ABC Pulls the Plug on 'Night Stalker'
11-15-05 | 06:57 AM
#26
DVD Talk Legend
I'm glad to see it go. Ms. Union's sex appeal still doesn't make up for the wooden quality of her acting. Odd to see so many Supernatural haters, though. That show succeeds on so many levels, especially when compared to this one. The characters are more inviting, the dialogue is funnier, and the whole composition is cleaner and flows better without seeming so contrived or forcefully stylish (on Night Stalker the ending voiceover with key words popping up on the screen? WTF?). I gave them all (Threshold, Surface, this, Supernatural, Invasion) a try and am only sticking with the last two. I'd give them up too, but don't take away My Name is Earl!
11-15-05 | 08:21 AM
#27
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Originally Posted by Jadzia
I went ahead and deleted my recordings. I could use the Tivo space anyway. 
I actually enjoyed this show much more than Supernatural... which now that my WB affliate has moved it to 9pm on Sunday nights has forced me to pretty much abandon it too.
11-15-05 | 09:47 AM
#28
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Hmmm...not sure how I feel about this. I only watched the first ep, which I wasn't that impressed with. I was still going to give it a chance, just haven't gotten around to watching the other eps on my Tivo yet. Supernatural rocks, so I'm happy to get my supernatural fix from it. Ah well, one less conflict on Thursday nights. 
11-15-05 | 04:02 PM
#29
Mod Emeritus
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/kolchak.html
Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
Too. Many. X-Files. Clones.
Although inconsistent, the short-lived TV show quickly become a long-time cult favourite, and has frequently been attributed as the inspiration of Chris Carter's The X-Files. The parallels are obvious: as with Carter's show, each week on Kolchak:The Night Stalker our smart-mouthed, crusading hero gets hold of a seemingly-straightforward, but officially unexplained mystery, a mystery that upon further investigation somehow blossoms into a wild encounter with werewolves, killer robots, vampires, invisible aliens, or other even weirder creatures. And each week, our hero not only has to do battle with these bizarre (and lethal) supernatural entities, he also has to cross swords with skeptical colleagues, disbelieving superiors, and hostile public officials, all trying for one reason or another to stop him from getting at, and/or revealing, The Truth. Now if that doesn't sound like a template for the X-Files' Fox Mulder, what does?
Fortunately, Carter himself has acknowledged Kolchak as a major X-Files inspiration. In fact, Carter even went so far as to cast McGavin in a recurring role as a retired X-Files veteran with an acerbic personality and a familiar rumpled wardrobe
Despite its cult-like following, however, Kolchak: The Night Stalker only lasted for one season. Some say it was because of mediocre ratings; others claim that Jeff Rice (the original creator of the Kolchak character, remember?) derailed the series when he sued the production company, allegedly because the TV show was done without his permission. Whatever the reason for its demise, though, at its best Kolchak: The Night Stalker was certainly one of the top hard-boiled horror comedies ever made.
Fortunately, Carter himself has acknowledged Kolchak as a major X-Files inspiration. In fact, Carter even went so far as to cast McGavin in a recurring role as a retired X-Files veteran with an acerbic personality and a familiar rumpled wardrobe
Despite its cult-like following, however, Kolchak: The Night Stalker only lasted for one season. Some say it was because of mediocre ratings; others claim that Jeff Rice (the original creator of the Kolchak character, remember?) derailed the series when he sued the production company, allegedly because the TV show was done without his permission. Whatever the reason for its demise, though, at its best Kolchak: The Night Stalker was certainly one of the top hard-boiled horror comedies ever made.
11-15-05 | 05:31 PM
#30
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by AGuyNamedMike
I'm glad to see it go. Ms. Union's sex appeal still doesn't make up for the wooden quality of her acting. Odd to see so many Supernatural haters, though. That show succeeds on so many levels, especially when compared to this one.
(P.S. I think a lot of the hatred toward the new Night Stalker had a lot to do with it being an inferior remake of the original show. People have a chip on the shoulder with the show, so it had virtually no chance. Change the name of the show and the characters, but keep the plots exactly the same otherwise, and I think this show would've gotten as much love as Supernatural currently gets.)
11-16-05 | 09:34 AM
#31
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I was a big fan of the new Night Stalker so I will miss it.
11-16-05 | 11:18 AM
#32
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I was curious but there was too much else on at that time period so never saw an episode. I'm sure that was the case with most people.
They shouldnt have changed the premise that radically.
I think Supernatural is very overrated, veryyy dull and not at all scary.
They shouldnt have changed the premise that radically.
I don't think there was any "Supernatural Hate" in any posting here, just some of us think it gets overpraised about as much as the new Night Stalker gets slammed.
Last edited by riley_dude; 11-16-05 at 11:20 AM.
11-16-05 | 11:31 AM
#33
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Well, as for Supernatural vs Night Stalker, I think Supernatural started off very strong but has since settled into 'good but not great' territory. Night Stalker didn't impress me right off the bat, but it was slowly getting more interesting. Too slowly, unfortunately.
11-16-05 | 11:06 PM
#35
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From: Houston
Originally Posted by DRG
The problem I had with the show is that the "reporter" thing didn't really play in 2005. It just seemed bizarre that reporters were granted the type of access they were, especially considering they ultimately were never allowed to actually write about any of their discoveries.
and why did it have to be a Kolchak copy. I thought a better back story would have this Kolchak be ac ousin of the MacGavin character and he got obssesed with his uncle's old files and stories.
this show tried to have too much "shock" factor. plus the bad acting.
12-12-05 | 04:30 PM
#36
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/pr...0051212scifi01
Monday, December 12, 2005
SCI FI CHANNEL TO AIR 3 NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN EPISODES OF TOUCHSTONE'S 'NIGHT STALKER' (2005) AS PART OF 10-EPISODE OFF-NET PICK-UP
Released by Sci Fi
SCI FI CHANNEL TO AIR 3 NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN EPISODES OF TOUCHSTONE'S 'NIGHT STALKER' (2005) AS PART OF 10-EPISODE OFF-NET PICK-UP
Series to Debut on SCI FI Summer '06
New York, NY - December 12, 2005 - SCI FI Channel has acquired all ten episodes of Touchstone Television's series remake of 'Night Stalker' it was announced today by Thomas Vitale, SCI FI Channel's Senior Vice President, Programming and Original Movies. In addition to the seven episodes that aired on ABC this fall, SCI FI will have the exclusive premieres of 3 never- before-seen episodes. The series is slated to launch next summer.
'Night Stalker' is executive produced by Frank Spotnitz ('X-Files') and stars Stuart Townsend ('Queen of the Damned'), Gabrielle Union ('Bring It On'), Eric Jungmann ('Varsity Blues') and Cotter Smith ('X2').
Inspired by the original movie and series, Carl Kolchak ('Townsend'), is a crime reporter whose wife was mysteriously killed 19 months earlier. Now, in the eyes of the FBI, Kolchack is the primary suspect. His determination to discover the truth behind his wife's murder leads him to investigate other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. But he's trying to piece together a puzzle that keeps changing its shape. Who or what is committing these crimes? How are they all related? And why do some victims end up with a strange red mark on their hands in the shape of a snake? With his reluctant partner Perri Reed ('Union'), a sexy if skeptical fellow reporter in tow, Kolchak will go to any lengths to answer these questions.
SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 85 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.
Monday, December 12, 2005
SCI FI CHANNEL TO AIR 3 NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN EPISODES OF TOUCHSTONE'S 'NIGHT STALKER' (2005) AS PART OF 10-EPISODE OFF-NET PICK-UP
Released by Sci Fi
SCI FI CHANNEL TO AIR 3 NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN EPISODES OF TOUCHSTONE'S 'NIGHT STALKER' (2005) AS PART OF 10-EPISODE OFF-NET PICK-UP
Series to Debut on SCI FI Summer '06
New York, NY - December 12, 2005 - SCI FI Channel has acquired all ten episodes of Touchstone Television's series remake of 'Night Stalker' it was announced today by Thomas Vitale, SCI FI Channel's Senior Vice President, Programming and Original Movies. In addition to the seven episodes that aired on ABC this fall, SCI FI will have the exclusive premieres of 3 never- before-seen episodes. The series is slated to launch next summer.
'Night Stalker' is executive produced by Frank Spotnitz ('X-Files') and stars Stuart Townsend ('Queen of the Damned'), Gabrielle Union ('Bring It On'), Eric Jungmann ('Varsity Blues') and Cotter Smith ('X2').
Inspired by the original movie and series, Carl Kolchak ('Townsend'), is a crime reporter whose wife was mysteriously killed 19 months earlier. Now, in the eyes of the FBI, Kolchack is the primary suspect. His determination to discover the truth behind his wife's murder leads him to investigate other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. But he's trying to piece together a puzzle that keeps changing its shape. Who or what is committing these crimes? How are they all related? And why do some victims end up with a strange red mark on their hands in the shape of a snake? With his reluctant partner Perri Reed ('Union'), a sexy if skeptical fellow reporter in tow, Kolchak will go to any lengths to answer these questions.
SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 85 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.
