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From SCIFIPEDIA
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The Night Stalker (TV Series, 1974), also known as Kolchak: The Night Stalker, starred Darren McGavin as reporter Carl Kolchak, who found that most of the stories he worked on had a supernatural aspect, although it was impossible for him to convince his editor Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), a hard-nosed and hot-tempered adversary, of that fact. The show owes its cult following to the ongoing clash between Kolchak and Tony, along with McGavin's wry portrayal of a man with a healthy respect for his own skin, who tries to do right without the help of any James Bond gadgets or secret superpowers. What Kolchak had was a reporter's scanty income, an expense account, a Panama hat, and a camera. Those, plus determination and a keen brain, saw him through 20 episodes filled with witches, demons, and Aztec cults.
ABC revived The Night Stalker series in 2005, with Stuart Townsend stepping into McGavin's shoes.
It has been suggested that Kolchak may have been inspired by John A. Keel, the Fortean journalist who wrote about UFOs, Indian mysticism, and (later) Mothman.
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