The Night Stalker

How many of you out there have seen The Night Stalker from the early 70's? I remember watching this with my sister religiously everytime it came on. I am about to buy the series on DVD and cannot wait to dig up those memories of being young and so scared late at night, up past my bedtime. Darren McGavin was perfect in the role as Carl Kolchak. I also rember him in the Martian Chronicles and the Six Million Dollar Man, but his leading role in The Night Stalker is my favorite.

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

Anyone?

I didn't see it in the early 70's, but I did see a few of the episodes later on... pretty cool stuff... I'll have to check the DVD's out...

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i remember when it was on...i think i watched a few episodes...

I think it is brilliant, I think it is an absolute joy watching Kolchak on his adventures. I started watching it in the 80's as re-runs late at night on BBC2. It was only recently that I managed to get hold of all 20 episodes and both movies. Kolchak is the ultimate loner when it comes to reporting and unexplained crime investigations.

10/10.

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"That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die"

Very nice, thanks for responding, thought I was the only fan out there.

At least now I know there are two.

Never saw the original, but did catch a few episodes of the new one. Thought it was okay...could have been better. Were they anything alike?

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Suspect's Reviews

The idea was similar, but it did not have the "feel" of the original, kinda hard to explain, but no they were not really alike.

Oh yes! I have, and love them all. I really don't care to see the remakes.

The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler (1972) (Double Feature)



Kolchak - The Night Stalker (1974)
All 20 original episodes on three double sided discs

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Cool, X-Files eat your heart out.

Indeed!

To answer the question above this post when someone asked about the remake of the show.

The remake starring, Stuart Townsend, I think that is what he's called. It is poor and is so typically PC like in todays standards (must have female side kick so as to not look sexist in the tv world of today).

The storylines used in the remake were average and forgettable at best, well the first few (I stopped watching after episode 3) were. No wonder it got cancelled as no kont was interested in the drivel they were dishing out to us in the form of Kolchak and his "female sidekick" solving crimes. They should have stuck to the formula of Kolchak being a "loner" during his missions, and the odd time seeking help from others for a few moments anyway. If they did this then it would have been a little more acceptable.

The original may look dated by todays standards of tv shows, etc. But it has a charm and quality to it that cannot and WILL NOT be touched by any crappy remake by a bunch of spak mong's who are hellbent on making money from a cult name and massacring all that is sacred about it, in order to bring it to the masses that they think will buy into it in it's "new make over". Maybe if they had kept what made the original great and put it in the remake things would have been different. But then why bother? the original owns!!.

Carl Kolchak is the man!

I never missed an episode and couldn't wait for the DVD set to come out.

My perspective has changed a bit as I'm not certain that the headless motorcycle guy is unequivocally coming for me next but that doesn't make me less of a fan.

I'm finding that I really like a lot of the TV shows that I grew up with when I re-watch them as an adult. I remain convinced that Kung Fu is the best show ever but shows like Kolchak, Fantasy Island, Hawaii Five-0 etc are a lot of fun to watch.

Have you ever noticed that the little lady that worked with Kolchak, is the same actress that runs the pet shop in The Birds? Trivial, yes, but I like noticing those things.

i have heard of the cd-rom that the show is releasing, i think that the cd features exclusive interviews with the shows creators, anyway the cd is included on the august issue of the TV Guide Magazine, gonna check i out a bit later.

I used to watch it during the original run sitting on my dad's lap. As soon as it was over he shooed me to bed. At least once I fell asleep before it aired because I didn't know the Firefall episode even existed until I got my first copy of the series on VHS tape.

Loved the movies and the series when I was a kid, mom was into scary movies and such, so yeah, we'd all watch it with her. I bought the Kino BD not long ago, and still loved it. The casting was superb, especially McGavin and Oakland at the center of it all.

Im gonna buy the 70s material off Prime if and when it becomes available. There are few things I can watch without the dated quality interfering with my enjoyment. This is one of them.