Kolchak: The Night Stalker makes a come back on Netflix. The seventies supernatual mystery series that only last one 20 episode season, but left it's mark on so many.
I remember watching this on friday nights at 8.30pm. It was on after the Avengers, which was actually more popular in Australia at the time. I, however, was a hardened fan of Kolchak. Any other fans reading this would remember the cheap straw hat, the off-white striped suit, his beat up little camera and tape recorder and those white runners. He wore runners instead of business shoes because, in his own words, 'I do a lot of running'.
And he did. From all kinds of monsters that lurk in the dark. A Werewolf, Vampire, Zombie, Spanish Moss Monster and more. He was a journalist who found the stories that nobody believed. Getting into the underbelly of police secrets. Only to be shut out, locked up and threatened. He risked life and limb to get the story.
Hated, despised and loathed by the heads of police for outwitting them and his constant interference, or feared for his knowledge on the crimes, and the police themselves. He wasn't beyond sourcing information from questionable sources to catch his monster. He always knew the right people, or knew the right people who knew the people.
If you have an interest in supernatural mysteries, and have no idea who Kolchak is, I suggest you watch it. Ok, it's from the seventies, which was soooo long ago, but it is worth watching. They tried a remake of the series in 2005 but it was a flop. It strayed from the original character too much. I watched the first show and knew I didn't want to follow it. I think people new to The Night Stalker just lost interest and people who were fans of the original, like myself, just couldn't stand it.
There is talk of a film to be made by Disney. It will be a movie based on the seventies series and Johnny Depp will star and Kolchak. Apparently the idea for the movie was born from fond memories of the series by Depp and his Sister, and Infinitum Nihil partner, Christi Dembrowski. I personally think he can pull it off. When the 2005 series came out, the character was too dark. Carl Kolchak is a quirky, tricky character, who is not beyond using underhanded tactics to get what he needs. While his boss in the Independent News Service (INS), Tony Vincenzo, is a coronary waiting to happen.
Of course we can't leave out Miss Emily Cowles, the dottering old dear who writes the Dear Emily column. Who also helps Kolchak get around the rules and a few misdemeanour's. Then there is Ron Updyke, Who Kolchak constantly refers to as Uptight. A stickler for the rules, and always trying to get a good story on fashion or society.
This was a great series, which I've recently found out was enjoyed by many more than I imagined. So go and have a look at Kolchak: The Night Stalker, on Netflix, and keep an eye out for the upcoming film.
It isn't shown on the uk Netflix at the moment, you'll need to go to the american site. You can do this by using Media Hint. It's safe, it's free and easy to use. So go forth supernatural mystery junkies and enjoy Kolchak: The Night Stalker
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