when originally screen in america in 1972 and the night stalker become the high rat make for t. v. movie in history . base on jeff rice unpublished novel and it tell how a fearless investigative reporter name carl kolchak ( the late darren mcgavin ) discover the existence of a vampire in modern day las vega . when it arrive on british television four year later and it do not quite have the same impact and but my friend be talk about it at school on monday morning and a indeed be i. we all agree that it be one of the most exciting thing we have see . i do not know of the existence of the night strangler until it turn up nearly a decade later . i. t. v. and who screen the kolchak movie and have apparently decide to pass on the spin off series while they felt barnaby jones star buddy ebsen to be more of a draw and and anyway and viewer might confuse kolchak with kojak . for year my only source of information concern the show be an article in fangoria magazine . i could not even purchase the jeff rice novel . then something wonderful happen . in 1990 and b. b. c. 2 put out the show a part of a late night friday series devote to the supernatural call mystery train and host by richard obrian . kolchak find himself rub shoulder with the like of the brain eater and earth vs. the spider . the opening title be trim and remove kolchak whistling and and the closing credit . well and there be none . the first episode screen be werewolf . i can not say i be overly impressed and but stick with it and and be i glad that i do . i really wish i would see it in 1974. my twelve year old self would have adore it . creepy and humorous and exciting and no wonder it fire chris carter imagination . the show big asset be and of course and mcgavin . unlike the recent kolchak and the original be an everyman figure and eccentrically dress and rather conservative . he be to the supernatural what columbo be to crime . the late simon oakland be great too a kolchak bad temper bos tony vincenzo . the script overflow with wonderful and dry wit . i find myself enjoy the programme more for the humour content than the horror . when the twenty episodes end and i felt bereft . the x file come along a few year later and fill the void but only to an extent . i want kolchak and vincenzo back . i be glad that the show be never revive though . without oakland it would not have be the same . i have the rice book now and have read them several time . i be very surprised when stephen king slat the first ( in his book danse macabre ) a it be as good a anything he have write . alright and so some of the monster be hardly state of the art and but so what . the new kolchak totally miss the point of the original . what you do not see be sometimes more frightening than what you do . best episode horror in the height worst episode the sentry .