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The Hat - Result
Darren McGavin was Carl Kolchak
Congrats to the winner of the guess-the-hat contest.
From 1974-1976, ABC ran a show called "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" about an offbeat wire reporter named Carl Kolchak working in Chicago. Each week Kolchak would investigate unusual deaths -- deaths the authorities always said had natural causes but deaths Kolchak always found to have much more sinister roots.
It was campy, quirky, and fun. At the heart it was a sci-fi/horror show dressed up in a newspaper frame. Darren McGavin played Kolchak, who was constantly faking his way into interviews and official proceedings. Kolchak was a deeply flawed character, but he had one gift: he was an excellent writer. The side stories consisted of life at the newsroom and various social commentary on things like singles dating.
The series ran for one season, and including two movies that were done prior to the series didn't have a huge impact. McGavin didn't like the way the series was going and ratings were dwindling, so they canceled the whole thing after only 20 episodes -- not even going a full season. And everybody said, that was that.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the TV graveyard.
Kolchak got a cult following.
Ever heard of a little show called the Sopranos? David Chase, the creator, started by being a writer for Kolchak. How about another show called X-Files? Chris Carter, its creator, says its inspiration came largely from Kolchak. A character named "Richard Matheson", named for the screenwriter of the pilot films, appeared in several episodes. By the way, Carter wanted McGavin to appear as Kolchak in one or more episodes of The X-Files, but McGavin was unwilling to reprise the character for the show. He did eventually appear in several episodes as Arthur Dales, a retired FBI agent described as the "father of the X-Files".
There have been comic books, movies, fan fiction, sequels, and all sorts of other things created based on the Night Stalker.
Quite a bit of impact for a obscure show from almost 40 years ago. If you haven't had a chance to check out the show, try watching a few episodes sometime. If you like Sopranos and X-Files, you'll enjoy seeing their creative roots.
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