Kolchak the Night Stalker (1 Viewer)

Combat

Combat

Brigadier General
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
10,142
Wow was this a bad show back in the day, but I have a soft spot for it. They have been replaying it on one of those obscure channels METV. The made for TV movies were good but the TV show didn't quite cut it. It had two things going for it, though. A nice theme song and Darren McGavin. McGavin gave it his best shot. Each week he finds and destroys a new monster. His boss Tony was a real hoot. My favorite episode has to be the headless motorcycle rider. They don't make them like that anymore.
 
Combat said:
Wow was this a bad show back in the day, but I have a soft spot for it. They have been replaying it on one of those obscure channels METV. The made for TV movies were good but the TV show didn't quite cut it. It had two things going for it, though. A nice theme song and Darren McGavin. McGavin gave it his best shot. Each week he finds and destroys a new monster. His boss Tony was a real hoot. My favorite episode has to be the headless motorcycle rider. They don't make them like that anymore.
Click to expand...

This show and Time Tunnel on METV are two of my guilty pleasures.

I loved Time Tunnel as a kid; as an adult, not so much..........their "Gettysburg" episode was something else.

That one and the Alamo episode are pretty bad, some of the others are pretty good.

My cousin told me about some channel he gets called the Heroes Channel that shows episodes of Combat and Rat Patrol, too bad as we don't get that channel here.

I'd ask my cable provider to add it, but then they'd jack my rate another 50.00 a month...................
 
Yeah, it was a little corny, or cheesey, certainly by today's standards. But it was an enjoyable little show. It some ways it presaged "The X-Files"; in fact, when that show first aired, I thought back to Kolchak. It was also interesting to see him in later roles, as the Old Man in "A Christmas Story", for example, or in "The Natural", and think back to Kolchak. And yes, I agree, I enjoyed Simon Oakland as his editor, Tony Vincenzo. It's a series I would pay to watch again.

Prost!
Brad
 
Without Kolchak There wouldn't have been the X-Files. The creator of X-Files Chris Carter loved Kolchak and that's where he got the inspiration for X-Files. I loved Kolchak also. Now it seems dated and corny but not at the time it was on. Carter was able to get McGavin to appear on X-Files.
Mark
 
Warrior said:
This show and Time Tunnel on METV are two of my guilty pleasures.

I loved Time Tunnel as a kid; as an adult, not so much..........their "Gettysburg" episode was something else.

That one and the Alamo episode are pretty bad, some of the others are pretty good.

My cousin told me about some channel he gets called the Heroes Channel that shows episodes of Combat and Rat Patrol, too bad as we don't get that channel here.

I'd ask my cable provider to add it, but then they'd jack my rate another 50.00 a month...................
Click to expand...
I loved the Time Tunnel too but I can't watch it now.
Mark
 
Cool topic.

I used to stay up late to watch Night Stalker. Loved The Sentry episode with the lizard creature. Had to buy the series a few years back.

Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and Night Gallery equally enjoyable. Great stuff back in the day.

EDIT: In re. to the classic military shows, Heroes & Icons channel has a great line-up Saturday evening; best TV night for me.

Black Sheep Squadron
Tour of Duty
Combat
Rat Patrol (2 episodes)
12 O'Clock High
 
Last edited:
theBaron said:
Yeah, it was a little corny, or cheesey, certainly by today's standards. But it was an enjoyable little show. It some ways it presaged "The X-Files"; in fact, when that show first aired, I thought back to Kolchak. It was also interesting to see him in later roles, as the Old Man in "A Christmas Story", for example, or in "The Natural", and think back to Kolchak. And yes, I agree, I enjoyed Simon Oakland as his editor, Tony Vincenzo. It's a series I would pay to watch again.

Prost!
Brad
Click to expand...

His "Mike Hammer" TV series was 4.0, some great fight scenes.
 
Been watching 'Combat' on the H&I channel since it came on a year and a half ago. Just like when I was a kid, haven't missed an episode. Always thought it the best show on TV and my opinion hasn't changed. Used to try and watch the other shows in the H&I Saturday line-up, but just can't sit through 'Black Sheep' or 'Rat Patrol' anymore, just not in the same league as 'Combat'. -- Al
 
For those interested in the Nightstalker franchise, I recommend THE NIGHT STALKER COMPANION by Mark Dawidziak. It gives a lot of information on the tv movies and the tv series.

A few bits of trivia:

THE NIGHT STALKER tv movie was the most-watched tv movie in history when it premiered (the record was later broken by ROOTS).

Jeff Rice, who created Carl Kolchak, died penniless.

David Chase wrote a lot of the tv episodes. He hired Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale for their "Chopper" episode (headless motorcycle rider) which was their first job. Zemeckis and Gale later became famous for writing BACK TO THE FUTURE. Chase later became famous for creating THE SOPRANOS.

Jack Grinnage played Ron Updyke, Kolchak's uptight co-worker at INS. Grinnage later became a prop maker and one of his props was the bullet-carrying rabbit's foot that John Malkovich used in Clint Eastwood's IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

The tv series was released on dvd a long time ago, but will be released on bluray, too.
 
The original "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" movie is airing on Svengoolie tonight on MeTV. That is a classic. Doesn't come on that often.
 
I loved it too. There would have been no X-Files (another fav) without Night Stalker. It is what inspired Chris Carter.
Mark
 
I have Kolchak on DVD including the movies, watch them regularly and still laugh at every joke, some scenes were actually a bit scary :wink2:
 
All good shows to relax with. We like Combat and several others mentioned plus even more similar series. METV is a fun station. I liked the Kolchak: Night Stalker full movies (thanks Svengoolie). Time Tunnel is fun but Classic Dr Who is much better IMHO.
I think Andy should send some K&C figures to Svengoolie and get an appearance if he's "lucky". From what little I hear, other than from their website & google, they are open to collectables (and corniness). At worst they might appear on a table when he says one of his spiels.
We had action figures of many Classic Monsters. Floods are rough.
I digress: I love some schlok.
Post what you like please.
Paddy
 
I loved this show as a kid. When I was working I would pass the news building ( The Old Colony Building) everyday going to work. My buddies and I would also try to find the Chicago street scenes.
 
Last edited:
Deitz said:
I loved this show as a kid. When I was working I would pass the news building ( The Old Colony Building) everyday going to work. My buddies and I would also try to find the Chicago street scenes.
Click to expand...


It always struck me as funny that Kolchak drove around Chicago in a yellow mustang convertible. He would either freeze to death or be murdered in real life. I also always liked how he trampled the crime scene. Sometimes lifting the sheet and taking pictures of the murder victim while the police stood around ignoring him. For some inexplicable reason, Tony had a picture of a LA Laker player on his wall. And it wasn't even a star player but someone like Jim McMillian.
 
I DVRd "The Night Stalker" movie and watched it last night for the first time in probably 30 years. It has held up reasonably well. Didn't realize it was the highest rated TV movie in history when it first aired in 1972.


This upcoming Saturday Svengoolie is running "The Night Strangler" which is set in Seattle. Haven't seen that one in many years.
 
I posted this before on the Movie/TV news, but THE NIGHT STALKER co-stars Barry Atwater (Janos Skorzeny) and Claude Akins (Sheriff Butcher) also co-starred in THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"---one of my favorite episodes.

Creator Jeff Rice was supposed to play Medical Examiner Mokurji, but he was replaced by future-MASH star Larry Linville.
Jeff Rice died penniless
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2024 XenForo Ltd.
Back
Top