OpenTube

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) 20 Weird Facts That You Didn’t Know About

Film Noir

115,614 views

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) is one of the earliest shows to mix investigative journalism with supernatural horror — and it directly inspired later hits like The X-Files.

But beyond the vampire, zombie, and monster-of-the-week stories, there’s a world of weird, surprising, and little-known facts about this cult classic.

In this video, we uncover 20 strange and fascinating facts about Kolchak: The Night Stalker — from behind-the-scenes secrets and casting quirks to episodes that almost didn’t happen and hidden Easter eggs even diehard fans might have missed.

Get ready to see the 1974 classic in a whole new light.

👉 Subscribe for more weird facts, cult classics, and behind-the-scenes TV stories.

20 Comments

@Greengbls 7 months ago

I loved The Night Stalker as a kid, still love it today.

@GrumpyGringo 7 months ago

Long live Kolchak.

@kcollier2192 7 months ago

Never realized Kolchak only ran for 20 episodes. Loved the show- too bad it's scariest monster was ABC itself.

@charliejacobs8762 7 months ago

Loved this show watched from the beginning and was left hanging when it shut down. Much respect to Darren Mcgavin he was great.

@lawrencemora2826 7 months ago

I was 12 years old when Kolchak appeared. Those were some scary Friday nights with older siblings out, parents and younger siblings asleep... Great memories!

@markstahlhut6079 7 months ago

McGavin was an amazing actor always stood out in everything he did...

@beezysbeatz4924 7 months ago

I was 8 yrs old when this was on TV and I loved it! It was like Columbo meets X-files

@anibalsosa5727 7 months ago

Loved this show as a kid and still do.

@Greengbls 7 months ago

It's so sad what the network did to that great show.

@WeepingAngel0008 7 months ago

I still watch it, and still love it. We need Kolchak!

@StevenBentley-w3h 7 months ago

Keep in mind that the screenplay for the tv-movie The Night Stalker was written by Richard Matheson, the author of the book I AM LEGEND (filmed as THE LAST MAN OF EARTH with Vincent Price, as THE OMEGA MAN with Charlton Heston, and as I AM LEGEND with Will Smith), as well as 16 episodes of The Twilight Zone, Spielberg's DUEL, and multiple Poe adaptations for Corman.

@rosalindmatteson3697 7 months ago

Think was my favorite series when I was a pre-teen. I hated that it got canceled, and would watch whenever it came on in rerun. Then I found it on DVD and immediately bought it. I still will have Night Stalker binges where I watch the whole series back to back. I love introducing people to it!

@donreid6399 7 months ago

I was a 'Monster kid' and loved all things monsters (plastic models, 'Famous Monsters' magazine, posters, masks, etc.) so at the time, I thought 'Kolchak' was one of the coolest shows ever! Of course, I was clueless as to the ultra-cheap production values , the not-so-crisp writing or the bargain-basement special effects. To a wide-eyed twelve year-old, I couldn't get enough! 🙂

@RED11FILMS1 7 months ago (edited)

Loved Kolchak. I've rewatched every episode multiple times. The Zombie is probably the scariest. Quick correction though. Cathy lee Crosby didn't play a Vampire with fangs. I believe she was a goddess that stole youth.

@Capt-quirk1 7 months ago

This show was a staple for me as a child. Sometimes, I catch myself whistling the theme, even after all the decades. RIP Kolchac, and thank you Darren McGavin.

@erneststackhouse1133 7 months ago

i loved watching it on Thursday Night an hour before PBS ran their "Mystery!" it was Kolchak the Night Stalker! Then right after to watch the Edward Gorey intro to Mystery! with Vincent Price it was like the best night ever growing up! i tell you what...i was one tired kid every Friday morning! Not going to lie it was kind of hard to sleep after those two back to back laying in bed in the dark with all those scary thoughts going thru your head! Never did tell my parents i was scared because i never did want to miss one Thursday Night of...Kolchak the Night Stalker!

@Ciao_Bella 7 months ago

The original Night Stalker scared the absolute crap out of me as a little kid. That and Trilogy of Terror.

@charlessomerset9754 7 months ago

I was six when the ABC Movie of The Week premiered The Nightstalker. My mom, a big Dark Shadows fan, let me stay up to watch it because she thought it looked different than other movies of the week. I remember it aired in January when the cold drove everyone inside.
It wasn't just good, it was exceptional. It scared the hell out of me and I slept with my arm over my neck to protect from vampire bites. My mom tried to act brave for me but I could tell she was really spooked. That was 54 years ago, a lifetime.