The Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows of All Time: Kolchak – The Night Stalker (1974)

The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.

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

Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:

This series started out with the television movie The Night Stalker in 1972, followed by The Night Strangler in 1973—both produced by Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis with scripts from Twilight Zone veteran Richard Matheson. The series would then follow in 1974 and run for one season, continuing Carl Kolchak’s investigation into the supernatural and the bizarre. And over that run, the movies and the TV series delivered plenty of spooky moments that made an impression on those who tuned in.

The two movies delivered the high point of the franchise, with the pedigree of Dan Curtis and Richard Matheson as a driving force and Darren McGavin at the top of his game. Those introduced the Kolchak character and his unfortunate tendency to encounter the supernatural, and both had a good creepiness to them—making them among the scariest productions on television at that time. When the series arrived in 1974, it got off to a good start but then quickly moved into the monster-of-the-week rut. Still, it had its moments throughout the entire season, and McGavin’s performance as Kolchak was always delightful (as was Simon Oakland’s as Tony Vincenzo). If the show had stuck around for a second season, it probably could have hit its stride and perhaps even worked in some story arcs. But both ABC and McGavin decided they were done with it at that point (more on that at this link).

Between the movies and the TV series, the Kolchak character definitely made his mark on the small screen, delivering some frights and some laughs—and some pretty good scary stories as well. And this one would go on to have an influence on shows that would follow, such as The X-Files, Supernatural, and even Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so it should certainly be considered among the all-time greats of the genre.

Argument Against:

The first two Kolchak movies were the best this franchise had to offer, and it was all downhill from there. The series adopted the monster-of-the-week format because television execs were just not that imaginative at the time (which hasn’t changed much), and because Curtis and Matheson were no longer involved. The show just became formulaic and tiresome as it hashed through a laundry list of supernatural (and sometimes sci-fi) baddies. And the fact that Kolchak was constantly at odds with his editor, who refused to believe the reporter’s supernatural encounters, just got tiresome. Their constant disagreements started out as an entertaining enough obstacle for Kolchak to overcome, but it eventually just got annoying. By the end of the first season, the show was verging on camp and needed to be put out of its misery. The movies definitely count as TV classics—especially the first one—but the series just does not hold up.

Johnny Jay’s Take:

Somehow, I missed out on Kolchak‘s run on television even though it was right up my alley. I loved the spooky TV movies of the time like Gargoyles (1972), The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973), and Trilogy of Terror (1975), but I missed The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler in their initial runs and did not watch the Kolchak series when it originally aired. I would catch up on them later in reruns, and I compare the movies favorably to the other TV films I mentioned. As for the series, I was not as big of a fan. I agree that it got too formulaic, and I didn’t like the gimmick of Kolchak always being on the verge of getting fired because he was reporting on crazy stuff. It seems like there should be a point where Vincenzo would just fire him or start believing him, and the tension they tried to create from the constant bickering just seemed contrived. And the fact is that the show does not hold up very well because of its cheesy television production values of the time. But then I don’t hold that against The Twilight Zone or the original Star Trek, so I won’t ding Kolchak: The Night Stalker too much either. Still, this is a show that is more notable for its influence and less enjoyable to go back and watch. It definitely does not count among the upper echelon of genre shows, but I would consider adding it to the lower rungs.

Where Can You Watch It?

The series is available for streaming on the Peacock service and you can also purchase it VOD from providers like Amazon.com. It has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, though the latter is out of print and fetching high prices. Neither of the movies are available for streaming, but they were packaged together on DVD.

Stream or Purchase VOD

Do you consider Kolchak: The Night Stalker to be one of the greatest sci fi/fantasy shows or has it not stood up to the test of time? Chime in with your thoughts below or at our discussion thread at r/SciFiTV.

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