The Kolchak Tapes

“The Night Stalker” AKA “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” is a seminal show that has lead to an entire subgenre of entertainment, “The Paranormal Investigator.” From “Scooby Doo” to “Supernatural” (and beyond), the paranormal investigator came to prominence with “The X-Files” but this show and many others owe a debt to the man in the blue suit, Carl Kolchak.

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Episodes

Night Stalker 2005 Pilot

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 and X-Files veteran Frank Spotnitz about the original intentions for the series and how it changed b...

Jun 07, 2017•1 hr 45 min

The Ripper (1974)

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 to Chicago to slaughter sex workers (and Carl's fellow reporter Jane Plumm (Beatrice Colen). The ep...

Apr 26, 2017•1 hr 56 min

The Norliss Tapes / The Night Killers

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. We discuss the similarities and differences between Norliss and Kolchak. We also look at The Night K...

Mar 27, 2017•2 hr 23 min

The Night Strangler (1973)

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 Shadows). Special Guest: Amanda Reyes, editor of Are You In The House Alone?: A TV Movie Compendium 1964-1...

Feb 19, 2017•1 hr 33 min

The Night Stalker (1972)

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) and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey. Special Guest: Professor Mark Dawidziak, author of The Night Stal...

Jan 11, 2017•2 hr 5 min

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