Kolchak: The Night Stalker is an American television series that aired on ABC during the 1974–1975 season. It featured a fictional Chicago newspaper reporter who investigated mysterious crimes with unlikely causes, particularly those that law enforcement authorities would not follow up. These often involved the supernatural or even science fiction, including fantastic creatures.
Great character-driven show - and I'm not just talking about Darren McGavin's seersucker-suited portrayal of the classic paranoid tabloid-obsessed American newspaper reporter who sees a conspiracy 'round every corner, it applies to the entire cast - partially fouled by an obscure backlog of slipshod stories on legends and/or fantastical beasts. There are moments here and there which recall the thrills and chills of the TV movies (the ending of "Mr. R.I.N.G." was a definite highlight) but usually the fantasy parts of the show left me wanting more, and often the better payoffs were with guest stars (usually Kolchak vs. the chief cop in charge of the investigation) or ancillary characters like Gordy "The Ghoul" Spangler, the morgue attendant who ran a death lottery!
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