Whether we’re talking movies or television, audiences everywhere are used to a wide variety of science-fiction and fantasy-based genre projects that tackle paranormal investigations. Be it the long-running seriesThe X-Files, which primarily followed two FBI agents in their search for the truth about extraterrestrials, or the 15-seasonSupernatural, which centered on two brothers as they hunted down ghosts, monsters, and demons who terrorize the night, there’s clearly an audience for these sorts of stories. Whether you enjoy either of those shows or any series even remotely like them, the truth is that they trace their lineage further back in the annals of television history to a very short-lived number of made-for-TV films and a subsequent series titledKolchak: The Night-Stalker.
Originally airing in 1974, theKolchakseries followed an investigative reporter named Carl Kolchak as he dove into paranormal investigations of his own, usually springing from an unsolvable murder that would turn out to be caused by some monster or sci-fi creature. Played byDarren McGavin, Kolchak made his debut in the 1972 TV movieThe Night Stalker, which was based on an unpublished vampire novel by authorJeff Rice. Rice’s novel was eventually published after the release of the television film, which quickly spawned a sequel of its own:The Night Strangler. Soon after, the ABC series premiered, though Kolchak’s success on television was short-lived, and the series was canceled after only 20 episodes.
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Despite its premature cancelation,Kolchakbirthed a cult following through syndication and has managed to return on a number of occasions. In 2005,X-FilesproducerFrank Spotnitzdeveloped a reboot for ABC, which starredStuart Townsendas Carl Kolchak and centered around the reporter’s investigations into the death of his wife, which in turn opens the door to the supernatural. Unfortunately, the series only ran six episodes before it was unceremoniously canceled, though the remaining 10 would make their way to the iTunes Store before long. Unlike the classic series, theNight Stalkerreboot lacked a certain charm that made McGavin’s Kolchak so interesting, and though other reboots have been in the works — includinganEdgar Wright/Johnny Deppfilmfrom Disney — nothing has materialized, proving that nothing beats the original.
A Perfect Blend of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Folklore
At the end of the day, what made the originalKolchakseries so unique, especially for its time, was that it didn’t just pit our hero up against your average monster or alien, it dove into traditional folklore as well. As would become precedent forThe X-FilesorSupernaturaldecades later,Kolchakknew how to balance different types of horrors, be they fantastical or explainable, at least, by some sort of pseudo-scientific means. Not only that, but the series often grappled with spiritual realities as well, most notably in the episode “The Devil’s Platform” in whichTom Skerrittplays a politician who sells his soul to Satan himself. In fact, the episode shares a bunch of similarities withThe Omenand its sequels, though it predated the original 1976 horror flick by a solid two years.
Over the course of two TV movies and 20 hour-long episodes, Kolchak goes up against everything from vampires, werewolves, and witches to killer androids, a pre-historic ape-man, and even a headless biker in the same vein asThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Pulling from every dark corner labeled weird or unexplained, the writers behindKolchakreinvented some of the most famous ghost stories out there while honoring the past, be that the strangeness of 1950s science-fiction (yes, there’s a lizard monster on the show) or actual historical/mythological figures such as Jack the Ripper or Helen of Troy. This isn’t to mention the show’s profound commitment to folklore in general, particularly that of the Native American, Hindu, or Creole variety. This gave way to some especially compelling episodes, such as “The Spanish Moss Murders,” which tackles a Cajun boogeyman covered in, you guessed it, moss. It’s nowhere near as dumb as it might sound.
This blending of subgenres and emphasis on using old myths, legends, and otherwise fantastical folk tales was unprecedented at the time, and Kolchak was the perfect character to usher in this weird world of the unexplained. As a reporter, Kolchak is forced to take an unbiased stance (as much as he can anyway) while taking us on a strange journey filled with mystery, terror, and wonder. From watching even just one episode of the beloved series (be sure to catch “Horror In The Heights” if you can, it’s a doozy), it’s easy to discern howKolchak: The Night-Stalkerinspired countless imitators, and why folks would want to imitate it in the first place. Truly, Darren McGavin’s tenacious charisma and adventurous spirit lend themselves well to Kolchak’s characterization, and though the character himself remains relatively unchanged over the course of the series, it’s his consistency that keeps us coming back for more.
The Quest For The Truth
For a long time, stories about ghosts, monsters, killer robots, aliens, and the Devil himself were usually limited to the horror genre or some sort of fantasy tale that took the audience to a world other than their own. This isn’t to say that a little show likeKolchak: The Night-Stalkeris single-handedly responsible for blending genres and creating the paranormal procedural, but there’s no denying that withoutKolchak, many of the other shows we’ve grown so fond of would likely not exist, at least not in their current form.Chris Carter, the creator ofThe X-Files, was directly inspired byKolchakwhen creating arguably the most famous paranormal series. When talking withNew York Daily News, Carter revealed his love for the series growing up, and that his goal withThe X-Fileswas to make something “as scary asKolchak.” No doubt, he succeeded.
But the pure horror itself wasn’t the only thing Carter drew from the short-lived ABC series. Kolchak’s own quest for the truth, his desire to let the entire world know that vampires are real, aliens exist, and that mummies can in fact come back from the dead, directly correlates to Carter’s characterization of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny). Though Mulder’s search for the truth is more personal, he ceremonially picks up where Kolchak left off, further investigating what others would like to ignore. To take that parallel a step further, Carter and company cast Darrin McGavin (in his final television credits) as the older version of former FBI Agent Arthur Dales, the man who sort of began the X-Files in the first place. Appearing in theX-Filesepisodes “Travelers” and “Agua Mala,” Dales recounts to Mulder his early work uncovering the paranormal. McGavin even played a part in another Carter-created series, the similarly short-livedMillennium, as the estranged father of series protagonist Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) in the Christmas episode “Midnight of the Century.”
ButThe X-Filesisn’t the only groundbreaking series to be directly inspired by Kolchak’s quest, as it turns out, Sam and Dean Winchester (played byJared PadaleckiandJensen Ackles) ofSupernaturalwere originally a single reporter who was to travel the country exploring American urban legends. In 2020, creatorEric KripketoldTV Insiderthat “It was basically a terrible rip-off ofNight Stalker.” It wouldn’t be long before Kripke revised his pitch though, trading in his Kolchak-wannabe for two monster-hunting brothers. Though the reporter angle was dropped early on, Sam and Dean spentthe early years ofSupernaturalhunting down various paranormal creatures while searching for the truth about their missing father, the death of their mother, and the origins of Sam’s psychic abilities. ThoughSupernaturalno doubt took some cues fromThe X-Filesand your favorite horror movies, it was initially inspired byKolchakand only took on a life of its own from there.
A New Era of Paranormal Investigations
Of course,The Night-Stalkeris often alluded to in other bodies of work, from films and television series to even comic books and role-playing games. In the neo-Western comic seriesThat Texas Blood, a Kolchak-like character named Harlan Eversaul aids Sheriff Joe Bob Coates as they investigate a Satanic cult. In reference to the iconic reporter, Eversaul even looks a bit like Kolchak, right down to his trademark hat. Kolchak’s apparel would also return inThe X-Filesepisode “Mulder and Scully Meet The Were-Monster,“one of the best of the series, which putsRhys Darby’s character in the tannish hat and coat. But the reporter himself isn’t the show’s only legacy, the monsters get their due as well…Kolchak’s depiction of the Rakshasha, a Hindu legend brought to life in the beloved episode “Horror of the Heights,” actually served as part of the basis forthe monster’s inclusion inDungeons & Dragons.
Naturally, theNight Stalkerreboot was directly influenced by the original series, but it strangely feels a bit more likeThe X-Filesor your average cop show than it does the originalKolchak. Not only was Stuart Townsend a bit unbelievable as the seasoned reporter, but he didn’t have the charisma that McGavin brought to the role. As mentioned before, the Frank Spotnitz-helmed series didn’t last very long, and no wonder asKolchak: The Night-Stalker’s true successors, shows likeSupernaturalandThe X-Files, took the ideas of the original series and made them even better. The invisible alien invader of “They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be…” was very clearly the basis for the even betterThe X-Filesepisode “Fallen Angel,” which opened the door a bit wider for the show’s alien conspiracy arc. Likewise, Sam and Dean’s aliases as fake reporters or FBI agents throughoutSupernaturalis a clear nod to both those shows and their impact on genre television. In the fan-favorite episode “Mystery Spot,” Dean even notes Sam’s Kolchak-like demeanor after witnessing his brother press a witness for their testimony.
It’s no secret that Kolchak’s paranormal investigations sparked entire generations of storytellers.The X-FilesandSupernaturalaside (which on their own have inspired countless tales), there are dozens of genre shows that owe their thanks to the initial premise ofThe Night Stalker. Be it those that dabble mostly in the fantasy realm such asAngelorGrimm, the pseudo-scientific world, likeFringeorWarehouse 13, or even those that tackle topics of religion and folklore likeEviland the short-livedMiracles, the quirky reporter has certainly spawned a whole generation of paranormal detective shows despite not sporting a badge or gun. No doubt, despite only airing for one season,Kolchak: The Night-Stalkermade its mark on television in a way that few long-running shows do today, and that’s a testament to creator Jeff Rice, star Darren McGavin, and the host of others who worked on the original “spooky cop” show.
