I missed "Night Stalker" - how was it?

[NewJeffCT]

I didn't even know it was on until I flipped on the TV at 9:54pm and saw it on...

My impression on 5 minutes:
1) I don't like the guy playing Kolchak - too young and stylish. In the old TV show, Kolchak was a frumpy ne'er do well reporter... while I don't mind reinventing a character, at least keep it somewhat consistent (i.e., old Battlestar Galactica, Starbuck was a cocky hotshot rebel male; in the new one, Starbuck is a cocky hotshot rebel female)
2) Gabrielle Union is very attractive, but seems out of place on TV.

[NewJeffCT]

1. nobody watched?

kick

[EstimatedProphet]

2. I thought it was OK

but a far sight from the original

[tigereye]

3. the old ones were so creepy!

I would love to see the old ones again.

[johnnie]

4. I didn't watch it

But I flicked it on real quick and there was a shot in the newspaper office and Darrin McGavin was standing there. It looked like a shot from the old show. Pretty strange.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

18. LOL

I saw that, too. Almost thought I was seeing things. I wasn't impressed by the show, but I'll give it another shot. Probably shouldn't as that werewolfy stuff really creeps me out. Kept hearing noises in the back yard last night. And this morning found what looked like where a large dog had pissed on our gas grill cover. And how was a dog gonna get into our high fenced and locked gate back yard, unless it was our dog and we let him out the back door, and anyway he was neutered at 6 months and never quite got the hang of that leg lifting thing. Maybe I shouldn't watch this stuff.

[pro_blue_guy]

5. Well

I thought it was pretty good. But I never knew there was an older version of the show. Geez, there I go again showing my age (20).

[NewJeffCT]

6. welcome to DU

I think the original was on about 30 years ago, so I have fond memories of it from my youth (I'll be 39 in 2 months)

[hyphenate]

15. 1976-1977

Check with Amazon--there are some DVDs out on episodes, and the two original movies are also available--I just got mine about a week ago from DeepDiscountDVD.com.

I won't watch the new one. That's completely sacrilegious.

[Az]

7. As a fan of the old series.... I was not angered by it

Its going to get a lot of comparisons to X-Files (a show I didn't like) but I thought the exposition and characters all worked. They set Karl up with a reason to be all cynical and driven in the way he is.

I liked it and will be recording it (DVR) for future viewing. And thats something from me as I hate network programming.

[NewJeffCT]

10. Thanks

Unfortunately, I didn't even know it was on... I would have watched just to pay homage to the original.

[Montauk6]

8. Has it come to this???

They're remaking TV shows on TV as well??? Isn't it enough that they churn out bad big-screen versions?

[wackadoo wabbit]

9. First, a disclaimer.

I absolutely loved the original series! I still think it was one of the best shows ever. So you can imagine that this remake would have to be pretty good to equal the original Night Stalker in my mind.

That said, the show was terrible. Even my husband, who wasn't that familiar with the Darren McGavin Night Stalker, thought it was just bad. We spent most of the show cracking jokes a la MST3K.

There are many reasons why the show failed: the wooden dialogue (has anyone ever said, in real life, "I'm going to keep my eye on you"?), the laughable coincidences (how convenient that he could somehow drive his car up the side of a steep, rocky mountain to the very mouth of the cave; and, c'mon, who the hell takes their kid to the morgue?), the lack of basic continuity (first the back window was broken out by the creature, then, miraculously, as they were driving away, it wasn't), and so on.

But the main reason, at least for me, is that the new character is really the anti-Carl Kolchak. While the original Kolchak was shlumpfy, not very good looking, older, relatively poor (like almost all print reporters), with poor interpersonal skills and no personal life, this new Kolchak is the antithesis.

And you should see his apartment! My husband and I are both former newspaper reporters and we agreed that journalism must be paying much, much better these days, since his place, with its view overlooking LA, obviously cost in the millions.

More importantly, the original Carl Kolchak would write the truth, what really happened, which his editor would then censor. In fact, that was the whole point: no one ever believed Kolchak. But this Kolchak actually censored himself and left the monster out of his story. What the hell kind of a reporter is that?

One last point: the original series was intentionally funny; this one was played straight. I'm sure it was pitched as the new X-Files. But it's not, and it's definitely not the new Night Stalker; it's just a bad show that happens to share its name and the name of its title character with that of a very good show. Other than than, it has just about nothing in common with the original program.

[kwassa]

14. I laughed when I saw Kolchak's home, too

because I've lived in LA and that is a multi-million dollar house.

[Az]

16. Have to admit I did a double take on that too

Had a view to kill for. I think that may have been the same house used in one of the Lethal Weapon flicks.

[ReadTomPaine]

25. As a tremendous fan of the old show myself...

I have to agree with every point that you've made here.

The casting, portrayal and motivations given to this reinterpretation of Kolchak are spectacularly tone deaf. Give the pedigree of the executive producer (Spotsnitz worked on the excellent X-Files) I am very disappointed with what’s been done on this update.

The symmetry of the sequences and plotting in the old show were a marvel, the character acting superb and the mix of comedy and terror inspired. No show has done it better since. Some of the best talent in Hollywood television worked on the scripts as well, and it shows despite the rushed nature of some of the productions.

The most important thing to remember about the success of Night Stalker was the laser like focus on McGavin’s “Kolchak” character. He was a reporter straight off the “Front Page” (there was even a reference to this in the second film) and the rumpled, sparse character’s mixture of cynicism, realism and idealism were key to his appeal.

Carl wasn’t good looking, he wasn’t strong and he often screamed like a schoolgirl when faced with the supernatural but he never allowed himself to be defeated. Indefatigable and virtually living in his dysfunctional office (we never see his apartment on the show), he was the perfect underdog for the viewing public. McGavin knew he was on to something with this character, and to this day people in the newspaper business see Carl as a hero. Even Drudge holds him as an inspiration, which is why Matt cultivates the Kolchak look with the cheap hat and 2 dollar suit (though Carl would stake that vampire through the heart in a minute).

The world painted by the old show was born out of the widespread distrust of government that was so prevalent in the 1970’s and it was precisely this worldview paired with idiosyncratic performances of both cast and guest stars that permitted the stories to have such impact and emotional believability.

And what a great cast of actors and guests it was! From Simon Oakland’s unforgettable Vincenzo on down, the supporting cast was simply amazing. The guest lists read like a “Who’s who” of character actors of the period; Sorrell Booke, Antonio Fargas, Scatman Crothers, John Fiedler, Mary Wickes, Willam Daniels, Dick Van Patten, Tom Skerritt, Richard Kiel, Keenan Wynn, William Smith, Phil Silvers, Jamie Farr, Jim Bakus, Carolyn Jones, Erik Estrada, Hans Conried, Cathy Lee Crosby and of course Darrin’s wife Kathie Brown (who just recently passed away after decades of marriage together) just to name a few.

Where other ‘Monster of the Week’ shows might have their creatures always hidden from sight and never confronting authority, The Night Stalker had them flinging around cops (“The Ripper”), ignoring automatic weapon fire (“The Sentry”), slaughtering the entire control room crew of a ship (“The Werewolf”) and more. This in-your-face expression of power against authority worked wonders in creating an atmosphere of dread. These monsters weren’t afraid of the police. The police were afraid of them.

This played into the second brilliant conceit of the early series; since the authorities could not control these creatures, they instead controlled access to the information about them. How could a vampire survive in Las Vegas or Los Angeles without being noticed? When the police and FBI themselves hide the evidence of its existence, that’s how. And the idea fit very well in the culture of mistrust the government had earned itself throughout the 60’s and early 70’s. Suddenly, it became very easy to believe this could happen – with cops controlling access by the media and the only eyewitnesses to the events marginalized or taken away, reality didn’t matter – the cover story was king.

Also worth mentioning were the fantastic scores for the show by Gil Melle and Jerry Fielding. I am especially fond of the creepy string suites used for many of the shows final acts. These were particularly chilling in "The Zombie", which likely had the best finishing payoff sequence of the entire series.

Regarding the new series, the X-Files DNA is apparent (Mulderizing Kolchak for example with his quest to find out what happened to a beloved family member) but I actually see more CSI spin-off here than almost anything else. The forensic style analysis, acting delivery, the good looking cast, the manner of cinematography, direction and set design all scream CSI: Miami to me. Which is ironic considering the much better original CSI (set in Vegas) seems reminiscent of the original Night Stalker series in regard to the office politics/management aspects of its character interaction.

It seems, for whatever reason, most of the unique qualities of the older show were specifically sanitized or cut, and it’s mystifying since those were the reasons for the shows enduring appeal in the first place. This is like reshooting “Harvey” but leaving out the rabbit.

In fact, the original X-Files was a better spin off of Night Stalker than this as it had more of the shows original qualities than we see here. Heck, they even had Darrin himself, rather than a poorly superimposed computerized fake. And doesn’t that just about say it all?

[NewJeffCT]

26. great post

thanks for the analysis. There was something special about that old show, though I was 10-11 years old at the time.

[caty]

11. The first show

is never that good. Time is spent on dialog to introduce characters and their history, etc. I thought it was o.k., but I will wait to make a judgment on the show after I have watched it at least three times.

If you have never seen the original "Night Stalker"--keep your eye on the Sci Fi channel. They have it on and sometimes have a marathon day.

[CBGLuthier]

12. A fellow NS fan friend of mine

Turned it off after about 30 minutes. Said it was not NS. It was X-Files lite.

Government coverups. A tragic past. A Scully type to constantly be a doubter.

Fortunately, he has the originals on DVD so he could cleanse the taste.

I chose not to watch because I knew it was crap that is just USING the NightStalker name to sell another lame X-Files retread.

[Az]

13. The original had gov coverups too

And this one seems to be taking the same tack with that aspect. Its not an overreaching coverup. Its just local level incompetance and a fear of panic causing the coverup.

Look, its not going to be the same show. Don't go in expecting it to be. You are only going to be disappointed. Let it be what its going to be.

[CBGLuthier]

17. That is why I am not going to watch it

Then I will not be disappointed.

My biggest problem is they should just call it something else. They are trying to suck in fans of a show by making a show that does not even vaguely resemble the original.

Kind of like the second Highlander movie. It might have been alright as originally conceived, with no connection to Highlander, but the studios wanted to use the name and a really bad movie was made.

Hell, I don't need more TV to watch anyway. :-)

[flamingyouth]

19. I just finished watching it and it wasn't as bad as I'd feared.

Pilots are always kind of wooden as they introduce the characters. I liked it best when I totally stopped thinking about the original show and concentrated more on the creepy mystery elements of it. So, it was decent enough and I'll watch again.

[AlCzervik]

20. I thought it was ok but i think i was expecting too much you know? Also

i swear they had a Darren Mcgavin look alike for just a moment in their news room, the guy had on the off white suit and had the same color hair, maybe someone else saw it as well.

[flamingyouth]

21. That was actually a clip of him from the old show

Ah, the magic of technology! :D

BTW, I watched two episodes of "Maude" last night on Comcast On-Demand - thanks for that tip! :D

[AlCzervik]

22. thanks for confirming that, i thought i imagined it!!! i watched all the

Maudes, all 2 of them and now i have Barney Miller, i reaaly hope they have more Maude in oct.

[henslee]

23. Disappointed. Don't think Stuart Townsend works in that role. Poor

guy had the Vigo Morgenstern role in LOTR only to get fired two weeks into shooting... for being a weinerhead... or so I have heard.

[Kickin_Donkey]

24. This review in Wednesday's S.F. Chronicle ...

should shed some light on the new version of "Night Stalker." It has many of the same complaints posted downthread.

And there's a reason why it's an "X-Files" wannabe -- it has the same executive producer.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/28/DDGLJEUFKH1.DTL&hw=stalker&sn=001&sc=1000

[gizmo1979]

27. I thought the same

Kolchak was quirky with humor thrown in.This was too serious all the time.Kolchaks quirks were what made the whole show.

[ReadTomPaine]

28. Kick

[ChairmanAgnostic]

29. man, I loved the old one. Til I read this, did not know about the new one.

when it is on?

[ReadTomPaine]

30. Thursday @ 9 PM

http://abc.go.com/primetime/nightstalker/index2.html

Don't expect much - see my post and others above for a longtime fan view of the new show.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

31. "Kolchak was a frumpy ne'er do well reporter"

Unfortunately, ingredients such as "young and stylish", "hip", "physically attractive" are of the type that the "suits" in the entertainment biz use to sell shows to the advertisers nowadays (especially on network TV). Great character actors who can portray gritty down-and-dirty real life individuals don't seem to be in very big demand. Law And Order's Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe captured a little of that type of magic, but the show didn't dwell on the dark side of his persona, as his alcoholism and marriage problems were presented as being in his past. Maybe Americans don't want to see colorful characters anymore who present a certain dark and ugly side of the human condition, or even "frumpy ne'er do well" reporters and only want slick, glitzy pin-ups who can adorn the cover of People Magazine.

[ReadTomPaine]

32. "Lost" has its share of these types of characters, but it's rare I agree

Hurley & Locke come to mind. Also, on CSI.. Jim Brass fits into the basic profile you've described. It's ironic that these characters are all very popular, yet still aren't as common as they used to be.

[sasquatch]

33. Too bad they don't watch USA's "Monk"

They'd see that you don't have to be any of the stuff you listed to make a great show.