
WildBill6942 4 months ago
@testodude The reason why i hate Dr.Who. Not the new ones, in general.
Carthsting 4 months ago
@testodude There was a remake? Eew.
TheGzeus 4 months ago
I like how the music starts all bright and cheerful, then suddenly turns ominous.
Tertullian1971 2 years ago 4
Actual series dont match the originality of 70s and 80s tv shows.
samuraifugitivo 1 year ago
I feel the exact same way
Falcon4596 1 year ago
scared the hell out me as a kid and no show like it since. X-files is closest - I guess.
Pindar1 2 years ago 2
Does anyone know the reason why The Night Stalker was cancelled by ABC-TV so quickly? Thanks.
thomqkat 2 years ago
That would be either politics or stupidity. I loved that show as a kid. It scared me to death. I have since bought the DVD collection..
omnivos 2 years ago
Omnivos: Thanks for the info. Don't understand if 'politics' played into this or not? Why cancel a good show?
thomqkat 2 years ago
The ratings weren't great, there were production headaches and McGavin was kind of bored with the formulaic nature of the show. There are two compete unproduced scripts. A great book about the show is written by Mark Dawidziak, The Night Stalker Companion.
DasGoldenBoy 2 years ago 2
I loved this show so much and still do :D
amm019 2 years ago 2
Its a mess that today series are all the same format, lacking originality
samuraifugitivo 1 year ago
This show is awesome! i watched it as a kid with my mom and now i have it on dvd. Just such a fun show.
LedKashmir 2 years ago 2
Yes, fond memories of Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak. Must be a good Eastern European name. Anyway, I love this show!!!
CSavageSr 2 years ago 2
@CSavageSr Plus, I love the whistling. I do it to this day.
CSavageSr 2 years ago
God rest Darren McGavin's soul... I love this show very much, and it always makes me think of one of my brothers and my Mother because they're both such big Kolchak and Darren fans. :)
AlabastorPris 2 years ago 2
This should have run 5 ,6 seasons-Fun Series
deckard97 2 years ago
@deckard97 I agree could run at least two more seasons....I heard one reason it ended after one season was they were running out of good storylines. They could have rehashed a few of them and been just as good.
atkman74 1 year ago
@atkman74 i think so too.Thankfully the Dvds are available
deckard97 1 year ago
My mom and I used to watch this on Friday nights. I'll never forget that one where the knight was coming after him swinging that spiked ball on a chain! I dont think i slept that night. scary stuff!!
mx94racer 2 years ago 2
Best show of the 70's.
TROUSERFLAP 2 years ago 2
I remember this show when i was a 12 or 13 and saying to myself thanks to him he saved the world from
monsters !!
icmequipment 2 years ago 2
I remember the season premier in 1974. I was almost 14 years old. Watched it with a buddy and his younger brother....down in their dark basement.
thomqkat 2 years ago
the best intro serie ever made!!
pollosa 2 years ago
Were they not two different Kolchak: The Night Stalker intros?
mojoidol 2 years ago
Another brilliant.. But cancelled TV classic. Kolchak; The Night stalker ran on ABC-TV from Oct, 1974 to April 1975. That classic scary series is now on DVD for you to enjoy. and did'nt you know the show has lots of well known guest stars includes. Larry Linville, Jamie Farr, Hans Conried, John Dehner, Keenan Wynn .. twice.Tom Bosley, & Future Y & the R star Eric Braeden. Oh i forgot in the last episode Darren McGavin's wife Kathie Browne also guested as well. Love that show.
yogafan6500 2 years ago 27
@yogafan6500 what lara parker from dark shadows!
scrowfan41 1 year ago
@yogafan6500 YES ANOTHER GREAT SHOW CANCELED BRAINLESS TV EXECITIVES I HOPE THEY ALL ROT IN HELL
bobszvetics1 1 year ago 3
travesty how this show only ran for one series :( but it was fantastic and remains a cult classic to this day , darren mcgavin was amazing in this role and the 2 tv movies that came before are just the best !!
74kennymac 2 years ago 32
@74kennymac I wish they could remake it like in a movie........but they did make some comics though the comics were like the series.
Mider999 1 year ago
I loved this show, I like the remake with Stuart Townsend too though I am angry they made it so short. They should have made it as along as this show.
VampireLord66 1 year ago
@VampireLord66 I didn't like it. It was the one of the most pretentious, pseudo-creative shows I've ever seen. It was an insult to The X-Files: a show that earned & carried Kolchak's Torch.
Diakron79 3 months ago
I remember this show. One time he was hunting down a mummy or something and he had to put a tube in it's mouth and blow something in it, well while he was doing that, the mummy's eyes opened and man did that scare the mess outta me LOL! And Kolchek, too lol! The 70's had the best TV in NYC.
TinkerMazell 2 years ago 6
What you are referring to is the episode called "The Zombie."
Carl, having tracked own the Zombie to his lair (ie; a junkyard), has to pour salt into the creature's mouth, then stitch the lips together. As he is doing this, the Zombie's eyes open suddenly, and...well, I won't spoil the rest of it for you!
A brilliant series, played to perfection by my favourite American actor, Mr. Darren McGavin.
R.I.P.
God Bless.
ffjkhguhgft 2 years ago
when that Zombie's eyes opened, I swear to God I almost had a heart attach, and I was 9 years old. Great stuff. My favorite ep.
testodude 1 year ago 2
@testodude lmao at the heart attack comment, used to watch this show as a teenager so it made me shudder a tad nonetheless and laugh as well
azzleeka 1 year ago
Such a good show. Thankfully there are legions of fans, enough of us, that there are marathon episode days now and then. Love the "Demon In Lace" and the "vampire" episodes.
lakesidepark2112 2 years ago 7
Me, 7-8 years old, Friday night, allowed to stay up late and watch this show. I could never get to bed after this show because I was so scared!
The best/ most scary episode was the monster that looked like a pile of dead grass... it would fool it's victim by turning into someone you knew. It would get close, then whamo!... you were dead.
Great memories from a time long gone.
JP5466 2 years ago 8
The episode you are referring to is called "The Spanish Moss Murders."
I am from the U.K. and a Kolchak afficianado.
I Just ADORE it!
ffjkhguhgft 2 years ago
The episode that scared me the most was the one with the voodoo zombie. that thing scared the crap out of me.
testodude 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i love this song....
gratefulgibbin 2 years ago
mmh gets me interested, never knew this
FrightNightTV 2 years ago 2
It scared the shit out of me too. Remember Ring the Robot. I couldn't sleep that night. Mind you I was only 8
zx1100r 2 years ago 4
This show use to scare the hell outa me...lmaooooo...
1fynenubian 2 years ago 5
Yep, beautiful memories. Those seventies with Kung Fu, Maverick, Kojak, Starsky & Hutch and, among them, Kolchak of course, without computers, just a classical tipewritter and a tipical reporter in search of the monsters that lured in our worst nightmares when we were kids.
soykoko 2 years ago
I loved this show. It had just the right amount of humor to go along with the story lines and a cast that worked well together. Unlike most of today's shows which rely so much on spx the story and characters are almost a second thought.
Ratt1959 2 years ago
loved this series as cheesey as it seems now it used to scare us !
PBLotterywinner 2 years ago 3
No freakin' way!
It was scary!
Great show!
cyberteque 2 years ago 3
Ya Phil Silvers was in the Rakshasa episode. I wish the NightStalker would have had today's visual affects. The series fell short because the villain was usually a tall guy in a bad montser suit. Even so so Darren Magavin, and Simon Oakland created two classic characters.
The X-files got cancelled because the chemistry of the show was ruined after David Duchovney split the scene. No more subliminal Scully and Molder sexual tension. No more of "Molder's self destructive obsession".
Grimmest117 2 years ago
I have have the complete series on DVD. This was a great show for that time era
dillzboy 2 years ago
The reboot was produced by Frank Spotnitz. Of X-Files fame.
So Kolchak is young & a hunk, he knows thet "the truth is out there!" and his partner is a cute, spunky skeptical babe.
Frank, it's been done! It was called "The X-Files"! It Was Canceled!
Kolchak is a middle-aged newspaperman. Not a "journalist". He's dedicated to the proposition that "The People have the Right to Know!" regardless of whose toes got stepped on. Which is why Carl was fired from every paper he ever worked for.
tuckerch 2 years ago
fanntastic show darren mcgavin is a legend
jamander1960 2 years ago
Great show
servicenot 2 years ago
Darren MaGaven made the show. His quirky, funny, and obnoxious Kolchak was one of the best TV characters ever created. The supporting actors were good to. Simon Oakland's Tony Vinchenzo was a perfect foil for Kolchak. Where the show suffered was in it's lack of money to hire decent guest stars, and the special effects. The monster was always some guy in a bad monster suit. I just wish the creature affects had been better. The Creature was always some guy in a really bad monster suit.
Grimmest117 2 years ago
I remember Phill Silvers was in one episode. It was weird seeing him in a series role. But he did a good job.
badhead 2 years ago
I love this show.
LivesInCastlevania 2 years ago
"Barney Miller" was so underappreciated that whenever I heard this theme and watched the show, it was almost like being part of a conspiracy! Still one of the most unappreciated great TV comedies ever.
WSenator1 2 years ago
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Branimir9000 2 years ago
Darren McGavin also did Mike Hammer on TV. That was a great show too.
nutmeg43 2 years ago
This intro... is one of the most obtuse and silly openers ever made. The show is one of the best ever made. However, this uninspired tune with the whistling is bizarre. How old was the producer? Over 70?
Everything after each opening was unforgettable. I loved this show so much when it was on. No one's come even CLOSE to matching how awesome this was with modern supernatural-monster stuff.
Seersucker suits are incredible, too.
SteveRessel 2 years ago
The composer is putting to music the idea that the normal and humdrum can quickly become frightening....i think he did a brilliant job with it.
CreatureFeatures75 2 years ago 2
What's obtuse and silly? It's a CONCISE scene, and the bass strings make it fairly gripping. Kolchak's alone, first at work in the early morning , coming back from a night out chasing monsters (think about it). Calmly whistling to keep the monsters away, like a little kid might. He's starting to write his story and uhoh, we got some kind of mysterious power outage trouble!
It's practically PERFECT!
Branimir9000 2 years ago
went to a Mustang car show and they had a man with a 1965 primrose yellow 1965 Ford Mustang Covertible and was wearing a seer sucker suit. he said "This is my Carl Kolcahk disguise"
frankd1965 2 years ago
LOL I used to LOVE this show.....it's cool to find tidbits of it here! :)
kathrynk007 2 years ago
I clearly remember Erik Estrada in one Nightstalker episode. This was before CHIPS fame. As a kid in the 70s I was into bodybuilding. Erik Estrada got my attention in that episode as he looked good from weighttraining. Back then I rode a motorbike to school and he continued to inspire my training as I watched the CHIPs series later on. Those were great memories! Anyways, thanks Darren Mcgavin....God bless you wherever you are .
Nanning1960 2 years ago
The theme to Night Stalker is cleverly arranged to take a happy whistle of a tune and sink it into darker shades with cellos and double-bass strings. I guess that was what the show was in a way. There was good comic chemistry between Kolchak and his boss which I