The Kolchak Tapes

In the fifth episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Carl squared off with a ragged werewolf (Eric Braeden).  Written by Paul Playdon and David Chase, the teleplay was cut down from 70 pages, leaving something that didn't quite hold together, despite Allen Baron's deft direction.   

In the fourth episode of The Night Stalker, Carl faces off a second time against a vampire.  This ties in nicely as a sequel to The Night Stalker TV movie as it's implied that the vampire -- a call girl from Las Vegas -- was a victim of Janos Skorzeny. Chris and Mike talk to the producer of The Night Stalker, Cy Chermak, author of  The Show Runner: An Insider's Guide to Successful TV Production.

Chris and Mike go back to the 2005 "Night Stalker" and discuss the second episode that aired in which Carl Kolchak (Stuart Townsend) goes toe-to-toe with a supernatural serial killer (Tony Curran).  Surprisingly, Chris really dug this one. .

Reporter Carl Kolchak's fifth reported encounter with the supernatural, They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..., was broadcast the night of September 27, 1974. Chris Stachiw and Mike White discuss the third episode of The Night Stalker (AKA Kolchak: The Night Stalker). Written by Rudolph Borchert and directed by Allen Baron. Also known as "U.F.O.", this episode find Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin)...

On the second episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Carl Kolchak squared off against the Italian and African-American mob of Chicago as well as the titular zombie. Written by Zekial Marko and David Chase, the episode was directed by Alexander Grasshoff (The Jailbreakers). The episode introduces us to Carol Ann Susi as Monique Marmelstein, the niece of INS's publisher. Links: Buy Kolchak: The Nigh...

Chris Stachiw and Mike White jump ahead in the timeline to discuss the pilot episode of Night Stalker which stars Stuart Townsend as Carl Kolchak, a reporter in Los Angeles who lost his wife in an attack by werewolves. He joins Perri Reed (Gabrielle Union) and Jain McManus (Eric Jungmann) on the hunt for creatures of the night who have stolen a little girl. Chris and Mike talk with series creator...

Reporter Carl Kolchak's third reported encounter with the supernatural, the Ripper, was broadcast the night of September 13, 1974. Chris Stachiw and Mike White discuss the first episode of The Night Stalker (AKA Kolchak: The Night Stalker). Written by Rudolph Borchert and directed by Allen Baron (Blast of Silence). The episode pits Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) against Jack the Ripper who has come...

On the third episode of The Kolchak Tapes, Chris and Mike are joined by guest co-host Amanda Reyes to talk about The Norliss Tapes (1973). Aired on NBC on February 21, 1973, the film stars Roy Thinnes as David Norliss, a writer trying to solve a supernatural mystery. Written by William F. Nolan, the film was directed by Dan Curtis who had helmed The Night Strangler and produced The Night Stalker....

Reporter Carl Kolchak's second reported encounter with the supernatural, The Night Strangler, was broadcast on the night of January 16, 1972. Chris Stachiw and Mike White discuss The Night Stalker and the character of Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin). Written by Richard Matheson (and later adapted for a novel by Kolchak creator Jeff Rice), the made-for-TV movie was directed by Dan Curtis (Dark Shadow...

Reporter Carl Kolchak's first reported encounter with the supernatural, The Night Stalker, was broadcast on January 11, 1972 to jaw-dropping ratings.  Chris Stachiw and Mike White discuss The Night Stalker and the character of Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin). Based on a book by Jeff Rice and adapted by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend), the made-for-TV movie was produced by Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows) an...