I have the DVD series and have watched it right through.I watch the series at night after 9pm for maxament effect. I like all the series and episodes. Its too bad the series only lasted for 1 season 1974 to 1975. The remake in 2005 was so bad it didin,t last that long and was canceled after 13 episodes.I wasn,t sorry. You can,t re create a great series like the original nightstalker.The new one had too many characters in it and made carl kolchak weak and it wasn,t even funny at times.I recommend the original series its the best and its a shame that the series didin,t have a longer run.I liked Tony Vincenzo,s character played by Simon Oakland. Him and Carl strangely enough had some good weird chemestry. There were laots of familiar faces in the series and I have the only 3 disc DVD of the series.I do have the Nightstrangler 1972 only on VHS. I loved Carls clothes. It was him and that hat was like a bird ,s nest on his head. He was identifiable at all times. But at least he got down to the story and delt with whatever he had to do. The police couldn,t do what Carl did. He had guts I tell you.You don,t find that in todays news reporters. carl stood out from all others. His boss must be proud of him. If you find this series I recommend you watch it.

I've reviewed TV series in the past, but typically only if I find something interesting about them. So it is that I think this show is interesting, but for a different reason.A lot of sitcoms and dramas have sociology implications. The idea being that we absorb impressions and regurgitate them in real life. Eh, that's true sometimes depending on who we are. And the reason I like this show is because it's good old fashioned story telling. Kolchak is a reporter in a world where ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural phenomena are real, and he must contend with a hot headed reporter and a police chief who thinks he's off his rocker."The Night Stalker" doesn't have any agenda of addressing social issues like poverty, race relations, social stigmas, domestic abuse, or whatever. I'm glad we have those shows, but it's like these days you can't get away from that junk, and "The Night Stalker" comes from an era when you could tell an old fashioned ghost story without needing to put in some marketer's agenda.It's not a fancy show, but it's got a good amount of suspense and thrills. It can be over the top here and there, but it's also grounded. Like a former producer or director of the series said in an interview "In those days, we just did it!" And he further went on to say "These days, everything has to be developed..." And I think he's hit the nail on the head of why we don't get better films and TV, and "The Night Stalker", even though its run was brief, was very successful.And it wasn't scary as such, but just highly suspenseful and kept your attention. I mean okay, it deals with ghosts and other stuff from folklore (vampires and such), but it's a good suspenseful series showing how one reporter fights to get the truth out to the world and deals with threats from "the great beyond." Really a fun watch. I'm glad it's on DVD.Enjoy.

If IMDb allowed short reviews (they don't, they have rules) I would make this a one sentence review and simply point out that the producers and writers of the X-Files claimed their hit show was an "homage" to this incredible series. That is all you really need to know. If you are still with me, I will say that Darren McGavin, one of the great legends of early TV, was pushing 50 when he took on the role of a "cub reporter" that unintentionally ended up with all the really-really-really strange stories. His Kolchak is pitch-perfect, and in hindsight it is hard to imagine anyone else who could have pulled it off, his rumpled hat and suit make even Columbo look like a male model. And like any good reporter, he is always fighting with his boss and he always has one more question to ask, even if that last question means risking his life. The best series are not merely about stories, they are about characters that you cannot forget long after the set is turned off. McGavin made Kolchak a part of TV history. The series is timeless.

My mom and I were very much into horror films. As a little kid I loved being scared and Kolchak: the Night Stalker was more than happy to oblige me. The creators of X-files constantly gave credit to this series as being their foundation. They even wanted the Kolchak character to be a part of the series. The stories are smart and fun and keep you thinking. A handful of the stories are a little campy like the Sentry which uses a walking reptile like creature, but for most of the stories they deal with evil entities based on the supernatural, folklore, and legends. I love the Tony Vincenzo character; Carls' angry and often yelling editor in chief who is always fighting, but also always supporting Kolchak. From the actors to the great music, this series is a must have for any true horror fan. If you are looking for a slasher series, then this isn't it. For a fun, smart, and often scary and interesting ride, it doesn't get any better than the Night Stalker. I have the DVD series and I watch it often.